Jeremiah 24

THE sum of what God by his Prophet revealeth in this Chapter is, that he would deal more graciously with those carried into Captivity, with Ieconiah the Son of Iehoiachim; of which read, 2 Kin. 24.12. 2 Chron. 36.20. Then with those that should afterward be carried into Captivity with Zedekiah. This the Prophet has revealed to him in a Vision of two baskets of figs; as followeth.

The LORD showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD Some think these two baskets of figs were such as the people had brought for their first fruits, because they are mentioned as set before the Temple. But this might be no more than a Vision, or an appearance of two Baskets., after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehojakim the king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon The time of this Vision was sometim betwixt the carrying away of Ieconiah, of which we read 2 King. 24.12, &c. and 2 Chron. 36.10. and the carrying away of Zedekiah his Uncle, which was eleven years after in 2 King. 24.16. there is a particular mention of the King of Babylons carrying away the Craftsmen and the Smiths a thousand..

One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe God afterwards explaineth to the Prophet, and he to the Kings house, the significancy of this Vision. The Figs first ripe are usually best: by these good figs, as will appear by the following verses are intended, Iechonia or Iehojachim, with the 10000 mentioned 2 Kin. 24.14. and the 7000 mentioned v. 16. which went with him into Captivity.: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad By the other Figs which were very bad, not to be eaten, are signified Zedekiah and the residue of the people, carried with him into Captivity. Some may object, that Iechonia, and the people then caried away, were wicked e ough, why else were they carried away, and being so, how are they compared to good Figs? Answ, Though they were bad, yet they might be comparatively good. This people for the eleven years they continued in their own land, after that their brethren were carried away, not only continuing in their former courses, but still growing worse and worse. 2. They seem not to be called good or bad figs with respect to their manners or quality, but in respect to what God intended to do to them, viz. to use them as bad figs are used, not fit to be eaten..

Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah God having caused the Prophet to have such a visible object appear to him ask'd him, what he saw, as Ier. 1.11.? and I said, Figs: the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel Who have power to do what I please, and who yet am in Covenant with Israel, and have a kindness for the seed of my servant Iacob., Like these good figs: so will I acknowledge them that are carried captive of Judah Look as thou approvest of one of these Baskets of Figs, so I do approve of those that were carried away Captive with Jeconiah, repenting of their sinful Courses; and accepting of that punishment of their iniquity., whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good Though N b c d ezzar carried them away it was by Commission from me; so that though he carried, yet I sent them. For their g od, which words may either refer to the last mentioned words, intimating that God in sending them away aimed at either their Spiritual good, to bring them to Repentance, and an acknowledgement of their sins: or their temporal good, they being only quietly led away, without the miseries of Famine, Fire and Sword, besides carrying away, which those who remained, and were afterwards carried away with Zedekiah, experienced: Or else they may be referred to the former words. I will acknowledge them for their good, that is, I will show them favour, being of the number of those who were not leaders to sin, but led away by the ill Example of others, and who being carried away grew sensible of their sins by which they provoked me, and so accepted of the punishment of their iniquities..

For I will set mine eyes upon them for good The Soul looking out at the eye, discovereth its inclinations, and affection, whether of love, or wrath. Hence we read of Gods setting his eyes upon people for evil, Amos 9.4 as here of his setting his eyes upon them for good. Or else it may signifie Gods setting himself to do them good, as a man when he sets upon doing a thing, sets his eyes upon it in order thereunto., and I will bring them again to this land Some of them probably returned before the end of the Captivity, some at the end of the 70 years., and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up The meaning of these metaphorical expression is, I will prosper them, and provide for them. We read 2 King. 25.27, that Evil-merodach, King of Babylon in the 37th. year of the Captivity of Jehojachin, lifted his head up out of Prison, spake kindly to him, &c. but this Prophesie was also fulfilled, in Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Mordecai, and others, who are thought to be carried away with Jeconiah, or the Prophesie may be understood of the Posterity of those who were at this time carried away..

And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD Under the term know me, is here (as in many other texts) comprehended Faith, Love, Obedience, all those motions of the Soul which rationally should follow a right comprehending of God in mens knowledge., and they shall be my people, and I will be their God I will be a God in Covenant with them, as I will fulfil what I have promised them, so they shall do what is their duty to me.: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart For or when, or after that they shall return to me, not fainedly, but with their heart, not partially, but with their whole heart. This is promised as an effect of special grace, not of the mere good inclination of their natural Wills, for so the words I will give, in the beginning of the verse must be understood, otherwise God gives such an heart no more to one man than another..

¶ And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil: (surely thus says the LORD) So will I give Zedekiah the King of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt Whither it is probable many of the Jewes had fled, upon the coming or noise of the coming of the King of Babylon, as they had done before, Isa. 30.2. & 31.1..

And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, a taunt, and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them The Lord by his Prophet expresseth those tremendous judgments which he had designed to bring upon this wicked Prince and people in the words of Moses the man of God, as well because the Jewes had a great Reverence (pretendedly at least) for Moses, how little soever they had for Jeremiah: as to let them see, that what the Lord here threatned, and suddenly would bring to pass was but in a just accomplishment of what he before had threatned in his Law by which they ought to have taken warning. The sum is, he would make them a common scoff, and By-word, that their Misery should be a common Proverb, and when men would Curse one another, they should wish them like Zedekiah and the Jews..

And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence amongst them, till they be consumed from off the land, that I gave unto them and to their fathers Many of them shall not live to be carried into Captivity, but shall die miserably in their own land, if not by the Enemies Sword, yet by the Famine and the Pestilence which two things ordinarily attend long sieges, by one of these three sore judgments of God they shall be consumed out of the land, and shall not hold it by the Title of Gods gift of it to their fathers. No gifts of God, except those of special Grace, are perpetuities; but either given, Quam diu bene se gesserint, so long as men behave themselves well in the use of them; or, D r e bene placito, during Gods good Will and Pleasure..