20150917 Thursday, September 17 2015
Jeremiah 24: The Good and The Naughty Figs

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad"

All forms of life on Earth began from the earth (see Adam and Adamah and What Does Earth Mean?). The earth sustains all life, in the cycle of physical life (see The Biology Of The Resurrection). Man and plants have the same "roots."

"2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:8-9 KJV)

As stated, there were many trees in the Garden in Eden (see How Did Eden Become Babylon?), but only one kind of tree is specifically identified - the fig tree. Whether or not figs were the "forbidden fruit" is unstated and irrelevant - the command was to not take of the fruit of that one tree, regardless of what the fruit happened to be. At any rate, figs were immediately available around the one off-limits tree because as soon as they took fruit from the forbidden tree, "the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." It's even possible that the first clothing was made from the leaves of the one tree that they were not to touch (see also Who Invented Camouflage?).

"3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." (Genesis 3:6-7 KJV)

The analogy of good fruit and bad fruit extends to how good fruit can become bad, either from a missed opportunity to be harvested (i.e. refusing to repent when the opportunity comes) or by deliberate damage caused by the ultimate vandal, Satan (i.e. how his rotten mind corrupted the first humans).

The Messiah's parable of the fruitless tree could have meant that it had no fruit at all, or that poor growing conditions produced fruit that still resulted in a crop failure. Either way, the analogy of the Holy Spirit "fertilizing" the tree to enable it to be good fruitful provides the means to become good fruitful - after which there is no longer any excuse for its failure to do what it was created to do.

"13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." (Luke 13:1-9 KJV)

The LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) gave the prophet Jeremiah a prophecy for the Kingdom of Judah (see Why Didn't Jeremiah Live In The Kingdom Of Israel?) in the form of two baskets of figs. One of them had good fruit, while the other had "naughty" (from a word that means nothing, or zero) fruit. It was a time when the exile of Judah to Babylon had begun - the "naughty" fruit were gone. The "good fruit" represented the seed of the return, that would happen, for the sake of the coming Messiah.

"24:1 The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. 24:2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

24:3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?

And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

24:4 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

24:5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. 24:6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

24:8 And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith 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: 24:9 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. 24:10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers." (Jeremiah 24:1-10 KJV)

Fact Finder: Who created "weeds" that damage crops?
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