Jeremiah 24
Bible Passage: Jeremiah 24
We begin this month with a new book – Jeremiah.
I always had the perception that books such as Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ezekiel etc were difficult books to read. However, after reading today’s chapter, I find it is not that tough to understand. Many lessons can be drawn from the reading today which we can apply to our lives.
The Israelites were separated into good and bad figs. This reminds me of what was recorded in Matthew 25:31-46 about goats and sheep. It also reminds me of the fig tree which was cursed by Jesus for not producing fruit.
A good tree bears good fruit, while a bad one bears bad fruit. Do good figs get away without experiencing any problems?
The good figs are still taken away into captivity by the evil one, but it will be for their own good. On the other hand, the bad figs will be scattered, they will die off, unlike the good figs.
In the latter days, the good figs will experience trials and tribulation, but they do not need to fear, for God will be with them.
When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
Deuteronomy 4:30
For us today, the “good” believers will be put through troubles for God’s sake, but they will emerge victorious because God is with them. The “bad” believers, along with the non believers will also go through troubles, but they will perish and not live again.
Are we good or bad figs? Do we spend enough time on our spiritual nurture?
When we raid our refrigerators and find fruits that have gone bad, will we continue to keep them? We will definitely throw it away, for it tastes and smells really bad. There is no point in keeping the rotten fruit. Similarly, God will not retain the bad figs since they have gone bad.
While the door of mercy is still wide open for us to repent and turn back to God, let us seize this opportunity to be good figs, and to have strength, courage, endurance and peace from God to overcome troubles and tribulations.
May our faiths remind firm.