Jeremiah 24:7

The aim was to show clearly, in the picture of two baskets of figs, the completely opposite futures waiting for two sets of Jews. One set went into exile in Babylon with King Jeconiah. The other stayed in the land with King Zedekiah, or went to live in Egypt.

To the world the good figs were the people remaining at Jerusalem under Zedekiah; to God's heart they were those carried away from Judah. They were good because they had bowed to God's judgment on their sin. The same principle holds for us. We have suffered our judgment in the person of Christ, condemned in our place on the cross... Because Christ bore that judgment, God sees us perfect in Him, however wretched we may be in ourselves.

The Lord meant their exile to be for their eventual good. This is a very important point. In a day of ruin faith always recognises the chastening of God and bows to it. Unbelief always resists, and counts it patriotism, or perhaps religion, to fight back.

There were no intermediate figs. They were either 'very good' or 'very bad'. This shows that God would not accept a middle ground or a neutral position. The good figs were the ones that accepted the discipline and bowed under it.

The Lord announces the restoration of the people: "I will bring them back to this land." At the same time He declares that in days to come He will give them moral perfection before Him. This comes out of a new covenant in which everything comes from Him. He alone is its author; it will be a covenant of grace, not of responsibility.

This new covenant rests wholly on the sovereign grace of God. It sets out the terms on which He can be with man in a way that fits His own holy nature and His own will. Again and again, as He sets out its blessing, the Lord says, "I will" — "I will make a new covenant"; "I will put My laws into their mind"; "I will be to them a God"; "I will be merciful"; "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." It is clear that the blessings of the new covenant depend, not on man's doings or man's will, but on God's sovereign will.

Even in the land of the Chaldeans the eyes of the Lord are upon them for good. He would also restore them and settle them in the land of Israel. But better than the best of the land, they would know the Lord. And better than returning to the place, they would return to Him.

I do not accept that this prophecy was fulfilled by the past return from the captivity in Babylon. Part of it came true then, as with other predictions... But two things stand firmly against the view that this prophecy was used up then as far as Israel is concerned. One is Israel's lasting settlement in their own land. The other is their knowledge of God, as they return to Him with their whole heart... Whatever has not happened yet must still be fulfilled.