Not everything in life is fair, because humanity lives in a fallen world and we can find ourselves wandering away from wholehearted devotion to God. But, in the midst of this worldly mess of lawless unbelief—this temporary exile from God’s heavenly realm—believers have been promised favor [grace] and the divine care of the Lord. In fact, we are promised the Lord will NEVER leave or forsake us; he will always be present to be a Helper when his worshipers [those who follow and honor God’s commands of love] need it most (Heb 13:5). We do, however, need to turn from our unrighteous ways, humbly ask for God’s help and live with faith that he will be our Provider. Faith-driven prayer is the position believers must assume. When life knocks us on our knees, we are in the perfect position to pray!
Yesterday, we looked at the story of the cursed fig tree (Mark 11:12-24). Many times in the biblical narrative, the Lord uses good figs to describe Israel and her wholeness with God. In his writings, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah has a vision from the Lord that involves two baskets of figs—one basket filled with good figs and one basket filled with rotten figs—that are placed in front of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem (Jer. 24:1-10).
The basket of good figs represents the humble Israelites and leaders of Judah who choose to do what God asks by leaving the land and going as exiles to Babylonia; therefore, God promises to watch over them while in captivity as well as one day bring them back to Jerusalem and give them hearts to serve the Lord. They are leaving everything familiar and comfortable; but they leave with God’s blessing. The basket of rotten figs represents the Israelites and leaders who refuse to listen or honor God’s Word; therefore, God will not protect them. The choice is set before the people.
Our passage today, picks up with Jeremiah’s call from the Lord to those in both Judah and Jerusalem asking them once again to willingly follow God’s commands and go into exile. The Lord is still offering a time to recognize their sin against God, an opportunity to repent, and once again rest in his care—a picture of God’s faithful love, mercy, and grace. Yet, sometimes rather than get on our knees and pray for mercy, we dig our heels in and demand our own way. It’s always a mistake—a rotten choice!
Seventy years—a period of divine judgment—awaits Israel for her idolatry, but God will faithfully restore the faithful! Then, the Lord will serve up judgment for Babylon. Yes, the Lord uses even the unbeliever for his purposes of bringing people out of the world and into his saving grace and loving care.
Jeremiah 25:1-14 NLT Seventy Years of Captivity
25 This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah [605 BC]. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign.
2 Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people in Judah and Jerusalem, 3 “For the past twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon,[627 BC] king of Judah, until now—the Lord has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.
4 “Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention. 5 Each time the message was this: ‘Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever. 6 Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.’
7 “But you would not listen to me,” says the Lord. “You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. 8 And now the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, 9 I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you [give as offering] and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. 10 I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. 11 This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.
12 “Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord. “I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever. 13 I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book—all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations. 14 Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people.”
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for preparing and protecting us each day. Many times I’m sure you protect us from ourselves. Although this world is challenging for us, we do not navigate or travel it alone. Thank you for being with us, helping us to choose wisely, and promising to keep us in your tender care. In Jesus’ name. Amen.