GOOD FIGS AND BAD FIGS

Text:  Jeremiah 24:1-10

Proposition:  Why were the good figs good and the bad figs bad?

Introduction

We don’t have figs around here.  So our terminology doesn’t use figs, but we do refer to someone who is a bad apple.  Veggie Tales has a story about the Bad Apple.  In Judah figs are a common fruit.

The good figs were the captives in Babylon.  This is the second time Nebuchadnezzar has taken captives to Babylon.  He took captives when Jehoiakim was king.  That was when Daniel was taken to Babylon along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.  Jehoiachin was Jehoiakim’s son.  It was after he was taken captive and the craftsmen and smiths were taken captive that this chapter was written. 

I. Why were the good figs good?

A. They obeyed God

1. They listened to Jeremiah

2. Daniel 9:2, Daniel is an old man in his eighties or nineties.  He knows from Jeremiah’s prophecy, Jeremiah 25:12 and 29:10, that the seventy years is up and it is time for his people to return. 

3. Daniel 1:8, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would not eat the kings food or drink his wine.

a. God had told the Israelites they could only eat clean animals.  Those that had a split hoof and chewed the cud.  They couldn’t eat pigs, rabbits, donkeys, camels, or lizards.  They wouldn’t drink his wine either. 

b. They knew the Proverbs 23:29

c. They knew Proverbs 23:20

d. They ate beans, peas, carrots, broccoli, spinach, and Brussels sprouts.

e. They were good figs.  They were away from the temple.  They were away from the people that ate clean food, but obeyed God and God blessed them and caused them to prosper.

f. If we obey God he will take care of us and bless us.  Even if the economy crashes and everything falls apart in our life, don’t give up.  Continue serving God and let your trials in life make you stronger.

g. James 1:1-4

B. God gave them a heart to know Him.

1. They were his people.  No longer would they worship other gods.  They would offer their children to Molech no more.  They would raise up godly offspring to worship God.

2. They were in the middle of one of the most idolatrous nations.

3. Habakkuk says, the Chaldeans are more wicked than we are.

a. Habakkuk 1:13-17

b. The Chaldeans were full of idolatry, astrology, witchcraft, and magic.

c. The people in captivity didn’t participate in any of this.  They had a heart to know God.

4. They returned to him with their whole heart.

a. They not only had a knowledge of God in their head and their heart, but they returned to Him with their whole heart.  They repented of their sin and they did what was right.

b. They had a desire to please God and not men.

c. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego could not be persuaded to bow down to the Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image.  The golden image was 90 feet high by 9 feet wide.  Everyone was to bow to this image when they heard the music playing or they would be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.  Everyone bowed except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.  They were standing up and everyone else is bowed to the idol.  It was obvious they were not obeying the king’s command.  Some Chaldeans noticed this and told Nebuchadnezzar about them.  They were brought to Nebuchadnezzar he was going to give them a second chance.

d. Daniel 3:15-19

e. The flame from the furnace was so hot that the flame killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego into the furnace.

f. Nebuchadnezzar was watching to see the death of the men who defied his decree.

g. Daniel 3:24-26

h. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had returned to God with their whole heart.  Not even Nebuchadnezzar could turn their heart from God.

5. Many times we let a lot less turn our heart from God.

a. We want to be entertained with movies like Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse.  They are about vampires, werewolves, and drinking blood.  They have violence, a girl with psychological problems and other sins, but several people I know think these are wonderful movies.  Why be entertained with sin on television, movies and the Internet.

b. Why not return to God with a whole heart.

c. Why let the love of money turn you from God?

d. Why let pleasure turn you from God?

C. They prayed for their enemies

1. Jeremiah 29:7

2. They had been conquered by Babylon.  Babylon had burned their temple, city and walls with fire.  Hauled them several hundred miles to Babylon and made them stay there.  They were commanded to pray for their welfare.

3. They did and they lived and worked among and for the Chaldeans.

4. They were not happy to be there.  They didn’t like Babylon.

5. Psalms 137

6. God had told them through Jeremiah and other prophets that Babylon would be destroyed for their evil deeds, but Jeremiah tells them to pray for their welfare in this chapter.

7. We are to pray for the welfare of our nation and other nations.

8. I Timothy 2:1-4

9. When governments are good and obey God we can lead a tranquil and quiet life.  When governments are bad there is war and hunger and most of the people are poor.

II. Why were the bad figs bad

A. They didn’t listen to Jeremiah

1. Jeremiah 21:8-10

2. During Zedekiah’s reign.  Nebuchadnezzar had already taken two of their kings captive, Jehoiakim and Jechoniah.  He has taken the royal family and nobles and their children.  He has taken the smiths and the craftsmen.

3. You would think that by this time Zedekiah and Judah would realize they should listen to Jeremiah.  But most of them don’t.  A few did listen.

4. II Chronicles 36:11-21

B. They were adulterers

1. Isaiah 29:17-23

2. False doctrine and the sexual perverted usually go together.  Many times people follow a false prophet because he says smooth things to them, but they follow them to their own ruin.  Jeremiah didn’t tell the people smooth things he told the truth.

3. The people would rather listen to false doctrine.

4. Jeremiah 5:30-31

C. They were rotten

1. As my dad would say, “They were rotten to the core,” but figs don’t have a core.

2. They were idolatrous.  They sacrificed their children to Moloch.  They were adulterers.  They were corrupt.  They persecuted the prophets.  They were rebellious.

3. They were split open rotten figs.  You couldn’t use them for any good purpose.  All that could be done with them was to let them rot.  God did.  They died in famine, by the sword, and by disease.

Conclusion

Let us be in the basket of good figs.  We are to be figs that can be used for God.  No bad apples. 

Obey God and listen to his prophets.  We have the bible that is what God told the prophets.  Don’t ignore what they say.  Don’t ignore the message that the preacher preaches.  Don’t go away and not repent if you need to repent.

Have a heart to know God and Pray for your enemies.