When I was about 6 years old, I was at a baseball park for t-ball and Little League with my dad. I was wearing my bright white pants that my mother had cleaned, and I had my full gear on. My dad noticed a big muddy puddle with a tree stump beside it and warned me not to go near it. Well, of course, I went right over to it, and I started spinning around on top of the stump. When my dad noticed me, he said, “Murph, don’t fall in the…” SPLAT! And now I was covered from head to toe in mud because I had ignored my father’s warning.
Jeremiah 24-26 shows us the clash between God’s sovereign plan and the people’s refusal to listen. These chapters give us a vivid picture of God’s discipline, his patience, and his ultimate desire for his people to return to him. Although God’s judgment was looming, his heart was for repentance and restoration.
In Jeremiah 24, God gives Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs—one filled with good figs and the other with bad figs. The good figs represent the exiles who were taken to Babylon. Although it seemed like punishment, God was actually preserving these people for good, watching over them and promising to bring them back one day. It’s a reminder that sometimes what we perceive as loss or hardship is actually God’s way of positioning us for future restoration. God sees beyond the present and holds a plan of redemption, even when we don’t understand.
In contrast, the bad figs represent those who remained in Judah, resistant to God’s warnings and unwilling to repent. This highlights the importance of humility and the danger of ignoring God’s voice. Jeremiah 25 reminds the people that God had sent prophets over and over again, calling for repentance, but they refused to listen. Their stubbornness led to destruction, and the prophecy of the 70 years of exile is given as a consequence.
Yet even in the midst of warning, we see a God who is patient and calls for repentance in Jeremiah 26. Jeremiah faithfully delivers a message at the temple, warning that the city and temple would become ruins if the people did not turn back to God. While some called for Jeremiah’s death, others remembered how earlier warnings from prophets like Micah had led to repentance and God’s mercy. This shows that God’s heart is always for reconciliation, and judgment can often be averted by true repentance.
Similarly, my dad was not pleased when I fell in the mud, but he was patient with me and used it as a learning opportunity. And I learned that my dad was seeing more than I did at the time. And his guidance was good. The same is true of our Father in heaven.
Questions for reflection:
- Like the exiles in Babylon, we may find ourselves in seasons that feel like punishment or setback. In these times, it’s important to trust that God sees the bigger picture and is working for our good, even if we don’t understand it. Reflect on how you can trust his sovereignty in your current circumstances.
- Jeremiah’s message to the people was clear—repent and turn back to God. But so many refused to listen. Are there areas in your life where God has been speaking, but you’ve been hesitant to obey? Take time to reflect on where God is calling you to change course and trust his ways.
- God is not quick to anger. He desires that we turn from our sin and walk in his ways. Repentance isn’t just about feeling sorry but about realigning our lives with God’s will. Consider how you can embrace a spirit of repentance today and walk toward the restoration that God promises.