Two Baskets of FigsMy Understanding: The song, “Laodicea,” is taken from Revelation 3:14-22. Jesus was speaking to the church in Laodicea. He told them that he knew their deeds, that they were neither cold nor hot, but they were lukewarm, so he was about to spit them out of his mouth. He said they were self-sufficient and did not feel they needed anything. Yet, they did not realize that they were “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Jesus counseled them to come to him in repentance, faith and obedience and to receive his healing mercies and his grace. He informed them that he rebukes and disciplines those he loves, so they were to be earnest and repent (turn from their sin). Jesus was standing at the door of the church and was knocking. He told them if they would hear his voice and would open the door, he would come in and would eat with them and have fellowship with them.
1 After Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the craftsmen and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD. 2 One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.
3 Then the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. 6 My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
8 “‘But like the poor figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the LORD, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt. 9 I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, an object of ridicule and cursing, wherever I banish them. 10 I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their fathers.’”
Although Laodicea was a real place and a local church fellowship was located in that city and this was a letter to that specific church congregation, still these letters to the churches in Revelation are for the church throughout history, wherever and whenever the truths contained within it apply to a specific group of people at a particular time, I believe. Some people see the letters to the churches as representing the church ages, and they believe we are now living in the age of the Laodicean church, i.e. the lukewarm church. I sympathize with this view, though I believe there are principles to be learned from all seven letters that may apply to today’s church. I do believe, though, that the church in the USA collectively is a lukewarm church and that the Lord Jesus is giving this same message today to the church in America. He is calling to us to repent of our sins, and he is warning of judgment.
Laodicea / An Original Work / April 29, 2011
Laodicea, Laodicea, I’m calling you.
You hear Me calling, you hear Me calling. I’m calling you.
Will you not answer? Will you not answer? I’m calling you.
If you but follow, if you but follow, I’ll answer you.
Won’t you give Me your heart and your soul,
So I can cleanse you and make you whole?
Laodicea, Laodicea, I’m calling you.
If you will answer, if you will answer, I’ll come to you.
I stand at your door, I stand at your door. I’m knocking there.
Will you not listen? Will you not listen, while I’ll be there?
If you’ll but open, if you’ll but open your hearts to Me,
I’ll come within you, I’ll come within you, you’ll sup with Me.
Won’t you buy from Me some gold and salve?
These costly treasures are yours to have.
Laodicea, Laodicea, I’m calling you.
If you will answer, if you will answer, I’ll come to you.
Are you contented, are you contented to be lukewarm?
Will you not have Me? Will you not have Me? Of this I warn –
If you don’t hear Me, if you don’t hear Me, and so obey,
I will spit you out, I will spit you out without delay.
So why not heed this your final call,
And give to God absolutely all?
Laodicea, Laodicea, I’m calling you.
If you will answer, if you will answer, I’ll come to you.
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/laodicea
The people of Jeremiah’s day were in a similar situation as this church in Laodicea. God had been warning them for a very long time to repent of their sins or he was going to bring judgment upon them. They were mixing their faith in God Almighty with the worship of idols and they were living in spiritual adultery against God. Not only that, they were not listening to him or to his messengers or to his calls to repent. They had turned away from him, they had forsaken him, their only true God, and they were following after men and man-made idols. So, God had to bring divine judgment upon them. When he did, the people ended up being divided into two groups: good figs and bad figs. The good figs were those who acknowledged their sin, who repented, and who returned to God with their whole hearts. The bad figs were those who did not repent and who continued in their wickedness.
For those who refused to repent of their sins and who continued in their wickedness, more judgment was in store for them. Yet, for those who returned to God with their whole hearts, God promised them that he would watch over them for their good, that he would restore them, that he would build them up and not tear them down, that he would plant them and not uproot them, that he would give them a heart to know God and that he would be their God and they would be his people.
God, I believe, is still giving that same message to us today, only the promise is more along the lines of spiritual restoration: rebuilding and replanting us spiritually, by his grace. He will give us a heart to know him, and he will be our God and we will be his people when we come to him in repentance and we forsake our idols and our lukewarmness and we get on fire for the Lord, i.e. we return to him with our whole hearts.
When I had finished taking notes on this chapter of Jeremiah about the good and bad figs, the Lord brought to mind this song, which is the prayer of my heart. I hope it is yours, too.
By Your Grace / An Original Work / June 27, 2011
Speak Your words to my heart,
Let Your grace and love impart.
Be to me all I need
To love and serve Christ my King;
To love and serve Christ my King.
Change my heart; be like You;
Let me love and serve in truth.
Guide my steps ev’ry day,
As I bow my knees and pray;
As I bow my knees and pray.
Love You, Lord. You love me.
You died so that I’d go free
From my sin; pure within;
By Your grace I’m saved from sin;
By Your grace I’m saved from sin.
Invite You in my heart;
Now I have a brand new start.
Repented of my sin,
So that I’d be cleansed within;
So that I’d be cleansed within.
Live for You ev’ry day,
List’ning to the words you say.
Make You Lord of my heart;
Be Your witness, grace impart;
Be Your witness, grace impart.
Obey Your ev’ry word;
Do the things I’ve seen and heard.
Your word, Lord, in me burns,
While I wait for Your return;
While I wait for Your return.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/by-your-grace
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