Jeremiah 24:1-10: a reflection

1The LORD showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the LORD’s temple, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. 2One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first-ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. 3Then the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs. The good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, so bad that they can’t be eaten.” 4The LORD’s word came to me, saying, 5“The LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, as good. 6For I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. I will build them, and not pull them down. I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7I 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 their whole heart. 8“‘As the bad figs, which can’t be eaten, they are so bad,’ surely the LORD says, ‘So I will give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. 9I will even give them up to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I will drive them. 10I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them, until they are consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.’”

In a vision, Jeremiah is shown two baskets of figs, one good and one bad; and God explains that the good figs represent the exiles carried off to Babylon, whom God will restore. And of them he makes a beautiful promise: 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 their whole heart. God promises to give them what they could not produce themselves: a heart that truly knows him and returns to him wholly.

Notice the promise: I will give them a heart to know me. God does not merely command them to know him, or leave them to work up such a heart on their own; he promises to give them a heart that knows him, that returns to him wholly. The true knowledge of God, and a whole-hearted return to him, are not merely our achievement, but God's gift; he gives the heart that knows him. What the people could not produce in themselves, God promises to give.

That promise is a great hope, for we cannot, by our own effort, produce a heart that truly knows God and returns to him wholly. We may try to work up such a heart, and find our hearts divided, cold, unable. But God promises to give a heart to know him; the transformation we cannot achieve, he can give. If you long to know God truly, to return to him with your whole heart, and find your own heart unable, do not despair; God gives the heart that knows him. Ask him for what you cannot produce yourself: a heart to know him, a whole-hearted return to him. He promised to give his people such a heart, and he gives it still, working in us what we cannot work in ourselves. The heart that knows God is his gift; ask him for it, and trust him to give the whole-hearted knowledge of himself that you cannot produce on your own.

Lord, in a vision Jeremiah was shown two baskets of figs, and the good figs, the exiles you would restore, received a beautiful promise: I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD; they will return to me with their whole heart. Show me the promise: you do not merely command them to know you, or leave them to work up such a heart on their own; you promise to give them a heart that knows you, that returns to you wholly. The true knowledge of you, and a whole-hearted return, are not merely my achievement, but your gift. That is a great hope, for I cannot, by my own effort, produce a heart that truly knows you and returns to you wholly. I may try, and find my heart divided, cold, unable. But you promise to give a heart to know you; the transformation I cannot achieve, you can give. If I long to know you truly, to return to you with my whole heart, and find my own heart unable, keep me from despairing; you give the heart that knows you. Help me ask you for what I cannot produce myself: a heart to know you, a whole-hearted return. You promised your people such a heart, and you give it still; work in me what I cannot work in myself, Lord. Give me a heart to know you, and a whole-hearted return to you.