Synopsis: John Weaver expounds Jeremiah 24, where God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs—good figs representing those already taken into Babylonian captivity, and bad figs representing those left in Jerusalem under Zedekiah. He argues that the captivity (chastisement) was for the good of the faithful, while those spared were reserved for destruction. The sermon teaches that divine chastisement is a sign of belonging to God, is for our profit, and is far preferable to the alternative of judgment. Believers are exhorted to submit quickly to God's discipline and to be thankful for it.
[John Weaver] So today, I want you to open your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 24.Jeremiah 24. Jeremiah 24, we're going to read all 10 verses.The title of the message is Chastened?Thank the Lord.Notice, Jeremiah, chapter 24, beginning there with verse one.The Lord showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that were first ripe, and the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad.Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
[John Weaver] For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, And I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and that they shall be my people, and I will be their God.For they shall return unto me with their whole heart.And as the evil figs, which count as bees, and they are so evil, Surely, thus saith the Lord, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and all of his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt.
[John Weaver] And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them.And I will send the sword and the famine and the pestilence among them till they be consumed from all the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers."So the title of the message is Chastened, Thank the Lord.
[John Weaver] When I was a boy, my father disciplined me regularly.And I can attest to the effectiveness of razor straps and peach tree limbs.I was in the barbershop a few weeks ago, and I saw one of those old razor straps hanging on the wall, and I just had to ask the barber.I said, now, how do you pronounce that?Do you call that a razor strap or a razor strop?
[John Weaver] He looked at me and smiled.He said, it's a razor strap.He said, but I know what you're talking about because all the old timers always call them razor strops.But you know, they, That leather would really sting when dad held it, I can assure you.One thing that I remember quite well was that those peach tree limbs and those razor straps could indeed change your attitude as well as your behavior.And one thing my father always said to me as he was about to whip me, he would say, now son, this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you.And I remember thinking that cannot possibly be true because I was on the receiving end and he was on the giving end.
[John Weaver] And I never really understood what he meant by that until I had children of my own and I had to discipline them.And of course, no godly parent derives any pleasure from having to discipline his children.He only does it for the child's good and because he is commanded not only by the Lord, but also to instill in them the concept of right and wrong, and good and evil.I remember many times in times past when I had to whip my own girls, oftentimes we wept.And sometimes I would do it after I'd whipped them and they had never seen me weeping.
[John Weaver] But the point I'm trying to make is I was grieved that I had to chasten them.I was grieved that I had to correct them.And I never derived any pleasure from it.Do you realize that our Heavenly Father is the same way?He does not chasten us willingly.He does not delight in afflicting us or in chastening us.If you would hold Jeremiah 24, but turn right over a few pages to the book of Lamentations, and look if you would please at Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 33.Look carefully, because remember, Jeremiah is watching Jerusalem destroyed and he writes this In Lamentations 3, in verse 33, talking about our Heavenly Father, and He says this, For He, that is God, doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
[John Weaver] So God is not some old meanie in heaven just wanting to pounce upon us and whip us.No. He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.So God does not derive any pleasure from chasing us, yet there is a purpose.And there is a reasoning for our chastening.
[John Weaver] Now, I do not ever remember being thankful for the chastening that I received as a child until I was grown.Can anybody in this room say as a child you were really thankful that you got whipped?No. But later when you became an adult and you understood everything, you then became thankful that your father and your mother did not leave you to your own ways and your own devices.And I've had to confess, and I have confessed many times, that although I was chastened quite regularly when I was a child, I probably never got nearly as many as I deserved.And while I am thankful for that in one sense of the word, I am even more thankful that the ones that I did get produced a profound effect upon me and did change me in a lot of ways.
[John Weaver] In order to understand the truths that I'm going to share with you today in relationship to chastisement, we must comprehend the picture that God sets before Jeremiah.Once you understand Jeremiah chapter 24, I believe it's going to be extremely easy to be thankful for chastisement.In fact, it's not going to be as difficult as it may seem at the beginning.In Jeremiah chapter 24, God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs.One basket of figs is full of very good figs.Delicious figs. The other basket is full of very bad figs.
[John Weaver] Look at verses 2 and 3.The Bible says one basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe.And the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.Now, when you go back to verse two and he talks about the good figs, he says they're very good, even like the first ripe.
[John Weaver] Now, we happen to have a number of fig trees.I always enjoy the first ripe figs.The first ripe figs are usually larger and more delicious than the others that come on behind them.Because they're the ones that ripen first.They're the ones somehow that seemingly get the most growth and the most juice in them.And the rest of them come on all at once, but these always come on early.So Jeremiah said, when he sees these good figs, I mean, they are like the first ripe figs.They're figs that are very good.But then he has the basket full of figs that are very bad.So bad, he said, they cannot be eaten.
[John Weaver] So you have two pictures here.You have a picture of a basket of good figs and a picture of a basket of bad figs.But what are they pictures of or what do they represent?And if you'll go back to verse one, the Lord showed me the whole two baskets of figs were before the temple of the Lord.Wow. Well, what is the significance of these two baskets of figs being before the temple of the Lord?Well, let me try to answer those questions before I get started in the message today.First of all, the basket of figs that were really good figs, the first ripe figs, represented those people who had already been sent, and you can use the word taken, into captivity into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.Look in verse 1.He said the Lord showed me and behold two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had, that's past tense, had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem and
[John Weaver] had brought them to Babylon.So obviously now, this basket of good figs represents those who are already in captivity in Babylon.
[John Weaver] Now skip down to verse 5.Watch. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Chaldeans for their goods.and I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up, and I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart."
[John Weaver] So obviously then, he's talking about these people that are already in Babylon, who went there with the captivity of Jeconiah and his men.Now, here are the good things.The bad figs represent King Zedekiah and the people who have been left in Jerusalem.So look in verse 8.He said, And as the evil figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus saith the LORD, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, and I will deliver
[John Weaver] them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all the places whither I shall drive them.And I will send the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence among them, till they be consumed from off the land which I have given them."So, here are the two baskets of things.
[John Weaver] One basket represents the people who have already been sent into captivity.The other basket, the basket of bad figs, represents Zedekiah and the people who remained in Jerusalem.
[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question.If an enemy came and took away half of your city and you were spared, you were left, you never got killed, you never got captured.Would you not kind of breathe a sigh of relief and say, man, the Lord was good to me.He spared me.It is not difficult for me to imagine and to envision Zedekiah and all of those people just simply saying, wow, we made it.We didn't get captured.Do you realize?Actually, Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land and carried away captives four times.The first time he came was 605 B.C., the second time 597 B.C., the third time is when he came back and literally destroyed the city in 586 B.C., and then he came back again in 582 B.C.as well.
[John Weaver] Now, the full and the final destruction of Jerusalem was in 586 B.C.I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10.2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10.I want you to watch what the Bible says, 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10.Here it is.And when the year was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, that is, Jeconiah, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.Now, I want you to note, if you would, and just hold this passage just for a moment.So, Nebuchadnezzar has already come, And he takes Jeconiah and all these other people into captivity.And Zedekiah is left.In fact, look in verse 11.And Zedekiah was 1 in 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem.And by the way, verse 12,"...and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord.
[John Weaver] And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God.But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of his fathers."Moreover, all the chief of the priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen, including the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem."Now, the Bible also says in 2 Kings 24 verse 18, you don't have to turn there, that Zedekiah was 1 in 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem.
[John Weaver] Now, the baskets of figs were before the temple.I'm going to explain to you just momentarily Well, let me go ahead and do it.You see, Zedekiah reigned 11 years.If you take 11 years and add it to 586, you get 597.That was the second deportation.So in 597 is when Nebuchadnezzar came and took Jeconiah and all of these other people into captivity.So in 586 was the destruction, so Zedekiah then would have reigned from 597 down to 586.Now, these two baskets of figs were before the temple.
[John Weaver] That's what verse 1 says.What is the significance of these two baskets of figs setting before the temple?Here's the significance.You have to remember that the temple represented God's throne.These two baskets of figs were sitting there because it was God, who is the sovereign, who determined their end and their destiny.God is sovereign.He rules and He reigns supremely.Here is a truth that most individuals do not want to hear, but it is still the truth.Our destiny is not in our hands.It is in God's hands.God is the determiner of our destiny.
[John Weaver] You say, but wait a minute, Brother Weaver, you don't understand.I repented of my sins and I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.And I'm saved.And I'm going to heaven by the grace of God.Yes. And I rejoice with that.But let me ask you a couple of questions.The first one is this.How did you repent?And why did you repent?How did you believe and why did you believe?
[John Weaver] The answer has to come back.The how and the why refers to God.God gave you repentance and God gave you faith.And therefore you repented, and therefore you believed.You have to understand that both repentance and faith are gifts from God.I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but turn in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Acts chapter 5.Acts chapter 5.And let's begin reading there with verse 30.Acts 5 and verse 30.Watch carefully.
[John Weaver] We're talking about the Lord Jesus Christ.Acts 5, verse 30, the Bible says the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree.Now watch carefully.Him, that is Jesus Christ, Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a prince and a savior for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.For to give repentance.Repentance is a gift.
[John Weaver] You cannot work it up.You cannot earn it.You cannot merit it.It's a gift.Look at Acts chapter 11, if you would, and verse 18.Acts 11 and verse 18.Peter has preached to Cornelius, the centurion and some others.And when he comes back and reports how God has opened the eyes of these Gentiles and they have believed, Notice if you would what they say in verse 18, Acts 11 verse 18.When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted or given repentance unto life.Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted or given repentance unto life.And if you will turn right on over to 2 Timothy chapter 2.Second Timothy, chapter two, and notice if you would beginning there in verse twenty four.Second Timothy, chapter two, look in verse twenty four.
[John Weaver] This is so simple and yet.So many people stumble over this one truth, Second Timothy, chapter two, verse twenty four, and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to each patient, Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, watch carefully, if God, per adventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
[John Weaver] Now let me ask this question.When do men recover themselves out of the snare of the devil according to verse 25?It's when they acknowledge the truth.Well, when do men acknowledge the truth based upon verse 25?It's when God gives them repentance.So if God does not give his gift of repentance, there's no acknowledging of the truth.And if there's no acknowledging of the truth, there's no recovering oneself from the snare of the devil.And everybody in this room can quote Ephesians 289, for by grace are you saved through faith Help me out, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.So let me ask you a question.If God gave you repentance and God gave you faith, who is the ultimate determiner of your destiny?God. Let me ask that question another way.If God does not give you repentance, if God does not give you faith, if God withholds his gifts from you because he does not owe them to anyone, but if God withholds those gifts from you, who is the ultimate decider and determiner of your destiny?
[John Weaver] It's God. So these two baskets of figs are sitting before the temple.The temple was where God revealed himself.It was God's throne.And so God is the determiner of the baskets.And whoever happens to be in those baskets.
[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question.I want you to think hard on this, don't answer out loud, but think hard.Had you rather have gone into captivity with the faithful few in 597 B.C.?Or had you rather have then spared and stayed with Zedekiah and the remainder of those people in Jerusalem for 11 more years until 586 B.C.?Now, if you opt for 586 B.C., you say, well, I think I'd rather be free 11 more years you would not only be choosing rejection by God, you would also be choosing destruction by God.You see, what God was doing, He was culling the figs.He sent the good figs into captivity and He was saving the bad figs for destruction.
[John Weaver] Obviously, in this light, The former captivity and chastisement is vastly preferable to those who thought they escaped and remained in the land.Now, Zedekiah and all of these other people are treated as double traitors and double rebels.That is why they're so harshly judged by God.They not only were traitors to God and his law and his covenant, They were also traitors to Nebuchadnezzar.It was Nebuchadnezzar who made Zedekiah king of Jerusalem and king of Judah.And Zedekiah had sworn with an oath before God that he would support Nebuchadnezzar.And instead, he turned to Pharaoh of Egypt and wanted to use Pharaoh to throw off the shackles and the shackles of Nebuchadnezzar.And God, of course, marked him and the people then for destruction.
[John Weaver] Now the point I want to emphasize is this.The graciousness, the goodness, and the mercy of God is demonstrated when God sent the first ones into captivity.And the justice and the wrath of God is reserved for those who were spared.I think at this point we could really say chastisement doesn't really look that bad.At this point, I think we could actually say we could be thankful for chastisement.
[John Weaver] It is to be much preferred over destruction.If you look in your Bibles, whole Jeremiah 24, but go back to second Kings 24.2 Kings 24, and look, if you would please, at verse 12.2 Kings 24, and look at verse 12.In this passage, 2 Kings 24, verse 12, we read about Jeconiah.The Bible says this.And Jeconiah the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his princes and his officers and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
[John Weaver] Do you remember that God promised life to all who would go out to Nebuchadnezzar?So Jeconiah and these people did so.They went out and God spared them.Let me ask you a question, and I think you should consider it at this point, especially in light of the good figs and the bad figs.Have you ever wondered how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Ezekiel got in captivity in Babylon?They were part of the good figs.that God sent there for their good and his glory.Now, think about this.As difficult as captivity may seem.And as difficult as captivity may be.
[John Weaver] Yet can you not see?It was for the good of these people, which I'm going to point out a little bit later, that God sent them.Do you realize that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Ezekiel, probably a host of others, God only used them for His honor and His glory in the land of captivity.They had ministries while they were there.Now, let me begin.I only have three points today.
[John Weaver] The first one is obvious.acknowledges that we belong to the Lord.Look in verse 5, Jeremiah 24 verse 5.Chastisement acknowledges that we belong to the Lord.Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, like these good things, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good."Note, if you would please, God specifically sent these good figs out of the land.And He said, I will acknowledge them.
[John Weaver] We must learn a simple truth.Listen carefully. If one can sin consistently and constantly against God, That individual is not saved, especially if he can sin consistently and constantly and get away with it.You have to understand he does not belong to the Lord.He is not saved.First of all, if he was saved, he would not be constantly and continually sinning.Yes, saved sinners sin.Understand that. But we're not constantly and continually sinning.Moreover, if we do sin as Christians, then we're chastened.The Bible says we're chastened that we might not be condemned with the world.
[John Weaver] And you have to consider this.Normally speaking, a father only chastens his children.He does not chasten the children of strangers.He does not chasten his neighbor's children.He only chastens his children.They belong to him and he's responsible for their learning and their behavior.
[John Weaver] Now I want to show you what God says.I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but go in your Bibles first to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8.Deuteronomy chapter 8.And notice if you would verse 5.Deuteronomy 8 and verse 5.Look what God says, Deuteronomy 8 and verse 5.Here's what he tells his people.Deuteronomy 8 verse 5.Thou shalt also consider thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord by God chasteneth thee."So what does God tell you to consider?That as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord by God chasteneth thee.Turn right over to 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel chapter 7, and look if you would at what God tells David concerning Solomon.2 Samuel chapter 7.And verse 14, 2 Samuel, chapter 7, verse 14.In speaking of Solomon, God tells David, I will be his father and he shall be my son.
[John Weaver] If he commit iniquity, I will chase him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men.In other words, I'll be a father to him.And when he does wrong, I want to whip him.Look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 13 and verse 24.Proverbs 13 and verse 24.You have to remember now, chastening demonstrates that we belong to Him.In Proverbs chapter 13 and verse 24, the Word of God says this, He that spareth his rod hateth his son.Note that he that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betides.So God says, if you spare the rod, you hate your son.But if you love him, you're going to chase him as necessary.Now, turn right over to the book of Hebrews chapter 12.And if you would go ahead and mark Hebrews chapter 12, because we will certainly be coming back to that passage.But I want you to look at Hebrews chapter 12, particularly right now.
[John Weaver] At verses six and eight, Hebrews chapter 12, verses six and eight, we're going to come back here, but notice if you would.Hebrews chapter 12, beginning there with verse six, the Bible says, in fact, let's read verse five.He says that you have forgotten the exhortation which speak of the US and children, my son.Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.Now watch. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourget every son whom he receiveth.If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.For what son is he whom the Father chastened not?But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons.
[John Weaver] Now, I want to call your attention to several things.First of all, the Bible says that God deals with us as sons when he chastens us.Moreover, he tells us that everyone whom he chastens is considered a son.For what son is he whom the Father chastened?Not. There are very few individuals that get by without a whipping in life, in real life.I mean, physically.Rebecca got the fewest whippings of any of my children.
[John Weaver] Lately, I've never whipped her at all.I'm just simply saying there are some that get by, but very few Do you realize he said this?But if you be without chastisement, that is, if you can sin and get away with it, if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not son.
[John Weaver] Now, a bastard is an illegitimate child, one who does not have a father or else.The one that has sired him has abandoned him.Because chastisement and education are both expressions of love and concern.So what he is saying is if we love our children, we're going to chasten them as our father chastens his own.So chastisement then is an acknowledgement that the child belongs to us.When I whip my children, they're my children.They are mine.The same is true with our heavenly father.When he chastens us, it is acknowledgement that we belong to him.He does not chasten The wicked, they're not His.He judges and punishes them, but He does not chasten them.
[John Weaver] Do you know what our Lord said in Revelation 3, verse 19?You don't have to turn there, but listen to what He said.Our Lord said, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.Be zealous therefore and repent.Did you hear what I just read?Our Lord said, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.What does that mean?If you can live and sin and not get rebuked and chastened, you're unloved by our Lord.
[John Weaver] He only chastens those whom he loves.Chastisement is indeed a good sign that we belong to the Lord.Just as a loving father will not allow his child to sin and get away with it, so our heavenly father will not allow his own to sin and get away with it.We cannot escape the consequences of our sin.He may forgive us our sins, but we're still going to suffer the consequences of our sins.You can mark it down, He will chasten us if we belong to Him.So first and foremost, chastisement is an acknowledgement that we belong to the Lord.
[John Weaver] I want you to go back to Jeremiah chapter 24.Still hold Hebrews chapter 12 if you would.We'll be back there.But look in Jeremiah chapter 24, because he tells us, secondly, that chastisement is for our good.Look in verse 6.God is still acknowledging these good figs, and He says in verse 6, For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.Note God said, I will set my eyes upon them for good.Back in verse 5, if you'll look at verse 5, the ending of that verse, He said, Whom I have sent out of this place on the land of the Chaldeans for their good.Wow.
[John Weaver] Do you realize we often shape under discipline?We don't like it.It hurts. I can truthfully say I never really enjoyed any of the whippings that I received.There were a few that were not as bad as the others.But I still didn't enjoy them.You know, chastisement is designed to teach us submission, obedience, and love.Do you understand chastisement is a demonstration of love?It's not only an acknowledgment, it is also a demonstration of love.
[John Weaver] I quoted a while ago, Proverbs 13, verse 24.Let me quote it again.Listen carefully. He that spareth a rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.Years ago, I taught a fourth grade class.In that class was one boy that my wife can remember and probably Henry and Janet as well.That boy was only big for his age, a fourth grader.He was also from a broken home.
[John Weaver] In our Christian school, if you enrolled your child The parents had to sign a form that allowed us to use corporal punishment.In other words, we could spank your child.
[John Weaver] Now, there are rules that we followed, but we had permission from the parents to actually whip the children.And this one boy in my fourth grade class, big for his age, would do something almost every day that would merit a spanking.It seemed as if this kid would never learn.I would take any child that I disciplined into the office.I would sit them in front of me.
[John Weaver] And I would question them and get them to tell me in their own words what they had done.I then take the scripture and show them where they had sinned and where I was commanded to discipline them.And I explained to them that I wasn't mad at them, I didn't hate them, but I was disciplining them for their good so that they could learn what was acceptable and what was not acceptable and because I was commanded to do so and because I loved them.When I would get through chasing the child, I'd always put my arm around the child and have prayer and ask the Lord to bless the discipline.And then I'd tell the child that I love him and I'd send him back to class.
[John Weaver] One day I was thinking about this boy.And I was thinking about the broken home he was from.And I thought, You know.I'll bet you if I were a gambling man.What that kid really wants.It's just love and an expression of love.So the next day I went back, the very first thing I did was call him into my office.Hadn't done a thing, school had not even started.I called him in the office, I put my arm around him and I said, son, I just want to tell you today that I love you.And I appreciate you and I want to have prayer that the Lord's going to bless you today and help you.Do you know something?I did that every day for a number of weeks.I never had to whip that kid again.Never. You know what that child had done?He had associated love with discipline.And he would do something wrong to get me to discipline Just so I can tell him I love him and put my arm around him.
[John Weaver] You have to understand something, folks.When God chastens us, it is always for our good, and it is because he loves us.I want you to look back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12, and this time let's read verses 9 through 11.Look in Hebrews chapter 12, verses 9 through 11.Here it is.Hebrews chapter 12, look in verse 9.He says, furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh who corrected us and we gave them reverence.Now, wait a minute.If any of you.
[John Weaver] Had ever been whipped the way I was whipped with a peach tree limb.I can assure you, you would learn very quickly to say, yes, sir.Yes, sir, that's exactly what this verse means.He says, furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh who correct us, and we gave them reference.That is, we obeyed them.We listened to them.It taught us something.Now, watch this question.Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father's spirits and live?For they, that is, the earthly fathers, verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he, for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.Now, watch.
[John Weaver] Now, no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous.Nevertheless, afterwards, it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby."What does the Bible say?That God always chastens us for our profit.His chastening works.It always yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto those who are exercised thereby.That is, we learn to submit, we learn to obey.Moreover, we learn to trust our Heavenly Father.We learn not only to believe, but to trust not only His promises, but His threatenings as well.We understand that His chastenings are equally true, as well as His blessings.And we learn, as He chastens us, not to do those things that displease Him.
[John Weaver] In Job 34 and verse 31, let me quote it.Job said, surely it is meet to be said of God.I have borne chastisement.I will offend.I will not offend anymore.I have borne chastisement.I will not offend anymore.What did he say?I have learned my lesson.I learned my lesson.David said it like this in Psalm 119 verse 71.It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn my statutes.I listened. Look in Jeremiah chapter 24 and verse 7.Jeremiah 24 and verse 7.Here is the ultimate end of chastisement.Here is the ultimate end of our father's chastisement of his own.He said, and I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
[John Weaver] You know, I've always said There's two ways that you can whip a child.You can whip him just enough to make him mad and he'll hate you.Or you can literally beat the devil out of him and he'll love you.That's exactly what God is saying right here.God says, when I discipline you, you're going to understand that I want you to love me and that you will turn to me with your whole heart.We can thank our Heavenly Father for our chastisement because it increases our love and obedience to Him.It is designed to make us holy and godly.Now, you're going to say, well, I still don't like to be chastened.I don't guess anybody likes to be chastened.That's what he said in Hebrews chapter 12.
[John Weaver] No chastening for the moment appears to be joyous, but it's grievous.But it's only after it's done that we understand it's for our profit and it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness unto those who exercise thereby.But now, in case you still want to argue, I've got one final point.I want you to consider, thirdly, the alternative to chastisement.Look in verse 8 of Jeremiah 24.Consider the alternative.
[John Weaver] And as the evil figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus saith the Lord.So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes and the residue of Jerusalem that remain in this land and them that dwell in the land of Egypt.I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt to be a reproach and a proverb and a taunt and a curse in all places whether I shall drive them.Watch, and I will send the sword and famine and pestilence among them till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and their fathers."
[John Weaver] So here are my questions.Had you rather be chastened or consumed?had you rather be disciplined or destroyed.The alternative to chastisement certainly makes chastisement appear more desirable, especially since the alternative is destruction.It should also make us extremely thankful that we are being chastened.And the truth of the matter is this, chastisement is only used when the word is neglected.rejected or disobeyed.Do you realize we have two ways of dealing with our children?We speak to them.We use words.If our children hear and obey, there's no problem.If they fail to heed and hear and obey, there's the rod.
[John Weaver] I've told you this years ago, years ago.I asked Trip to do something.And he looked at me and said, Papa.I don't want to do it.I said, well, I appreciate that, son.I said, I'll tell you what I'll do.I'll give you a choice.You may either do it.Or you may get a whipping and do it.He looked at me, said, I think I'll just do it.I said, I think you're a wise son.
[John Weaver] You know, that's how God deals with us.Do you realize if we listen to his word, there's no problem.If we submit to him and obey him, there's no problem.You know, the Bible says in 1 Peter that we're to gird up the loins of our mind and that we're to be sober and we're to hope to the end as obedient children.As obedient children.It's only when we fail to hear God's Word that He brings the rod.And the Bible says in Micah 6 and verse 9, Hear ye the rod, and him who hath appointed it.God said, if you won't listen to my Word, you're going to hear my rod.So if we listen to God's Word, we're not going to receive His rod.
[John Weaver] The desire of our hearts should be this, that we want to be so obedient We want to be so submissive that we can say like Samuel, speak Lord for thy servant herein.Lord, I don't have to be reproved.I don't have to be rebuked.I don't have to be admonished.I don't have to be chastened.Lord, just let me know what you want and I'll do it.
[John Weaver] That should be our attitude.You have to understand that according to the Word of God, a Christian, a child of God, is either going to be living a changed life, by that I mean an obedient life, continually and constantly bringing his life into greater conformity to the Word of God, he's either going to be living a changed life or a chastised life, because if you're a child of God and you're living wrongly, you're not going to get by with it.You won't let your child get by with bad mouthing you and talking back and stealing and lying.No, you're going to whip them and you're not going to wait six months.You're going to do it while they know why you're whipping them.So as God's people, we're either going to be living a changed life or a chastised life, and the more we bring our lives in conformity to the Word of God, the less needful the rod is.You don't need a rod as long as there is obedience.Personally, I don't want the rod.
[John Weaver] I don't want to have to be chastised.I don't even want to have to be rebuked.I don't even want the Father to be upset with me.I'd rather just obey and ask God to give me an obedient heart.
[John Weaver] Now, let me make some applications.The first one is this.Early discipline. and chastisement work best.Early discipline and chastisement work best.We are told in Proverbs 19 and verse 18, Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for its crying.Chasten thy son while there is hope.There comes a time when there is no hope.There comes a time when chastening will not do any good.So he says, Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for its crying.
[John Weaver] Jeremiah 24 is an excellent example of this truth.Those that went first into captivity were the son, or the sons, whom the Father loves and chasten betimes.But those who remained, who did not take discipline, who would not hear God.Those that remained were like the child left to himself who was destroyed.On the first group, the discipline took.The chastisement worked.On the second group, nothing worked.There was a child left to themselves and they were destroyed.The second application is this.Often those kind providences of God that we view and think are so awful are actually for our good and our benefit.What do you think that was going through the minds of Jeconiah, his princes, and all of these good and godly people that were being sent into Babylon?
[John Weaver] They were probably thinking, oh, my, what am I doing here?How did I get myself into this?Why am I being?This is awful.This is terrible.We've been captured.We're enslaved. We're in a foreign country.This is horrible.Oh, really? It may have been temporarily, but what did God say?It's for your good.I'm going to bring you back.I'm going to build you.I'm going to plant you.So many times when things go wrong in our lives, we think, oh God, how can we?There can never be any good out of this.And what does God do?God just simply works it out for good every time.
[John Weaver] We don't even know the end of a thing.We don't know the end of God's providence until He brings it to pass in our lives.We may think it's horrible.We may think it's terrible.But it isn't.You know what God said in Jeremiah 29, verse 11, listen to this.I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end.God said, I know what I'm thinking about you.You may not know, but I know.And it's going to be for your good, it's going to be for my glory.
[John Weaver] On the other hand, There are so many that think, boy, we miss that little judgment.We miss that chastisement.We must be OK.And what they don't realize, God just called them and left them to be destroyed.Chastisement is always for our good.The third application is this, the sooner and the quicker we submit and obey, The more quickly our chastisement will end.You know, the quickest way out of your chastisement is just repent, submit, obey.You know.
[John Weaver] My father could really whip.I'd much rather be whipped by my mother than my father.But I'll tell you what.Once I looked at my father and said, I'm sorry, Dad, I won't do it anymore.No, it's just that simple.It was over with.And when God chastens us.The more quickly we submit and the more quickly we obey.The sooner our chastisement will be over.If we don't hear the word, we will hear the rod.
[John Weaver] And when you're chastened, guess what?You should be thankful.Because the Lord is acknowledging that you're his.And he's doing it for your good, for your profit, that you might be partakers of his holiness.And afterwards, it's going to produce, it's going to yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day.We thank You for Your Word.We thank You for Your truth.We thank You, Father, for Your chastisement.
[John Weaver] And I pray, Lord, that You would indeed give us a submissive, obedient heart, and that our attitude to be like Samuel speak, Lord, for Thy servant herein.Give us grace, Father.Give us mercy.And give us, Lord, an obedient heart.In Thy name we ask and pray.Amen. Amen.
Synopsis: John Weaver expounds Jeremiah 24, where God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs—good figs representing those already taken into Babylonian captivity, and bad figs representing those left in Jerusalem under Zedekiah. He argues that the captivity (chastisement) was for the good of the faithful, while those spared were reserved for destruction. The sermon teaches that divine chastisement is a sign of belonging to God, is for our profit, and is far preferable to the alternative of judgment. Believers are exhorted to submit quickly to God's discipline and to be thankful for it.
Formatted Transcript
Introduction: The Two Baskets of Figs
God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs before the temple—one very good, one very bad—representing two groups of people in Judah.
me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that were first ripe, and the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad.Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
The Good Figs: Those in Captivity
The good figs represent Jeconiah and those already taken to Babylon; God acknowledges them and promises to do them good.
For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, And I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and that they shall be my people, and I will be their God.For they shall return unto me with their whole heart.And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, Surely, thus saith the Lord, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and all of his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt.And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them.And I will send the sword and the famine and the pestilence among them till they be consumed from all the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers."
So the title of the message is Chastened, Thank the Lord.
When I was a boy, my father disciplined me regularly.And I can attest to the effectiveness of razor straps and peach tree limbs.I was in the barbershop a few weeks ago, and I saw one of those old razor straps hanging on the wall, and I just had to ask the barber.I said, now, how do you pronounce that?Do you call that a razor strap or a razor strop?
The Bad Figs: Those Left in Jerusalem
The bad figs represent Zedekiah and the remnant in Jerusalem, whom God will deliver to destruction.
He looked at me and smiled.He said, it's a razor strap.He said, but I know what you're talking about because all the old timers always call them razor strops.But you know, that leather would really sting when dad held it, I can assure you.One thing that I remember quite well was that those peach tree limbs and those razor straps could indeed change your attitude as well as your behavior.And one thing my father always said to me as he was about to whip me, he would say, now son, this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you.And I remember thinking that cannot possibly be true because I was on the receiving end and he was on the giving end.
And I never really understood what he meant by that until I had children of my own and I had to discipline them.And of course, no godly parent derives any pleasure from having to discipline his children.He only does it for the child's good and because he is commanded not only by the Lord, but also to instill in them the concept of right and wrong, and good and evil.I remember many times in times past when I had to whip my own girls, oftentimes we wept.And sometimes I would do it after I'd whipped them and they had never seen me weeping.
God's Sovereignty in Determining Destiny
The baskets before the temple signify God's sovereign control; repentance and faith are gifts from God, making Him the determiner of destiny.
But the point I'm trying to make is I was grieved that I had to chasten them.I was grieved that I had to correct them.And I never derived any pleasure from it.Do you realize that our Heavenly Father is the same way?He does not chasten us willingly.He does not delight in afflicting us or in chastening us.If you would hold Jeremiah 24, but turn right over a few pages to the book of Lamentations, and look if you would please at Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 33.Look carefully, because remember, Jeremiah is watching Jerusalem destroyed and he writes this In Lamentations 3, in verse 33, talking about our Heavenly Father, and He says this, For He, that is God, doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
So God is not some old meanie in heaven just wanting to pounce upon us and whip us.No.He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.So God does not derive any pleasure from chasing us, yet there is a purpose.And there is a reasoning for our chastening.
Now, I do not ever remember being thankful for the chastening that I received as a child until I was grown.Can anybody in this room say as a child you were really thankful that you got whipped?No.But later when you became an adult and you understood everything, you then became thankful that your father and your mother did not leave you to your own ways and your own devices.And I've had to confess, and I have confessed many times, that although I was chastened quite regularly when I was a child, I probably never got nearly as many as I deserved.And while I am thankful for that in one sense of the word, I am even more thankful that the ones that I did get produced a profound effect upon me and did change me in a lot of ways.
Point 1: Chastisement Acknowledges We Belong to the Lord
God chastens only His children; lack of chastisement indicates illegitimacy. Scripture shows that God's discipline is a mark of sonship.
In order to understand the truths that I'm going to share with you today in relationship to chastisement, we must comprehend the picture that God sets before Jeremiah.Once you understand Jeremiah chapter 24, I believe it's going to be extremely easy to be thankful for chastisement.In fact, it's not going to be as difficult as it may seem at the beginning.In Jeremiah chapter 24, God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs.One basket of figs is full of very good figs.Delicious figs.The other basket is full of very bad figs.
Look at verses 2 and 3.The Bible says one basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe.And the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.Now, when you go back to verse two and he talks about the good figs, he says they're very good, even like the first ripe.
Now, we happen to have a number of fig trees.I always enjoy the first ripe figs.The first ripe figs are usually larger and more delicious than the others that come on behind them.Because they're the ones that ripen first.They're the ones somehow that seemingly get the most growth and the most juice in them.And the rest of them come on all at once, but these always come on early.So Jeremiah said, when he sees these good figs, I mean, they are like the first ripe figs.They're figs that are very good.But then he has the basket full of figs that are very bad.So bad, he said, they cannot be eaten.
Point 2: Chastisement Is for Our Good
God sets His eyes on the captives for good; chastisement yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness and teaches us to love and obey God.
So you have two pictures here.You have a picture of a basket of good figs and a picture of a basket of bad figs.But what are they pictures of or what do they represent?And if you'll go back to verse one, the Lord showed me the whole two baskets of figs were before the temple of the Lord.Wow.Well, what is the significance of these two baskets of figs being before the temple of the Lord?Well, let me try to answer those questions before I get started in the message today.First of all, the basket of figs that were really good figs, the first ripe figs, represented those people who had already been sent, and you can use the word taken, into captivity into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.Look in verse 1.He said the Lord showed me and behold two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had, that's past tense, had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem and
had brought them to Babylon.So obviously now, this basket of good figs represents those who are already in captivity in Babylon.Now skip down to verse 5.Watch.Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Chaldeans for their goods. and I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up, and I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart."
Point 3: The Alternative to Chastisement Is Destruction
The bad figs were consumed by sword, famine, and pestilence; it is better to be chastened than destroyed.
So obviously then, he's talking about these people that are already in Babylon, who went there with the captivity of Jeconiah and his men.Now, here are the good things.The bad figs represent King Zedekiah and the people who have been left in Jerusalem.So look in verse 8.He said, And as the evil figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus saith the LORD, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, and I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all the places whither I shall drive them.And I will send the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence among them, till they be consumed from off the land which I have given them." So, here are the two baskets of things.
One basket represents the people who have already been sent into captivity.The other basket, the basket of bad figs, represents Zedekiah and the people who remained in Jerusalem.
Applications: Early Discipline, Providence, and Quick Submission
Early chastisement works best; God's hard providences are for our good; quick repentance ends chastisement sooner.
Now let me ask you a question.If an enemy came and took away half of your city and you were spared, you were left, you never got killed, you never got captured.Would you not kind of breathe a sigh of relief and say, man, the Lord was good to me.He spared me.It is not difficult for me to imagine and to envision Zedekiah and all of those people just simply saying, wow, we made it.We didn't get captured.Do you realize?Actually, Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land and carried away captives four times.The first time he came was 605 B.C., the second time 597 B.C., the third time is when he came back and literally destroyed the city in 586 B.C., and then he came back again in 582 B.C. as well.
Now, the full and the final destruction of Jerusalem was in 586 B.C.I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10.2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10.I want you to watch what the Bible says, 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10.Here it is.And when the year was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, that is, Jeconiah, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.Now, I want you to note, if you would, and just hold this passage just for a moment.So, Nebuchadnezzar has already come, And he takes Jeconiah and all these other people into captivity.And Zedekiah is left.In fact, look in verse 11.And Zedekiah was 1 in 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem.And by the way, verse 12,
"...and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord.
Study Guide
Major Themes
Chastisement as a Sign of Sonship
Summary: God's discipline demonstrates that we belong to Him; those without chastisement are illegitimate children.
Evidence:Hebrews 12:6-8 is quoted: 'For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth... if ye be without chastisement... then are ye bastards, and not sons.'
The Goodness of Divine Chastisement
Summary: Chastisement is for our profit and yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness; it is an expression of God's love.
Evidence:Hebrews 12:10-11: 'he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness... afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness.'
God's Sovereignty in Salvation and Judgment
Summary: God determines the destiny of individuals; repentance and faith are gifts from God, not human achievements.
Summary: The sooner we repent and obey, the sooner God's discipline ceases.
Evidence: Personal anecdote about the speaker's father: 'Once I looked at my father and said, I'm sorry, Dad, I won't do it anymore... it was over with.'
Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.
So today, I want you to open your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 24. Jeremiah 24. Jeremiah 24, we're going to read all 10 verses. The title of the message is Chastened? Thank the Lord. Notice, Jeremiah, chapter 24, beginning there with verse one. The Lord showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that were first ripe, and the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
#1 | 0:01 to 1:21 | cleaned
For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, And I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and that they shall be my people, and I will be their God. For they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, Surely, thus saith the Lord, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and all of his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt.
#2 | 1:22 to 1:55 | cleaned
And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword and the famine and the pestilence among them till they be consumed from all the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers." So the title of the message is Chastened, Thank the Lord.
#3 | 1:55 to 2:21 | cleaned
When I was a boy, my father disciplined me regularly. And I can attest to the effectiveness of razor straps and peach tree limbs. I was in the barbershop a few weeks ago, and I saw one of those old razor straps hanging on the wall, and I just had to ask the barber. I said, now, how do you pronounce that? Do you call that a razor strap or a razor strop?
#4 | 2:22 to 2:49 | cleaned
He looked at me and smiled. He said, it's a razor strap. He said, but I know what you're talking about because all the old timers always call them razor strops. But you know, that leather would really sting when dad held it, I can assure you. One thing that I remember quite well was that those peach tree limbs and those razor straps could indeed change your attitude as well as your behavior. And one thing my father always said to me as he was about to whip me, he would say, now son, this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you. And I remember thinking that cannot possibly be true because I was on the receiving end and he was on the giving end.
#5 | 2:50 to 3:36 | cleaned
And I never really understood what he meant by that until I had children of my own and I had to discipline them. And of course, no godly parent derives any pleasure from having to discipline his children. He only does it for the child's good and because he is commanded not only by the Lord, but also to instill in them the concept of right and wrong, and good and evil. I remember many times in times past when I had to whip my own girls, oftentimes we wept. And sometimes I would do it after I'd whipped them and they had never seen me weeping.
#6 | 3:37 to 4:21 | cleaned
But the point I'm trying to make is I was grieved that I had to chasten them. I was grieved that I had to correct them. And I never derived any pleasure from it. Do you realize that our Heavenly Father is the same way? He does not chasten us willingly. He does not delight in afflicting us or in chastening us. If you would hold Jeremiah 24, but turn right over a few pages to the book of Lamentations, and look if you would please at Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 33. Look carefully, because remember, Jeremiah is watching Jerusalem destroyed and he writes this In Lamentations 3, in verse 33, talking about our Heavenly Father, and He says this, For He, that is God, doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
#7 | 4:22 to 5:19 | cleaned
So God is not some old meanie in heaven just wanting to pounce upon us and whip us. No. He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. So God does not derive any pleasure from chasing us, yet there is a purpose. And there is a reasoning for our chastening.
#8 | 5:19 to 5:39 | cleaned
Now, I do not ever remember being thankful for the chastening that I received as a child until I was grown. Can anybody in this room say as a child you were really thankful that you got whipped? No. But later when you became an adult and you understood everything, you then became thankful that your father and your mother did not leave you to your own ways and your own devices. And I've had to confess, and I have confessed many times, that although I was chastened quite regularly when I was a child, I probably never got nearly as many as I deserved. And while I am thankful for that in one sense of the word, I am even more thankful that the ones that I did get produced a profound effect upon me and did change me in a lot of ways.
#9 | 5:39 to 6:35 | cleaned
In order to understand the truths that I'm going to share with you today in relationship to chastisement, we must comprehend the picture that God sets before Jeremiah. Once you understand Jeremiah chapter 24, I believe it's going to be extremely easy to be thankful for chastisement. In fact, it's not going to be as difficult as it may seem at the beginning. In Jeremiah chapter 24, God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs. One basket of figs is full of very good figs. Delicious figs. The other basket is full of very bad figs.
#10 | 6:37 to 7:20 | cleaned
Look at verses 2 and 3. The Bible says one basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe. And the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Now, when you go back to verse two and he talks about the good figs, he says they're very good, even like the first ripe.
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Now, we happen to have a number of fig trees. I always enjoy the first ripe figs. The first ripe figs are usually larger and more delicious than the others that come on behind them. Because they're the ones that ripen first. They're the ones somehow that seemingly get the most growth and the most juice in them. And the rest of them come on all at once, but these always come on early. So Jeremiah said, when he sees these good figs, I mean, they are like the first ripe figs. They're figs that are very good. But then he has the basket full of figs that are very bad. So bad, he said, they cannot be eaten.
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So you have two pictures here. You have a picture of a basket of good figs and a picture of a basket of bad figs. But what are they pictures of or what do they represent? And if you'll go back to verse one, the Lord showed me the whole two baskets of figs were before the temple of the Lord. Wow. Well, what is the significance of these two baskets of figs being before the temple of the Lord? Well, let me try to answer those questions before I get started in the message today. First of all, the basket of figs that were really good figs, the first ripe figs, represented those people who had already been sent, and you can use the word taken, into captivity into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Look in verse 1. He said the Lord showed me and behold two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had, that's past tense, had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem and
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had brought them to Babylon. So obviously now, this basket of good figs represents those who are already in captivity in Babylon.
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Now skip down to verse 5. Watch. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Chaldeans for their goods. and I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up, and I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart."
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So obviously then, he's talking about these people that are already in Babylon, who went there with the captivity of Jeconiah and his men. Now, here are the good things. The bad figs represent King Zedekiah and the people who have been left in Jerusalem. So look in verse 8. He said, And as the evil figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus saith the LORD, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, and I will deliver
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them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all the places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence among them, till they be consumed from off the land which I have given them." So, here are the two baskets of things.
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One basket represents the people who have already been sent into captivity. The other basket, the basket of bad figs, represents Zedekiah and the people who remained in Jerusalem.
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Now let me ask you a question. If an enemy came and took away half of your city and you were spared, you were left, you never got killed, you never got captured. Would you not kind of breathe a sigh of relief and say, man, the Lord was good to me. He spared me. It is not difficult for me to imagine and to envision Zedekiah and all of those people just simply saying, wow, we made it. We didn't get captured. Do you realize? Actually, Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land and carried away captives four times. The first time he came was 605 B.C., the second time 597 B.C., the third time is when he came back and literally destroyed the city in 586 B.C., and then he came back again in 582 B.C. as well.
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Now, the full and the final destruction of Jerusalem was in 586 B.C. I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10. 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10. I want you to watch what the Bible says, 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10. Here it is. And when the year was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, that is, Jeconiah, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem. Now, I want you to note, if you would, and just hold this passage just for a moment. So, Nebuchadnezzar has already come, And he takes Jeconiah and all these other people into captivity. And Zedekiah is left. In fact, look in verse 11. And Zedekiah was 1 in 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. And by the way, verse 12, "...and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord.
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And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of his fathers." Moreover, all the chief of the priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen, including the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem." Now, the Bible also says in 2 Kings 24 verse 18, you don't have to turn there, that Zedekiah was 1 in 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem.
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Now, the baskets of figs were before the temple. I'm going to explain to you just momentarily Well, let me go ahead and do it. You see, Zedekiah reigned 11 years. If you take 11 years and add it to 586, you get 597. That was the second deportation. So in 597 is when Nebuchadnezzar came and took Jeconiah and all of these other people into captivity. So in 586 was the destruction, so Zedekiah then would have reigned from 597 down to 586. Now, these two baskets of figs were before the temple.
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That's what verse 1 says. What is the significance of these two baskets of figs setting before the temple? Here's the significance. You have to remember that the temple represented God's throne. These two baskets of figs were sitting there because it was God, who is the sovereign, who determined their end and their destiny. God is sovereign. He rules and He reigns supremely. Here is a truth that most individuals do not want to hear, but it is still the truth. Our destiny is not in our hands. It is in God's hands. God is the determiner of our destiny.
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You say, but wait a minute, Brother Weaver, you don't understand. I repented of my sins and I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm saved. And I'm going to heaven by the grace of God. Yes. And I rejoice with that. But let me ask you a couple of questions. The first one is this. How did you repent? And why did you repent? How did you believe and why did you believe?
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The answer has to come back. The how and the why refers to God. God gave you repentance and God gave you faith. And therefore you repented, and therefore you believed. You have to understand that both repentance and faith are gifts from God. I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but turn in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Acts chapter 5. Acts chapter 5. And let's begin reading there with verse 30. Acts 5 and verse 30. Watch carefully.
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We're talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 5, verse 30, the Bible says the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Now watch carefully. Him, that is Jesus Christ, Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a prince and a savior for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. For to give repentance. Repentance is a gift.
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You cannot work it up. You cannot earn it. You cannot merit it. It's a gift. Look at Acts chapter 11, if you would, and verse 18. Acts 11 and verse 18. Peter has preached to Cornelius, the centurion and some others. And when he comes back and reports how God has opened the eyes of these Gentiles and they have believed, Notice if you would what they say in verse 18, Acts 11 verse 18. When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted or given repentance unto life. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted or given repentance unto life. And if you will turn right on over to 2 Timothy chapter 2. Second Timothy, chapter two, and notice if you would beginning there in verse twenty four. Second Timothy, chapter two, look in verse twenty four.
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This is so simple and yet. So many people stumble over this one truth, Second Timothy, chapter two, verse twenty four, and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to each patient, Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, watch carefully, if God, per adventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
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Now let me ask this question. When do men recover themselves out of the snare of the devil according to verse 25? It's when they acknowledge the truth. Well, when do men acknowledge the truth based upon verse 25? It's when God gives them repentance. So if God does not give his gift of repentance, there's no acknowledging of the truth. And if there's no acknowledging of the truth, there's no recovering oneself from the snare of the devil. And everybody in this room can quote Ephesians 2:8-9, for by grace are you saved through faith Help me out, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So let me ask you a question. If God gave you repentance and God gave you faith, who is the ultimate determiner of your destiny? God. Let me ask that question another way. If God does not give you repentance, if God does not give you faith, if God withholds his gifts from you because he does not owe them to anyone, but if God withholds those gifts from you, who is the ultimate decider and determiner of your destiny?
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It's God. So these two baskets of figs are sitting before the temple. The temple was where God revealed himself. It was God's throne. And so God is the determiner of the baskets. And whoever happens to be in those baskets.
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Now, let me ask you a question. I want you to think hard on this, don't answer out loud, but think hard. Had you rather have gone into captivity with the faithful few in 597 B.C.? Or had you rather have then spared and stayed with Zedekiah and the remainder of those people in Jerusalem for 11 more years until 586 B.C.? Now, if you opt for 586 B.C., you say, well, I think I'd rather be free 11 more years you would not only be choosing rejection by God, you would also be choosing destruction by God. You see, what God was doing, He was culling the figs. He sent the good figs into captivity and He was saving the bad figs for destruction.
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Obviously, in this light, The former captivity and chastisement is vastly preferable to those who thought they escaped and remained in the land. Now, Zedekiah and all of these other people are treated as double traitors and double rebels. That is why they're so harshly judged by God. They not only were traitors to God and his law and his covenant, They were also traitors to Nebuchadnezzar. It was Nebuchadnezzar who made Zedekiah king of Jerusalem and king of Judah. And Zedekiah had sworn with an oath before God that he would support Nebuchadnezzar. And instead, he turned to Pharaoh of Egypt and wanted to use Pharaoh to throw off the shackles and the shackles of Nebuchadnezzar. And God, of course, marked him and the people then for destruction.
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Now the point I want to emphasize is this. The graciousness, the goodness, and the mercy of God is demonstrated when God sent the first ones into captivity. And the justice and the wrath of God is reserved for those who were spared. I think at this point we could really say chastisement doesn't really look that bad. At this point, I think we could actually say we could be thankful for chastisement.
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It is to be much preferred over destruction. If you look in your Bibles, whole Jeremiah 24, but go back to second Kings 24. 2 Kings 24, and look, if you would please, at verse 12. 2 Kings 24, and look at verse 12. In this passage, 2 Kings 24, verse 12, we read about Jeconiah. The Bible says this. And Jeconiah the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his princes and his officers and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
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Do you remember that God promised life to all who would go out to Nebuchadnezzar? So Jeconiah and these people did so. They went out and God spared them. Let me ask you a question, and I think you should consider it at this point, especially in light of the good figs and the bad figs. Have you ever wondered how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Ezekiel got in captivity in Babylon? They were part of the good figs. that God sent there for their good and his glory. Now, think about this. As difficult as captivity may seem. And as difficult as captivity may be.
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Yet can you not see? It was for the good of these people, which I'm going to point out a little bit later, that God sent them. Do you realize that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Ezekiel, probably a host of others, God only used them for His honor and His glory in the land of captivity. They had ministries while they were there. Now, let me begin. I only have three points today.
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The first one is obvious. acknowledges that we belong to the Lord. Look in verse 5, Jeremiah 24 verse 5. Chastisement acknowledges that we belong to the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, like these good things, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good." Note, if you would please, God specifically sent these good figs out of the land. And He said, I will acknowledge them.
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We must learn a simple truth. Listen carefully. If one can sin consistently and constantly against God, That individual is not saved, especially if he can sin consistently and constantly and get away with it. You have to understand he does not belong to the Lord. He is not saved. First of all, if he was saved, he would not be constantly and continually sinning. Yes, saved sinners sin. Understand that. But we're not constantly and continually sinning. Moreover, if we do sin as Christians, then we're chastened. The Bible says we're chastened that we might not be condemned with the world.
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And you have to consider this. Normally speaking, a father only chastens his children. He does not chasten the children of strangers. He does not chasten his neighbor's children. He only chastens his children. They belong to him and he's responsible for their learning and their behavior.
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Now I want to show you what God says. I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but go in your Bibles first to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8. Deuteronomy chapter 8. And notice if you would verse 5. Deuteronomy 8 and verse 5. Look what God says, Deuteronomy 8 and verse 5. Here's what he tells his people. Deuteronomy 8 verse 5. Thou shalt also consider thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord by God chasteneth thee." So what does God tell you to consider? That as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord by God chasteneth thee. Turn right over to 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel chapter 7, and look if you would at what God tells David concerning Solomon. 2 Samuel chapter 7. And verse 14, 2 Samuel, chapter 7, verse 14. In speaking of Solomon, God tells David, I will be his father and he shall be my son.
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If he commit iniquity, I will chase him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men. In other words, I'll be a father to him. And when he does wrong, I want to whip him. Look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 13 and verse 24. Proverbs 13 and verse 24. You have to remember now, chastening demonstrates that we belong to Him. In Proverbs chapter 13 and verse 24, the Word of God says this, He that spareth his rod hateth his son. Note that he that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betides. So God says, if you spare the rod, you hate your son. But if you love him, you're going to chase him as necessary. Now, turn right over to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. And if you would go ahead and mark Hebrews chapter 12, because we will certainly be coming back to that passage. But I want you to look at Hebrews chapter 12, particularly right now.
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At verses six and eight, Hebrews chapter 12, verses six and eight, we're going to come back here, but notice if you would. Hebrews chapter 12, beginning there with verse six, the Bible says, in fact, let's read verse five. He says that you have forgotten the exhortation which speak of the US and children, my son. Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Now watch. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourget every son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chastened not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons.
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Now, I want to call your attention to several things. First of all, the Bible says that God deals with us as sons when he chastens us. Moreover, he tells us that everyone whom he chastens is considered a son. For what son is he whom the Father chastened? Not. There are very few individuals that get by without a whipping in life, in real life. I mean, physically. Rebecca got the fewest whippings of any of my children.
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Lately, I've never whipped her at all. I'm just simply saying there are some that get by, but very few Do you realize he said this? But if you be without chastisement, that is, if you can sin and get away with it, if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not son.
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Now, a bastard is an illegitimate child, one who does not have a father or else. The one that has sired him has abandoned him. Because chastisement and education are both expressions of love and concern. So what he is saying is if we love our children, we're going to chasten them as our father chastens his own. So chastisement then is an acknowledgement that the child belongs to us. When I whip my children, they're my children. They are mine. The same is true with our heavenly father. When he chastens us, it is acknowledgement that we belong to him. He does not chasten The wicked, they're not His. He judges and punishes them, but He does not chasten them.
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Do you know what our Lord said in Revelation 3, verse 19? You don't have to turn there, but listen to what He said. Our Lord said, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. Did you hear what I just read? Our Lord said, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. What does that mean? If you can live and sin and not get rebuked and chastened, you're unloved by our Lord.
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He only chastens those whom he loves. Chastisement is indeed a good sign that we belong to the Lord. Just as a loving father will not allow his child to sin and get away with it, so our heavenly father will not allow his own to sin and get away with it. We cannot escape the consequences of our sin. He may forgive us our sins, but we're still going to suffer the consequences of our sins. You can mark it down, He will chasten us if we belong to Him. So first and foremost, chastisement is an acknowledgement that we belong to the Lord.
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I want you to go back to Jeremiah chapter 24. Still hold Hebrews chapter 12 if you would. We'll be back there. But look in Jeremiah chapter 24, because he tells us, secondly, that chastisement is for our good. Look in verse 6. God is still acknowledging these good figs, and He says in verse 6, For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. Note God said, I will set my eyes upon them for good. Back in verse 5, if you'll look at verse 5, the ending of that verse, He said, Whom I have sent out of this place on the land of the Chaldeans for their good. Wow.
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Do you realize we often shape under discipline? We don't like it. It hurts. I can truthfully say I never really enjoyed any of the whippings that I received. There were a few that were not as bad as the others. But I still didn't enjoy them. You know, chastisement is designed to teach us submission, obedience, and love. Do you understand chastisement is a demonstration of love? It's not only an acknowledgment, it is also a demonstration of love.
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I quoted a while ago, Proverbs 13, verse 24. Let me quote it again. Listen carefully. He that spareth a rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. Years ago, I taught a fourth grade class. In that class was one boy that my wife can remember and probably Henry and Janet as well. That boy was only big for his age, a fourth grader. He was also from a broken home.
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In our Christian school, if you enrolled your child The parents had to sign a form that allowed us to use corporal punishment. In other words, we could spank your child.
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Now, there are rules that we followed, but we had permission from the parents to actually whip the children. And this one boy in my fourth grade class, big for his age, would do something almost every day that would merit a spanking. It seemed as if this kid would never learn. I would take any child that I disciplined into the office. I would sit them in front of me.
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And I would question them and get them to tell me in their own words what they had done. I then take the scripture and show them where they had sinned and where I was commanded to discipline them. And I explained to them that I wasn't mad at them, I didn't hate them, but I was disciplining them for their good so that they could learn what was acceptable and what was not acceptable and because I was commanded to do so and because I loved them. When I would get through chasing the child, I'd always put my arm around the child and have prayer and ask the Lord to bless the discipline. And then I'd tell the child that I love him and I'd send him back to class.
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One day I was thinking about this boy. And I was thinking about the broken home he was from. And I thought, You know. I'll bet you if I were a gambling man. What that kid really wants. It's just love and an expression of love. So the next day I went back, the very first thing I did was call him into my office. Hadn't done a thing, school had not even started. I called him in the office, I put my arm around him and I said, son, I just want to tell you today that I love you. And I appreciate you and I want to have prayer that the Lord's going to bless you today and help you. Do you know something? I did that every day for a number of weeks. I never had to whip that kid again. Never. You know what that child had done? He had associated love with discipline. And he would do something wrong to get me to discipline Just so I can tell him I love him and put my arm around him.
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You have to understand something, folks. When God chastens us, it is always for our good, and it is because he loves us. I want you to look back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12, and this time let's read verses 9 through 11. Look in Hebrews chapter 12, verses 9 through 11. Here it is. Hebrews chapter 12, look in verse 9. He says, furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh who corrected us and we gave them reverence. Now, wait a minute. If any of you.
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Had ever been whipped the way I was whipped with a peach tree limb. I can assure you, you would learn very quickly to say, yes, sir. Yes, sir, that's exactly what this verse means. He says, furthermore, we've had fathers of our flesh who correct us, and we gave them reference. That is, we obeyed them. We listened to them. It taught us something. Now, watch this question. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father's spirits and live? For they, that is, the earthly fathers, verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he, for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now, watch.
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Now, no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards, it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby." What does the Bible say? That God always chastens us for our profit. His chastening works. It always yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto those who are exercised thereby. That is, we learn to submit, we learn to obey. Moreover, we learn to trust our Heavenly Father. We learn not only to believe, but to trust not only His promises, but His threatenings as well. We understand that His chastenings are equally true, as well as His blessings. And we learn, as He chastens us, not to do those things that displease Him.
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In Job 34 and verse 31, let me quote it. Job said, surely it is meet to be said of God. I have borne chastisement. I will offend. I will not offend anymore. I have borne chastisement. I will not offend anymore. What did he say? I have learned my lesson. I learned my lesson. David said it like this in Psalm 119 verse 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn my statutes. I listened. Look in Jeremiah chapter 24 and verse 7. Jeremiah 24 and verse 7. Here is the ultimate end of chastisement. Here is the ultimate end of our father's chastisement of his own. He said, and I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
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You know, I've always said There's two ways that you can whip a child. You can whip him just enough to make him mad and he'll hate you. Or you can literally beat the devil out of him and he'll love you. That's exactly what God is saying right here. God says, when I discipline you, you're going to understand that I want you to love me and that you will turn to me with your whole heart. We can thank our Heavenly Father for our chastisement because it increases our love and obedience to Him. It is designed to make us holy and godly. Now, you're going to say, well, I still don't like to be chastened. I don't guess anybody likes to be chastened. That's what he said in Hebrews chapter 12.
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No chastening for the moment appears to be joyous, but it's grievous. But it's only after it's done that we understand it's for our profit and it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness unto those who exercise thereby. But now, in case you still want to argue, I've got one final point. I want you to consider, thirdly, the alternative to chastisement. Look in verse 8 of Jeremiah 24. Consider the alternative.
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And as the evil figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus saith the Lord. So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes and the residue of Jerusalem that remain in this land and them that dwell in the land of Egypt. I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt to be a reproach and a proverb and a taunt and a curse in all places whether I shall drive them. Watch, and I will send the sword and famine and pestilence among them till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and their fathers."
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So here are my questions. Had you rather be chastened or consumed? had you rather be disciplined or destroyed. The alternative to chastisement certainly makes chastisement appear more desirable, especially since the alternative is destruction. It should also make us extremely thankful that we are being chastened. And the truth of the matter is this, chastisement is only used when the word is neglected. rejected or disobeyed. Do you realize we have two ways of dealing with our children? We speak to them. We use words. If our children hear and obey, there's no problem. If they fail to heed and hear and obey, there's the rod.
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I've told you this years ago, years ago. I asked Trip to do something. And he looked at me and said, Papa. I don't want to do it. I said, well, I appreciate that, son. I said, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you a choice. You may either do it. Or you may get a whipping and do it. He looked at me, said, I think I'll just do it. I said, I think you're a wise son.
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You know, that's how God deals with us. Do you realize if we listen to his word, there's no problem. If we submit to him and obey him, there's no problem. You know, the Bible says in 1 Peter that we're to gird up the loins of our mind and that we're to be sober and we're to hope to the end as obedient children. As obedient children. It's only when we fail to hear God's Word that He brings the rod. And the Bible says in Micah 6 and verse 9, Hear ye the rod, and him who hath appointed it. God said, if you won't listen to my Word, you're going to hear my rod. So if we listen to God's Word, we're not going to receive His rod.
#64 | 48:17 to 49:08 | cleaned
The desire of our hearts should be this, that we want to be so obedient We want to be so submissive that we can say like Samuel, speak Lord for thy servant herein. Lord, I don't have to be reproved. I don't have to be rebuked. I don't have to be admonished. I don't have to be chastened. Lord, just let me know what you want and I'll do it.
#65 | 49:11 to 49:34 | cleaned
That should be our attitude. You have to understand that according to the Word of God, a Christian, a child of God, is either going to be living a changed life, by that I mean an obedient life, continually and constantly bringing his life into greater conformity to the Word of God, he's either going to be living a changed life or a chastised life, because if you're a child of God and you're living wrongly, you're not going to get by with it. You won't let your child get by with bad mouthing you and talking back and stealing and lying. No, you're going to whip them and you're not going to wait six months. You're going to do it while they know why you're whipping them. So as God's people, we're either going to be living a changed life or a chastised life, and the more we bring our lives in conformity to the Word of God, the less needful the rod is. You don't need a rod as long as there is obedience. Personally, I don't want the rod.
#66 | 49:35 to 50:44 | cleaned
I don't want to have to be chastised. I don't even want to have to be rebuked. I don't even want the Father to be upset with me. I'd rather just obey and ask God to give me an obedient heart.
#67 | 50:44 to 51:01 | cleaned
Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. Early discipline. and chastisement work best. Early discipline and chastisement work best. We are told in Proverbs 19 and verse 18, Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for its crying. Chasten thy son while there is hope. There comes a time when there is no hope. There comes a time when chastening will not do any good. So he says, Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for its crying.
#68 | 51:03 to 51:44 | cleaned
Jeremiah 24 is an excellent example of this truth. Those that went first into captivity were the son, or the sons, whom the Father loves and chasten betimes. But those who remained, who did not take discipline, who would not hear God. Those that remained were like the child left to himself who was destroyed. On the first group, the discipline took. The chastisement worked. On the second group, nothing worked. There was a child left to themselves and they were destroyed. The second application is this. Often those kind providences of God that we view and think are so awful are actually for our good and our benefit. What do you think that was going through the minds of Jeconiah, his princes, and all of these good and godly people that were being sent into Babylon?
#69 | 51:44 to 53:06 | cleaned
They were probably thinking, oh, my, what am I doing here? How did I get myself into this? Why am I being? This is awful. This is terrible. We've been captured. We're enslaved. We're in a foreign country. This is horrible. Oh, really? It may have been temporarily, but what did God say? It's for your good. I'm going to bring you back. I'm going to build you. I'm going to plant you. So many times when things go wrong in our lives, we think, oh God, how can we? There can never be any good out of this. And what does God do? God just simply works it out for good every time.
#70 | 53:08 to 53:53 | cleaned
We don't even know the end of a thing. We don't know the end of God's providence until He brings it to pass in our lives. We may think it's horrible. We may think it's terrible. But it isn't. You know what God said in Jeremiah 29, verse 11, listen to this. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end. God said, I know what I'm thinking about you. You may not know, but I know. And it's going to be for your good, it's going to be for my glory.
#71 | 53:55 to 54:34 | cleaned
On the other hand, There are so many that think, boy, we miss that little judgment. We miss that chastisement. We must be OK. And what they don't realize, God just called them and left them to be destroyed. Chastisement is always for our good. The third application is this, the sooner and the quicker we submit and obey, The more quickly our chastisement will end. You know, the quickest way out of your chastisement is just repent, submit, obey. You know.
#72 | 54:35 to 55:28 | cleaned
My father could really whip. I'd much rather be whipped by my mother than my father. But I'll tell you what. Once I looked at my father and said, I'm sorry, Dad, I won't do it anymore. No, it's just that simple. It was over with. And when God chastens us. The more quickly we submit and the more quickly we obey. The sooner our chastisement will be over. If we don't hear the word, we will hear the rod.
#73 | 55:30 to 56:16 | cleaned
And when you're chastened, guess what? You should be thankful. Because the Lord is acknowledging that you're his. And he's doing it for your good, for your profit, that you might be partakers of his holiness. And afterwards, it's going to produce, it's going to yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You, Father, for Your chastisement.
#74 | 56:17 to 56:52 | cleaned
And I pray, Lord, that You would indeed give us a submissive, obedient heart, and that our attitude to be like Samuel speak, Lord, for Thy servant herein. Give us grace, Father. Give us mercy. And give us, Lord, an obedient heart. In Thy name we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.
John Weaver expounds Jeremiah 24, where God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs—good figs representing those already taken into Babylonian captivity, and bad figs representing those left in Jerusalem under Zedekiah. He argues that the captivity (chastisement) was for the good of the faithful, while those spared were reserved for destruction. The sermon teaches that divine chastisement is a sign of belonging to God, is for our profit, and is far preferable to the alternative of judgment. Believers are exhorted to submit quickly to God's discipline and to be thankful for it.
Introduction: The Two Baskets of Figs
God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs before the temple—one very good, one very bad—representing two groups of people in Judah.
me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that were first ripe, and the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
The Good Figs: Those in Captivity
The good figs represent Jeconiah and those already taken to Babylon; God acknowledges them and promises to do them good.
For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, And I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and that they shall be my people, and I will be their God. For they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, Surely, thus saith the Lord, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and all of his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt. And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword and the famine and the pestilence among them till they be consumed from all the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers."
So the title of the message is Chastened, Thank the Lord.
When I was a boy, my father disciplined me regularly. And I can attest to the effectiveness of razor straps and peach tree limbs. I was in the barbershop a few weeks ago, and I saw one of those old razor straps hanging on the wall, and I just had to ask the barber. I said, now, how do you pronounce that? Do you call that a razor strap or a razor strop?
The Bad Figs: Those Left in Jerusalem
The bad figs represent Zedekiah and the remnant in Jerusalem, whom God will deliver to destruction.
He looked at me and smiled. He said, it's a razor strap. He said, but I know what you're talking about because all the old timers always call them razor strops. But you know, that leather would really sting when dad held it, I can assure you. One thing that I remember quite well was that those peach tree limbs and those razor straps could indeed change your attitude as well as your behavior. And one thing my father always said to me as he was about to whip me, he would say, now son, this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you. And I remember thinking that cannot possibly be true because I was on the receiving end and he was on the giving end.
And I never really understood what he meant by that until I had children of my own and I had to discipline them. And of course, no godly parent derives any pleasure from having to discipline his children. He only does it for the child's good and because he is commanded not only by the Lord, but also to instill in them the concept of right and wrong, and good and evil. I remember many times in times past when I had to whip my own girls, oftentimes we wept. And sometimes I would do it after I'd whipped them and they had never seen me weeping.
God's Sovereignty in Determining Destiny
The baskets before the temple signify God's sovereign control; repentance and faith are gifts from God, making Him the determiner of destiny.
But the point I'm trying to make is I was grieved that I had to chasten them. I was grieved that I had to correct them. And I never derived any pleasure from it. Do you realize that our Heavenly Father is the same way? He does not chasten us willingly. He does not delight in afflicting us or in chastening us. If you would hold Jeremiah 24, but turn right over a few pages to the book of Lamentations, and look if you would please at Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 33. Look carefully, because remember, Jeremiah is watching Jerusalem destroyed and he writes this In Lamentations 3, in verse 33, talking about our Heavenly Father, and He says this, For He, that is God, doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
So God is not some old meanie in heaven just wanting to pounce upon us and whip us. No. He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. So God does not derive any pleasure from chasing us, yet there is a purpose. And there is a reasoning for our chastening.
Now, I do not ever remember being thankful for the chastening that I received as a child until I was grown. Can anybody in this room say as a child you were really thankful that you got whipped? No. But later when you became an adult and you understood everything, you then became thankful that your father and your mother did not leave you to your own ways and your own devices. And I've had to confess, and I have confessed many times, that although I was chastened quite regularly when I was a child, I probably never got nearly as many as I deserved. And while I am thankful for that in one sense of the word, I am even more thankful that the ones that I did get produced a profound effect upon me and did change me in a lot of ways.
Point 1: Chastisement Acknowledges We Belong to the Lord
God chastens only His children; lack of chastisement indicates illegitimacy. Scripture shows that God's discipline is a mark of sonship.
In order to understand the truths that I'm going to share with you today in relationship to chastisement, we must comprehend the picture that God sets before Jeremiah. Once you understand Jeremiah chapter 24, I believe it's going to be extremely easy to be thankful for chastisement. In fact, it's not going to be as difficult as it may seem at the beginning. In Jeremiah chapter 24, God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs. One basket of figs is full of very good figs. Delicious figs. The other basket is full of very bad figs.
Look at verses 2 and 3. The Bible says one basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe. And the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs, the good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Now, when you go back to verse two and he talks about the good figs, he says they're very good, even like the first ripe.
Now, we happen to have a number of fig trees. I always enjoy the first ripe figs. The first ripe figs are usually larger and more delicious than the others that come on behind them. Because they're the ones that ripen first. They're the ones somehow that seemingly get the most growth and the most juice in them. And the rest of them come on all at once, but these always come on early. So Jeremiah said, when he sees these good figs, I mean, they are like the first ripe figs. They're figs that are very good. But then he has the basket full of figs that are very bad. So bad, he said, they cannot be eaten.
Point 2: Chastisement Is for Our Good
God sets His eyes on the captives for good; chastisement yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness and teaches us to love and obey God.
So you have two pictures here. You have a picture of a basket of good figs and a picture of a basket of bad figs. But what are they pictures of or what do they represent? And if you'll go back to verse one, the Lord showed me the whole two baskets of figs were before the temple of the Lord. Wow. Well, what is the significance of these two baskets of figs being before the temple of the Lord? Well, let me try to answer those questions before I get started in the message today. First of all, the basket of figs that were really good figs, the first ripe figs, represented those people who had already been sent, and you can use the word taken, into captivity into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Look in verse 1. He said the Lord showed me and behold two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had, that's past tense, had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the princes of Judah with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem and
had brought them to Babylon. So obviously now, this basket of good figs represents those who are already in captivity in Babylon. Now skip down to verse 5. Watch. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Chaldeans for their goods. and I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up, and I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart."
Point 3: The Alternative to Chastisement Is Destruction
The bad figs were consumed by sword, famine, and pestilence; it is better to be chastened than destroyed.
So obviously then, he's talking about these people that are already in Babylon, who went there with the captivity of Jeconiah and his men. Now, here are the good things. The bad figs represent King Zedekiah and the people who have been left in Jerusalem. So look in verse 8. He said, And as the evil figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus saith the LORD, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, and I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their hurt, to be a reproach, and a proverb, and a taunt, and a curse in all the places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence among them, till they be consumed from off the land which I have given them." So, here are the two baskets of things.
One basket represents the people who have already been sent into captivity. The other basket, the basket of bad figs, represents Zedekiah and the people who remained in Jerusalem.
Applications: Early Discipline, Providence, and Quick Submission
Early chastisement works best; God's hard providences are for our good; quick repentance ends chastisement sooner.
Now let me ask you a question. If an enemy came and took away half of your city and you were spared, you were left, you never got killed, you never got captured. Would you not kind of breathe a sigh of relief and say, man, the Lord was good to me. He spared me. It is not difficult for me to imagine and to envision Zedekiah and all of those people just simply saying, wow, we made it. We didn't get captured. Do you realize? Actually, Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land and carried away captives four times. The first time he came was 605 B.C., the second time 597 B.C., the third time is when he came back and literally destroyed the city in 586 B.C., and then he came back again in 582 B.C. as well.
Now, the full and the final destruction of Jerusalem was in 586 B.C. I want you to hold Jeremiah 24, but look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10. 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10. I want you to watch what the Bible says, 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verse 10. Here it is. And when the year was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, that is, Jeconiah, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem. Now, I want you to note, if you would, and just hold this passage just for a moment. So, Nebuchadnezzar has already come, And he takes Jeconiah and all these other people into captivity. And Zedekiah is left. In fact, look in verse 11. And Zedekiah was 1 in 20 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. And by the way, verse 12,
"...and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord.
Synopsis: John Weaver expounds Jeremiah 24, where God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs—good figs representing those already taken into Babylonian captivity, and bad figs representing those left in Jerusalem under Zedekiah. He argues that the captivity (chastisement) was for the good of the faithful, while those spared were reserved for destruction. The sermon teaches that divine chastisement is a sign of belonging to God, is for our profit, and is far preferable to the alternative of judgment. Believers are exhorted to submit quickly to God's discipline and to be thankful for it.
Lecture Guide
Outline
Introduction: The Two Baskets of Figs: God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs before the temple—one very good, one very bad—representing two groups of people in Judah.
The Good Figs: Those in Captivity: The good figs represent Jeconiah and those already taken to Babylon; God acknowledges them and promises to do them good.
The Bad Figs: Those Left in Jerusalem: The bad figs represent Zedekiah and the remnant in Jerusalem, whom God will deliver to destruction.
God's Sovereignty in Determining Destiny: The baskets before the temple signify God's sovereign control; repentance and faith are gifts from God, making Him the determiner of destiny.
Point 1: Chastisement Acknowledges We Belong to the Lord: God chastens only His children; lack of chastisement indicates illegitimacy. Scripture shows that God's discipline is a mark of sonship.
Point 2: Chastisement Is for Our Good: God sets His eyes on the captives for good; chastisement yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness and teaches us to love and obey God.
Point 3: The Alternative to Chastisement Is Destruction: The bad figs were consumed by sword, famine, and pestilence; it is better to be chastened than destroyed.
Applications: Early Discipline, Providence, and Quick Submission: Early chastisement works best; God's hard providences are for our good; quick repentance ends chastisement sooner.
Major Themes
Key Arguments
Chastisement is preferable to destruction
The good figs went into captivity for their good, while the bad figs were destroyed; thus, chastisement is a mercy.
Jeremiah 24:5-7 promises good to the captives; verses 8-10 promise destruction to the remnant.
Chastisement proves we are God's children
A father only chastens his own children; if God does not chasten us, we are not His.
Hebrews 12:8: 'if ye be without chastisement... then are ye bastards, and not sons.'
Chastisement is an act of love
God chastens those He loves, just as a loving father disciplines his child for the child's good.
Proverbs 13:24: 'He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.'
Repentance and faith are gifts from God
Salvation is entirely of God; He grants repentance and faith, determining our destiny.
Jeremiah 29:11: God knows the thoughts He thinks toward us, thoughts of peace to give an expected end.
Historical References
Nebuchadnezzar's deportations (605, 597, 586, 582 BC): The historical context of the Babylonian captivity; Jeconiah taken in 597 BC, Jerusalem destroyed in 586 BC.
Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and Zedekiah: Jeconiah was taken captive; Zedekiah was made king by Nebuchadnezzar and later rebelled.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Ezekiel: These faithful men were among the good figs taken to Babylon and used by God there.
Important Quotes
If you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons.
Key proof text that chastisement is a mark of legitimate sonship; absence of discipline indicates not belonging to God.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Directly links God's love with His rebuke and chastening, reinforcing the sermon's central message.
Discussion Questions
[Question]
How does the image of the two baskets of figs help us understand God's purposes in discipline and judgment?
[Context]
The sermon contrasts the good figs (captives) with the bad figs (those left in Jerusalem).
[Question]
Why is it dangerous to interpret a lack of immediate consequences for sin as God's approval?
[Context]
The bad figs thought they had escaped, but were reserved for destruction.
[Question]
In what ways does chastisement demonstrate God's love rather than contradict it?