Jeremiah
24 – The Firstfruits
The
firstfruits were to be offered to the Lord as a sacrifice of Thanksgiving for
His goodness. Israel was to be like firstfruits to the Lord, but the nation was
not wholly devoted to God. Like the two baskets of figs, most of the people
were bad, and only a remnant were good because they obeyed God.
Those
who avoided exile and had remained in the land viewed themselves as favored by
God, but Jeremiah turned this idea upside down.
The
Lord’s transformation of His people’s hearts would heal Israel’s heart problem
and break the pattern of sin and disobedience that had characterized their
history.
What
life does to us depends on what life finds in us. The godly remnant experienced
good things from God during the exile, but the ungodly citizens were consumed
by trouble. The godly remnant made the best of a bad situation because they
trusted the Lord. (Rom. 8:28).
The
important thing is a heart that knows the Lord and is wholly devoted to Him.
You may not be able to control the situation, but you can control how you
respond to it and to God. You are to “keep your heart with all diligence, for
out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Believers today are to be “a
kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (James 1:18), and we want to give Him
the best.
Please
read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.
If
you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.
Nelson’s
Quick Reference Commentary.
Dr.
David Jeremiah Study Bible
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