旧约 - 耶利米书(Jeremiah)第24章

The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar 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 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.
Again the word of the LORD came unto 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.
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 an 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 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 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, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.
And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.
耶利米书第廿四章   第 24 章 

  耶 24:1> 耶哥尼雅──约雅斤,最后一位犹大王被掳…… 

  24:1 公元前 597 年,犹大王约雅斤被掳到巴比伦,西底家成了傀儡皇帝。在一般情况下,皇室人员及军中领袖必然被掳成为阶下囚,以免他们行使权力策动叛乱。至于技艺优秀的工匠和铁匠,则是建设巴比伦的人才,所以也一并被掳到巴比伦去了。耶利米在 22 章 24 至 28 节曾预言这件事必然发生。 

  耶 24:2-10> 被掳──世人眼中是苦难,在神眼中却是── 

  24:2-10 “好的无花果”代表被掳到巴比伦去的犹大人。这不表示他们本身是好国民,只是他们的心仍尊敬神,所以,神必看顾他们,领他们归回故土。“坏的无花果”代表仍留在犹大国或逃亡埃及的人,他们自以为是,认为留在犹大或逃到埃及必蒙祝福。这与他们的想法恰恰相反,神乃要藉被掳的过程锻炼祂的百姓,看顾、赐福给他们。我们可能会认为生活顺利就是蒙祝福,不顺利就是受咒诅。然而,如果艰难困苦能令我们更加坚毅,逆境也是祝福;万事顺利若令我们离开神,顺境也是咒诅。因此,遇到困境时,求神帮助你为祂刚强起来;生活顺利时,求主教导你善用机会服事祂。 

  耶 24:6> 犹大人被掳至巴比伦的情形── 

  24:6 被掳到巴比伦的犹大人都蒙耶和华眷顾,他们虽然是俘虏,身处异乡,却不至沦为奴隶,甚至还可以经营生意,有自己的住所。更有些能在巴比伦的政府中担任要职,但以理就是其中之一。(参但 2:48 )──《灵修版圣经注释》