May 6, 2011
OUTSIDE THE ZONE
Jeremiah 24
Amber Epley
Central Truth
God takes us through rough stuff to make us tough stuff.
Key Verse | Jeremiah 24:7
"I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart." (Jeremiah 24:7)
Jeremiah 24
The Good Figs and the Bad Figs
1 After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the LORD. 2 One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. 3 And the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know 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.
8 But thus says the LORD: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them a horror 1 24:9 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew horror for evil to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. 10 And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”
Dive Deeper | Jeremiah 24
I really enjoy my comfort. I like my routines, familiarity, and plans (control). Like many people, I am fearful of God sending me out of my comfort zone. Being called out of our comfort zones can look different for each of us: a new job, a new city, or a new school. Or maybe it means leaving an old job, old relationship, or old city. No matter what it looks like for you, when God calls you somewhere new, it is scary. Being out of control is scary. Not being comfortable is scary.
In 2 Kings, King Nebuchadnezzar went into Jerusalem, did some damage, and took 10,000 men into exile in Babylon. Talk about being scared and uncomfortable! Can you imagine being taken away from your home, friends, family, and everything familiar and entering the land of your enemy? In times like that I would think that God had lost control of the situation, as though He had turned away to check on something else, and everything fell apart. Wrong. Referring to those exiled, God says, "So I will regard as good the captives from Judah, whom I sent out of this place . . . ." (Jeremiah 24:5, NIV, emphasis added). God sent them away! God's hand was all over the situation.
When we are sent off in a direction we never would have chosen, whether that looks like leaving the old that we love or setting off for the new that frightens us, God is there and in control. And if we choose to lean on Him for our strength in those situations, we can count on the same things He promised to the exiles of Judah: "For I will set My eyes on them for good . . . . I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD . . . ." (Jeremiah 24:6-7, NIV)
Wow! What a promise! Not only is God in control even in the tough times, but He will also change us so we can know Him better!
Discussion Questions
1. Where is God sending you?
2. How are you letting comfort stop you from moving forward or leaving things behind?
3. How has the Lord grown you when you have been pushed outside of your comfort zone?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
JEREMIAH 20-24 (MAY 2-6)
Read Jeremiah 22:13-16.
How did the king in verse 13 deal with his workers?
How was his father different (verse 15)?
Do you think the first builder was focused on himself or others? What about his father?
Who are you typically focused on? What does that typically look like?
Activity: Have every person make a list of seven things, one for each day, that they can do to be focused on others this week.