8. "But as far as King Zedekiah of Judah is concerned, I will deal with him as one deals with rotten figs - so rotten they cannot be eaten. I will likewise deal with his princes and the remnants of Jerusalem - those who have stayed in the country and those who have migrated to Egypt.
Jeremiah 24 describes a vision that the prophet had two baskets of figs, one with good figs and one with bad figs. This view represents the division of the people of Judah into two groups, those who were taken to exile in Babylon and those who remained on earth. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in Jeremiah 24:
2 Kings 24:10-11: "At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Jerusalem, and the city was surrounded. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to the city, while his servants besieged her." This verse describes the beginning of Jerusalem's siege by the Babylonian army and the subsequent deportation of King Jeconias and many others to Babylon.
Jeremiah 25:11-12: "All this land will become in desolation and astonishment, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years old. When the seventy years are turned, I will punish the king of Babylon and this nation, says the Lord, His sins, and will punish the land of the Chaldeans too; I will make it an eternal desolation. " This verse describes the exile of seventy years in Babylon and God's promise to judge Babylon and restore the people of Judah to their land.
Jeremiah 29:4-7: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, to all the exiles that I made from Jerusalem to Babylon: build houses, and dwell in them; plant gardens, and eat its fruit. GRANGE CHILDREN AND FAULTS, Take wives to your children, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may have children and daughters; multiply there and not decreased. Seek the peace of the city to which I threw you and pray for her to the Lord, for in your peace you will also have peace. " This verse speaks of the letter Jeremiah sent to the exiles in Babylon, advising them to settle there and work for the well-being of the city in which they lived.
Ezekiel 11:16-17: "Therefore, say, Thus saith the Lord God, If I throw them away among the peoples, and disperse them through the lands, I will still be to them, for some time, in the lands where they were Therefore, say, Thus saith the Lord God, He will gather from the midst of the peoples, and to collect from the lands where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. " This verse speaks of God's promise to gather and restore his people, even if they have been spread across other lands.
Isaiah 11:11-12: "In that day, the Lord will reach his hand to rescue the rest of his people who stayed in Assyria, Egypt, Patros, Ethiopia, Elão, Sinar and Hamate, on the islands, from the sea. He will rise a flag for the nations and will bring together the exiles of Israel; he will bring them from the four corners of the earth. " These verses talk about the restoration of God's people, which will be gathered from all parts of the world and brought back to their land. This relates to Jeremiah 24, where God separates the people into two groups: the good figs that will be restored and the bad figs that will be destroyed.
“De que vale perder-se em vãos temores?” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina
