Leaving the Old Self Behind

Background Scripture: Jeremiah 24; 25:1–14
Lesson Scripture: Jeremiah 24:1–10

Introduction

God has promised to one day make all things new. Until then, we must contend with our fleshly desires and the temptations of the evil one, who would have us turn from God’s way back to a path void of his love. Our lives, filled with moments, days, and years, are comprised of choices, however small they may seem. Humbly accepting God’s will and walking in obedience will fill the deepest longing of the soul. Thus satisfied, we lose our taste for the vain and fleeting pleasures of a former life in sin.

Key Verse

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people (Heb. 8:10).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Figs are the first fruit named in the Bible (Gen. 3:7) and are referenced numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments. A couple examples are when fig leaves were sewn together for aprons by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and when Jesus cursed a fig tree that did not bear fruit. Figs are nutritious and plentiful in the Mediterranean region of the world to this day. They were a common food and would have been easily recognized by the prophet Jeremiah when the Lord asked him in the vision what he was seeing. Jeremiah could immediately see that the fruit in the first basket was sweet, tasty, and satisfying. The figs in the second basket prompted a response akin to revulsion; they were so bad that Jeremiah would not have even considered picking one up to eat it. The second basket of figs was good for nothing. This object lesson demonstrated the difference between two groups of people. God was contrasting those who chose to follow his counsel with those who insisted on having it their way. These were simply embracing that which they perceived as safety for themselves.

This revelation given to Jeremiah was after the initial Judean captivity when Daniel and his three friends would have been taken to serve the king of Babylon along with many other former citizens of Judah. At that time, not only the king of Judah was taken captive but also the princes (educated young men and prominent citizens) and the skilled craftsman (carpenters and smiths). This was a defensive tactic used by the foreign king to ensure that few individuals with skills and leadership qualities remained to lead an uprising against his rule.

However, in this we can already see that God was working to fulfill his promise of restoring the children of Israel. After seventy years, God would punish the people of Babylon for their sins, and his people would be allowed to return to their homeland. Since the princes and skilled laborers were taken away, the accumulated culture, knowledge, and skill continued on and were handed down, even in a foreign land. When the children of Israel returned, there were priests, Levites, singers, workmen, and leaders to fill responsibilities in the temple and municipal government.

In contrast, those who were still left in Judah at the time of this vision had repeatedly rejected God and his message. King Zedekiah was given this familiar but unfortunate description in Chronicles: “He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chron. 36:12). The king of Judah and his people were depending on the arm of flesh to save them from the enemy. These Jews tried buying salvation from the king of Egypt, and some fled there seeking safety. God’s judgment was declared in no uncertain terms that in seeking help in Egypt and rejecting his direction, they were going to meet the very fate they were attempting to avoid.

Consider the many times the Israelites sought help from Egypt. This account was certainly not the first time that kings of Israel or Judah tried buying rescue from the south. Had they forgotten the period of Egyptian slavery or what Egypt stood for by way of the Passover? Did they not remember the miraculous deliverance God had wrought bringing them out of Egypt into the “land flowing with milk and honey”? (Exod. 3:17). In this time of need, they again opposed the guidance God sent through the prophet Jeremiah. Previous generations had seen numerous faithful prophets, many of whom were scorned, rejected, and even killed. In this final act of rebellion, Judah cast their lot in with the Egyptians once more, only to be overtaken by the Babylonians in the end.

Practical Truths for Today

The Israelites longed for “the cucumbers, and the melons” (Num. 11:5) of Egypt when they were in the desert. They rejected God’s leadership, forgetting the oppression, bondage, and groaning during the years of slavery. We also tend to forget the oppression of the evil one and sometimes wish for the old pleasures we should rather deny ourselves of. Are we really willing to sacrifice a home in heaven for vain and fleeting fancies? We often are tempted with the thought that happiness is found in having the freedom to lay out our own path. However, allowing self to have its way brings suffering and ultimately separation from God in eternity. The covenant of salvation is a two-sided agreement. Our part includes choosing God, leaving our old life behind, and continuing in obedience.

Repentance is an essential quality of the Christian experience and can be described as making a U-turn. This means both a change of direction and a change of allegiance. No man can serve two masters, and no well can bring forth bitter water and sweet. A ploy of the evil one seeks to convince Christians that they only need to reject sin at conversion then put life on autopilot after that. Leaving the old life does begin at conversion, but this is merely the start of the journey. Only the way of the cross leads home. If we will reach the pearly gates of heaven, then we must learn to be people of the cross. The things of Satan, self, and the world have to be left behind.

A Christian must find his fulfillment at the Lord’s table; otherwise, he will be tempted to feed on things detrimental to spiritual health. An old Ghanaian proverb states this quite well: “A full stomach says, ‘A ripe guava has worms.’ An empty stomach says, ‘Let me see’.” A spiritual life void of a wholesome diet is like trying to live with a hungry stomach, willing to try about anything that appears edible. Dining daily at the table of the Lord will make us less inclined to partake of those things that are not beneficial to life and godliness. The old life of sin and the things of the world should be to us as that basket of rotten, naughty figs, so bad they cannot be eaten! Why would we deceive ourselves with the thought that nourishment for Christian life can come from such rotten food?

In Joshua’s day, the children of Israel had been instructed to drive out all the people living in the promised land. Allowing these people to continue in the land meant they would become a snare later, but they did not heed the instructions of God and allowed small pockets of those idol worshippers to remain. Some they subjected to forced labor, which, from a human viewpoint, likely made economic sense. Following man’s wisdom led to major problems in time, however, because their descendants worshipped idols and further inclined the Israelites toward false gods.

Just as the exiled children of Israel were not able to see God’s eventual purpose for them, we might not see the way that God is preparing his people, individually or collectively, for the next steps in his plan. Our earth-dimmed vision causes us to focus on failures when the result we want does not come to fruition. The remnant of Judah (the good figs in the first basket), saw God fulfill his promise declared by Isaiah the prophet: “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isa. 30:15). Today the prophecy of Jeremiah conveys hope and a sense of belonging; we are chosen by God, and He will put his Word in our hearts. Now, just as the children of Israel in Babylon, we have a choice to remember the Lord and serve Him despite the immoral and ungodly practices of the world around us.

Illustration

Prior to the parable in Luke 11:24–26, Jesus declared, “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth” (v. 23). From these verses, we understand that living in the kingdom takes intentional effort. What does gathering for the Lord mean?

It could be described as the work of putting on and putting off. Victorious Christian living does not come by accident. The story Jesus told is of a person cleansed of an unclean spirit. This foul spirit roamed the earth and was unable to find another place to dwell, so he returned. When the evil spirit came back, it found its former house was cleaned and set in order but left empty. The evil spirit then went and found seven more wicked spirits, and like squatters occupying an empty mansion, moved in and began to wreak havoc. Christ judges the final state of that man to be worse than the first. Putting off the old man must be followed by putting on the new man. A purposeful life lived for the Lord will not give room for the evil one to gain a foothold. May we exercise care in Christian housekeeping to remain watchful until the cry goes out: “The Bridegroom cometh!” (Matt. 25:6).

Questions

1. How might we today go to Egypt for help rather than relying on God’s provision?
2. Does failing to take time for eating daily at God’s table and rather subsisting on a starvation diet hamper the ability to discern what good, spiritual food is?
3. Why are we tempted to accept bondage to the things of the world rather than having the eternal view?

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).