This final passage in the current section is given a very specific historical setting. It takes place after Jeconiah (also known as Coniah and as Jehoiachin) was taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC during the first deportation (see Jeremiah 22:24–30; 2 Kings 24:10–17. Jeconiah had only been on the throne for three months before he, the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers
were taken away to Babylon. Zedekiah was left behind in Judah as the ruler appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to govern those who remained, and he would have been left with a very weak and inexperienced government.1
The importance of this historical setting is that it takes us back to the request that King Zedekiah brings to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 21:1 after the exile of Jeconiah: Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.
2 Considering the miserable failure of both the kings (Jeremiah 21:1–23:8) and prophets (Jeremiah 23:9–40) of Judah, will the Lord still act to save his people by driving Nebuchadnezzar away? The Lord’s response made it clear that the answer to this query is no
; the Lord will not deliver Judah; instead, Nebuchadnezzar will be the Lord’s instrument of judgment. But the vision in Jeremiah 24:1–10 makes it clear that judgment is not the end of the story. The Lord will save his people, but in a very surprising way.
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.