Our Father in Heaven is an epitome of a perfect parent. He is indeed perfect in all ramifications. An earthly father disciplines his child because he hopes that by so doing he would be correcting him. But because of his imperfections as human he does sometimes forgets the purpose for chastising the child. In such a situation the child is abused eventually. But God wouldn’t do that to his own.
So Why Does God Chastise Us?
When we disobey God something terrible happens to our Soul. It dies. Sin is Death. Now this is a loss to Heaven, and it is one God doesn’t take lightly. Yahweh is particularly concerned about those he for one reason or the other brought close to himself as he did with Israel. Such he disciplines whenever they disobey so as to raise them from their ashes stronger and better.
Chastisement shakes the Soul up and out from the weakness of the flesh and improves the man.
We are tested through fire so as to enforce consistency in holiness without which we can do nothing. Then we are released.
The prophesy of the two Baskets of Figs as recorded in Jeremiah 24 throws light on God’s methodology of chastisement. God came in a vision to his messenger Jeremiah with a prophesy for the future of Judah. This was immediately after Nebuchadnezzar had carried away Jeconnah the Son Jehoiakim; King of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon. One of the baskets had in it ripe and beautiful figs, the other one had bad figs.
Basket A: The Good Figs
This basket represents those taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar. They are those God is very interested in. If you notice in Jeremiah 24 vs 1 they include men and women with divine gifts who God had burdened with certain skills for the future of Israel. He raised Nebuchadnezzar to move them to Babylon where they will be preserved though they are being chastised by God. (Jeremiah 24 vs 5 – 7)
Basket B: The Bad Figs
This basket has in it those marked for destruction. (Jeremiah 24 vs 8). God describes them as “very bad”. You understand that there are fruits that even though are bad still has parts that can be eaten. Those can be declared useful. But these ones are so bad that they can’t be eaten, said Yahweh. They included the King of Judah Zedekiah and his princess, and the rest of the people who were not taken into captivity. They would have probably thought they were better off than the people taken into captivity. The people in this container are condemned to damnation. (Jeremiah 24 vs 9). Their choices in life put them in that basket. They are the stubborn ones who has continuously challenged God and blasphemed his name.
Beloved child of God, when you pass through trials it is for your own good. Sometimes it is God shaking your systems to shake off your inner weaknesses. Hold on tight to Christ. The season will be over soon. It is well with you.