In our scripture readings for today, the prophet Jeremiah delivers a message from God to the priests and prophets of Judah. They have been acting in wicked ways, even as they have supposedly been representing God to the people. This has led many people to abandon the word of the Lord, and become evildoers. But God has a plan to raise up a righteous branch for David, and bring the people back to their fold, at least, the people who are good figs that are willing to take correction to heart....
“In the prophets of Samaria, I saw a disgusting thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.” And 100 years previous to these words delivered by Jeremiah, God punished the nation of Israel for its idolatry by sending the Assyrians to conquer them and take them into exile. “But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a more shocking thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from wickedness.” It's one thing to lead the people to a false god like Baal, that's disgusting. It's SHOCKINGLY worse to lead people to evil... in God's OWN name! The prophets of Jerusalem deserve the harsh punishments God promises them, because they are deluding the people. They are claiming that their own judgment is coming from God's mouth, and they are declaring wickedness to be goodness. And this drives away the part of the flock that relies on these false prophets for their knowledge of God. This drives away the part of the flock that has an instinct for doing good, as the evildoers are strengthened. This DROVE away the people of Judah from their homes, as they were conquered by Babylon and ALSO taken into exile.
And God makes the point of sending the people into exile very clear in the words he gives Jeremiah today. 'It shall no longer be said, “As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt”, but “As the Lord lives who brought out and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them.” This time of exile shall be just as important in the history of God's people, as the time of Exodus from Egypt. It shall be just as important of a time of correction and instruction, as the time of wandering in the desert. The people who endure this time in exile, and take the lessons to heart, such that they return to God with their whole heart – those are the good figs of Jeremiah's vision. And the people who try to escape this time in exile by staying in Judah, or worse yet, running to Egypt – those are the bad figs, because they will not learn a thing.
What kind of figs are we becoming, the first-ripe figs, or the ones so bad that they cannot be eaten? Let's listen to what OUR prophets are saying to us. They are NOT saying, “be your best,” they are saying, “be yourself.” They are NOT saying “learn from the consequences of your mistakes,” they are saying, “there should BE NO consequences for your mistakes”. They are NOT saying, “it CAN be well with you, if you listen to the word of the Lord,” they are saying, “it SHALL be well with you, especially if you DESPISE the word of the Lord.” Our prophets are deluding us with the visions of their own minds, encouraging the evildoers, and discouraging us in returning to God with our whole hearts.