Wrath of God vs. Love of God (3 of 5 case studies) The Siege of Jerusalem

The siege of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. was one of the most tragic events in the history of Israel. The Babylonians came in like a flood upon the Israelites, tearing down their strongholds and breaking through their fortifications with ferocity unheard of to that point. They ransacked all the towns and cities, consuming their resources until nothing was left for them to live. Eventually, it became such a desperate situation that they actually ate their own children and were unwilling even to share the flesh of their children with their closest companions and family members. They were then taken away to Babylon, and the Lord ripped their inheritance of the land out of their hands, giving it to another. It was told to them by Moses, concerning the Lord’s heart in this matter, “as the Lord delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the Lord will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you…”

How could this be? If the Lord hates violence and delights in mercy, how is this reconcilable to His actions toward His chosen people? Moses’ revelation of the Lord’s heart is not a conflicting one, but rather, it gives insight into why He allowed and instigated such horrifying events. The intention that moved God to bring about Israel’s destruction was from the very same fountainhead of love that caused Him to bless and prosper them. He gave them sure forewarning of what would come about if they did not walk in His ways, leaning on Him for strength and grace, yet they refused to take heed. They took the words of Moses lightly, turning to the Lord outwardly, while festering in unbelief and hatred on the inside.

This judgment upon Israel was not one that He quickly resorted to in a fit of rage. On the contrary, the Lord did all He could to turn the hearts of the people toward Him without such means. In the revival of Josiah, He gave them back the Law, which Josiah began to spread throughout the land immediately. God tested the response of their hearts to His Word, seeing that they refused to return to Him in truth, while externally professing to love and honor Him. Their devotion was not to Him but to themselves, and they saw the Lord and His Law as a way to manipulate for personal gain.

It was at this point that the Lord began to send messengers to call Israel out of their apostasy. Although they had inwardly chosen their own way, He began to bombard them with the call to return to Him straightaway. He openly shared His emotions toward them at this time, saying, “…I have given the beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies. My inheritance has become to Me like a lion in the forest; She has roared against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her.” (Jer. 12:7-8). The people chosen to be the inheritance of God had risen against them in their hearts, believing that their own strength and ways were wiser than His.

They had become comparable to the times of the Judges in their rebellion, yet they strove to appear as though they were devoted to His leadership. Thus, their consciences were seared far worse than the people of that time, and it would take a far greater measure of judgment to turn their hearts back to Him. After the time of grace given for them to turn, especially in the preaching of Jeremiah, the Lord could see that the only way to restore their affections to Him was by utterly shattering their strength. They had become so infatuated with their own ability, tradition, and pride, they forgot the One who bestowed it all on them and crowned them as the chosen to begin with.

God’s heart still went out to His people in mercy after He had initiated the judgment that would turn their hearts back to Him. He gave adequate time for the people to prepare their hearts in the wake of the coming storm, and sent numerous prophets to call them to turn before the coming desolation. Those who were truly repentant still had to go through the trouble, but their hearts would stand without offense through the hardest of trials: seventy years of exile. This was not mainly a trial of their physical circumstances, but rather a testing of their hearts to see whether they would lean in to the hope of the Covenant and trust God, though their own strength was shattered.

The Lord’s strategy is always to draw His people with cords that will ultimately show His lovingkindness to the greatest measure possible. This was the Lord’s purpose behind the siege of Jerusalem, as it exposed the level of depravity that lied just under the surface in His people. By breaking their strength, He caused them to lean in to His, trusting His grace rather than their ability. In this way, those who would eventually return to Jerusalem would ideally be madly in love with their God out of gratitude for His mercy and restoration.