5:9-12
This infliction or punishment upon Jerusalem was not arbitrary, it would not be done in a fit of rage. It was a righteous judgement upon the sin of Jerusalem. Mentioned specifically are all the “detestable idols”, so a one time judgement would come upon them. Then the terrible consequences of this are given. Parents will eat their children and children will eat their parents. This would happen in the siege, and in sieges conditions became truly desperate and people did desperate things. Now we might react against this, thinking “all this for idol worship?” But idol worship does not come alone, it also involved, amongst other things, people offering child sacrifices. Today we are in no better place to object. We abort millions of babies per year, and even celebrate having the right to abort, and having right to carry out partial birth abortions, as happened in some parts of America.
In addition to this, people would be scattered among the nations. Then God makes clear that the judgement is a deliberate act on His part. God has become the enemy of Jerusalem, because of Jerusalem’s sin against the Lord. So people would die from the plague, from famine, and from the sword.
5:13-17
God’s anger would not last forever. After this the remnant would know that the Lord Himself had spoken. Remember that in Jeremiah, who was working in Jerusalem around the same time, was warning them of all these things, but the people and the rulers were all rejecting his words, they were denying the word of God. Moreover, Jerusalem which should have been a beacon to the nations, would become “ruin and a reproach”. The nations would see what disobedience to God results in. Again we have God making it clear that He is doing this, “when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke”. Any picture of God that neglects, or even rejects, His wrath and judgement is wholly inadequate, and will result in serious error.
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