16:3 - The origins of Jerusalem itself actually predate the nation of Israel, which did not officially exist until after the Exodus story and the taking of the Promised Land. The land had been inhabited by Canaanite, Hittite and Amorite peoples before the Jews showed up. They were the founders of the depraved legacy of the land. God compares the people of this land to orphans who have been abandoned by horrible parents.
16:4-5 - None of the typically cleansing rituals were performed on this neglected infant. In fact the baby, Jerusalem, was left out to die of exposure (Something that was very common in ancient societies with regards to weak infants).
16:6ff - Yet when God sees the weak infant (i.e. the powerless Israelites and inhabitants of the land), He has compassion on them and adopts them into His family. He makes a covenant with them and stays faithful to His promises. He gives the Israelites everything...beauty, strength, food, power, success - God is their incredibly loving and committed Father.
16:12 - On a side note...I would say that if God is totally okay with allowing His kids to get their nose pierced - it's probably not that big a deal nowadays. Lighten up piercing haters!
16:15 - Heartbreakingly, in the face of everything God had given them (Which was absolutely everything, including their own existence), they chose to reject God and give themselves to others. They chose to ignore God and chase after false gods. They chose to prostitute themselves out to the powerless gods of heathen nations around them.
16:20 - Not only did they corrupt themselves, but they raised generation after generations of corrupt children. They allowed themselves to become a society where child sacrifice was acceptable. They slaughtered their own children...who are really the children of God...to gods made of stone and metal. We ask ourselves, "How is that possible?" And I would say that is some ways that still exists today among God's people. How often do parents who claim to follow God sacrifice their children to cultural norms: "you have to achieve this", "all that matters is this sport", "you have to look like this", "you need to make me proud by _________." Not as brutal, but still heartbreaking and sinister.
16:29 and 30 - No matter where the people turned they could not find satisfaction. No matter who they gave themselves to...no matter who they worshipped...no matter what they tried...they always came away from the temptations of the world unsatisfied. The people of God were lovesick...they needed what only God could offer them, but they refused to turn back and receive God's love. They continued to seek anything but God. I have seen this so many times in youth ministry. Students who are chasing after satisfaction...seeking out purpose, meaning, life. They chase it all over...they chase after sex, achievement, intelligence, success, relationships, entertainment and they always leave dissatisfied. Always. When will we learn - Oh the sinful nature of man!!!
16:51 - Why are the sins of the Israelites greater than the sins of the pagan people around them? Because the Israelites were in a covenant relationship with God and they turned away from Him. Christians who know God...who accept the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and still turn away and knowingly whore themselves out to other "gods"...are not in good company.
16:59-60 - This is always the heart of God...even in the face of the Israelites unfaithfulness, God remains ever faithful to His covenant.
Chapter 17: 1st Eagle = Babylon. This eagle came in, took the shoot (The exiles) and brought them back to Babylon and gave them every opportunity to grow...placed the Israelite exiles on fertile ground and they prospered. 2nd Eagle = Egypt. The unsatisfied exiled leadership of Israel secretly sought the help of Egypt to destroy the Babylonians (Why trade one eagle for another?), yet they received no help. The first eagle finds out about the deception and rips out the healthy vine. See the problem is not that the exiles turned against Babylon, but that they have rejected God's plans. The prophets were very clear that the exile happened because of their unfaithfulness...the prophets were also very clear about the time frame of the exile. God was also gracious in His judgment because the Israelites were allowed to prosper in exile. Yet the exiled leadership tried to usurp God's authority and take matters in to their own hands and they paid a heavy price for it.
17:23 and 24 - After all the kings of Israel (Who the people begged to have because they wanted to be like everybody else) have failed in generation after generation of leadership of God's people - God still does not give up on His promises. But He will not go back to the unhealthy root in the royal lineage...He will take a new sprig from the line of kings far down the line, who will usher in the true kingdom of God. (In case you missed it - that sprig is Jesus!) This new kingdom will grow under the branches of the cedar that is Jesus and all nations will be saved through him. YAY!
18:25-27 - God has always been just...God will always be just. There is no injustice in God. The Israelite people who had completely shattered every aspect of their covenant with God had the audacity to accuse God of being unjust and He defends Himself. The righteous will be saved. The unrighteous will be judged. Thank God for the righteousness from God that comes through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Because there is a lot of unrighteousness in me, unfortunately)
18:32 - God takes no pleasure in anyone's death...that is not what He wants...that is not why He created us. This has always been the heart of God in both the Old and New Testaments. It is God's plan that all would be brought under the safety and protection of His "cedar" (See: Ezekiel 17:23ff)
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