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The Prophet Who Decided to Stay

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In the text, Israel’s sins of indifference towards God had resulted in the judgment of God coming against her; resulting in Israel being sent into captivity and the tyranny of King Nebuchadnezzar and the sinful influences of the Babylonian kingdom.  This judgment from God came about because the Jewish leaders had begun to think more of themselves than they ought. In time, Israel’s religious leader’s manufactured policies and procedures had overruled the laws of God. In obeying man rather than God, God’s people marginalize the will of God and reduce his word to mere suggestive options to be adhered to or rejected according to their selfish preferences. These leaders having gained for themselves worldly merchandise and the acclaim of men, had in the process lost their souls; trading them for this world’s goods. It must be understood that these leaders were not alone in this folly because the people were not totally innocent in this account. When they should have raised considerable objections, they stood still as stones while their religious leaders, abusing the privileges of their office, reduced the once illustrious glory of Israel to a mere laughing stock of their heathen neighbors. We have come to understand that whenever you make men greater than they really are, we then simultaneously make God less than He really is. They continued to go through the motions of religious practices and ceremonial duties but the spirit of God was noticeably absent.  Without the presence of God in the midst, they were now susceptible to the attacks of their enemies. Consequently, their enemies came upon them and carried them off into bondage and humiliation.

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