I think few of us really know what it is like to have national drought in such a way that the whole nation is starving. Yes, there are some contemporary nations that have experienced this, but for the most part we have no idea of that kind of fear and pain.

But Israel had it. In full. Even the animals were feeling it.

The response of the people was predictable. “Where are you God? Aren’t we your covenant people?”

We would probably do the same. In fact, we do all the time. When suffering is intense and prolonged, we want to know where God is at. We even get angry at him.

For Israel this drought was one of judgment. Not all droughts are but this one was. And the Israelites were “repenting” but in pretense only. They wanted their sin but they didn’t want discipline, judgment or consequences for it.

It was made worse by the prophets of the time. The prophets were telling the people God meant peace for them. But it wasn’t what God was saying. The prophets were lying. A message of hope and peace was perhaps more profitable. Anyone who spoke the truth suffered greatly as we see proved with Jeremiah.

Then the Scripture says “Virgin Daughter, my people” were the ones who suffered a wound (v. 17). I don’t remember elsewhere that “Virgin Daughter” is used of Israel except here. And it makes me think of the birth of Christ. He was born of the Virgin Mary but perhaps there was another layer in that he was born of Virgin Israel. Just a thought.

The people supposedly cried out in repentance but we know from other chapters that it was of the mouth and not of the heart. Repenting because they were suffering the discipline but not repenting because they grieved their sin.

Nevertheless they cried out to God for him to deliver them. And that’s where the chapter ends.

It brings up some questions:

• When we repent, are we truly repenting from the heart?
• Some times natural disasters are part of living in a fallen world, but other times they are divine consequence to our actions. Either way, it’s good to do a heart check.
• YouTube prophets. Prophets who prophecy peace. Prophets who can be about money. More on that next post.