If God didn’t bring judgment, he wouldn’t be a good God. People say, “why doesn’t he do something about evil?” But they also say, “Why is God judgmental?” The same breath.
But God brings judgment, at least on this earth, to wake mankind up, to return to him. He tries love for a long, long, long time, but if they do not turn, his righteous and just character must bring justice. But he hopes through it not to harden hearts, but to provoke repentance. Just like any parent does who disciplines their child.
But here, and so often is the case with national sins, there was not repentance.
“The people did not turn to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts” (v. 13).
So he said he had to cut off their leaders who were wicked. These were the leaders who led the people people as well as the prophets and teachers who misled the people. No leader was exempt. The reason was wickedness was raging like a fire (v. 18). And as a just God, he must act.
