Every other pasuk is about G-d's rage and the destruction and pain He has caused. Yerushalayim is in so much pain and doesn't even want to talk to G-d for a while before the Mekonan makes her talk again. She is so angry and hurt by G-d. She feels like G-d has betrayed her. He has destroyed her and her people. Even in the first part of perek gimmel, the mysterious speaker says that G-d has shut out his prayers. Yerushalayim says that G-d has created a situation that forces mothers to eat their own children. G-d is killing even the most innocent babies. It just doesn't make sense to me.
How could G-d create a situation that forces people to act in such an unethical and immoral way? G-d is killing babies? What does that even mean? The G-d I've been learning about since Pre-K would never do all of this to His people. It seems like all of this is meant to give a new meaning to "You must fear G-d."
I've tried thinking about all of this with G-d representing a different role in our lives. If He is our father then it just sounds like He is the abusive parent that gets too angry and ends up being destructive. If He is the king then He seems like that evil king in the movies who takes out His wrath on even the most innocent of His kingdom. How could G-d be portrayed like this? Why does it seem like He is the enemy? How could He turn Yerushalayim away and make her so angry that she almost gives up on their whole relationship?
It just doesn't make sense.
This Perek had a lot of ambiguity for me too. There is so much mention of specific physical destruction, yet no statement of sin. Yerushalayim is so broken, and it seems like there is an even bigger divide between G-d and her. There doesn't seem to be much connection. Everything is growing apart. I agree with Spongebob and Patrick on this one. We want answers.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any of the answers to your great rhetorical questions. I feel the same way, Lyssie. Totally feel you. I hope somewhere along the line there's an explanation for all of this. Or maybe it's purposefully painful. Maybe we read this while we fast so the scary mental images make us nauseous so we won't even want to eat ever again.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though. So much betrayal. I can't.
I think that this book brings out the many wonders that G-d has within Him. We are never going to know everything he does and why he does it, but we must always trust that it is for our benefit and for the good of everything in this world.
ReplyDeleteI hate to compare G-d to a person, but let's compare G-d to a person for a moment. We have learned a lot about how wonderful and giving G-d is, but we haven't really explored what happens to G-d when the people make him angry. If G-d were a person, He would react by getting angry and taking out his anger on the people that made him mad (even though we know that catharsis doesn't work). Although I don't have answers for you, I feel like this is an exercise in faith and in building a relationship with G-d. Like any other relationship, it needs time, work, and mutual acceptance. The people betrayed G-d, so He punished them. I'm not condoning punishment of one relationship partner to another, but I feel like G-d is justified. It still bothers me that the punishment would be so horrible and devastating, but that's how it was. This is definitely an incident to be learned from.
ReplyDelete"Everything happens for a reason". No. No. No.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering all these question as well. Why the innocent children? Maybe it's okay to kill off all the terrible, sinful people. But the babies? Really? Why?
First of all - love the picture. Definitely sums up my thoughts!
ReplyDeleteSecond of all - I definitely was asking all the same questions in my head! Especially the ones you ended with - How could G-d be portrayed like this? Why does it seem like He is the enemy? How could He turn Yerushalayim away and make her so angry that she almost gives up on their whole relationship?
I hear what Sarah Broniscer is saying in that it's something for us to learn from, and that G-d was definitely justified in his punishing ירושלים, but it's still difficult to accept.