1 The righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
No one cares when the followers of God die (notice the decided lack of coverage of the persecution and slaughters of Christians going on all over the world today). Yet, often God takes a believer home to spare them a much greater evil that is coming, such as parents dying before their children’s marriages fall apart, or a country descending into complete chaos.
2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
Believers in God have the knowledge that this life is just the practice run. Real life begins when we get to heaven.
3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
“Sons” means more “followers” or “clients” than biological descendants. The Bible makes it clear throughout, especially in the Old Testament, that God does not hold the child responsible for his parent’s sin or reward them for their parent’s righteousness, but each person is responsible for themselves.
4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood.
“Who do you think you are sticking your tongue out at? You are the ones doing wrong.”
5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
Child sacrifice was part of Israel/Judah’s sin. They chose to follow this practice even though that is the biggest reason God had them destroy the previous inhabitants of the land (note that God didn’t have them destroy all 8 countries that were in Canaan before them, but only the 7 engaged in child sacrifice, plus a couple of neighbors that were too. The others they subjugated, but allowed to continue to survive.)
6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them have thou poured a drink offering, thou have offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
Israel/ Judah was worshiping every spare god they could find. Should God be pleased with this?
7 Upon a lofty and high mountain have thou set thy bed: even thither went thou up to offer sacrifice.
Pagan rituals often took place on tall mountains. Where there were no mountains they built towers and pyramids to do it.
8 Behind the doors also and the posts have thou set up thy remembrance: for thou have discovered thyself to another than Me, and are gone up; thou have enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou loved their bed where thou saw it.
God is comparing their pagan worship to adultery. God “married” Israel when He brought them out of Egypt. They were His “wife.” When they served other gods it was like a woman going out to have repeat affairs with many different men.
9 And thou went to the king with ointment, and did increase thy perfumes, and did send thy messengers far off, and did debase thyself even unto hell.
The Jews went looking for all the foreign gods they could possibly find. They had a good time all the way to damnation.
10 Thou are wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet said thou not, “There is no hope:” thou have found the life of thine hand; therefore thou was not grieved.
They were enjoying themselves too much to notice that this idolatry was not working. They were not being blessed by these gods.
11 And of whom have thou been afraid or feared, that thou have lied, and have not remembered Me, nor laid it to thy heart? Have not I held My peace even of old, and thou feared Me not?
God has been patient and gentlemanly about it all, though He had the right to be otherwise.
12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
Now He is going to make their sins known to the world.
13 When thou cry, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain;
Those who engage in idolatry will call for help but won’t receive any, while the true believers in God will be protected. They will still be carried away into captivity (except the poorest of them who were left to care for the land), but even in Babylon, God will take care of them (i.e. Daniel).
14 And shall say, “Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of My people.”
These faithful followers of God will make a call for the Jews to return to their God. They will fight for their countrymen to quit the practices that get in the way of serving Him.
15 For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
God takes care of His own.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made.
God recognizes our mortality and our faults. He will only punish as much as is necessary to achieve His will, which is our righteousness.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid Me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly (crookedly) in the way of his heart.
The Jews got their eyes off God and onto the wealth of other nations. That is why they went after their gods. The thing is, though, God had already given them one of the most naturally prosperous lands in the world (being in the cross roads of the most direct trade routes between Asia, Europe, and Africa), as well as the laws that would produce the most prosperity for the most people (small government, no king, respect of private property).
And yet the Jews had still gone after other countries looking for more money and a higher standard of living.
Does any of this sound familiar?
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
God brought the Jews back to Judah and did make them prosperous again.
19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, says the Lord; and I will heal him.
Don’t be afraid because God is in control. After this time of punishment and “attitude adjustment,” He will restore all that was lost.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked.
The wicked, those who whole heartedly reject God, will not return. They will be thoroughly punished out of existence.