There are some times in our lives when it seems that everything goes wrong at the same time. This can be quite frustrating, as one crisis can be dealt with, but multiple crises can make us feel overwhelmed. For example, when you need extra money to pay an unexpected bill, the car will not start. Or when your child needs something special for school, the roof starts to leak. In the world, this has come to be known as Murphy’s Law.
We live in a culture that enjoys placing blame. If there is unpleasant news or a tragedy, we feel the need to place the blame somewhere. People blame leaders, and even (incorrectly) God Himself. In the political sphere, when something goes wrong, there is always someone who must “take a fall” – even if that person had no control over the situation. There is a strong desire to place blame somewhere, even when no blame is due.
The Jewish nation was greatly depressed by being taken into Babylonian captivity. This is no surprise – any people forced to leave their land and endure hardship under a captor would be depressed. However, this depression was affecting the relationship between the Jewish nation and her God, especially in the new generation born into captivity. They had become embittered, jaded, and unwilling to heed the encouragement of the prophet to reform.