THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
After completing his address to the Babylonians, the prophet turns to offer stern warnings to the offspring of Israel, recognizing their complete inclination toward apostasy from the One True God. Following the reign of Hezekiah, his son Manasseh ascended to the throne but was notorious for his wickedness, utterly swayed by demonic deceit. His actions became exceedingly corrupt, leading to the establishment of shrines and idols throughout the holy city, even placing an idol—an abomination—within the very temple of God, supplanting the divine presence.
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Consequently, the Almighty reproached Jerusalem, asking, “Why, beloved in my house, dost thou create abominations? Eating vows and holy meats will wipe out thy wickedness from thee, or by these will thou escape?” (Jeremiah 11:15). In another instance, He lamented, “According to the number of thy cities thy fathers were, O Judah, and according to the number of the ways of Jerusalem they shall eat unto Baal. Wherefore speak ye unto me, and all ye that are lawless unto me, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 2:28, 29). When Jeremiah humbly cried out to God for the Israelites, he was met with the stark message: “But thou shalt not pray for these people, nor ask that they may be pardoned; neither shalt thou pray, nor come unto me for them, for I will not hear thee. Can you not see what these men are doing in the cities of Judah and in the cities of Jerusalem? Their sons gather wood, and their fathers kindle fire, and their wives knead flour, that they may make unleavened bread for the host of heaven, and pour libations to strange gods, that they may provoke me to anger” (Jeremiah 7:16-18).
As previously mentioned, Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, offered divine honors to the celestial hosts, paying respect to wise men, false prophets, spellcasters, and even sacrificing some of his own children to idols. The God of all Israel, witnessing such degradation, sought to guide Israel back to the light of truth with continual encouragement. He frequently communicated words of comfort to them, aiming to open their spiritual eyes and liberate them from the shadows of demonic influence, despite their struggle to recognize the Creator and Lord of all.
Thus, God declares, “This shall be heard by the house of Jacob, which is called by the name of Israel, and by those who came out of Judah.” He wisely reminds them of the noble qualities and moral virtues of their ancestors, highlighting the shameful transformation that had occurred. While they were indeed descended from these righteous forebears in the flesh, their way of life and thought set them apart; they bore the name without embodying the values associated with it. Their claimed lineage carried no weight, as our Lord Jesus Christ pointedly illustrated. The Jews boasted of their ancestral glory, asserting, “We have Abraham for a father,” yet Christ countered, “If the children of Abraham were Abraham's children, the works of Abraham would be done” (John 8:39).
Thus, mere lineage brings no true honor if one fails to emulate the moral purity of their ancestors. He rebukes them for carrying the title of Israel and being of the lineage of Judah while bearing no resemblance to their forefathers. Moreover, they are chastised for invoking the name of the Lord God of Israel and claiming to observe His commandments, as it is written, “You shall swear by His name” (Deuteronomy 10:20). Yet they do so insincerely, adhering to false practices that contradict the true law.
The prior events have indeed been revealed, and from my mouth they have emerged, and it has been acknowledged: I have acted swiftly, and I have discovered; for, as I previously mentioned, Manasseh, the one who opposes God, summoned from every corner so-called prophets and enchanters, perpetually seeking to discern the future through them. Deceived by their empty words, he likely believed their visions to be clear; yet the Lord of all declares: I have also made known to you the former events, and no other false deities have disclosed these matters to you; these truths have originated from my mouth.
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And it was acknowledged: from the very day I created, and discovered—essentially, if you had not anticipated its fulfillment; you would have come to know it through the occurrences and experiences themselves, for I created and discovered. It appears that by the former misfortune, he refers to the disaster that befell them as a result of that war, when they were exiled from their homeland and subjected to the harsh yoke of servitude, taken away to the land of Persia and Musselburgh. The subsequent calamity transpired when the Babylonians struck them as a consequence of divine anger, which we have previously discussed many times.