Thus, he brought humiliation upon himself for acting wickedly against God who elevated him. The manner of his humiliation is clearly highlighted; for he claims, you have exerted yourself in many ways. By walking the many paths of destruction, they have squandered their spiritual strength, becoming excessively weary through their harmful deeds. Alternatively, “many ways” may signify their perpetual attraction to other deities, neglecting those they already possess, and seeking after gods that belong to others, running around like intoxicated wanderers, devoid of support and stability in their minds. This is a reality we also experience amid disgraceful indulgences. At times, the mind becomes consumed by various impurities, glorifying wealth at another moment, indulging in carnal temptations, and ultimately succumbing to arrogance, being tossed about by every wind, as Jeremiah observed: "In the lusts of his soul carried away by the wind, he was betrayed; who will turn him back?" (Jeremiah 2:24). The soul under such influences is entirely vulnerable to the onslaught of passions. Pritocnik observed, "Errant thoughts stray from God, and the vapor of lust alters the mind of the wicked" (Prem. 1:3; 4, 12). Therefore, it leads to madness, a plunge into disgraceful pleasures, causing weariness, making one prey to the devil. Thus, he says, "O Jerusalem, you who have done this have not said, I will cease," meaning you have not silenced the thoughts of shameful pursuits or halted your backsliding or neglected the call to righteousness. On the contrary, you strive ever more earnestly to undertake actions that should never be done. It is crucial for the soul, which possesses even a limited understanding, not to allow itself to be subjected to sinful cravings; and if it finds itself ensnared, it must turn to repentance and seek higher paths, correcting its wrongdoings. Should it be inexorably drawn to disgraceful actions and ignore the call to repent, you will witness it compounding sin upon sin, affliction upon affliction. Thus, the Almighty reproaches such a state, saying, "If one who falls does not rise, or if one who turns away does not return, why has my people, Jerusalem, turned away with apathy, and has strengthened their resolve, refusing to turn back?" (Jeremiah 8:4, 5). Because you have committed these acts, He states, you have not sought me in prayer. Yet, despite your shameful and detestable actions, you should have pleaded with God for forgiveness. For He, by His very nature good and mindful of our creation, accepts those who genuinely repent, as it is written (Psalm 102:14). Consequently, the prophet proclaimed, "Return, you wayward children, and I will heal your backslidings" (Jeremiah 3:22). Therefore, it stands as folly and a complete turning away from God that those in such suffering do not seek Him in confession of sins. It is written, "Declare your iniquities first, that you may be justified" (Isaiah 43:26). There is one who declares, "I will confess my iniquity against me to the Lord, and you have forgiven the wickedness of my heart" (Psalm 31:5). Yet, the Israelites possessed a wavering and weak mind, ever ready to turn away from the living God and be led astray by other gods, even upon hearing of an unprecedented multitude of Babylonians approaching. But, O foolish one, whom did you revere, thus deceiving me? For the tyrant of Babylon is merely a man, and his army, in the face of divine power, is insignificant; for it is written of God, "He sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers" (Isaiah 40:22). Furthermore, the prophet Isaiah declares, "All the nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are counted as less than nothing" (Isaiah 40:15). Yet, they foolishly believed that a mere mortal is stronger than God and misplaced their reverence, thinking salvation lay in deities that are no deities at all. What value can stone and wood hold? Thus, it is said of them, "In their time of trouble, they cried, 'Arise and save us,' and asked, 'Where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise and save you' in the time of your trouble" (Jeremiah 2:27, 28). They deceived God, not just with their words, but through their very actions. It was said of them, "What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?" (Isaiah 5:4, 7). The divine Psalmist, as if representing Christ, declared about them all, "The sons of strangers have lied unto me; the sons of strangers have vowed, and have become afraid on their paths" (Psalm 17:45, 46).
THEOSIS