A merciful God had graciously warned the people for their good. “It may be,” said the compassionate Creator, “that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them, that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” God pities the blindness and perversity of man; He sends light to their darkened understanding in reproofs and threatenings which are designed to make the most exalted feel their ignorance and deplore their errors. He would cause the self-complacent to feel dissatisfied with their attainments and seek greater blessings by closer connection with heaven. {4T 178.1}

En barmhjertig Gud havde nådigt advaret folket for deres skyld. »Måske,« sagde den medlidende Skaber«, vil Judas hus mærke sig al den ulykke, jeg har i sinde at gøre dem, for at de må omvende sig hver fra sin onde vej, så jeg kan tilgive deres brøde og synd.« Gud ynkedes over menneskers blindhed og forstokkethed; han sender lys til deres formørkede forstand ved at irettesætte og true og får de mest indbildte til at mærke deres uvidenhed og angre deres fejl. Han ville få den selvglade til at mærke utilfredshed med sine resultater og søge større velsignelse ved tættere forbindelse med himlen.