ירמיהו, פרק ל״ב, פסוק כ״ח

God's absolute control over the course of history is clearly revealed just before the fall of Jerusalem. The impending capture of the city is not the result of a foreign empire's military superiority. Rather, it is a direct and painful divine decree, an unavoidable response to the moral and religious corruption of the people. Because the entire world belongs to God, He alone dictates reality. The Chaldeans are not conquering the city through their own independent strength and power; instead, God Himself is actively handing the city over to them [מצודת דוד].

The purpose of delivering the city to Nebuchadnezzar is to bring about its destruction as a punishment for deep-rooted idolatry. The people engaged in severe offenses, such as burning incense to the sun on the high rooftops of the king and his officials, and pouring out offerings to other gods. This wickedness is not a sudden or new phenomenon. It represents a long historical accumulation of sins that have plagued the nation since the era of the Judges, stretching all the way back to their time of slavery in Egypt [אברבנאל].

Even though God decrees the surrender of the city to an enemy, He does not do so with indifference. The decision is accompanied by profound divine pain and anger. Jerusalem held a unique place under God's careful watch and protection from the very day King David built and fortified it, and His eyes were always upon it. Yet, the overwhelming wickedness of the Israelites and the people of Judah left no other option. The strict demands of true justice forced God to remove His ultimate protection from His beloved city and hand it over to Babylon [אברבנאל].