“The LORD was determined to destroy the walls of beautiful Jerusalem. He made careful plans for their destruction, then did what he had planned. Therefore, the ramparts and walls have fallen down before him” (Lamentations 2:8, NLT).

A translation like the ESV, or the New King James, would read that God used a measuring line instead of “made careful plans.” I enjoy reading different translations because new things stick out to you. Something unfamiliar can make you perk up. The same thing goes for my husband who reads the Bible in different languages. It can come across a little differently.

I liked this idea of God carefully planning the destruction. Why? If you follow my teachings, you know that I will always defend the goodness of God. He is good and must always be good. He never stops being good. When He’s carrying out justice and wrath, He’s still being good. He can’t not be loving or good, or He wouldn’t be Himself anymore. He can’t stop being God. His nature is unchanging. He must be Himself. Can you see the careful planning of the destruction of Jerusalem in the light of God’s goodness?

He doesn’t plot evil. He has the good of His children in mind. He loves Jerusalem. It’s where He chose to put His name. It’s where He had His temple built for His presence to dwell among His people, the ones He chose for His own inheritance. He loves His people. He chose them. He was like a mother and a father to them. He provided for them. He sheltered them. He protected them. He defended them. He taught them. He loved and cared for them. He had great plans to prosper them. He had big hopes for their future. They rejected Him and turned away. God must be Himself. He must be holy and set apart. He must carry out justice. He also wants to preserve His people. They will be utterly lost if they continue in the way they’re going. They need to be woken up.

God will do whatever it takes for His children, even if it means destroying Jerusalem—His pride and joy—even if it means temporarily giving up the dream. God doesn’t throw a fit and go on a rampage when He’s had enough. He has planned the destruction that MUST come. He carries out His carefully planned destruction, at the right time, in the right way.

What does the verse say? That God did what He had planned, THEREFORE, the ramparts and walls have fallen down before Him. Therefore. There was no accident, no random occurrence that led to the walls being broken down. They came down at the Lord’s direction. Even in punishment, destruction, we can trust God’s good hand at work. There are those who will fall to His wrath, but justly. There are those who will be exiled and won’t thrive until the appointed time. They will cry out to God and He will restore His people and their city. Until the next time they reject Him, and He must reject them to help them awake to the truth. One day, Jerusalem will be restored, and never again will they reject God as their king.