Minister Ty Alexander: Yes, a national soul-searching is needed for the people, and admittance of accountability, as well, but the blame is not all on government and military leaders. They are accountable for a great part of the people’s suffering, because it is both head and tail that lead the people astray, and so the spiritual leaders and teachers are at fault for the nation’s tragedies, too.

But none will admit they’ve done wrong in how they lead and teach the people, and when accountability is rejected, their wrongs continue on to hurt the nation, for the sins of leaders come upon the whole nation. Didn’t King David learn this when he sought to count the fighting men, not trusting in God’s protection?

The leaders and teachers are head and tail of Israel and all Judaism, but it is the people who live by their ways that also commit the wrongs that bring the disdain of God. Shouldn’t the people of God know why His anger comes? But when He abandoned the nation, who among Israel and Judaism understood why?

Israel, when divine rebuke is given, look for the difference between “indomitable spirit” and the spirit asserting in pride and arrogant of heart. Simply refusing accountability and continuing to re-build and waiting for the reaping of joy, as Herzog said, is not the answer for the people’s suffering, because when there is no acknowledgement of or change from wrongs, the people will keep stumbling in the mire that brings their great sorrows.

Sorrowfully, they cannot see the mire and refuse to acknowledge it even exists, because they have lived in it so long that they believe their stumbling in it is the natural order and way of God. Truly, the people will reap with joy when their stumbling blocks are removed from them. As the wheat cannot grow in thick mire, so the people will not sprout grain to harvest until they are planted in good soil.