The Lord he is intensely sarcastic, challenging Israel, Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.
In other words, “Why don’t you live consistently? If you insist on worshipping other gods, then you should have cried out to them in your time of need! But if you insist on crying out to me every time you get into trouble, then you should worship me in times of peace and prosperity!” We can just taste the distance between the Lord and his people increasing dangerously as the book goes on.1 Their relationship is on the brink of complete breakdown, and no prophet, angel, priest, or mediator is in sight.
God is not naïve or soft or safe. He does not wink at sin. He is not, as someone said, a great warm vending machine in the sky into which you insert a token of repentance and out comes the relief you desire.2 He will not be fooled.
14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”