God’s people doubted his love for them. They supposed that if God loved them, he would have granted them health and prosperity. (This is similar to the thinking of today’s preachers of the prosperity gospel.
) Since the time when the first exiles returned from exile (538 BC) up to the time of our text (460 BC), God’s people experienced economic hardship. God had promised the returned exiles that “the treasures of all nations shall come in [to the house of Israel], and I will fill this house with glory” (Haggai 2:7). God had promised that the day would come when “ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zechariah 8:23). But the Israelites experienced none of this wealth and glory. These hardships caused God’s people to doubt his love for them, which in turn caused their love for God to wane. Where love wanes, so does obedience. Only those who love God desire to keep his commandments (Exodus 20:6; John 14:15).
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob