I am now reading through the final chapters of Jeremiah, influenced so much by his words, thus valuing his prophetic call, yet now with an aging filter of grace.
With a firm confidence that Jesus was God incarnate, himself of a character quite contrary to that ascribed to God in the Old Testament, that must now reframe how I read scripture.
My life experience with the sovereign God has been so convincing, that I now must conclude that these chapters were warnings unheeded, choices made that could have been avoided, rather than the brutal wrath of God poured out on the enemies of Isreal.
Much of how you interpret violence and suffering is based on your image of God and reinforced by the culture in which you were raised.
God is good and his mercy endures forever!
Not willing that any should perish but that all would have everlasting life.
That love thing is everything!