1. When people are devalued (1-11)

The people of Jerusalem, once like fine gold, became like pots of clay. Their suffering had turned them against each other. They became heartless and savage. Children begged for food but no one gave them any. Mothers cooked their own children. Everyone wasted away to skin and bones. God's punishment seemed worse than what had fallen on Sodom. It seemed better to die by the sword than to live in such misery. God had given full vent to his anger. It was a like a picture of hell.

2. The sins of the priests and elders (12-22)

No one could have imagined what God had allowed to come upon Jerusalem. But it happened because of the sins of the spiritual leaders and elders. They had rejected and even killed the righteous. Instead of turning to God, they told people to turn to foreign powers (17) and to trust in their king (20). These false hopes could not save the people but led to their demise. God sent them into exile but it would not last forever. Let us pray for our spiritual leaders to listen to God and to lead people to do the same.