When we read this passage attentively, we find that God judges His people with a certain leniency when He observes they lost the living relationship with Him. For He says He will astound His people with wonder upon wonder. By the way, the barrenness of this kind of belief is aptly described here: the hearts are cold and the ‘faith’ just consists of empty words. The reverence for God is often merely imposed by father and mother: ‘Mind you, God sees everything!’
Real reverence for God can only exist in a genuine relationship with God Himself. What then replaced the true faith and the communion with God? Is it not our adoration for human wisdom? God Himself will tear down the monumental idol ‘wisdom’. Time and again we read in the Bible that human wisdom is the main obstacle to living in real communion with God. As early as in the Garden of Eden man sinned because of the desire to be wise on his own, apart from God.
But who really got to know God, no longer needs such wisdom, for when we lack wisdom we may ask God, and He will give it to us generously without finding fault (James 1:5). And when we truly walk with God, is it not wonderful to ask Him everything? But if we have turned away from God we desire to do all things our own way. Then we pretend to be an expert on everything, we claim to be wise.
But God longs to win us back. And only if God first undoes all our wisdom and intellect we will really long for Him again and reject all idolatry. Would that not be wonder upon wonder? To those who stand on the threshold of this, it may seem frightening, but to them who crossed the threshold it was liberating!