Violating the Covenant

Jeremiah 34:8–11 (ESV)
8The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them,
9that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.
10And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free.
11But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.

 Israel had violated many aspects of the covenant God made with them. One of the violations was that indentured slaves were to be released after fulfilling their 6-year commitment to serve their master. Yet this was not done as was commanded. Zedekiah enforced this part of the covenant by requiring the slaves to be set free. His motivation was not to truly set the people free but to use them as part of his army to defend the city against the Babylonian army. When the Babylonians retreated due to the intervention of the Egyptians help, the people dishonored the release of the slaves and took them back into possession. This act brought a response from God and the prophetic word of Jeremiah to let the people know that they would be defeated and brought into captivity for their violation of the covenant. When the covenant was made, an animal was sacrificed and cut into 2 parts. All of the people who were in agreement with the covenant would pass between the parts which symbolized that violation of the covenant would result in death. It was a solemn covenant and God held them accountable for changing their minds and taking the slaves back instead of giving them their freedom. God was angry because the covenant was made in his name and in agreement with his commands to them. The violation was an act against not only the slaves but God who instituted the covenant. When a vow is made in the name of God, he holds people accountable as it is a reflection upon him and an offense to him when it is not honored.