Zechariah 7:11, 14
But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. ... This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.
This is why God sent Nebuchadnezzar to conquer them and carry them off of the land, to the land of Babylonia, to the ancient city of Babylon. Now that 70 years have passed, and Cyrus is the king, the Jews have been permitted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, but most of the Jews are still in Babylon, where Zechariah is. The people have just asked him to inquire of God whether they should continue to observe the feasts that they have all during this time of exile from their home, and Zechariah replies that they have not honored God by their doing these things, but only themselves, and reminds them that the reason their home has been destroyed is their own (or their ancestors') fault by refusing to listen to the earlier prophets.
God did not make that beautiful, fruitful land that "flowed with milk and honey" desolate; the people did. Government policies cause droughts and ruining of crops and land. By ignoring the rules and regulations of the Designer and Maker of the Earth, they ruined the good land and forfeited the benefits, the wealth it could provide.
That's what always happens to any people who will not follow the natural laws (based on the sciences) and moral laws (based on the Ten Commandments) that God designed for us to obey, so we could all enjoy the benefits of this Earth.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
