Mourn, grieve, dirge, and wail are some words related to lamentation. Now, faith isnt just about what we believe in our heads. Because his love is steadfast and knows no end, neither will his compassion. Father. c. And turn back to the LORD: All the self-examination in the world does little good if it does not lead us back to this place. God's wrath is against me all day long, says Lamentations (3:3); and God's mercies are new every morning (3:23). Lamentations 4 Jeremiah compares the conditions of the Jews before and after the destruction of Jerusalem. i. i. We should, we must, turn away from sin and self and turn back to the LORD. IV. The book of Lamentations deals with suffering. Surely He has turned His hand against me. Jeremiah the prophet wrote the book in response to the fall of Jerusalem to the . To every mourner we may say, on the authority of God, Fear not! There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and chapters 1, 2 and 4 have 22 verses eacha verse for each of the 22 letters. It is no pleasure to God to afflict men. That, whatever sorrow we are in, it is what God has allotted us, and his hand is in it. Commend me to the man who has been through deep waters, through very dark places, through treacherous, serpent-haunted roads, and who has yet come out with a cheerful heart, mellow, chastened, subdued, and who speaks tenderly of the mercy of God through it all. Listen to Chuck Swindolls overview of Lamentations in his audio message from the Classic series Gods Masterwork. Here is the danger of forms and modes. 2. Some religious works are agreeable; for example, the meditation on God's goodness, and the benefits He has bestowed upon us. (2) It is good for a man to bear the yoke. Every strata of More specifically the suffering of Gods people. II. This statement of faith standing strong in the midst of the surrounding darkness shines as a Now that weve looked at the meaning of Lamentations 3:22-23, lets look at how we can practically apply it to our everyday life. He gives you of Himself and of His resources as though you were His only son, and His heart is love towards you. Rather, this is an opportunity to return to God even after we screw up. I. wake of the Babylonian invasion of 586 BC. Desolation and destruction. This word carries with it a finality. If he be tempted to murmur, let him remember that he is yet alive, and that is more than his part cometh to, since it is the Lords mercy that he is not consumed, and sent packing hence to hell. The Background of Lamentations 1 Author and Date The author of this literary masterpiece is unknown. We have transgressed and rebelled; I. Written in precise and grotesque detail about the events of the Babylonian raid on Jerusalem and captivity (Lamentations 4:1-22), we see that the once-lovely Jerusalem is no longer safe. . God will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love (Lamentations 3:32). Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. IV. . 5. 2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; 3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. There we are before the throne of God by anticipation, that throne before which the man found without the wedding-garment, when questioned why he has it not, is speechless. Throughout the Scriptures the two terms, seeking and waiting, run parallel as describing prayer, earnest and effectual prayer, in all its acts and offices. God's faithfulness ( Lamentations 3:23) and deliverance ( Lamentations 3:26) are attributes that give us great hope and comfort. iv., p. 432. In appointing mankind to stand or fall in Adam, God dealt with them by a measure of the widest benevolence. Their enemies had brought them into the deepest miseries. (Poole). The book of Lamentations is all poetry that deals with many different key themes throughout such as justice, sin, and various imagery. I. 1. Lamentations presents many key theological realities from an important era in Israels history: 1. b. I called on your name, O LORD: Even from the pit Jeremiah knew he could call upon the LORD, and that God would hear His voice. Background. III. If it be a life of sickness, a life of widowhood, a life of captivity, yet all this deserves no mention in opposition to the privilege of existence. In this patient seeking of God, there is reason for hope. This helpful book introduction comes from the, 4 Encouragements to Read Sensitive Bible Passages with Kids. That prayer should not pass through. We dont need to worry about Gods mercy running dry. And not only are Gods people failing to enjoy promises made to them, but they are also now failing to be a light to the nations. Generally in the combination of these two terms, each expresses the perfection of all prayer as it is either the active seeking of God or the passive waiting for Him; in other words, what man does and what he must expect God to do in the whole business of devotion. a. It will occur again at the end of time as the final day of the Lord. People need to take seriously the warnings about such days of judgment. The possession of reason should stir us up to daily thanksgiving to Him whose mercies are new to us every morning. We live not upon old mercies, but upon new ones fresh from the Divine hand, fresh from the Divine heart. Lamentations is attributed to the prophet Jeremiah who witnessed the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. 3. We receive mercy and compassion not because we are faithful, but because God is faithful. They equip us, they give point and definiteness to new intention, they offer fresh feelings, they take us out of grooves, they stir up in us our immortality. Very ancient words- written against a very traumatic background for God's people. (1) Hope: ( a ) The foundation of hope may be said to lie in desire. Amid unthinkable tragedy Jeremiah describes his agony in the face of this suffering. Watch Now What's Next? Answer: https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-major-prophets/lamentations "Like the book of Job, Lamentations pictures a man of God puzzling over the results . Because of all the daughters of my city. His discipline is not happy nor is it unfair (to turn aside the justice due a man). Dr. Philip W. McLarty . But in this passage they are for once combined; their combination suggesting a certain difference between them and the perfection of devotion which results from their union. Lamentations speaks from within that judgment. W. B. Pope, Sermons, Addresses, and Charges , p. 155. The circumstances may be different but the consequences of conflict are always the same. i. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes. Lamentations chapter 3. This question suggests two considerations; each of which demonstrates the injustice of the complaint Why should a living man complain? It is to this that our blessed Saviour invites us when He says, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me." II. Let us lift our hearts and hands IV. Jeremiah calls to mind that the the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, that His mercies never come to an end, that they are new every morning, and that His faithfulness is great . a. 3:4-9 4, 5 My flesh and my skin hath he made old: he hath broken my bones. Yet even in this seemingly hopeless Consider the application of the text to the complaints called forth by individual affliction. (1) He tells us the goodness of waiting: it is good for a man to wait. Turn to Lamentations 3:1726, where youll find someone aware of sins consequences and saddened by the results but who has placed his hope and his trust in the Lord. He Himself provides, and He Himself rules. Pastor. The prophet calls his countrymen to a work to which they needed to be exhorted and pressed; and well he might do so, for the work of self-examination is not at all an agreeable work. Remember Gods mercies from yesterday so that you can be encouraged that they are still true today. You have not pardoned. Many persons suffer seriously throughout their life by not having borne in their youth the yoke of a church. V. The combination of seeking and waiting forms in its highest perfection the devotional state of the soul in which both the seeking and the waiting go beyond their former meanings, and blend into the habit rather than the act of communion with God. But also how we choose to live our lives. When the Lord has not commanded it? He marvels that God should have drawn near to him, for his condition was a very pitiful one. References: Lamentations 3:41 . We shall find increasingly, "how good it is." And threw stones at me. The soft, measured breath, or the laboring, gasping breath. Let him sit alone and keep silent: Under adversity, it is best to not try and figure everything out right away. Now, this isnt a get out of hell free card that we can abuse. For the destruction of the daughter of my people. We owe it to the Divine precepts, invitations, and promises. II. Reference: Lamentations 3:40 . Faith is our response to the great and steadfast love he has shown us. Tom Ed suffered a major stroke Sunday night. How can a complaint against justice be itself just. . We offer HD and FHD quality. . 4 - He has made my flesh and my skin old.He has broken my bones. It will help your own faith wonderfully to be engaged in some real labour for the Lord. A. Do you feel overrun by an alien power; are you in need of some hope from the Lord? Roman Empire Map - Large Map of the Roman Empire in the Early First Century - Click around on the Places. You drew near on the day I called on You, S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit, 1st series, No. And one day, because of Christs restorative work, the city that was destroyed 2,500 years ago will come down out of heaven, restored and remade, in glory and beauty (Revelation 21:2, 1011). Yet He will show compassion Like many of the prophets, Lamentations warns of the day of the Lord. This is the day when God judges sin. . The book, in their view, assumes such a setting for the prayers it expresses, but the emphasis is on praying, not reporting. From my sighing, my cry for help: He dared not even to complain, nor to cry, nor to pray aloud: he was obliged to whisper his prayer to God. This is at no cost to you and helps keep Rethink up and running. How the Gold Has Grown Dim (4:122) J. Thain Davidson, Forewarned Forearmed, p. 19. O LORD, You have seen how I am wronged; He is faithful and he will do it! One side is very dark and full of sadness, sharply inclined towards despair; the other is brighter than the summer morning, tuneful, sunned with all the lustre of saintly hope. One thinks of global poverty and mismanagement of wealth, various kinds of assault on the dignity of the human individual, and conflict at the level of the family all the way up to international conflict. But there are things newer than the year. Now he prayed to God as his advocate. Think of His complete knowledge, His consummate wisdom, His eternal love. Beneath all such activity, however, stands the greatest hope of all: Gods unfailing, unstoppable mercy toward his beloved people. 2021 All rights reserved | Enter the Bible and Luther Seminary | Privacy Policy, Prophet who condemned Judah's infidelity to God, warned of Babylonian conquest, and promised a new covenant. II. The work of self-examination has this advantage, that it is a real, personal act; and in religion, as has been well-observed, what a man does for himself is of much more avail than what others do or can do for him. ; The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel - Brief Overview of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant. In later years, Lamentations was read and sung as part of annual observances marking the temples destruction. Its his faithfulness to his promise that allows us to receive his mercies. Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, 1. You can remind God about it. We dont live constantly focused on our sins and failings, but there are appropriate times to carefully, deliberately search out and examine our ways. a. Search out and examine our ways: Sins must not be casually and superficially confessed and dealt with. I also receive Insight [for Today] daily. We see a mountain, it will come in grains of sand. Much better is social and political advocacy and solidarity, even as we weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Written in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 586 BCE by the Babylonians, Lamentations expresses the grief and disbelief of those who lived through the horror and yet still looked to their . There are, with all of us, desires and tendencies which we have sternly to resist, and the denying of which is part of the training by which we are fitted for a noble and useful life. Their taunting song: Mocking or taunt-songs were also frequently used to express derision or contempt for an enemy. (Harrison). Tired of Empty Promises? Patience is strengthened ( a ) by faith, ( b ) by contentment, ( c ) by calm attention to duties. 1. Lamentations consists of five separate poems, four of which employ a literary form called an acrostic. It is he that causes grief, and therefore we may be assured it is ordered wisely and graciously; and it is but for a season, and when need is, that we are in heaviness, 1 Pt. Lamentations 3 may fit with Jeremiah's experience of being cast into the pit (compare Lamentations 3:52-57 with Jeremiah 38:1-13). Your browser does not support JavaScript. It was only a breathing. (Clarke), ii. I Am the Man Who Has Seen Affliction (3:166) The five lament poems are outlined here: Lamentations 1 - Jerusalem's desolation is lamented. It was likely written between 586 and 516 BC, with an early date being more probable. In addition, when the early Christian church father Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, he added a note claiming Jeremiah as the author of Lamentations. To give emphasis, Jeremiah asked the same question in different words. Hebrews 11:1 tells us Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.. In Lamentations as well as around the world and down through time, as the leaders of a people go, so go the people. I use Pastor Chuck Swindoll's books a lot: Moses, David, Joseph, Esther, Hand Me Another Brick. III. I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. My eyes overflow with rivers of water: Earlier in Lamentations 2:18 Jeremiah expressed a prayer in the mouth of Jerusalems enemies, a prayer that the city and her walls would weep without end. Lamentations provides eyewitness testimony of Babylons destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC in vivid, poetic detail. Thus are these two arguments of the text demonstrative of the unfairness of human complaint when the dealings of the Most High pass under review. How we go about that is through prayer. The author of this literary masterpiece is unknown. The Lord does not approve. However, while Job dealt with unexplained evil, Jeremiah lamented a tragedy entirely of Jerusalems making. The entire Old Testament has been gradually working toward the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham in Genesis 12:13promises of blessing, descendants, and land. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. Everything that follows is because of Gods love for us. 3. viii., No. There hath nothing befallen thee save the just recompense of thy misdoing. There is One who uses this very figure concerning His own Divine office. When we seek him and put our hope in him, he is there. Background Although never named in the book, the book of Lamentations has long been attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, although some scholars have disputed this. II. External Evidence: 1. We owe an appeal on whatsoever concerns us to the personal providence of God, and the actual government of God. See Full Permissions Notice. 579; Ibid., Morning by Morning, p. 325.Lamentations 4:1 . Jeremiah and Lamentations. God can interpret all. (Meyer). Jesus gave his cheek to the one who strikes him as He patiently received the suffering His Father had appointed (Matthew 26:67-68, Luke 22:64). Try Reading the Bible. Those curses came upon Jerusalem in Jeremiahs day; now he prayed that those curses come upon their enemies. You can also change some of your preferences. 590. Lamentations 3 - God's faithfulness is acknowledged. They will be new as God makes new the old renovated; the happy associations of an old thing combined with the spring-like delight of a new thing. (2) "Quiet waiting," or patience. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Actually, it's a total downer. Now he prayed that their enemies would face Gods anger. In fact, while mercy is briefly asserted as a theological . That is, thou hast made us to all nations extremely contemptible, so as they value us no more than the sweepings of their houses, or the most vile, refuse, and contemptible things imaginable. (Poole). You will rarely see piety of a rich and mellow tone in a man who has known nothing of sorrow.
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