IV. O LORD, You have seen how I am wronged; Keep your eyes on God and not the storms and distractions around you. It was only a breathing. (Clarke), ii. 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. ii. More specifically the suffering of Gods people. Let us search out and examine our ways, 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. These two arguments we will apply (1) to God's general dealings; (2) to His individual. 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. From the lowest pit. God therefore disapproves heartily of any attempt to deprive an individual of his rights in the law (36), or to condemn him unjustly. (Harrison). 1) In 3:1, Jeremiah states that he has seen the affliction by the rod of God's wrath. (2) We are living men. When the Lord has not commanded it? 103:19 ). i. Women are being raped, families are starving, and lawlessness abounds in the city of God. Because his love is steadfast and knows no end, neither will his compassion. Yet while Lamentations speaks of pain resulting from a very specific historical event, the dismay and despair that resound through its pages are universal experiences in this fallen world, right up to the present time. 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. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. The possession of reason should stir us up to daily thanksgiving to Him whose mercies are new to us every morning. Hebrews 11:1 tells us Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.. Jeremiah 20:12). (Ellison). ( b ) The next element in Christian hope is faith. We also offer 4K UHD and will soon add 8K wallpaper resolution. 4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; he has broken my bones; 5 he has besieged . A living man! We owe an appeal to God on whatever concerns us. "A joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful." To every mourner we may say, on the authority of God, Fear not! The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. And what we need is to be reminded of this, especially on the difficult days. 2 - He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness,and not in light. Chapter 3 is slightly different as . The lips of my enemies The central message of Lamentations for the church today around the world is that of Gods sustaining grace in the midst of suffering. God has brought Jerusalem's disaster, and the succeeding nineteen verses find the subject of their actions to be God alone. 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. Some religious works are agreeable; for example, the meditation on God's goodness, and the benefits He has bestowed upon us. Tom Ed suffered a major stroke Sunday night. You have slain and not pitied. 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). All our enemies Actually, it's a total downer. II. That man I may trust with my heart's life. Now he prayed to God as his advocate. Their taunting song: Mocking or taunt-songs were also frequently used to express derision or contempt for an enemy. (Harrison). Like many of the prophets, Lamentations warns of the "day of the Lord." This is the day when God judges sin. In this patient seeking of God, there is reason for hope. We are come, by God's grace, to a new year. Earlier in this chapter, Jeremiah felt God was his adversary (Lamentations 3:1-18). While the author of Lamentations remains nameless within the book, strong evidence from both inside and outside the text points to the prophet Jeremiah as the author. Each verse begins, in alphabetical order, with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. (1) Our text represents affliction as a punishment, not of this sin, or of that sin, but generally for the punishment of man's sins. There is no greater evil committed by any of us than a practical forgetfulness of the common mercies of life: mercies, which because of their commonness, cease to be regarded as mercies. Do you see any of that destroyed city in your own life? S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit, 1st series, No. We must plead for them, and yet learn in waiting the reason why they are withheld. I said, I am cut off! Keep silent: There came a young man to Demosthenes to learn oratory; he talked away at a great rate, and Demosthenes said, I must charge you double fees. Why? he asked. View a list of Bible maps, excerpted from The Swindoll Study Bible. J. Burton, Christian Life and Truth, p. 368. However, we modern believers adjudicate that ancient belief. "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me.". Lamentations presents many key theological realities from an important era in Israels history: 1. 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. Without interruption, The book is traditionally read in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E. In Your anger, Hope, not despair, is the central theme in Lamentations. Lamentations is attributed to the prophet Jeremiah who witnessed the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. The book, in their view, assumes such a setting for the prayers it expresses, but the emphasis is on praying, not reporting. Heavenly Father we praise and thank You that You are a faithful God. Pursue and destroy them 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. We see a mountain, it will come in grains of sand. i. 1:6 . 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. 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. i. In His wise judgments God caused grief, but promised to also show compassion, and would do so according to the multitude of His mercies. Harrison, R. K. Brand. In other words, nothing we have faced or will face can possibly remove us from Gods love. beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin and disobedience. Like so many other Old Testament passages, Lamentations teaches that Jerusalem fell: a. because of the peoples sins (1:18); Understanding Specific Bible Stories (Biblical Interpretation), How To Know When To Leave A Church (and 5 things to do before changing churches), The REAL Philippians 4:13 Meaning (I can do all things through Christ), The Powerful Meaning Of 2 Corinthians 5:7 (for we live by faith not by sight). That, whatever sorrow we are in, it is what God has allotted us, and his hand is in it. The command to seek the Lord and the command to wait on the Lord have the same general meaning, and the same general promises are given to each. He is the Lord of hope ( 3:21,24-25 ), of love ( 3:22 ), of faithfulness ( 3:23 ), of salvation and restoration ( 3:26 ). Trying to be more like Jesus each day. It is important to reflect on national tragedy as it happens and to empathize with its victims. They were under Gods severe discipline, and that because of their deep and persistent sin. VII. As long as human means can avail, it is a man's duty, trusting to Divine help, to employ them. b. 15. Indeed, God himself is inflicting this pain upon his own people (Lamentations 2:18; 3:32). translation of the Greek OT, the Septuagint (LXX), and conveys the idea of "loud cries.". i., p. 638. You have covered Yourself with a cloud, . Evening- Magheralin. 1812.Lamentations 3:58 . 4. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affliliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. vii., p. 380. It is good for us all to have to work for our bread. Please contact us or click here to learn more about how to enable JavaScript on your browser. But this promise still rings true, Gods mercies are new every morning. You can remind God about it. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. To this very day it is asserted by Romanists that Martin Luther was a drunkard. Lamentations has much to say about pain. I. Lamentations 3:22-23. Learn More Dive Deeper and Explore More Recommended Books The Message of Lamentations (The Bible Speaks Today Series) Free Seminary-Level Classes 451; Ibid., Morning by Morning, p. 321. The term Lamentations is from a Greek verb meaning "to cry aloud.". To God in heaven. Church Planter. Not only does the author of the book witness the results of the recent destruction of Jerusalem, he seems to have witnessed the invasion itself (Lamentations 1:1315). He has led me and made me walk. i. English Standard Version. We can only hope for that which is felt to be possible and reasonable. Thus, chapter 3 has 66 lines, like chapters 1 and 2. Explain with Jeremiah was brought to understand two things about the government of God: (1) that it was tender; (2) that it was minute. He hath hedged me about, that I cann 8 get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Keep me I pray from the sin of unbelief and help me to trust in your unfailing promises, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN. The Lord does not approve. Think of His complete knowledge, His consummate wisdom, His eternal love. 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 . Jeremiah gives us two notions about human discipline as regulated by God the Judge and God the Father. 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. Jeremiah walked through the streets and alleys of the Holy City and saw nothing but pain, suffering, and destruction in the !"), the first word not only in 1:1 but also in 2:1; 4:1.Because of its subject matter, the book is also referred to in Jewish tradition as qinot,"Lamentations," a title taken over by the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT) and by the fourth .
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