Lamentations
O what a powerful and poignant piece of writing!
Lamentations is intensely personal. We read of Jeremiah’s tears in the book that bears his name; but now we can feel those tears as he walks alone through the desolate city of Jerusalem. “Is there any suffering like my suffering?” he asks (Lam. 1:12). He weeps, but there is no one to comfort him (1:16), certainly not the dead bodies, the broken gates, the plundered temple and the half-eaten children!
Jeremiah is a “man who has seen affliction;” (3:1) he’s pierced to his heart; (3:13) he finds no relief; (3:49) and joy is gone from his heart (5:15).
And yet, at the very heart of the most depressing five chapters in Scripture, are words of towering hope, the words that inspired “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and many other hymns and songs of praise. For even in the most intense trials, Jeremiah and countless other believers have found the Lord’s great love, his daily fresh mercies, his goodness and salvation (3:21-27). They have come to believe that God “does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.” (3:33)
How do we move from despair to hope? The answer is in Lamentation 3:37-42, and can be summarized with one word, “Turn,” or four, “Return to the Lord!”
Tomorrow, we begin a journey through one of the prophets of God in the exile: Ezekiel. When you read the opening chapters, ask yourself: “What was Ezekiel seeing?”
Your fellow pilgrim through the Prophets,
Pastor Gary
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