Road To Revelation: The Prophets - Jeremiah Pt 2: Lamentations

From the man who brought you the invasion of Babylon and the destruction of the temple comes another book of equally depressing content; Lamentations.

If we learn anything by living long enough, it’s that “life is pain highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something” (the man in black). Jeremiah strongly agrees and writes an epic, tragic poem of the fall of Jerusalem and it’s complete destruction; of the suffering of the people because of their rebellion against the Lord and he doesn't pull any punches. One of the most heartbreaking stanzas to me is in chapter 2:13-14

 What can I say for you, to compare you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For your ruin is vast as the sea:
Who can heal you?

Your prophets have seen for you
False and deceptive visions;
They have not exposed your iniquity
To restore your fortunes,
But have seen for you oracles
That are false and misleading.

The people are like sheep who have been lead astray by their "not paid enough to care" shepherds. They listened to the wrong people [false prophets and priests] and now they are suffering as a consequence. And what comfort can people give them now? There is no good in their lives that they can lean on to help in this time of distress… is there? It makes me feel so angry and helpless to read this (especially knowing about all the nonsense preached about Jesus in many churches in this day…).

Not only does Jeremiah feel all the feelings of pity and sadness for his people; he also feels them for himself. We marvelled at his perseverance under trials of many kinds in his larger book (Jeremiah) and now we get to glimpse behind the curtain of his outward stubbornness. In chapter 3 he reveals now he felt while he was going through all the persecution from the leaders of God’s people. In a nutshell he felt crushed by the Lord and his anger “my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say ‘my endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.”

If Jeremiah had laid down his pen at that point this would truly be the most depressing book of all time. Your nihilist college professor would be proud. But fortunately for Jeremiah and all his readers he remembers something… “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.” Hope? Hope? Please tell us more!!

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

They are new every morning;

Great is your faithfulness.

“the Lord is my portion’” says my soul

“therefore I will hope in him.”

(sung to the tune of OG worship song writer Michael W. Smith's epic hit)

In the depths of their suffering; those who have placed their hope in the Lord will be comforted. They DO have something good to lean on to help in a time of distress [the love of the Lord of the universe]. Even if that distress has been brought on by their own sin and rebellion! There is always  mercy to be found from the Lord if we come back to him in repentance. He is always faithful to his promises to cleanse us from all unrighteousness through the work of his son, the Messiah, whom Jeremiah looked forward to and we look back to.

Although as Jeremiah goes through this anguish of the heart any good news seems fleeting, and he sinks back into his woes. Chapters 4 and 5 see him swing back to the suffering of the people and their seemingly endless punishment at the hands of the Lord.  But again he returns to the Lord’s promises at the last minute. A cry of desperation to not forget his people! So desperate that it seems that Jeremiah doubts the Lord’s willingness to restore and forgive his people. Feelings which we feel in our repentant state too but we also cry out, like Peter, and Jeremiah [inferred] before him:

'From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him. Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you? Simon Peter answered, "Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!" ' (John 6: 67-69)