SOMETIMES a sorely troubled saint of God will exclaim, “Does God care that I suffer so?” This book is an answer to that question, though it is much more than that. It forms a sequel to Jeremiah’s prophecy.
The subject before Jeremiah in this inspired writing, is the ruin of Jerusalem, the city where God had placed His name, and where He chose to dwell in the midst of His people Israel, but now desolated because of their persistent attempt for centuries to link the name of Jehovah with sin. The prophecies of Jeremiah have set this fully before the reader, and in them we have traced something of the heart of this dear servant of God who entered into the state and the sufferings of his people, and to no little extent suffered with them. In this, as we have had occasion to observe, Jeremiah resembled his Master more than many others have done. (See Luke 16:41-44, John 11:33-3833When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35Jesus wept. 36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. (John 11:33‑38), Matthew 8:1717That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17)).
When we were reading through the Psalms, mention was made of the acrostic farm of a number of them where, in the original, the initial letters of the verses correspond in order to the Hebrew alphabet. Psalms 25 and 34 were noted as examples of this, and Psalm 119 strikingly so, for there the Hebrew Alphabet’s 22 letters are actually named in their order, and each one of the eight verses under each letter begins, in the original language, with the Hebrew letter heading the group. The same plan has been followed in all but the last of the five chapters in this book; in chapters 1 and 2 The initial letter of each of the 22 verses follows the alphabetical order. Why is this done? Is it not to attract the godly to the study of the book?
Jeremiah well knew that sin had brought the grief of which he told; in fact, amid the complaint of departed glory and divine favor which he voices for his people, we find again and again the confession of the sin that led to the suffering.
There is weeping now (verse 2) where there had been hardness of heart. The “lovers” who had led Jerusalem away from God to seek happiness in the ways of a guilty, godless world, were now no help whatever to her; among all there was no comforter; her “friends” dealt treacherously, became her enemies. Satan is a hard master, and he pays poor wages at best, but he has always been able to deceive the simple. They strangely forget that as a man sows, so shall he also reap, though the Word of God declares it (Galatians 6:77Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)) and the evidence of it is shown in the only altogether reliable history the world has ever had—the Bible; the truth of it will be fully manifested at the judgment seat of Christ and the great white throne, but we may notice many examples of “reaping” among our fellow men, sometimes in youth, often in the later years of life.
In the beginning, the Lamentations are occupied altogether with the circumstances of grief, as we are all apt to be when plunged into distress; relief comes after God is acknowledged, as we shall see in our progress through this remarkable little book. A full measure of sorrow was meted out when Jerusalem was destroyed, as verses 12 to 17 most touchingly bring out. Was ever sorrow like this? Yes, and deeper far! Psalm 22—with its fulfillment on Calvary’s hill (Matthew 27:45, 4645Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:45‑46)), the antichamber to which was the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:4141And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (Luke 22:41).-44),—presents the occasion of the deepest anguish this world will ever know.
In verses 12 to 15 God is seen as the source of the chastening, and verse 18 brings in confession consequent upon the realization that He is dealing with His people. “Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against His commandment.” Next, in verse 20, is a call to Him: “See, Jehovah, for I am in distress, my bowels are troubled, my heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled ... .” Not Yet is the burden gone, but the pressure of it is relieved, when once God is given His place in the believer’s trials.
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