Lamentations 4

Lamentations 4
In the fourth chapter, the acrostic style is again used, the initial letters of the verses, as written in the original Hebrew, comprising the alphabet in its due order.
We come now to the prophet’s meditation upon the scene of judgment through which he has gone. How great the change from Jerusalem as it was! The gold that early adorned the city is become dim; the stones of the sanctuary are poured out, and the sons of Zion are esteemed as earthen pitchers.
Verse 6: The punishment of Judah is greater than that of Sodom upon which no hands were violently laid. It is because God deals with every one according to what he knows—the responsibility he carries, Thus the servant who knew his master’s will and did it not, is to be beaten with many stripes, while he who knew not, and did that which called for punishment, shall he beaten with few (Luke 12:47-4847And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:47‑48)).
“You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will visit upon you all your iniquities,” is God’s solemn pronouncement upon Israel and Judah in Amos 3:1-2,1Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 2You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. (Amos 3:1‑2) and the Scriptures abound with examples of God’s dealing more severely with His own than with the world in this life.
Verses 7-8: “Nazarite” means “separated”, and the marks of the true Nazarite in unblemished perfection were to be seen only in Christ as He passed through the world, but Numbers 6 and the history of Samson, who was untrue to his Nazariteship (Judges 13-16), show what Nazarites should have been in Old Testament days.
Verse 12: The world which does not know God, does not understand what He does; they know nothing of His holiness, and vainly suppose that He will never interfere with the course of events on earth. “They would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should enter into the gates of Jerusalem.” The Word, of God, however, gives the key (verse 13), for He does not leave His children in ignorance of His ways.
It was indeed a day of unsparing governmental dealing upon Judah, but her punishment will be over when that of Edom begins (compare verses 21 and 22). Edom, as we have before noted, is the relentless enemy of Israel—never repentant.