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Lamentations (#222450)
Lamentations
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From:
Short Sketches of the Books of the Bible
By:
Nicolas Simon
The book of Lamentations contains the lament of Jeremiah over Jerusalem—once great among the nations—now solitary and desolate (
Lam. 1:1
1
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! (Lamentations 1:1)
). The Lord had done righteously, but understanding God’s government against that city only deepened Jeremiah’s sorrow (
Lam. 1:18
18
The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. (Lamentations 1:18)
).
Jeremiah confessed the sin of the city as his own, and he felt what it was to be rejected by the very ones for whom he wept.
“See, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger”
(
Lam. 1:11-12
11
All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O Lord, and consider; for I am become vile.
12
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. (Lamentations 1:11‑12)
). In his sorrow, we see expressed something of the sorrow so fully felt by the rejected Christ.
The setting aside of the temple and the altar—things necessary for the Israelite to approach God—brought great distress to Jeremiah (
Lam. 2:6, 7
6
And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.
7
The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn feast. (Lamentations 2:6‑7)
).
In the first two chapters, Jerusalem is spoken of as the object of God’s wrath. In the third chapter, Jeremiah speaks as the one bearing the affliction, a position typical of Christ.
“I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath”
(
Lam. 3:1
1
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. (Lamentations 3:1)
).
Chapters one, two and four each have twenty-two verses, and each verse commences with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Similarly, chapter 3 has twenty-two stanzas of three verses each. The fifth chapter, while having twenty-two verses, is not constrained by this arrangement, for it is a prayer. With confession made, Jeremiah can bring that which has afflicted the people before a compassionate (
Lam. 3:22-36
22
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
27
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
29
He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
30
He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
31
For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
32
But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33
For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
34
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35
To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
36
To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. (Lamentations 3:22‑36)
) and unchanging God (
Lam. 5:19
19
Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. (Lamentations 5:19)
).
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