The Book Of Lamentations – Part 25 – Mercilessly Hunted Down And Silenced In A Pit; Waters Of Judgment Flowed Over The Heads - Chapter 3:52-54 Series

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 25 – MERCILESSLY HUNTED DOWN AND SILENCED IN A PIT; WATERS OF JUDGMENT FLOWED OVER THE HEADS - CHAPTER 3:52-54

The laments of the people and of Jeremiah continue through the next three verses, then move into more positive territory as prayer sets the focus. I hope you are finding these messages of value as we set all in context and examine what each verse is telling us.

PART [47]. HUNTED BY THE ENEMIES

{{Lamentations 3:52 “MY ENEMIES HUNTED ME DOWN like a bird without cause.”}}

The lament of the people continues, this time looking at the hunting down of the people. In so many defeats in history, people were slaughtered mercilessly, just to satisfy the blood lust of the soldiers and Satan. It was like St Bartholomew’s’ Day in France when up to 100 000 French Protestants were slaughtered by the demonic mob of Catholic inspired maniacs. I have covered that elsewhere but you can check it for yourself.

I don’t care what the reason, but when an army moves into some place and murders whosever its finds, it is accountable slaughter and will have retribution from God. Babylon did it to the Jews; Rome did it also; Hitler did it; the Roman Catholic church did it periodically through history; Haman tried it but God defeated him; Islamic Gazan Hamas did it in Israel; and in a more subtle way the United Nations does it all the time to Israel. Christians too are hunted down and killed, currently in Africa. We feel for our African brothers and sisters in Christ who are tortured and killed mainly by Islamic racicalism.

The usage of “hunted me down” places this almost in the category of sport where there is indiscriminate killing as the packs race around hunting whatever victims they can find for the lustful satisfaction of killing. It is satanic and Satan is a murderer – {{John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. HE WAS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.”}}. The truth of being hunted down would apply both to Jeremiah and the nation.

Everyone who lifted up even a finger to hunt down the Jews will suffer eternal torment. Israel is the apple of God’s eye and those who make themselves enemies of Israel/Jews make themselves enemies of God. Those who curse Israel will be cursed by God. May we say also that this same principle applied to those who hate and persecute and kill Christians.

It is a little confusing the way this verse ends. “Without cause” could not apply to Judah but would apply to Jeremiah. However I think this verse is the nation’s lament, not so much that of Jeremiah, though both I feel have application. The nation was so guilty of its sins as the prophet’s writings expose over and over, and God warned constantly of the gravity of their condition unless they repented but they refused to do so. They had enormous cause for what happened. They are 100% responsible and guilty to the fullest degree.

PART [48]. SHUT UP AND OUT OF SIGHT

{{Lamentations 3:53 “They have SILENCED ME IN THE PIT and have placed a stone on me.”}}

Dungeon is the word used by the AV and pit in the NASB. Prisoners were sometimes thrown into a great pit that was sealed with a stone to prevent them from escaping. In this lament the Jews of Judah were restrained, silenced and brought under the most exacting servitude. There was no hope for them seemingly. The description is a physical one and not taken literally for these survivors, but that is how it seemed.

Jeremiah’s own personal experience was the fitting image for the nation’s dilemma. The prophet warned the people in {{Jeremiah 38:2 - “Thus says the LORD, ‘He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive.’”}} That enraged the wicked king Zedekiah especially when Jeremiah continued – {{“Thus says the LORD, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.’”}}

The officials called for the king to put Jeremiah to death because they claimed he was discouraging the men of war who were left in this city and all the people. They accused Jeremiah of not seeking the well-being of this people, but rather their harm. It is well recognised that God’s people of all ages are falsely accused and blamed for trouble in the land, and disasters. Satan is the accuser of the brethren, and is not tiring in his quest to persecute the righteous ones. He has millions of agents who are not believers and who will rush to condemn God’s children. It is often done on impulse because those not for Christ are against Him. The line of division is plain – for and against and there is no ground of neutrality.