The Book Of Lamentations – Part 30 – These Two Verses Look At God’s Protecting Anger Against Those Who Persecute His Own Believers - Chapter 3:65-66 Series

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 30 – THESE TWO VERSES LOOK AT GOD’S PROTECTING ANGER AGAINST THOSE WHO PERSECUTE HIS OWN BELIEVERS - CHAPTER 3:65-66

Now we conclude Chapter 3 with the last two verses. They are God’s response to the wicked and the mockers. It is a dangerous thing to be opposed to the Lord and to the righteous children of God. It will bring a sure and certain recompense upon the perpetrator. God is not willing that any should perish but the cynical mockers will not be tolerated.

We are now in the day of grace and mostly God’s hand is stayed where we do not see the direct action against wickedness such as two bears, but the destiny of mockers and sinners is clear.

PART [60]. THEY ARE CURSED DIRECTLY FROM GOD

{{Lamentations 3:65 “YOU WILL GIVE THEM hardness of heart. YOUR CURSE will be on them.”}}

Here in verse 65 it is clearly stated that God will give them hardness of heart, and that they will be cursed by God. This is a statement not a petition. It is the inevitable consequence of their mocking of a saint of God. I don’t think some of us realise how serious it is for anyone to lift up the hand against one of the Lord’s anointed. It will not be tolerated by God, and even though we may not see God’s justifying hand this side of glory against those who do such wickedness against the righteous, then in eternity they will be recompensed by an impartial God.

Verses 64, 65 and 66 all state God’s direct actions against the perpetrators of His people. The reason this will happen is in verse 63 where the LORD is asked to – “Look on their sitting and their rising.” This request to do that, automatically taps into the determined will of God for all such events where the Lord’s own sheep are persecuted and ill-treated, and consequentially verses 64, 65 and 66 set out God’s response. The Lord will avenge the wicked and torturous deeds, and snide remarks and the mocking and the dismissal of God’s precious saints simply because they are God’s. Satan hates God’s people and has at hand millions who do his wishes against the righteous.

How is it that God gives hardness of heart? Does God directly do that, or is it the same procedure that Pharaoh experienced? Many verses in early Exodus say this or similar to this – {{Exodus 7:3 “but I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.”}}. There are 17 references to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Did God deliberately make Pharaoh’s heart a robot so he was incapable of making the correct decision?

Absolutely not. At each juncture he was given the choice. You don’t give robots moral choices. What was happening was that God issued the directive to Pharaoh and each time he chose to comply or reject. When he chose to reject he HIMSELF was making his own position more intolerable to comply. His heart was hardened BUT BY HIMSELF. Because it was God’s request he was rejecting, then it is also very correct to say that God hardened his heart because it all came from God. A man and woman who rejects the message of God hardens his/her soul/mind/heart so that it is harder next time to accept what God requires, and initially, that is repentance.

That would be the reason why we have this verse while a person’s being is still tender – {{Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember also your Creator IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them.”}}

Related to that there is a similar thought – {{Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 “REMEMBER HIM BEFORE THE SILVER CORD IS BROKEN and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and THE SPIRIT WILL RETURN TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.”}}. A person’s life (spirit) is given by God and can be surrendered to God in submissive obedience, or locked in a person’s own personal prison by the hardness of heart. In the end, whatever the person’s choice, the spirit returns to God and will find itself in either one of two destinies. God pleads – man accepts; God pleads – man rejects. They are the only two choices. Heaven or hell. The New Jerusalem or the lake of fire.

The second part of verse 65 is very full. It speaks of GOD’S CURSE being on them. That is, the curse of God settles on mockers and persecutors of God’s people (going back to verse 63 that all this hinges on). God is not mocked.