Letters Of Lament – Thoughts From Chapter Three
INTRODUCTION: There are times when we all lament – or need to lament. There are times when we have walked down the wrong path – and have found at the end of it – a dead end. At the end of the road we cry out, “What have I done? How could I have been so foolish? How could I have been so stupid? How could I have NOT listened to my Father and followed His advice?” As you reach the dead end – you look back and reflect of what you have done to get you to that lifeless spot. You cry out in your desperation – you cry out in your foolishness – you cry out in your sorrow. The book of Lamentations is a book of crying out. In this chapter we find great truths – A God of justice – and A God of mercy.
I. A God of Justice – The Wrath of God
v. 1 - I am the man who has seen affliction Because of the rod of His wrath.
v. 2 - He has driven me and made me walk In darkness and not in light.
v. 3 - Surely against me He has turned His hand Repeatedly all the day.
v. 4 - He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away, He has broken my bones.
v. 5 - He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship.
v. 6 - In dark places He has made me dwell, Like those who have long been dead.
v. 7 - He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy.
v. 8 - Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer.
v. 9 - He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.
v. 10 - He is to me like a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in secret places.
v. 11 - He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate.
v. 12 - He bent His bow And set me as a target for the arrow.
v. 13 - He made the arrows of His quiver To enter into my inward parts.
v. 14 - I have become a laughingstock to all my people, Their mocking song all the day.
v. 15 - He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drunk with wormwood.
v. 16 - And He has broken my teeth with gravel; He has made me cower in the dust.
v. 17 - And my soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness.
Lamentations 3:1-17 (NASV)
A few weeks ago I heard a fellow minister tell a story of how we picture God in our modern time. He said it like going to a fair or a carnival – and at that fair you will find people getting their pictures drawn by an artist. But something is just not right. The artist is drawing a caricature and not a true picture of the person. You know what a caricature is – it is where the artist overemphasis one or two aspects of the person’s face. The artist will exaggerate one or two facial qualities and neglect others. It may be large ears, nose, eyes or any other aspect of the model. The minister went on to say – we do that with God. In our culture – in our time – we have over emphasized the love of God and have ignored the justice and wrath of God. But the Bible does not ignore these characters and aspects of God. Lamentations chapter three – points out that God hates sin and His wrath is directly aimed at it.
God is always a God of Justice. When it says in verse one that I am a man of affliction – it is because I deserve it. I have traveled down a road that leads to a dead end. I have seen the warning signs – they were clearly marked – yet I ignored them. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have been so foolish? Yet – I was. Now the time has arrived – I will reap what I have sown. For His rod – God’s rob – the husband of the bride’s rob – is upon me. This is not abuse – this is justice. God never abuses anyone – there is mercy and grace – but there is also justice – given out fairly and equitably. God does not abuse. He who knows all things judges the hearts of man.
God’s Punishment is Severe
1. God has driven me into the darkness – where there is not a hint of light.
2. God has turned His hand against me – over and over all day long.
3. God has caused me to physically waist away – my bones are broken – my flesh is falling off.
4. God has gripped me and encircled me with bitterness and hardship.
5. God has placed in a tomb of darkness – that is where I live.
6. God holds me in a dungeon with a heavy chain around my neck – there is no escape.
7. God does not listen to my pleads and my prayers – even though I cry out for help.
8. God has placed stone barriers in my way.
9. God has ordered my life in such a way that there is no clear direction – my path is twisted.
10. God is like a wild animal – a bear or a lion – secretly lying in wait for His prey.
11. God has torn me to pieces – turned me from my planed destination – I am desolate and devastated.
12. God has pulled back His bow – aimed his weapon at heart.
13. God has a plan for each arrow in His quiver – they will pierce the organs of my body.
14. God has made me to be the brunt of all the jokes in the neighborhood – gossip about me is everywhere.
15. God has made my life sour – He has given me vinegar for a beverage – to quench my thirst.
16. God has broken all my teeth by giving me rocks to eat.
17. God has covered me with shame – I am covered with ashes.
I have no peace – I have no happiness – I have forgotten the meaning of those words.
II. A God Of Mercy – The Faithfulness Of God
v. 18 - So I say, "My strength has perished, And so has my hope from the LORD."
v. 19 - Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
v. 20 - Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me.
v. 21 - This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
v. 22 - The LORD’S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.
v. 23 - They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.
v. 24 - "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."
v. 25 - The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.
Lamentations 3:18-25 (NASV)
Our hope is always from the Lord. Any hope outside the hope of the Lord is false hope. When all is said and done – at the end of time – all that will be left is what God has chosen. If you are outside the will of God – you will not survive. Sad – but true.
The call in verse 19 is to ask God to remember “my affliction and my wandering”. How could God forget? He never does. He is not absent-minded. He does not get holy amnesia. He knows all things – inside and out. He knows what I have suffered – and He knows my suffering. He knows the dark roads I have traveled – and the dead end of my journeys. He knows if I truly repent – or if I am putting on a pretense. The façade of my holiness – He sees through. There is no hiding from God. He knows it all – I know it all too. That is why my “soul remembers – and is humbled within me.”
This one great thing I remember – this one thing above everything else – God’s loving kindness will never cease. In fact – it is new every morning. He never runs out of loving kindness in His warehouse. Just when we think He could not possibly give us more – a new shipment arrives in the morning. They never cease – they never fail – they always work – they always accomplish their mission. There is no failure with God. He always completes what He has set out to do. Great is His faithfulness.
The most important thing of life is relationship. Who you know – counts. To follow Christ will not be a disappoint for you. To give your life to God is a great thing. But no life will begin till the seed falls to ground and is planted. From that which is buried – comes new life. For the believer here are four facts:
FACTS:
1. The Lord is my portion – (I am His)
2. The Lord is my hope.
3. The Lord is good to those who wait on Him.
4. The Lord is good to those who seek Him.
The Importance of Silence
v. 26 – It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD.
v. 27 – It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth.
v. 28 – Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid it on him.
v. 29 – Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope.
v. 30 – Let him give his cheek to the smiter; Let him be filled with reproach.
Lamentations 3:26-30 (NASV)
In these two verse we find two “It is goods” and four “Let hims”.
The two “It is goods” goes contrary to what we normally think.
It is good to wait in silence – for the salvation of the Lord. How much truth is found in this passage? We live in a noisy world. So much activity and very little silence. Yet God says, “It is good that he waits silently – for the salvation of the Lord.” Silent meditation and silent contemplation are good things – do not neglect the discipline of learning these skills. Business is the death of silence – for even though our bodies may be still our minds are racing. This is not the silence that God tells us is “Good”.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke when he is young. We would not want the yoke at anytime – yet God lets us know that when we are young is a better time to bear it. Wesley has said of this verse: “If God tame us when young, by his word or by his rod, it is an unspeakable advantage.” God’s will for our lives it that we would be changed. Change only comes with an attitude of teach ability and a spirit of being will to be molded. So – it would be better to bear the yoke in youth – rather than in old age.
In verses 28-30 we find four “Let hims”. Let him – means us.
1. Let him sit alone in silence. Solitude and meditation are good things.
2. Let him stop his talking and listen – perhaps there is hope. Allow a cob web to form in his throat.
3. Let him accept the blows of life.
4. Let him accept the shame.
God is more concerned with character building than He is with our comfort. All of these “let hims” are for our benefit.
The Mercy of God
v. 31 – For the Lord will not reject forever,
v. 32 – For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant loving kindness.
v. 33 – For He does not afflict willingly, Or grieve the sons of men.
v. 34 – To crush under His feet All the prisoners of the land,
v. 35 – To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High,
v. 36 – To defraud a man in his lawsuit-- Of these things the Lord does not approve.
v. 37 – Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it?
v. 38 – Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?
If you have sinned – if you have done wrong – and you feel guilty about it – GOOD! You should feel guilty if you have done wrong. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of our sin. If you have no conviction of your wrong doing – then something is wrong. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to keep us on track – to lead us to guide us – to direct us – and if you are sinning and feel no guilt or remorse for your wrong doing – then you need to check your relationship with God.
God will not reject His children forever. He does not turn His back on them. He may punish them for their disobedience – but even that is for a period of time. How long? God only knows – but it is not forever. Much of the grief that enters our lives is caused by our own disobedience.
But God will show compassion. God will show mercy. He is full of loving kindness. When His judgment comes – it is not haphazard. God does not walk around mad all the time – waiting to zap someone. His justice is just. He does not punish without a purpose. He who sees all things – He who knows all things – judges – justly. Therefore, when the Lord speaks – it shall come to pass.
Verses thirty one through verses thirty eight give us great insight into God’s character.
1. God will not reject forever.
2. God will have compassion on those He causes grief.
3. God does not afflict us willingly.
4. God does not deprive man of justice.
5. God does not defraud man in a lawsuit.
6. God speaks and it comes to pass.
7. God speaks the truth – both good and bad.
Man Examines Himself
v. 39 – Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins?
v. 40 – Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD.
v. 41 – We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven;
We all have walked down dead end roads. Many times we do not want to admit what we have gotten lost. Yet God knows right where we are and where we have been. If we find ourselves out in the pig-pen and come to realize that it is better to be a servant in the Father’s house than to be a swine herder – that is a good thing. Can I complain before God – for the punishment of my own sinfulness? Why should I complain – when I stand before a just God and He punishes me for my wrong doing? What I need to do – is examine my ways and return to the Lord.
The Lament Continues
v. 42 – We have transgressed and rebelled, Thou hast not pardoned.
v. 43 – Thou hast covered Thyself with anger And pursued us; Thou hast slain and hast not spared.
v. 44 – Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud So that no prayer can pass through.
v. 45 – Mere offscouring and refuse Thou hast made us In the midst of the peoples.
v. 46 – All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
v. 47 – Panic and pitfall have befallen us, Devastation and destruction;
v. 48 – My eyes run down with streams of water Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
v. 49 – My eyes pour down unceasingly, Without stopping,
v. 50 – Until the LORD looks down And sees from heaven.
v. 51 – My eyes bring pain to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city.
v. 52 – My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird;
v. 53 – They have silenced me in the pit And have placed a stone on me.
v. 54 – Waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!"
We have come to ourselves and realized our sinfulness. “How could I have been so stupid? How could I have been so foolish? What have I done?” I no longer try to pass the buck – I am to blame for where I find myself – I am at the end of a dead-end road – and I feel that God has not forgiven me.
Be careful at this point – for many times God will forgive us – where we will not forgive ourselves. But in this case God has not pardoned – His anger is still in pursuit. He is the hound of heaven – seeking to get us back home. The wrath of God is still present – perhaps the repentance is not full felt yet? Perhaps the depth of my soul has not grieved as it ought to grieve over my own sinfulness. Lessons can be learned from the chastisement of God – do not try to rush through them.
My prayer does not seem to reach to heaven – in fact I am not sure that it goes beyond the ceiling. But God has place a cloud in the way – fog blocks the path of my prayers – God does not hear. So I continue to examine myself and fine that I the “offscouring” of the pot. You know what that is – the stuff that sticks to the bottom – that no one will eat – that has be scraped so the pot can become clean and useable again.
I have become the gossip of the town – my enemies talk about me. There is disaster, destruction and devastation everywhere. My life is in ruins. I cry and cry and cry some more. I can not stop crying. I will weep until the looks down and sees me from heaven. I see my sinfulness and my eyes have caused me pain. My heart is broken in two. My life is in ruins. I am in the pit of my own affliction and feel like I am buried in the grave. The flood of my own convictions are drowning me. I am cut off – as a branch pruned from the vine. Can I bear fruit without the vine? Can I live without the vine? I am cut off!
III. A God Of Protection – Our Security Is In God
v. 55 – I called on Thy name, O LORD, Out of the lowest pit.
v. 56 – Thou hast heard my voice, "Do not hide Thine ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help."
v. 57 – Thou didst draw near when I called on Thee; Thou didst say, "Do not fear!"
v. 58 – O Lord, Thou didst plead my soul’s cause; Thou hast redeemed my life.
v. 59 – O LORD, Thou hast seen my oppression; Judge my case.
v. 60 – Thou hast seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me.
v. 61 – Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, All their schemes against me.
v. 62 – The lips of my assailants and their whispering Are against me all day long.
v. 63 – Look on their sitting and their rising; I am their mocking song.
v. 64 – Thou wilt recompense them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands.
v. 65 – Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse will be on them.
v. 66 – Thou wilt pursue them in anger and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD!
I am in the pit and cry to the Lord – I call on His name – and HE HEARS ME! His words are soft but strong. “Do not fear!” The right words – at the right time. Just when I thought that I would never hear His voice again – just when I thought all hope was lost – just when I was overwhelmed by the thoughts and fears that He was gone forever – He says: “Do not fear!” Do not fear the terror that can come with the night. Do not fear that I will ever leave you or forsake you. Do not fear that you can ever go so far from me – that I do not know exactly where you are. “Do not fear My bride – for I still love you.”
You have redeemed my life. You have seen my oppression. You know the depth of my repentance. You have seen how my own sinfulness has tormented me – judge now my case. I place my case in your hands. Please Lord do not listen to testimony of my adversary – they whisper behind my back – and much of what they say is true – I have been to pigpen – I have traveled the road that leads to the dead-end and have found myself there. Now I come to You seeking Your mercy and forgiveness. Lord forgive me.
