Summary: The enemy mocking and hissing at a defeated and downtrodden people was the delight of passers-by, but persecuted Christians suffer that today increasingly. It’s an ugly world when sin is in control. Wickedness these days is galloping. Do not oppose the Jew or Israel.

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 10 – A DEFEATED NATION MOCKED AND HISSED AT – GOD’S WORD NEVER RETURNS EMPTY - CHAPTER 2:15-17

Jeremiah is sometimes called “the weeping prophet,” and I like to think of him as one of the most passionate writers in the Old Testament, in fact, in all of scripture. His prophecy is full of tenderness for his people but now in Lamentations, his heart is torn apart with the sufferings of Judah. In the last message we saw that most clearly.

The prophet pleaded with his people over and over. He preached what the LORD had given him, but the idolatrous stubbornness of the nation refused to listen. Now they are downtrodden, many killed, babies and children languishing and dying and some taken away as captives. Why will people not heed what God their Maker says to them?

[1]. THE IGNOMINY OF FALSITY AND DEFEAT IS MULTIPLIED

{{Lamentations 2:15 All who pass along the way CLAP THEIR HANDS in derision at you. They hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem. “Is this the city of which they said, ‘The perfection of beauty, a joy to all the earth’?”}}

Just get a picture of this. Imagine walking along the road and your shame and judgement is known, and despised. People are cutting and hurtful; that is the old nature. People come towards you and scorn you, mock you, hiss at you, despise you and “rub your noses in it”. In our verse they clap their hands in a joyful mocking at your downfall. People are heartless in any case, but this behaviour towards the earthly people of God in their defeat, is demonic.

There have been some in this world, even in my own country, who delighted in the massacre in Israel perpetrated by Hamas 7 October 2023 when people were savagely killed and others taken captive. Some Moslems rejoiced in our streets at the death of over 1000 innocent people. There is a satanic hatred against the Jews partly promoted by the United Nations and the continual hatred for God’s people reaching right back to Genesis.

There is a huge division in mankind. If one is not under the control of God, then he/she is under the control of Satan. Jesus said this – {{Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”}} The non-Christian in many cases can be a friendly helpful person, but can turn instantly against a Christian, and the aims of the unsaved are not those of the redeemed children of God. The unsaved will mock and scorn the ones who belong to the Lord, usually not to their faces as was happening to the Jews in Lamentations 2:15, but to each other they do it, and in their hearts.

God said it not me. There are only two camps, saved and unsaved; with Christ or against Him. The bible does not allow for neutrality in this issue; either for or against.

There is something more subtle here. The Lord Jesus hung on the cross who was the guilty one, but He was mocked, despised, hissed at, and they shook/wagged their heads at Him too. The Lord is experiencing what was happening to the nation in the time of Lamentations.

Here they wagged heads and mocked – {{Matthew 27:39-40 and those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”}}

THE LORD WAS DESPISED and derided but it was for us He endured the cross while He, Himself, despised the shame and scorn, for ahead was something of the greatest treasure – {{Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, WHO FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”}}

Jeremiah prophesied what would happen to Jerusalem, and the resultant scorning against its people – {{Jeremiah 18:15-16 “For My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless gods and they have stumbled from their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, not on a highway; to make their land a desolation, AN OBJECT OF PERPETUAL HISSING. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and shake his head.”}} {{Jeremiah 19:8 “I shall also make this city a desolation and AN OBJECT OF HISSING; everyone who passes by it will be ASTONISHED AND HISS BECAUSE OF ALL ITS DISASTERS.”}}

Zephaniah takes up the same theme – {{Zephaniah 2:15 “This is the exultant city which dwells securely, who says in her heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a resting place for beasts! EVERYONE WHO PASSES BY HER WILL HISS and wave his hand in contempt.”}}

One prime aspect of the people’s mocking against the Jews in their defeat was the scorn poured upon Jerusalem – {{“Is this the city of which they said, ‘The perfection of beauty, a joy to all the earth’?”}} The enemies of God will always despise Jerusalem and mock that city. The former President of the United States does it, as did Obama, as does the Vice President (2024) Harris. Praise God it has changed in 2025. The Australian Prime Minister (Albanese); the United Kingdom Prime Minister (Starmer); the President of France (Macron); Trudeau from Canada, all hate and despise Jerusalem and the Jews. They are well supported by the United Nations.

HOWEVER, they will make no difference to God’s program because in the very near future when Jesus Christ reigns from Jerusalem over the whole earth, then Jerusalem will be the perfection of beauty and a joy to all the earth. {{Zechariah 14:9 “And THE LORD WILL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH; in that day the LORD will be the only One, and His name the only One.” Zechariah 14:16 “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”}}

I think there is no greater satanic organisation worldwide than the United Nations and this demonic mob with their associate International Court of Justice. They issue decree after decree against Israel and its Prime Minister, and Jerusalem with hatred beyond description. They exonerate the Palestinian terrorists, Hamas and Hezbollah. They scorn the Jews and their capital but it is the Lord who hisses at them! They will fall at the Second Coming when Messiah returns to rule over the earth from Jerusalem.

The inhabitants of the world must be very, very careful in what they think of Israel, and how they treat the Jews. I also mean Christians here who think they can write Israel off, and Israel’s future off, under covenant theology. The seriousness of this next verse must not be forgotten. God set the blueprint for all of earth’s history regarding Israel and the Jews here – {{Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you, and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing. I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU AND THE ONE WHO CURSES YOU I WILL CURSE. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,”}}

Job speaks of the fate of the wicked man – {{Job 27:23 “Men will CLAP THEIR HANDS AT HIM, and will HISS HIM FROM HIS PLACE.”}} Redeemed men will do that not the ungodly. Currently on this earth, many of God’s people are suffering terribly. All the time I get reports of the most brutal atrocities against Christians, mainly in many African nations, caused by satanic Islam, and in parts of the Middle East. Increasing persecution is happening throughout the world. The wicked people of the world may mock and hiss at Christians but their Lord will move in swift judgement against them when the Lord removes His precious Church to be with Him.

Do not be mistaken you who belong to Covenant Theology; the Lord has not forsaken Jerusalem and Israel will be restored and will become the chief city of the earth when the Messiah returns at the Second Coming. All the Old Testament promises for Israel will be fulfilled.

[2]. THE SATANIC GLOATING OF ISRAEL'S ENEMIES

{{Lamentations 2:16 All your enemies have opened their mouths wide against you. THEY HISS AND GNASH THEIR TEETH. They say, “We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day for which we waited. We have reached it, we have seen it.”}}

These two verses speak of a hateful – a satanic hatred – abuse of God’s people. Today we see that in Hamas and Hezbollah and Kamala Harris in the White House, in Macron from France, and others. Now at the beginning of 2025 there is an increasing move to anti-Semitism throughout the world. In fact this evil move is rapidly overtaking the world. Barely a handful of nations support Israel at the United Nations; I think about 7 or 8, on the votes taken. This hatred comes from universities, socialist governments, and especially many media outlets.

What is behind it? People in those positions do not sit and evaluate logically and honestly, but push ahead with notions and opinions and their own leanings. But from where do those notions and leanings originate? It is none other than giving voice and actions to the greatest hater of Israel, and that is the devil who works towards the destruction of God’s earthly people. These haters of Israel simple hate Israel for no logical reason, only because they are demonically deceived.

Those who persecute Israel and the Jews will almost certainly not read this, but if they did I present them with an undeniable eternal principle first given to Abraham – {{Genesis 12:2-3 “and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing. I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU AND THE ONE WHO CURSES YOU I WILL CURSE. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,”}}. That will bring most of the world under the curse of God, and you who claim to be Christian, do not dismiss Israel or show hatred to the Jews, or support Israel's enemies, or seek what is called “A two State (Palestinian) Solution,” for the land is Israel's – {{Genesis 15:17-18 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I HAVE GIVEN THIS LAND FROM THE RIVER OF EGYPT AS FAR AS THE GREAT RIVER, THE RIVER EUPHRATES:”}}

Lamentations 2:16 - They say, “We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day for which we waited. We have reached it, we have seen it.” That is exactly what the United Nations wants; and Hamas and Iran and Hezbollah, and the ICC and ICJ. The Moslems chant, “From the River to the Sea,” but God says, “From the River to the River.”

[3]. THE WORD OF GOD NEVER RETURNS EMPTY TO HIM

{{Lamentations 2:17 “The LORD has done what He purposed. HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED HIS WORD which He commanded from days of old. He has thrown down without sparing, and HE HAS CAUSED THE ENEMY TO REJOICE OVER YOU. He has exalted the might of your adversaries.”}}

The LORD is seen here as the Operator of good and evil; of blessing and cursing; of prosperity and judgement. In regard to His own nation Judah, all He purposed in its overthrow had come to pass. All is according to His divine word spoken through the prophets, for the way God will act in His creation is laid out in His inspired word.

The expression used here, “from days of old”, tells how long ago these principles were established. Before the Israelites entered the promised land, God spelt out to then what obedience and disobedience would mean at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerezim. Obedience meant the prosperity of God in the land, and disobedience meant expulsion from the land. Prophet after prophet reminded the people of this, but they never listened or learned from their mistakes.

God is longsuffering not willing that any of His people would perish, or that the nation would be condemned and expelled, but the people never listened. They willfully sinned in idolatry and corruption while faithful prophets preached their hearts out for the people’s return but to no avail. For hundreds of years the longsuffering LORD gave the nation one opportunity after another to repent but they always refused. The false prophets and the priests and elders were driving them to destruction.

God is not mocked and His word never returns empty to Him. It will always accomplish the purpose for which it was given. God promised deliverance for the Jews in the exodus and here it happens – {{Exodus 14:13 but Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.”}} David knew he could trust God’s word for God is faithful – {{Psalm 138:8 “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me. Your loving-kindness, O LORD, is everlasting. Do not forsake the works of Your hands.”}}

Isaiah and Jeremiah, along with many unnamed prophets warned the people what the consequences of their sin would be, but the people ignored God and persecuted and killed the prophets. The hour of accountability arrived with Assyria overthrowing the northern kingdom of Samaria/Israel and the southern kingdom overturned by the Babylonians. These overthrows are attributed to the LORD because His will executed them as the last resort. The people loved their sin and refused to repent. The godless nations rejoiced over God’s earthly people.

God is always in control even when things don’t look good and our lives suffer hardship. Endurance is a sound biblical word, as are opposition and persecution. Those who live for God will know the wrath of the enemy – {{2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. For us, His redeemed, He is accomplishing His word.”}}

This world stands at the brink of a judgement unlike any it has seen before, for the word of God has promised 7 years of the most severe wrath of God against a sinful world. The nations have switched off the channel of the divine word, but that word will be accomplished in the Tribulation after the rapture of the Church. The last book of the bible has it all mapped out.