Summary: Such devastation produced suffering and suffering ended in great misery, so much so that Jeremiah wept constantly for his people of Judah. This is a sad part of the book of Lamentations, but we must not neglect the book because of that. It is God’s inspired word. It teaches us much.

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 24 – CRY OF MISERY AND MUCH WEEPING FOR THE CONDITIONS BEING ENDURED. JEREMIAH IS THE WEEPING PROPHET - CHAPTER 3:47- 51

The laments from the survivors of the Babylonian genocide continue. These people were in a miserable state and they were starving with skin slippery like wood and some resorted to cannibalism. The people were desperate and were trying to come to grips with their condition. They had realised that the whole fault lay with them for they insulted the LORD with their continued idolatry and violence and corruption. The lamenting continues.

PART [42]. JUST MISERY AND EVEN MORE MISERY

{{Lamentations 3:47 “PANIC and PITFALL have befallen us, DEVASTATION and DESTRUCTION.”}}

The English translation in the NASB unintentionally uses alliteration though I am sure it is not in the Hebrew. All four words are miserable, used to shed some light on the woefulness of their situation. It does not take much to set an audience in a panic, and some of the worst panics have seen people crushed. It is as if all understanding has gone and unreasoned dread takes over.

Jeremiah can only be the mouthpiece for the populace being killed, but the horrors did not end there. The survivors had to live with their lot and these 4 words give indication of how they lamented their situation. Being powerless against the enemy is a heart-rending set of emotions. Today, it can happen to Christians falsely accused and even suffering worse things. We are so thankful that this world is not our home and we are just passing through.

I won’t add any more, for to drag out that suffering is unpleasant.

PART [43]. THE SENSITIVE PROPHET IS CRYING BECAUSE OF THE DESTRUCTION

{{Lamentations 3:48 “MY EYES run down with streams of water because of the destruction of THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE.”}}

In the next 12 or so verses we have a series of personal pronouns that I find a bit difficult to assign either to Jeremiah or to the nation in its grief. In fact, most of the time I think the application is made to both.

In this verse 48 I think this section is introduced by the prophet speaking of himself. It is his eyes that pour out tears because the destruction has been so great. The expression “daughter of my people” is more likely to be the prophet speaking his own emotion. “The daughter of my people” is a tender means of identification, just like a father lamenting over the loss of his daughter. It speaks of the depth of connection between Jeremiah and his sinful nation that finally came under judgement.

This expression “daughter of my people” is used elsewhere in scripture. Interestingly it was used by Isaiah over 100 years before the destruction actually occurred and you can see the strong similarity with Lamentations. {{Isaiah 22:3-5 “All your rulers have fled together and have been captured without the bow. All of you who were found were taken captive together though they had fled far away. Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me. Let me weep bitterly. Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE,” for the Lord GOD of hosts has A DAY OF PANIC, subjugation and confusion in the valley of vision, a breaking down of walls and a crying to the mountain.”}}. That is a remarkable prophecy but not unexpected because all biblical prophecy is real and accurate, not like the pretend so-called prophecy we hear of today.

Speaking of the coming judgement early in his ministry Jeremiah pronounced this – {{Jeremiah 4:11 In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE - not to winnow, and not to cleanse,”}}

There are another 9 exact expressions in Jeremiah but I will give just one more -

Jeremiah 8:22 “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE been restored?” Jeremiah 9:1 “Oh, that my head were waters, and MY EYES a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE!”

The expressions in this verse (3:48) indicate intensity. He does not use crying or weeping but “streams of water” and “fountain of tears”. Jeremiah was a deep feeling prophet because he was so close to the heart of God and his sensitivities were assaulted by the violent destruction. Did you notice how similar Jeremiah 8:22 and Lamentations 3:48 are?

PART [44]. CONTINUAL WEEPING FOR THE DEVASTATED PEOPLE

{{Lamentations 3:49 “MY EYES pour down unceasingly, without stopping,”}}

Parallelism is engaged linking this verse with 48 and emphasises the fact that there is so much weeping. The grief is beyond description and Jeremiah becomes a fountain of anguish for his people. He wept over them as did his Lord more than 500 years later, but in a different manner – {{Matthew 23:37-38 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate,}}

David wept also and used the eyes in his description as did Jeremiah – {{Psalm 119:136 “MY EYES SHED STREAMS OF WATER because they do not keep Your law.”}}. The sons of Korah also experienced this weeping – {{Psalm 88:8-9 “You have removed my acquaintances far from me. You have made me an object of loathing to them. I am shut up and cannot go out. MY EYE HAS WASTED AWAY because of affliction. I have called upon You every day, O LORD. I have spread out my hands to You.”}}

Jesus wept over sin, and for people’s grief. I ask myself, “How am I affected by all this?” What about you? I don’t weep that way. Maybe I am made differently but we can feel the anguish inside. It is a long way off yet, but we rejoice in this future state – {{Revelation 21:4 “and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall no longer be any death. There shall NO LONGER BE ANY MOURNING, OR CRYING, OR PAIN. The first things have passed away.”}}

PART [45]. GRIEF CONTINUES UNTIL . . .

{{Lamentations 3:50 “UNTIL THE LORD looks down and sees from heaven.”}}

The verse here links with the two previous ones. Jeremiah’s deep weeping continues (and is symbolic for Israel's weeping), but one day the night will end and the new day will dawn. For Israel, the weeping will end at the Second Coming when Messiah returns and restores His people Israel.

In a providential way even today the Lord looks down from heaven for the welfare of His people. He sees all and the thoughts and intents of every heart are known to Him. The way God has undertaken for Israel in the horrors of 2023-2025 is nothing but spectacular and all rests in this verse – {{Isaiah 54:17 “NO WEAPON THAT IS FORMED AGAINST YOU SHALL PROSPER and EVERY TONGUE THAT ACCUSES YOU IN JUDGMENT YOU WILL CONDEMN. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.”}}

When the Church departs and God again turns towards Israel in the Tribulation, Israel responds and will be saved. Then the Messiah Jesus descends to the Mount of Olives and lives among His people and reigns from Jerusalem. Indeed He will look down and see and His earthly people come into marvellous blessing. I have selected three passages from the latter part of Isaiah that speak of that blessing. Blessing! Not violence and destruction, the weeping of Lamentations.

For 2 500 years Israel has been passing through the valley of sorrow, but one day soon it will dwell with Messiah reigning from Jerusalem. The dark night will give way to the everlasting rays of the Sun of Righteousness who comes to then with healing in His wings. Once His feet touch the Mount of Olives enormous and immediate changes take place. {{Zechariah 14:4 “And in that day HIS FEET WILL STAND ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.”}}

{{Isaiah 60:18-21 “VIOLENCE will not be heard again in your land, nor DEVASTATION OR DESTRUCTION within your borders but you will call your walls ‘salvation’, and your gates ‘praise’. No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light, but you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory. Your sun will set no more, neither will your moon wane for you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be finished. Then all your people will be righteous. THEY WILL POSSESS THE LAND FOREVER, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.”}}

{{Isaiah 61:6-7 “but you will be called the priests of the LORD. You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations and in their riches you will boast. INSTEAD OF YOUR SHAME you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land. EVERLASTING JOY WILL BE THEIRS.”}}

{{Isaiah 65:17-21 “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind, but be glad and rejoice forever in what I create, for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people, and there will NO LONGER BE HEARD IN HER THE VOICE OF WEEPING AND THE SOUND OF CRYING. No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days, for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred shall be thought accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them. They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”}}

PART [46]. THE EYES BEHOLD AND FEED AGONY

{{Lamentations 3:51 “MY EYES BRING PAIN to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.”}}

Verses 51-54 are the ravished nation’s survivors crying out to their God, not so much what Jeremiah had experienced, but as I said earlier, the two sets of emotions bounce back and forth.

A blind man does not see the misery around him, but his other senses when enhanced, can detect that misery. The sighted person looked on the killing and women having their babies ripped out and all the other despicable things that were done to the Jews in the Babylonian invasion. The eyes relayed to the brain/soul the scenes of inhumanity, cruelty and torture.

Hell today is full of inhumane people and those who perpetrated evil upon others. It is overflowing with those who despised God and sealed their own fate. Is it the correct thing to say they deserve to be there? Some would challenge you if you said that, telling you that you don’t have love or forgiveness. The cruelty against the Jews and Christians through history including the Roman times and the cruel tortures of the Roman Catholic church for many centuries, does not go unpunished; WILL not go unpunished. Justice must have its day and certainly will in God’s economy.

Although the setting for this next verse is in the Tribulation when God’s judgements are being poured out, I think there is a principle here that we can’t readily dismiss – {{Revelation 16:6 “for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. THEY DESERVE IT.”}}

Hell is filled with unrepentant sinners. It is critically important that each one examines himself to see if he is really in the faith because life is very brief, like the binding of a sheaf, like the falling of a leaf, so be in time. All those in hell after the Millennial reign of Christ in Jerusalem, will be judged at the great white throne of Revelation 20 and will end up in the lake of fire. These are not fairy tales. It is so real that Christ gave His life for the world so that no one might enter the lake of fire.

The prophet’s pain was caused by the suffering of his fellow Jews. The reference to daughters of my city, is not select gender based, as in the women/females. It is the populace that has been born there over centuries. That is true identification where the prophet identified with his own nation. Identification is what Christ did when He came at the first Advent. He came unto His own but His own did not receive Him.