THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 27 – PERSECUTION AND OPPRESSION AGAINST GOD’S PEOPLE – WICKED SCHEMES - CHAPTER 3:58-60
Jeremiah pleads his case with the Lord and that we saw last time. He was delivered from the lowest pit and similar experiences met David, Jonah and the Lord. We looked at them. Also we could include in a lesser way, Joseph in Potiphar’s prison. This present study looks at the prophet’s prayer to God and his acknowledgements of God’s help. The next 4 verses are addressing God by Jeremiah for Jeremiah.
PART [53]. THE PROPHET IN GOD’S REDEMPTION
{{Lamentations 3:58 “O Lord, You pleaded my soul’s cause. YOU HAVE REDEEMED MY LIFE.”}}
Through his ministry this was a continuing service God rendered. The prophet was in His hands and He rescued and preserved him many times. When I read Jeremiah, at times I think he was a bit like the Apostle Paul in regard to difficulties; maybe not the same exactly, but the overall conflicts. Consider these –
{{2 Corinthians 1:8-10 “for we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of OUR AFFLICTION which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, WE HAD THE SENTENCE OF DEATH WITHIN OURSELVES in order that we should NOT TRUST IN OURSELVES, BUT IN GOD who raises the dead, WHO DELIVERED US from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us - He on whom we have set our hope, and He will yet deliver us – “}}
{{2 Corinthians 7:5-6 “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were AFFLICTED ON EVERY SIDE - CONFLICTS WITHOUT, FEARS WITHIN, but God who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus,”}}
{{2 Corinthians 11:26 “I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, DANGERS FROM MY COUNTRYMEN, dangers from the Gentiles, DANGERS IN THE CITY, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, DANGERS AMONG FALSE BRETHREN.”}} Jeremiah had a lot of danger among false prophets. They had the support of the king and it was always a battle. He lived in very troubling times but the LORD delivered him.
Redemption means to buy back again through the payment of a price. God redeemed Jeremiah by renewing him, preserving him, “paying off” the enemies (bad payment for them – perished in the disaster that overtook the city).
The LORD redeemed Jeremiah from the pit. He was rescued. Look at what happened to Job – {{Job 33:28 “HE HAS REDEEMED MY SOUL FROM GOING TO THE PIT, and my life shall see the light.”}}. I think what Job is saying is that the LORD redeemed him so that he did not die. It is a picture about being in a pit shut up, not a literal one, and when released he will see the light of day.
Our salvation is like that. We are rescued from Satan’s prison pit and we come out to see the light. We see the light of the Light of the World and understand what great things the Lord has done for us. We then walk in spiritual freedom.
PART [54]. IN OPPRESSION JUDGE MY CASE
{{Lamentations 3:59 O LORD, “YOU HAVE SEEN MY OPPRESSION. Judge my case.”}}
This is the prophet speaking but what is said could also be uttered by the surviving remnant of Judah. Not very often do we think of the hard lives the prophets had because they were always persecuted and judged. In the end Isaiah was sawn in two when alive. Such is the hate of Satan against God’s own people, and not just the prophets. Today it happens all over the world with horrible atrocities coming especially from satanic Islam. We see it especially so in Africa.
The western media is corrupt. It makes up stories about the alleged atrocities of Israel against the people of Gaza but will not touch the enormous suffering of Africans under the satanic hand of Islam. All will be accountable for this evil, but we live at the end of the Church age when Satan’s power in the world is exploding because it is the last days. African Christians, be courageous, because the Lord is still on the throne and He remembers His own.
Islam passes itself off as a peaceful religion, one of history’s greatest lies, but we know decisively that it has always been warlike and conquers by terror, fear and subjugation. The western nations have allowed themselves to come under the yoke of Islam through immigration and continuing denial that Islam only wants total domination. Already we are seeing the trouble in nearly every western nation. Things are especially bad in the United Kingdom and France and increasing in Australia, but the United States is not seeing that trouble because they have not been importing Islam like others.
Something you might want to investigate – Allah is a Baal god adopted as a monotheistic religion at the beginning.
Today, all over the world, in line with 2 Timothy 3, God’s people are entering deeper oppression and this Jeremiah verse can be their catch cry. Jeremiah is confirming that God knows his oppression and asks that God judges his case. That means deliverance and judgement (vengeance, retribution, etc.) upon the enemies. All through his life the prophet had this opposition but we must be careful here for this verse is to apply to the situation after the defeat by Babylon. Jeremiah suffered oppression even under Babylon, but it is the nation that is suffering great oppression (caused by themselves).
I think a lot of Christians don’t pay much attention to this verse – {{2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus WILL BE persecuted.”}} I have emphasised two words. No one likes persecution and try to avoid it. As Christians, there is a great danger in that, by trying to avoid it, we are in danger of compromise and our faith becomes weakened. My opinion is that the more godly we desire to become (closer to the heart of God) then the greater the persecution will be. Just take a look at the committed, sold out prophets and righteous believers of the Old Testament – {{Hebrews 11:36-37 “and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated.”}}
In this verse 59, it could also be the survivors calling on God to note their oppression and judge their case. Jeremiah may be calling out in a mediatorial way on behalf of his people. There could be the double application though it applies to Jeremiah most certainly.
So much of the inhumanity and violence against Christians seems to go unanswered as if God is not aware of the plight of His believers. This is very much so in parts of Africa today. However in the age of grace, God is not intervening in every case but the oppression is NOT going unnoticed. When God judges each case, and each sin, and each atrocity, it will be at the great white throne, and each hurt and violence and oppression against a believer will be judged and punished. Persecutors will get away with nothing, not one jot or tittle.
PART [55]. THE ENEMY’S VENGEFUL SCHEMES
{{Lamentations 3:60 “You have seen all their vengeance, ALL THEIR SCHEMES AGAINST ME.”}}
Jeremiah faced frequent attacks from false priests, false prophets and wicked leaders such as the elders. They were a vengeful people who hated goodness and righteousness. The sons of darkness will always persecute the sons of light because their evil deeds are exposed by the righteousness of the sons of light. That is why they attack and scheme according to plans by their head, Satan.
The prophet knows God is aware of all these evil schemes and their persecution. He had experienced it often. However, here, we have this situation again where this could be the cry of the survivors, or of Jeremiah’s identification with his people. If we move it away from Jeremiah himself, then the schemes would be the planning against the survivors to kill them or starve them. Also the vileness of the Moabites was known as they ambushed the Jews, murdering them out on the roads and stealing everything they got their hands on.
Vengeance and schemes – all known to God, but the ones suffering could only plead with the LORD for deliverance. It is like that with us too – {{Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.}} All we can do is commit and rest. Commit your way to the Lord and let your matters rest in His hands. Be certain that as the final days of the end of the age advance, then more and more godlessness will happen and more and more persecution will come.
Be not discouraged at the oppression you face, and the evil schemes against you because you belong to Christ. It will come as we looked at in the previous verse. Be prepared and know that the Lord is strong. Some think that God has forgotten them when they enter stormy troubles and evil scheming against them. It is not so. Jesus knows all about your troubles. He keeps you. In the end it is God who overcomes – {{Psalm 21:11-12 “Though they intended evil against You and devised a plot, they will not succeed, for You will make them turn their back. You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces.”}}. Please, never give up on God as some do like those where the seed fell in shallow soil.
Because wickedness hates God, it also hates God’s believers and persecutes them sorely.
The world rejects the saved of God,
And persecutes them sorely.
It hates the ones who love the Christ,
And treats them very poorly.
HOWEVER God’s word is true and says this – {{Psalm 37:12-13 “The wicked plots against the righteous, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him for He sees his day is coming.”}}. Yes! The day of judgement is coming when all will give account.
There is a marked division between the righteous and the unrighteous; evil and good; light and darkness. Because the people of God have the Holy Spirit, they have the wisdom of God and see things according to God’s perspective. That is why it is so frustrating for Christians to see their governments legislating for the protection of homosexuality, and the abortion clinics everywhere at taxpayers’ expense. The world’s wisdom is Satan’s foulness. The Church’s wisdom is that of God Himself.
God’s word states that very clearly – {{Proverbs 28:5 “EVIL MEN DO NOT UNDERSTAND JUSTICE, but those who seek the LORD understand all things.”}}. That is the reason why evil decisions are made and called good. That is why Christians are persecuted and the world thinks it is a good thing. The warped values are considered the correct ones and the deviant Christians need to be put in their place. There is satanic hatred against them and the perpetrators with their evil schemes, think they are going no wrong.
