The Book Of Lamentations – Part 26 – God’s Deliverance From The Lowest Pit And Jeremiah’s Persecution - Chapter 3:55-57 Series

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 26 – GOD’S DELIVERANCE FROM THE LOWEST PIT AND JEREMIAH’S PERSECUTION - CHAPTER 3:55-57

In the last message we were studying the descriptive verses depicting the suffering experienced by Jeremiah, but in language that could have applied also to the survivors who were is dire straits. Verse 54 spoke of the water that flowed over the head, a feeling as if drowning. The verse before that spoke of a great silencing such as being sealed in a pit.

Here in our opening verse, the same idea of the pit gets mentioned again. We have looked at the deep turmoil of David and of our blessed Saviour as it is described in Psalms 22 and 69. The deep waters and the water flowing over the heads as if drowning in in those Psalms as was the experience of Jonah. We continue with our study.

PART [50]. I NEED YOUR HELP FROM THE PIT, THE LOWEST PIT

{{Lamentations 3:55 “I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the lowest pit.”}}

Around the last 18 to 20 verses of this chapter we have been looking at the laments of the people trying to describe their suffering. However mixed with that would be the feelings also of Jeremiah and from verse 55 to 63 the focus seems to be on Jeremiah’s sufferings when he was being persecuted. Earlier we saw how they threw him into the pit/dungeon, probably a deep one to punish and silence him, for the king and the priests and false prophets hated him and wanted to eliminate him but God preserved him and he ended up being thrown into this foul smelling cistern, but the word of God can not be bound, and the Lord delivered him out of all his troubles.

It would be hard to match this verse with the suffering Jews in Judah, and I judge it belongs to Jeremiah’s rejection, scorn and suffering. Did the Jews in Jerusalem call to the LORD in their oppression when surrounded by enemies but still unconquered? Perhaps some did. It became more vital later on. I still think it is Jeremiah in focus.

Terrible lies were told against Jeremiah; then this happened – {{Jeremiah 37:15-16 “Then the officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison. For Jeremiah had come into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell, and Jeremiah stayed there many days.”}}. The prophet was beaten and cast into the dungeon. This man of God was true to the living word of God, and to do so, and in our day too, will bring persecution and worse. Rise up, O men of God, and put your armour on! The world may treat you badly but do not be daunted.

Not long after that incident the prophet again was cast into the pit/dungeon – {{Jeremiah 38:6 “Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was NO WATER BUT ONLY MUD, AND JEREMIAH SANK INTO THE MUD.”}}

That experience was not unlike the Lord contained in His prayer on Calvary – {{Psalm 69:14 “DELIVER ME FROM THE MIRE, and DO NOT LET ME SINK. May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters.”}}. One great fear I have is being in deep water where there is no standing place and I would sink, and sometimes I think of the Titanic passengers there hopelessly in the deep waters. Nothing under my feet – how unsettling is that! Can we possibly meditate on what it meant for Jesus to utter that cry in His heart from the cross? How did the weight of our sins cause Him to sink? “Mire” was mentioned, something like loose mud, a bit like quicksand. You go deeper and deeper and despair takes over.

Why did Jesus endure all that? Why did He go to the cross in the first place? {{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.”}} For the first time in history, the whole redeemed Church will be gathered in the Rapture and found seated in heaven described in Revelation 4 and 5. {{Revelation 5:11-12 “I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was MYRIADS OF MYRIADS, AND THOUSANDS OF THOUSANDS, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing,”}}