Lamentations 3

This is the third acrostic lamentation of Jeremiah. In this one, each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet is used three times.

As I've pointed out before in these late days of Judah, sin doesn't only affect the sinner. We also affect those around us, our relationship with God, and the environment around us. In this case, we see that although Jeremiah walked rightly before God, he suffered right alongside his fellow Hebrews. And because God was so big on symbolism and object lessons with Jeremiah, I'm guessing his suffering will mirror the message he has for his people.

It's so sad to read of all of the ways Jeremiah suffered, again as a mirror to the people:

• see affliction by God's rod of wrath
• walking in darkness, not light (stuck in a cistern)
• His hand turned against him (must have felt like all of the retaliation was sanctioned by the One who sent him into the lion's den
• caused flesh and skin to waste away plus broken bones (tortured by the King of Judah)
• "He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship." v.5
• made to dwell in dark places, like the dead (again, in the cistern)
• walled in with a heavy chain
• cries for help god unheard
• blocked and crooked path
• hunted by a bear or lion; torn to pieces and made desolate
• took aim with His bow; shot through in his innards
• made him a laughingstock with mocking
• filled him with bitterness
• broke his teeth and left him cowering
• his soul knows no peace; forgetting happiness
• his strength and hope are gone

What a heartbreaking lamentation. That's hard to read. I know I deserve all of that, just like Judah, but not Jeremiah. He suffered so much. I know his reward will be great in heaven. God is good.

Now Jeremiah also turns from his own misery to the greatness of God—our only hope and future.

He summarizes his affliction, wandering, and bitterness and his soul is brought low. But here's what he focuses on for hope:

²² The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3: 22-26

We're promised that when we bring our anxieties to the Lord, with Thanksgiving, He gives us the peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:6–7) Few people will know the kind of pressure, suffering, and anxiety that Jeremiah experienced; but we see in the above verse the kind of peace promised in Philippians:

• God's lovingkindness
• unfailing compassion
• new every morning
• great faithfulness
• to know our portion is rooted in the Holy One
• hope that patience will bear fruit for those who wait on the Lord
• salvation

These are promises worth more than gold. And if you can lay hold of that kind of hope, literally buried up to your waste, trapped in a closed cistern...what a testimony.

Starting in verse 27, the tone changes again from personal to third person:

• It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth.
• Let him sit alone and be silence since He has laid it on him.
• Let him put his mouth in the dust,
• Perhaps there is hope.
• Let him give his cheek to the smiter,
• Let him be filled with reproach.

³¹ For the Lord will not reject forever,
³² For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.
³³ For He does not afflict willingly
Or grieve the sons of men. Lamentations 3:31–33

We've seen this to be true as we've read through the major prophets. His rejection is never forever. He is long suffering and always provides for a remnant. His character is that of love.

It is not in His character to have to bring grief, or crush prisoners under His feet, or deprive men of justice, or to defraud a man. He does not approve of these things. But if these things come to pass, it is the Lord that commanded it–bot good and ill (verses 33-38).

I know what you're thinking. Because I was thinking it too. And God knew we were all thinking it, because He answers us, starting in verse 39. Why is any sinful man complaining about what the Lord commands. Search your own heart and then return to the Lord (verse 40). Stretch out our hearts and hands to heaven; we have transgressed and have not been pardoned (v. 41-42).

We have no business judging the Judge. We sinned; we're serving our punishment. We are at His mercy. That's it. We have no standing to complain.

Starting in verse 43, we read what's happening with God during this turmoil:

• He is covered in anger and pursues us
• He's placed a barrier so that no prayer gets through

The thing about blocking prayer is interesting. There are multiple places He warns about not hearing prayer. It makes me wonder why. He could just ignore the prayer or deny it; but He blocks its. I( wonder if that's because He is so merciful and loving.

Then more description about the state of the Hebrew people, Jeremiah includes himself in this:

• He made us unclean and un-useful to those around us
• our enemies all having something to say about us
• panic, pitfall,m devastation, destruction

And then Jeremiah makes it personal:

• He cries a river for the daughter of his people (he has repeatedly come back to the women and children)
• He sobs unstoppable

Until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven. Lamentations 3:50

• Jeremiah repeated that seeing the women of the city bring his eyes pain and to his soul
• his enemies hunted him down
• they silenced him
• placed him in a pit
• placed a stone on him in torture
• then poured water over him

And those were his own people (see Jeremiah 38:6). This isn't a reflection on the Babylonians here; but the corrupt and evil leadership of Judah.

The rest of the chapter is a prayer:

• He calls to the Lord from this lowest point: tortured in a pit by hos own people and watching the women and children dying from the Babylonian invasion.
• Jeremiah then praises the Lord:
  • The Lord DOES hear his cry for relief.
  • The Lord drew near to Jeremiah when he called (notice he didn't save Jeremiah yet; but was with him in his despair.)
  • The Lord tells Jeremiah not to be afraid.
  • The Lord redeemed him. (which may seem odd, since Jeremiah was being unfairly tortured; but God knew why.)
  • The Lord saw the oppression and judged Jeremiah's case
  • The Lord saw all the terrible thing they did to Jeremiah and the things they said
  • Jeremiah is confident the Lord will give them what they deserve.
  • He goes into detail what Jeremiah thinks God will do and why.

A simple formula. He's my prayer; here's who I know God to be, praise His name; here's my confidence that God will take care of this. Amen.