Background
So, we have reached the
end of the book of Lamentations. It has
not been an easy book. The people of the
southern kingdom of Judah had persistently rebelled against God. God had sent prophets like Jeremiah to call
them back to himself in repentance. But
the people listened to religious teachers who told them what they wanted to
hear. These false teachers had a
theology of peace. They said, ‘look, the
temple is in Jerusalem and so there is no way that God will destroy this city. There will be no day of judgement.’ Then the day of judgement arrived. The Babylonians surrounded the city for three
years as its inhabitants died. Then they
breached the walls and took the people into exile. It is worth noting that what took place was
foretold in the book of Deuteronomy. But
there is hope for us. Deuteronomy may
have spoken of the curse for disobedience, but we know that Jesus has taken
that curse upon himself. For Deuteronomy
said, ‘cursed is anyone hung on a tree’ (cf. Galatians 3:13). Jesus hung on that tree as he died on the
cross for the curse due to our disobedience so that, in Christ, we might enjoy
God’s blessing.
There were some very
positive verses in the middle of chapter three.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come
to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (3:22-23). What amazing words to come out of Jeremiah’s
mouth, given that he is looking at the devastation caused by God’s
judgement! Even when life is hard, we
must remember that steadfast love of God.
He will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will
have compassion according the abundance of his steadfast love, for he does not
willingly afflict the children of men (3:32-33). In fact, we can look beyond any circumstance and
remember that this is how we know what love is: Christ lay down his life for us
(1 John 3:16).
So how will the short
book end? Let’s see.
Remember God (1).
Remember, O LORD, what
has befallen us; look, see our disgrace (1).
In this closing chapter
the people of Judah plead for God to restore them. The people begin by asking God to
remember. When I think of God
remembering my mind is brought to the book of Exodus, when the people were in
slavery in Egypt. During those many
days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery
and cried out for help. Their cry for
rescue from slavery came up to God. And
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with
Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the
people of Israel—and God knew (Exodus 2:23-25).
What does it mean to ask God
to remember, after all he does not have a problem with his memory? It is a call for God to do something. It is a call for God to act in line with his
promises.
One of the things that we
learn when we study the book of Lamentations is that when we are down and out,
we are to approach God with raw honesty.
Jesus asked, ‘Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight
and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived
on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and I will answer from within,
“do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in
bed. I cannot get up and give you
anything”? I tell you, though he will not
get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence
he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you’ (Luke 11:5-9).
What are the people
asking for? They want God to see their
disgrace. God had entered into a
relationship with the people of Israel and Judah. They were supposed to be a holy and special
people. But they have sinned. They have not being holy. They were supposed to be a blessing to the
nations. God has judged them and now
they lie in ruins. Things can’t stay
like this. How can God’s love and
goodness be shown to the world when his people lie in rubble?
We look at our own sin
and we think of the disgrace. We want to
be like Jesus, but in so many ways we are not.
We are crushed by the fact that oftentimes habitual sins like lust and
pride disgrace us. We struggle with
bitterness and we find it so hard to forgive.
‘Remember our disgrace Lord and change us from within.’ We pray for holiness, for we are to be God’s
holy people, and everything else is a disgrace.
Get real (2-18)
Verses two to eighteen
recall the woes that they have just experienced. They have lost the Promised Land. They have become fatherless, and their
mothers are like widows. They are
enduring economic hardship. There is
mention of terrible sexual crimes. All
the joy has gone from their hearts. ‘They
were homeless and hounded; horrified and hard-pressed; heart-broken and
hopeless. When they prayed for the disgrace
to be removed this is what they meant’ (Lee McMunn).
Why would you bother
recalling all the bad things that have happened to you? Why tell God these things, for he already
knows? It because they are not running
from reality, they are facing reality. We
aren’t simply to try to forget the terrible things that have happened to us, we
bring them to God. We don’t have to
pretend things are rosy when they are not.
We are to be real with God. But
that does not mean that we stop and wallow in self-pity. We are asking God to do something about
it. When we fall again to that same
temptation, we tell God about it, and we ask God to change us from within. When old bitterness resurfaces, we don’t hide
it from him, but ask him to give us more grace.
Where do you need to be real with God, acknowledging that things are not
as they should be, and asking him to come to the rescue?
Ask God to restore
(19-22)
In verse nineteen the
people move from their plight to focus on God’s character. But you, O Lord, reign forever; your
throne endures for all generations.
Our only hope is when God is true to himself. We appeal to the God who is slow to anger and
abounding in love. We trust the God who
does not treat us as our sins deserve but according to his loving
kindness. The God who shows faithfulness
to a faithless people. The God who loved
us before we loved him and promises to keep loving us to the end. The God who has put a new heart in us and
inclines us to follow his ways. God not
only has the ability to help us, he has the desire.
They want to be saved
from their disgrace. They want to be
restored to God. Restore us to
yourself, that we may be restored. Note that it is God who needs to work if people
are to be restored. We pray for our
non-Christian friends and neighbours that God would give them spiritual
life. We pray for those who are living the
life of a prodigal that God would bring them to their senses. We pray for ourselves, ‘create in me a clean
heart, O Lord, and renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:10).
But what do we make of
the last verse—unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain
exceedingly angry with us? Will God
restore them? Will his anger be turned
away from them? There seems to be
uncertainty for the generation that Jeremiah belongs to. One preacher explains, ‘I think this is a
great ending for an Old Testament book.
As we read it, we are being reminded that this cannot be the end of the story. It pushes us to read on as we ask, is there a
happier future?’
The truth is that there
will be dark days ahead for the people of Judah. They will endure years of exile. But has not given up on them. In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah there will
be a return and restoration, but that restoration seems incomplete. The story is not finished there. The Promised Messiah will come. He will turn people back to God. He inaugurates a new covenant where, I will
put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be my
people (Jeremiah 31:33). God turns
us back to himself. Why haven’t you
packed in your faith? Because he has kept
you from falling. Why can’t you be
content when you are distant from him?
Because he works within you to will and to act according to his good
pleasure. Why do you run home to him
when you realise that the pleasures of sin bring emptiness and pain? Because he will never stop drawing you with
chords of love.
But we know that in this
life we will not be perfect. We lie to ourselves
if we say that we have no sin (1 John 1:8).
We are now forgiven and there is no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus. But we still struggle with
temptation and sin. We are still waiting
for the day when full restoration will come.
Jerusalem was destroyed, but there is a heavenly Jerusalem that awaits
the Lord’s return (Revelation 21:1-4). On
that day we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). God’s people will be fully restored. There will be no more disgrace. God’s people will perfectly reflect God’s
glory. In the meantime, we purify
ourselves as he is pure’ (1 John 3:3).
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