Overview
Lamentations: The people of Jerusalem are like holy stones scattered and gold that has changed and worthless. The women have become cruel as children starve. Royalty is brought low. Their punishment is worse than Sodom’s because it was in an instant. The royalty were all beautiful but now they are not recognizable. Those who were killed are happier than those who waste away. Women have eaten their children as the Lord sent his wrath on them.
No one believed anyone could conquer Jerusalem, but it was done because of the sins of the prophets and priests. They were cast out as unclean and became fugitives. No other nations wanted them. The Lord scattered them.
The people looked for help but none came. Their days were numbered and they couldn’t escape to the mountains. Their king was captured who they thought would rescue them.
Edom will rejoice but they will also be punished. Zion has had its punishment, but Edom’s sins will be revealed in its punishment.
Jeremiah asks the Lord to remember what has happened and see their disgrace. They even have to pay for water to drink and wood to burn. They let Assyria and Egypt rule them for bread to eat. Their fathers sinned and they have to bear the punishment. Those who were slaves now rule and robbers are in the wilderness. Their women are raped, princes hung by their hands, and elders dishonored. They work like slaves and here is no music or dancing but mourning. Woe to them because they have sinned.
But the Lord reigns forever. Why did God forget them for so long? Jeremiah ask the Lord to restore himself to them if he hasn’t utterly rejected them and remains angry with them.
Psalm: David praises God from his inmost being, his soul. He praises because of God’s sovereignty in forgiving our sins, healing us, and supplying our needs.
He praises God for his justice, grace, and mercy. He praises God because he is mindful of our weakness. He elaborates on God’s forgiveness for those who fear him. God has compassion on them like children.
Though people pass away quickly, God’s steadfast love continues from generation to generation of those who fear him and obey his commandments. It is because God’s throne rules over all.
David calls on the angels to praise God. They are the ones who do his will. Everyone, everywhere is to praise the Lord.
Proverbs: Sweet words from a person hide a sinful heart just like the glaze on a jar made out of dirt hides what is underneath.
Hebrews: The message from angels was severe. But Jesus has spoken to us about salvation, we must pay careful attention so that we don’t drift away from faith. The Holy Spirit has also attested to this by signs and wonders.
God didn’t give the world to angels, but to man. We were made lower than the angels for a while, but the world is under our rule. This is speaking about Jesus and everything is under his control even though it doesn’t look like it yet. He is given glory and honor because he died for everyone. Since all things exist for him and he brings us to glory, so it is right that he is the one to bring salvation though his suffering.
Jesus calls us brother and isn’t ashamed of us because he is the sanctifier and he sanctifies us. Since God is the originator of sanctification, Jesus will proclaim God’s name to his brother and we’ll trust in God.
Since his brothers, God’s children have physical bodies, Jesus took on one as well. That way he could die to conquer death and the devil. He can therefore deliver everyone from the fear of death that has captivated people. Jesus doesn’t help angel but Abraham’s offspring. He had to be fully man to help his brothers and become a merciful and faithful high priest making atonement for us. Because he suffered and was tempted he can help us when we are tempted.
What Stood Out
Lamentations: “The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem” (Lam 4:12).
Psalm: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Ps 103:10).
Proverbs: “Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart” (Prov 26:23).
Hebrews: “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17).
Insight
Lamentations: There isn’t any glimmer of hope in these last two chapters of Lamentations. The lesson to be learned is that sin always results in catastrophe. The people of Jerusalem trusted in their false prophets, their religious rituals, and the awesomely fortified city to save them. The city was so well fortified and supplied that no one on earth thought it could be conquered. No one beside Nebuchadnezzar, that is. Their pride didn’t help matters either.
Their punishment was terrible and even as Jeremiah relates it, the one who knew exactly why it was happening, he asks why and how long. Can you imagine the horror and grief that Jesus felt on the cross as he bore all our sins? He died for everyone’s sins (1 John 2:2). That means all this suffering described in Lamentations fell on him, multiplied by all the other people in the world. Note that Jeremiah adds that Edom will also be punished so Jesus took their sins also.
For every person who does not accept Jesus’ sacrifice for his sins, the horror of his own punishment will be forever. Imagine being in hell and asking how long and the answer is, “forever.” Jesus made it clear that the punishment is eternal and will not cease when he quoted Isaiah’s prophesy about the destruction of Jerusalem (Isa 66:24), “Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).
Psalm: Lamentations graphically describes God repaying Jerusalem and Judah for their sins. Then we read in Psalm 103:10 that God does not repay us for our sins. Is the Bible contradictory? How do you answer such a contrast? How do you answer the person who claims the God of the Old Testament is wrathful and angry, not at all like the God of the New Testament?
When you read Psalm 103, you discover God’s great steadfast love and patience but there is always a condition. Verse 18 reminds us that this is available to those who keep his covenant and his commandments. Lamentations is all about his recompense to those who continually, repeatedly, and blatantly disobeyed God with idol worship, child sacrifices, murder, bribery, adultery, and whatever else they could imagine. Psalm 103 is about obedience and is written by a man who did some of the very same things that caused the destruction of Jerusalem. The difference is that David repented and turned away from his sin. He asked for forgiveness. Then he could write this Psalm about God’s everlasting love.
We are all in the same sinful boat at one time of our lives. We all deserve God’s wrath because we are dead in our sins. But because of his great love for us, he made us alive in Jesus and are saved by his grace (Eph 2:3-5). Before we start complaining about God’s wrath we must get the big picture of the Bible. That picture must include Jesus on the cross demonstrating God’s love for us so we don’t have to face his wrath.
Proverbs: Do you ever think about the fact that a mug with a fine glaze on it is covering up dirt? Even worse is the fact that sometimes glaze contains lead and can cause lead poisoning when it wears away.[1]So it is with what we say. We know that our hearts, even after we become Christians, have sin in them. We often cover up the dirt and poison that lies deep in our hearts by saying what is socially correct. We can also view glaze as God’s grace to keep us in check by the power of his Holy Spirit. But that shouldn’t keep us from cooperating with the Holy Spirit to confess our sins and repent.
Hebrews: The first chapter of Hebrews established that Jesus is 100% God and with the beginning of the second chapter, the author makes sure we understand he not an angel and we really need to listen to him regarding salvation because he died for our salvation. The last part of the chapter weaves in the fact that Jesus is 100% human as well as being God. If he were not human, he would not have been able to die and defeat death’s power over us. If he were not human, he would not be able to become a priest. If he were not a priest, he would not have been able to offer a sacrifice for our atonement. If he were not human, he would not be able suffer. If he were not able to suffer, he wouldn’t have been tempted. If he were not tempted, he wouldn’t be able to help us when we are tempted.
When we think of salvation we often think only of being saved from our sins and the eternal consequences in hell. That is a big factor of salvation, but there are also other benefits. One is that we no longer have to fear death. We may not like the physical process of death, but we don’t have to fear what happens to us after death. Jesus was resurrected so we know that we will be also. He lives forever, so we will also.
Another benefit is having someone who can help us resist temptation. Jesus was tempted and knows the power of it, but he didn’t sin. Some people argue Jesus could not sin because he is 100% God and others argue he could have sinned because he is 100% man, but he didn’t. We will never settle that argument and should never let that distract us from the fact that he does help us when we are tempted. He didn’t sin and we don’t have to sin either. When we do, it is because we are not looking for his help and just doing what we want. We don’t have an excuse. We have the second person of the Trinity, Jesus, God in the flesh, who is ready and eager to help us avoid sin. Let’s welcome his help and live a godlier life.
Application
I need to look at sin the same way God does. It is bad and it has consequences. I need to look to Jesus when I’m tempted and know that I have no reason to do what I want. When I do sin, I need to confess it and repent knowing that God is merciful and has and everlasting love for me.
[1]"Lead in ceramic crockery and pottery-making," Department of the Environment and Energy, accessed October 31, 2017, http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/chemicals-management/lead/lead-in-ceramic-crockery-pottery-making.
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