Chapter 2 is a difficult read. Yahweh is fiercely angry, people die in every other verse, there are tears, starvation, and even cannibalism.

One thing I draw from it is that it’s ok to grieve over the just consequences of sin. Judah had been warned this was coming. They’ve had at least of couple of generations to repent. They didn’t. It happened. It’s horrible. They deserved it. But it’s still ok to grieve. Even though God’s punishment was just, He still inspired the writer with these songs of mourning.

God’s wrath is never separated from His love and mercy. You can’t compartmentalize God. A parent can love their child fiercely and still punish them. In fact, love makes the tough decision to address bad behavior rather than let it go unchecked which will lead to even bigger problems later.

The phony prophets had been telling the people that they were fine. I’m fine. You’re fine. Everything is fine. Babylon will NOT invade.

“Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

They were wrong. Now it’s too late. And I bet that those devastated, starving people – if they could go back and do it again – would’ve gathered the courage to face their own sinfulness and repent. No one finds it pleasant to have sin exposed. Having preachers and teachers who preach a comfortable gospel (no sin exposure or behavior change required!) – that may be more comfortable in the short term, but it has no good lasting outcome. Iniquity has to be exposed (and forsaken), then the fortunes can be restored.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭6‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

It’s always a winning move to attend to the correction of the Heavenly Father. His wounds are faithful.

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CHAPTER 3

This is the long one in the middle where each letter of the Hebrew alphabet gets 3 verses that start with that letter. It covers the whole gamut of feelings from A to Z.

Probably the most well-known verses in Lamentations are here in chapter 3:

“This I recall to my mind, Therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If you’ve ever sung the hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness, it came from this passage. There is a long list of songs inspired by these verses. We continue to find hope, even in the worst of circumstances, as the writer of Lamentations did when we remember the faithful mercies of God and that they are new every morning.

Here is one (of many) songs based on this text that I enjoy: You’ve Been So Faithful. It’s by Eddie James and we sang the Christ Church Choir arrangement back in my Bible College Choir days. It’s so good. This version feels like something I’d crank up loud if I drove a convertible and was on a scenic drive with the top down.

Verses 21-23 are not the only gem in this chapter. There is one verse that suddenly makes us realize there is a Messianic prophetic element to this lament:

“let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The first 17 verses are the writer lamenting how the LORD has afflicted him. They resonate with the grief of Christ and sound as though they could’ve come from the lips of Jesus in Gethsemane. The writer of the Lamentations- be it Jeremiah or someone else- that person was obedient to the LORD. The writer most likely did not join in with the rebellion of the people. This is a man who has been loyal to Yahweh, yet he is suffering as if he had sinned; just like Jesus.

Sometimes the righteous suffer alongside the wicked for things they didn’t do. This is the suffering of Christ: unjust suffering. And there is a knowing of Christ available through it that can be gained in no other way.

Paul’s desire was: “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

All suffering is not the same. Much of our suffering arises from our own stupidity or irresponsibility. That is not the fellowship of Jesus’ suffering. The suffering of Jesus was of a particular kind. It was undeserved.

Elizabeth Elliot often defined suffering as, “having something you don’t want, or not having something you do.”

Paul sought to know Christ across the entire spectrum of Jesus’ experience. We all like the bit about the power of His resurrection. But that’s not the whole picture. The next time you find yourself suffering through no fault of your own, instead of complaining or groaning or praying it away, how about try leaning into it to know Jesus better?

But we need discernment. We shouldn’t be quick to assume that our suffering has nothing to do with our conduct. Perhaps it does! The poet invites us to look at ourselves clearly and honestly; and not shy away from the less-than-stellar ways we have acted. And I’ll leave us with this today….

“Let’s examine and search out our ways, And let’s return to the Lord.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭40‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬