The second book of Jeremiah is called Lamentations. It is a book that relieves and cries at the state of Judah who went from being “the apple of the Lord’s eyes” to His enemies. In it, Jeremiah recalls the height from which Jerusalem has fallen down, he brings us closer into what being separated from the LORD meant for him and his people (at least those who feared the LORD). As I was reading it this week, I was amazed at the ability Jeremiah had to pen down his emotions and describe clearly what was going on or how he perceived the situation the nation was going through. Men in today’s world are not this “in touch” with their emotions, it seems countercultural and even weak, but the Bible knows too well how to tear down any of our worldly misconception about identity, doesn’t it? Having said that, in this post, I would like to talk about two truths that stood out in my reading of Lamentations and other passages this week. First, lamenting is an acceptable way of crying out to the LORD and when done right, it turns our attention to GOD. Second, in our lamenting, we have the assurance that when we call on the Name of the LORD, He answers us.
In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah paints the picture of one who is living in the misery of his sin. The book is not written from a future stance but from a past and present one. Jeremiah describes what his city, the city of GOD has become, he describes how painful it is to once have been a blessed nation, to have had in abundance and now to be plagued by famine to the point of having compassionate women eat their sons’ flesh (Lamentations 4:10). He describes how Jerusalem, the Daughter of Zion who was once a strong nation has been torn down, how her king and princes exiled; he describes how the nation with a great identity like theirs has become one who relies on her enemies to survive, what a disaster! I suspect if king David could see what was happening to Judah, he would have been very disappointed and asked to die. Indeed, his worst nightmare as inferred from some of his prayers were coming to pass. Those prayers were often to not let his enemies see his downfall or gloat over him (Psalm 25:2; Psalm 35:19). For David, it was better to fall into the hands of GOD but not into the hands of men (2 Samuel 24:14). Obviously, the state of Judah happened because of their sin against the LORD and He was giving them over to the hands of their enemies. Indeed, the word of GOD spoken to Moses their forefather was coming to pass. In Deuteronomy 28, the LORD had promised blessings to Israel if she obeyed His commandments and curses if she disobeyed. He said “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your GOD, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 30:19). This warning was given long before Jeremiah and his contemporaries were born yet they were still subject to the commandment as it still stood. Moreover, the commandment was not new to them. This means, when Jeremiah is crying at the state of his land and his people, he is not crying like someone who is taken by surprise, he knew this was coming. However, his cry reminds us of the pain of suffering even when we know it will come. Sometimes, all we can do in the midst of our pain is simply to cry at our misery. This was not a time for Jeremiah to tell his contemporaries: “I told you guys, I warned you that this would happen, but you did not listen to me”, no, Jeremiah was simply mourning. This tells me that whenever someone is lamenting, do not be quick to judge or offer counsel, however wise you may think it is. Often time, the one lamenting is well aware of his or her situation and the circumstances that led them to it. Lamenting is simply their outlet before the LORD.
Lamenting is not complaining and accusing GOD because Jeremiah does none of that. He simply recounts what has happened to his people, tells the sin of its leaders and calls out their bad leadership that brought them to this dire situation, he states what they have become and even looks to GOD for deliverance. Furthermore, in the book, we read of an instance when a man was in distress and the LORD came to his rescue after he called upon him for help (chapter 3). As the man says “The LORD is my portion; I will wait for him. The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait patiently for the salvation of the LORD” (Lamentations 3:24-26). Somehow, this is the truth Jeremiah held onto and was saved. Despite everything around him including his countrymen screaming abandonment and probably cursing the LORD, Jeremiah knew that the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was a covenant keeping GOD. He knew that the same GOD he served was faithful, he had seen GOD act in the past on his behalf, and he knew GOD to be true to His words so Jeremiah decided to put his full trust in the LORD even if his eyes could not see the end from where he stood. Jeremiah teaches us that when we are in distress, we must call upon the LORD, we must remain humble before Him and wait for him, sitting alone in silence before Him (Lamentations 3:28). The Bible is filled with similar verses that encourage us to call upon the Name of the LORD in our distress because He hears us and answers (Psalm18:6). For example, Psalm 145 says “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them” (Psalm 145:18-19). These are truths we cannot forget, we must believe them and take them to heart for our GOD is not a man that He should lie nor is He the son of man that He should repent. As He tells us in His words, just as the rain and snow do not come down from heaven and return without watering the earth, making it bud and flourish, in the same way His word does not go out of His mouth and return empty without accomplishing all that He has purposed (Isaiah 55:10-11). This is the GOD we serve.
I know it is a big challenge for us to trust in the promises of the LORD when we are before difficulties or when we have gone through the same issues and asked the LORD for help but have not received an answer yet. In those moments, it is hard to trust that the LORD has not changed and that He is true to His words, but we are called to trust Him. We are called to not give up, to not grow weary in doing what is good for we will receive our harvest at the right time if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). Moreover, those of us in Christ are not of the ones who give up and are destroyed but we belong to those who have faith and are saved (Hebrews 10:39). So, again, let me encourage you to keep at it, to do it again because just as it was for Cornelius, your appointed time will come, and it will be said that “your prayer has been heard and your alms remembered before God” (Acts 10:31). Amen.
A Word Aptly Spoken 