Lamentations 2
-This chapter may be entitled
“God’s grief and anger over sin.” The LORD has covered the daughter of Zion
with His cloud of anger and has cast down the glory of Israel. He is not
sparing of the inhabitants in His indignation. He is cutting them off in
justified wrath and fire. He has become like an adversary to His people and
swallowed her up with destruction. The strongholds are torn down, and all that
is left is mourning and moaning. Violence has overthrown even in the appointed
meeting place of His Temple, and now the appointed feasts and Sabbath has been
caused to be forgotten. The LORD has rejected His altar and abandoned His
sanctuary. He has not restrained His punishment for disobedience this time.
Wall and rampart are destroyed. Her gates have sunk into the ground, and the
bars of security are totally broken. Israel’s “kings and princes are among the
nations; the law is no more. Her prophets find no vision from the LORD
(Lamentations 2:1-9).” The elders sit silently on the ground with dust on their
heads girded with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem have bowed their heads in
humility to the ground. There is no hope in this distress (Lamentations 2:10).
-Jeremiah’s eyes fail from the
plentiful tears; he is grieving. His spirit is greatly traumatized. His heart
is broken and “poured out on the earth.” He sees the utter destruction of his
people and the want of the faint little ones left in the land without food and
drink. He compares Judah’s ruin to the vastness of the sea with no chance of
healing. He remembers the false visions, prophecy, and oracles that lead to the
rejection of the LORD’s Word, which could have thwarted their captivity and
ruin. Now they must suffer the derision of their opponents who mock and
ridicule with disdain and selfish pleasure. Jeremiah’s summation is this, “The
LORD has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His Word which He commanded
from days of old. He has thrown down without sparing, and He has caused the
enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the might of your adversaries (Lamentations
2:11-17).”
-Though the cries now go out
after the fact, their tears will flow day and night with no relief and no rest.
They can beg in the presence of the LORD, but His annihilation was predicted
and came to pass because they paid no attention to their Sovereign
(Lamentations 2:18-22). *Application* God’s heart breaks with His judgment. He
did not want this, but He was left with no choice. He could be shamed by their
adultery with foreign gods no more. They did not heed the warning, but continued
to go their own way until all was lost. Don’t let this happen to you, your
family, your community, your region, or your nation. In fact, go ahead and
change the world if you can with the warning message of Christ. His gospel is
salvation for the repentant, but judgment for the ones who won’t believe. Turn
before it’s too late. This will make God smile because that’s His desire.
Verses to Memorize: Lamentations 2:11, 17
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