LAMENTATIONS 3 A

Jeremiah describes his suffering verse 1- 6

I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of HIS wrath
HE has led me – and brought me into darkness – but not into light
surely against me is HE turned
HE turned HIS hand against me all the day
My flesh and my skin has HE made old
HE has broken my bones
HE has built against me
and compassed me with gall and travail
HE has set me in dark places – as they that be dead of old

Jeremiah shuts out his prayers verse 7- 15

HE has hedged me about – that I cannot get out
HE has made my chain heavy
also when I cry and shout
HE shuts out my prayer
HE has enclosed my ways with hewn stone
HE has made my paths crooked
HE was unto me as a bear lying in wait
and as a lion in secret places
HE has turned aside my ways – and pulled me in pieces
HE has made me desolate
HE has bent his bow – and set me as a mark for the arrow
HE has caused the arrows of HIS quiver
to enter into my reins
I was a derision to all my people
and their song all the day
HE has filled me with bitterness
HE has made me drunken with wormwood

Jeremiah seemed to be in a hopeless situation verse 16- 18

HE has also broken my teeth with gravel stones
HE has covered me with ashes
And YOU have removed my soul far off from peace
I forgot prosperity
And I said
My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD

Jeremiah remembers hope in the LORD                              verse 19- 21

Remembering mine affliction and my misery
the wormwood and the gall
My soul has them still in remembrance – and is humbled in me
            this I recall to my mind – therefore have I hope

Jeremiah remembers the mercy of the LORD                      verse 22- 27

It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed
BECAUSE HIS compassions fail not
they are NEW every morning
            GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS
The LORD is my portion – says my soul
THEREFORE will I hope in HIM
The LORD is good unto them that wait for HIM
to the soul that seeks HIM
It is good that a man should both hope
and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth

Jeremiah reminds youth to learn in silence verse 28- 33

He sits alone and keeps silence
BECAUSE he hath borne it upon him
he puts his mouth in the dust
if so be there may be hope
he gives his cheek to him that smites him
he is filled full with reproach
For the Lord will not cast off forever
BUT though HE cause grief
YET will HE have compassion according to the
multitude of HIS mercies
                        for HE does not afflict willingly
                                    nor grieve the children of men

Jeremiah reminds all of the justice of the LORD verse 34- 39

To crush under HIS feet all the prisoners of the earth
to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High
to subvert a man in his cause – the Lord approved not
Who is he that says – and it comes to pass
when the Lord commands it not?
Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good?
wherefore does a living man complain
a man for the punishment of his sins?

Jeremiah reminds all to examine their ways verse 40- 42

Let us search and try our ways – and turn again to the LORD
let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens
We have transgressed and have rebelled
YOU have not pardoned

Jeremiah’s heart is broken over judgment of Jerusalem verse 43- 51

YOU have covered with anger – and persecuted us
YOU have slain – YOU have not pitied
YOU have covered YOURSELF with a cloud
that our PRAYER should not pass through
YOU have made us as the off scouring and refuse in the midst of the people
all our enemies have opened their mouths against us
fear and a snare is come upon us – desolation and destruction
Mine eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of
the daughter of my people
Mine eye trickles down – and ceases not – without any intermission
till the LORD look down and behold from heaven
Mine eye affects mine heart because of all the daughters of my city

Jeremiah thrown into a pit verse 52- 54

Mine enemies chased me sore – like a bird – without cause
they have cut off my life in the dungeon
and cast a stone upon me
water flowed over mine head
THEN I said – I am cut off

Jeremiah prays for LORD to deal with enemies verse 55- 66

I called upon YOUR name – O LORD –out of the low dungeon
            YOU have heard my voice
hide not YOUR ear at my breathing – at my cry
            YOU drew near in the day that I called upon YOU
                        YOU said – FEAR NOT
O Lord – YOU have pleaded the causes of my soul
            YOU have REDEEMED my life
O LORD – YOU have seen my wrong – judge YOU my cause
            YOU have seen all their vengeance
and all their imaginations against me
            YOU have hear their reproach – O LORD
                        and all their imaginations against me
                                    the lips of those that rose up against me
                                                and their device against me all the day
BEHOLD their sitting down – and their rising up
            I am their music
Render unto them a recompense – O LORD
            according to the work of their hands
Give them sorrow of heart – YOUR curse unto them
            persecute and destroy them in anger from under
the heavens of the LORD

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 I am the man that has seen afflictionby the rod of HIS wrath. (6040 “affliction” [‘oniy] means trouble, misery, a cause of great suffering and distress, persecution, or oppression)
DEVOTION: There is a teaching that some religious leaders teach that states that if we are in tune with the LORD everything will be good. There will be no problems in our life or any lack of money. This is a false teaching.
We find that the life of those who follow the LORD closely is often filled with trouble. It seems that around every corner we are in need of HIS help to face the problems HE allows in our lives.
If we think that HE doesn’t love us because of HIS allowance of distress in our life than we are wrong. HE loved HIS Son Jesus Christ and HIS life on earth was full of trials by the people and the religious leaders of the day. HE was perfect but HE had persecution.
The LORD wants each one of us to grow in our knowledge of HIM and HIS Word the Bible. HE knows that we grow through the testing of our faith. HE will prune us when we are living according to HIS commands. HE will correct us if we are not listening to HIM. HE loves us and knows what is necessary for our growth.
We need to be sure that we are not listening to the health and wealth gospel that is being preached around the world because it is a false gospel and has caused many to turn away for the LORD and made many false teachers rich.
CHALLENGE: Accept the fact that the Christian life includes times of suffering. We can bring glory to the LORD if we accept this fact.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not
: 23 they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness (2617 “mercies” [hesed] means goodness, kindness of God is abundant, faithfulness, kindness, favor, loyal love, unfailing love or lovingkindness.
DEVOTION: Jeremiah uses the acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet in each group of three verses in this chapter. So the first three verses start with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Then the next three verses use the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And so on through all twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Jeremiah wrote this lamentation during the time period when the city of Jerusalem was being destroyed by Babylon. His heart was aching. He is torn between thinking that the LORD had forsaken them and realizing that HE still loved them.
Even in tribulation he realized that the LORD was still showing HIS love. The LORD was faithful to HIS covenant. The people had broken HIS covenant and were in the process of paying the consequences of their sin. Did Jeremiah feel like the LORD wasn’t around? Yes! Was this feeling true? NO! He knew the LORD was still around and loved HIS people but HE was also a HOLY God.
Here is a verse that is quoted often in Evangelical circles. Can we comprehend this verse? NO! The goodness of the LORD is new every morning. We see the problems in our lives. We see the problems in our families. We see the problems in the world. But God always shows HIS kindness to HIS children EVERY MORNING.
It is so hard to comprehend when we keep our eyes on our problems. We want blessing instead of problems. However, God doesn’t work that way. HE gives us HOPE.
Jeremiah informs us that we have to “QUIETLY wait on the LORD” and we will see HIS salvation through all our challenges. Yes, Jeremiah knows that HE causes grief but that is for our good and manifesting HIS goodness to us.
The LORD answers Jeremiah’s prayer by telling him to “Fear not.” HE gives us the same answer. Are we listening? HE never stops loving HIS children.
HE chastens HIS children. HE purges HIS children. Whatever we are presently going through, HE has never left the side of those who are HIS children. Each morning HE gives NEW HOPE.
CHALLENGE: Memorize these verses because they will help us in hard times. HE is always faithful and we need to practice this in our life toward HIM.)

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music. (4485 “music” [mangiynah] means mocking song, derisive song, satire, or musical piece that taunts another.
DEVOTION: Each of us has individuals who don’t like us for our stand for the LORD. It is not that we are trying to appear “holier than thou” but they seem to think that is how we feel. They think that we think we are better than they are. That is not true. We are sinners who have been saved by grace. We appreciate the mercy the LORD has shown us. We don’t deserve it but we would like to share this truth with others but they think wrong thoughts regarding why we are saying what we say.
Instead of listening to us they say things about us to make themselves look better. They might even use us as the blunt of their jokes. Here we find that Jeremiah’s enemies were writing pieces of music about him. They were at their parties making up songs about him. They were not good songs. They were not songs that those who are followers of the LORD could sing.
Jeremiah went through a lot in his service to the LORD. He was not appreciated by his fellow citizens of Jerusalem. He turned to the LORD with a request.
His request was for the LORD to deal with them. He wanted HIM to recompense them according to their works. His desire was for the LORD to give them sorrow of heart like they were giving him.
His attitude was one of compassion for his fellow citizens but he also wanted the LORD to deal with them. He was not going to deal with them himself. He left all judgment in the hands of the LORD.
We have a tendency to want to deal with those who make fun of us. We want to fight them. That is not what the LORD wants us to do. We are to be like Jeremiah and David and other Old Testament saints. We are to turn them over to the LORD and HE is better able to treat them according to their works.
Sometimes HE allows our enemies to get the upper hand in our lives to teach us to trust the LORD to see us through hard circumstances. HE put Jeremiah through some hard times to show us how we should react.
When we face hard times what is our reaction to those who have done us wrong? Do we turn them over to the LORD and leave it there or do we dwell on it until we see the LORD work out HIS judgment on them.
CHALLENGE: Our attitude needs to be one of faithfully seeking the salvation of those who are acting like our enemy. We are to pray for them. If we practice this truth we will have the peace the LORD wants us to have on a daily basis.)

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Jeremiah seems to think LORD is not listening verse 8
Jeremiah thinks LORD has closed heaven verse 44
Jeremiah called on the LORD verse 55
LORD answered Jeremiah’s prayer verse 56
Jeremiah recompense on enemies verse 55 – 66

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

Wrath of God verse 1, 43
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)   verse 18, 22, 24- 26,
                                                                                                                        40, 50, 55, 59,
                                                                                                                        61, 64, 66
Compassions verse 22
Faithfulness of God verse 23
Most High verse 35, 38
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner) verse 31, 36, 37, 58
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 41
God in the heavens verse 41, 66
LORD looked down verse 50
LORD pleaded causes verse 58
Judge verse 59
Recompence verse 64

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Enemies verse 46, 52

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Darkness verse 2
Crooked path verse 9
Desolate verse 11
Song against Jeremiah verse 14
Bitterness verse 15
Drunk verse 15
Misery verse 19
Reproach verse 30
Subversion verse 36
Sins verse 39
Transgressed verse 42
Rebelled verse 42
Fear verse 47
Wrong verse 59
Vengeance verse 60
Imaginations against prophet verse 61
Device against prophet verse 62

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Affliction verse 1, 19, 33
Leading of the LORD verse 2
Light verse 2
Gall and travail verse 5
Peace verse 17
Prosperity verse 17
Strength verse 18
Hope verse 18, 21, 24, 26
29
Humbled verse 20
Mercies verse 22, 32
Compassion verse 22, 32
Wait on the LORD verse 25, 26
Seek the LORD verse 25
Salvation verse 26
LORD not cast off forever verse 31
Grief verse 32
Search our ways verse 40
Turn again to LORD verse 40
Pardon verse 42
Crying verse 48, 49
Answered prayer verse 56, 57
No fear verse 57
Redeemed verse 58

Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)

QUOTES

3:1–3The author understood that the “affliction” (“poverty,” LXX) he had experienced was imposed by the rod of God’s judgment (2 Sam 7:14; Job. 9:34; Pss 2:9; 89:32; Isa 10:5; Mic 5:1) The alienation from God’s favor is described as being “driven away” (nāhag, cf. 1 Sam 30:20; Job 24:3). It also is compared to darkness (cf. Job 12:25; Ps 82:5; Isa 50:10; Amos 5:18). There was no relief from the constant awareness that God had “turned his hand against” the afflicted one (a phrase used nowhere else in the OT to describe God’s hostile activity toward people). The absence of God’s name in vv. 1–20 (except in v. 18) may have been intentional to emphasize the sense of abandonment and alienation from God. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 470). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

1In the OT “to see” frequently goes beyond the obtaining of a visual image and involves a sharing in it, as here (cf. note at 5:1). The Hebrew perfect rāʾāh (“see”) here includes present experience. We should render most of the verbs in vv.1–18 by present perfects or presents, for there is no suggestion that the experiences were past. The omission of the name of God is not metrically motivated; its nonappearance in vv.1–21—except in v.18 (see comment)—is intended to underline the poet’s feelings of abandonment and separation. For “the rod of his wrath,” see Job 9:34; 21:9; Psalm 89:32; and Isaiah 10:5. (Ellison, H. L. (1986). Lamentations. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 717). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

3:1–3. In a long list of metaphors Jeremiah enumerated the many afflictions that he, as Judah’s representative, suffered at the hand of God’s wrath (cf. 2:2, 4; 4:11). Jeremiah was confused as he watched God seemingly reverse His past attitudes and actions. Instead of walking in the light of God’s guidance he had been forced to stumble in darkness (cf. 3:6). God turned His hand against Jeremiah. This phrase is unique, but the concept of God’s hand was known in the Old Testament (cf. 1 Sam. 5:6; Job 19:21). God’s hand of favor had become a fist of adversity. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Lamentations. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1217). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

In the sixty-six verses of this chapter, arranged in a triple alphabetic acrostic, as before mentioned, Jeremiah speaks for the remnant, describing his and their affliction, but manifesting unfailing faith in the goodness of God and calling upon all to search and try their ways and return to Him. Bearing upon his own heart the bitter woes of his people, as did the Lord Jesus, he recites his sorrows in a way that plainly indicates the utterance of the Spirit of Christ, who, as remarked in our introduction to Chap. I., was afflicted in all their griefs, passing through all in spirit with them. Jeremiah here may almost be looked upon as a type of that Blessed One; for to him also, as to no other prophet, could the title be applied, “A man of sorrows.”
“I am the man,” he says, “that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath” (ver. 1). And he goes on to tell how he has been brought into darkness, but not into light: how God is turned against him, His hand being upon him in judgment every day. Under the weight of the divine displeasure, vigor and elasticity departed, and his bones were as broken (vers. 2–4). It is the expression of one who, himself well-pleasing to God, entered to the full into the sorrows of his people. (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 325). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)

Ver. 1. I am the man that hath seen affliction, &c.] Had a large experience of it, especially ever since he had been a prophet; being reproached and ill used by his own people, and suffering with them in their calamities; particularly, as Jarchi observes, his affliction was greater than the other prophets, who indeed prophesied of the destruction of the city and temple, but did not see it; whereas he lived to see it: he was not indeed the only man that endured affliction, but he was remarkable for his afflictions; he had a large share of them, and was herein a type of Christ, who was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs: by the rod of his wrath; that is, by the rod of the wrath of God, for he is understood; it is a relative without an antecedent, as in Cant. 1:1 unless the words are to be considered in connexion with the last verse of the preceding chapter. The Targum is, “by the rod of him that chastiseth in his anger;” so Jarchi; but God’s chastisements of his own people are in love, though thought sometimes by them to be in wrath and hot displeasure; so the prophet imagined, but it was not so; perhaps some regard may be had to the instrument of Jerusalem’s destruction, the king of Babylon, called the rod of the Lord’s anger, Isa. 10:5 all this was true of Christ, as the surety of his people, and as sustaining their persons, and standing in their room. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 712). London: Mathews and Leigh.)