LAMENTATIONS 4 A

Children suffer under the judgment of God verse 1- 4

How is the gold become dim!
How is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are
poured out in the top of every street
The precious sons of Zion – comparable to fine gold
how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers
the work of the hands of the potter
Even the sea monsters draw out the breast
they give suck to their young ones
the daughter of my people is become cruel
like the ostriches in the wilderness
The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of his mouth for thirst
            the young children ask bread – and no man breaks it unto them

The rich suffer under the judgment of God verse 5

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets
            they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills

Judgment of God on Jerusalem verse 6

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people
            IS greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom
                        that was overthrown as in a moment
and no hands stayed on her

Princes suffer under the judgment of God verse 7- 8

Her Nazarites [Princes] were purer than snow – they were whiter than milk
            they were more ruddy in body than rubies
                        their polishing was of sapphire
Their visage is blacker than a coal
            they are not known in the streets
                        their skin cleaves to their bones – it is withered
                                    it is become like a stick

Hunger is part of the judgment of God verse 9- 10

They that be slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger
            for these pine away – stricken through for want of the fruits of the field
The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children
they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people

Sins is reason for judgment verse 11- 12

The LORD has accomplished HIS fury
            HE hash poured out HIS fierce anger
                        and has kindled a fire in Zion
                                    and it has devoured the foundations thereof
The kings of the earth – and all the inhabitants of the world
            would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should
                        have entered into the gates of Jerusalem

Sins of the prophets and priests verse 13- 14

For the sins of her prophets – and the iniquities of her priests
            that have shed the blood of the JUST in the midst of her
They have wandered as blind men in the streets
            they have polluted themselves with blood
                        so that men could not touch their garments

People react to leaders verse 15- 16

They cried unto them – Depart you – it is unclean
depart – depart – touch not
When they fled away and wandered
            they said among the heathen
                        they shall no more sojourn there
The anger of the LORD has divided them
            HE will no more regard them
                        they respected not the persons of the priests
they favored not the elders

No help found during time of judgment verse 17- 20

As for us – our eyes as yet failed for our vain help
in our watching we have watched for a nation that
could not save us
They hunt our steps – that we cannot go in our streets
            our end is near – our days are fulfilled
                        for our end is come
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of heaven
            they pursued us upon the mountains
they laid wait for us in the wilderness
The breath of our nostrils – the anointed of the LORD
            was taken in their pits – of whom we say
                        Under HIS shadow we shall live among the heathen

Judgment on Edom verse 21- 22

Rejoice and be glad – O daughter of Edom
            that dwell in the land of Uz
The cup also shall pass through unto you
            you shall be drunken – and shalt make yourself naked
The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished – O daughter of Zion
HE will no more carry you away into captivity
HE will visit your iniquity – O daughter of Edom
HE will discover your sins

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 5 They that did feed delicatelyare desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. (4574 “delicately” [ma‘adan] means dainties, delight, food, refreshment, fine quality food, finery or delicious.)
DEVOTION: There is a difference between those who are rich and those who are poor. They wear the more expensive clothes. They go to the more expensive restaurants. They have time and money to do many things while on vacation. They go places that cost more money. When the rest of the world is concerned about paying for groceries they are not worried. Their cupboards are full.
When the stock market crashed in the 1930’s many rich people became poor. Some of them adjusted but many didn’t. Some committed suicide. Some gave up on life. Some turned to addictions.
People handle things differently. Some can handle being rich or poor. Some handle hard labor better than others.
Here we find people who were used to the better things in life losing everything. Their property is burned to the ground. Their finances are worthless. Their food is gone. They are out in the street looking through garbage dumps for food.
Our world is following the same path of the children of Judah. There was a God fearing time in the past in this country. People who weren’t believers were willing to allow us to worship in peace. They allowed us to state our beliefs without harassment.
Today everything is different. If you don’t believe the way those in power believe you are ignorant or prejudice or just plain phobic of some sort. The children of Judah were going away from the LORD and wouldn’t listen to anything that Jeremiah had to say. They thought he was wrong. They thought that he should either be quiet or they should kill him. They were not in the mood to hear different beliefs.
Now they had to deal with the consequences of their actions. Those who people of power and influence lost it all. They were going to die with nothing.
In fact, before they died they were going to be with all those people that they looked down on before the Babylonians arrived. They were part of the group. It was sad.
CHALLENGE: We should be the ones who appreciate either being rich or poor. We should be the ones who are helping those in need. We should be the ones who are not collecting possessions. We should be the ones who are willing to lose it all to follow Jesus.)

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 13 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the bloodof the just in the midst of her. (5030 “prophets” [nabiy’] means spokesman, speaker, or them that prophesy.
DEVOTION: Jeremiah is struggling with all that is happening in his world. He is crying for the city of Jerusalem and the people who lived there. He had been preaching repentance. He wanted the people to stop rebelling against the LORD.
He was almost alone in his message because most of the other religious leaders were preaching that the LORD would bless them because they had the Temple. They were teaching the people that there would be peace soon.
Throughout history the LORD has sent his messengers to tell the people what the LORD expected of them. Those who were the true prophets of the LORD were one hundred percent right in their prophecies. Some listened but most did not. It has not changed. More are talking the wide road to hell instead of the narrow road to heaven.
In this chapter we find that the ones who are listed as the chief sinners are the ones who prophesy and the priests. The ones who were supposed to represent God were the worst sinners. They were to be the anointed of the LORD to prophesy truth to the people. They allowed the people to worship other gods. They allowed the Temple to be what they worshiped rather than God.
Jeremiah showed that most of the spokesmen were only in it for the money. The false spokesmen were the ones who were allowing the true spokesmen to be killed. Throughout the book of Jeremiah, we find that they are the ones who put Jeremiah in prison or in a cistern or wanted to have him killed. In this second book written by Jeremiah he is going through the grief process over Jerusalem.
Today we have many men and women who are in the pulpits of our country who are not given the TRUE Word of God to the people. They doubt that the Bible is all TRUTH. They don’t believe there are any absolutes. They instruct the people that the culture has changed, so the message must change. They put doubt in the minds of the people they are teaching. They are false spokesmen and women.
They are allowing people to believe that there is more than one way to get into heaven. They say that all people believe in the same God. There is only ONE true God. They will be judged of the LORD. The ONLY way to heaven is through Jesus Christ!!! The real problem is that they are leading people down the wrong path.
They are taking money that should be going into the spreading of the true gospel for a false gospel. Christians are being lead into all kinds of causes in this world but few are being led into witnessing and winning souls for the LORD.
FEW churches even have a visitation program to reach their neighborhoods for the LORD. Most churches don’t even visit those who visit them in a given week. The cults are not doing this. They are visiting every week.
Our first responsibility is to visit and talk to people about where they are going to spend eternity. Have we shared the gospel with someone this week? Are we occupying till the LORD returns?
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to instruct you in the proper way to represent HIM in your world. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to the right people who will listen to your witness. Praise Jesus Christ for HIS death for your sins.)

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion, HE will not more carry you away into captivity: HE will visit your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; HE will discover your sins. (1540 “discover” [galah] means to make known information that was previously known only to a few people or that was hidden or meant to be kept a secret, uncover, remove, disclose, lay bare, reveal, or uncover a confidence.)
DEVOTION: The children of Edom are descendants of Esau. They were against the children of Israel because they thought their descendant was cheated out of an inheritance. They have been enemies of the children of Israel since those days.
Now when the children of Israel were going into captivity to Babylon the children of Esau captured those who were running away from the Babylonians and gave them to them for captivity or worse.
There are people alive today who hate those who are genuine believers in Jesus Christ. They don’t like them witnessing in public. They don’t like their standards in dating and marriage. They don’t want them to influence the newborn babies that are coming into this world. They don’t want parents to raise their children to love Jesus.
All this is witnessed on our television sets each day. Our government doesn’t want our soldiers to honor the LORD on any basis. Our schools are trying to erase every trace of Christianity out of them while training students in other religions. It seems that we are living in a day and age that doesn’t want to have any recognition of our Savior Jesus Christ.
If there was an invasion and the ones coming in wanted to kill all Christians there would be people just like the Edomites that would turn them in to the invading army. God is going to judge those who move against HIS people back when it was the Israelites and even today.
CHALLENGE: Remember that the LORD is still on the throne. We are in HIS hands which are good hands.

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

Sanctuary verse 1

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

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

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 11, 16, 20
Anger of the LORD verse 11, 16
Anointed of the LORD verse 20

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)

Sodom verse 6
Adversary verse 12
Enemy verse 12
Heathen verse 15, 20
Nation verse 17
Edom judged verse 21, 22

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

Cruel verse 3
Iniquity verse 6, 13, 22
Sin verse 6, 13, 22
Shed blood verse 13
Polluted with blood verse 14
Unclean verse 15
Not respecting person of priests verse 16
Not favoring elders verse 16
Watch for vain help verse 17
Persecutors verse 19
Lay in wait verse 19
Heathen verse 20
Drunken verse 21
Naked verse 21

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

Just verse 13
Deliverance verse 17
Anointed verse 20

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Zion verse 2, 11, 22
My people verse 6, 10
Nazarites verse 7
Jerusalem verse 12
Prophets verse 13
Priests verse 13

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

QUOTES

4:21–22The curse on Edom seems unrelated to what had preceded, but since it is part of the acrostic, it could not have been a later addition. The verses serve to remind just how bitter was the enmity between Edom and Israel. It was a rivalry that went back to their ancestors Esau and Jacob (Gen 25:23; 36:1; cf. Jer 49:7–22; Ezek 25:12–14; 35:1–15; Amos 9:12; Obad 10–16). Edom was located southeast of Judah in a region called here Uz (cf. Gen 10:23; Job 1:1; Jer 25:20; the LXX omits Uz). Edom refused to help Judah against the Babylonians. As a reward for their diplomacy and for help during the final days of the campaign (Ps 137:7; Ezek 25:12–14; Joel 3:19–21; Obad 11–14), Nebuchadnezzar gave the rural areas of Judah to the Edomites. “Rejoice and be glad” should be understood as derisive irony, i.e., “rejoice while you can; your rejoicing will be short-lived; punishment is coming.” The “cup” is a frequent symbol for God’s wrathful judgment in the Scriptures. Its origin may be the ordeal of jealousy (Num 5:11–31; cf. Job 21:20; Ps 75:7–8; Isa 51:17, 22; Jer 25:15–29; 49:12; Ezek 23:31–34; Obad 16; Hab 2:16; Zech 12:2; Matt 26:39). As a sign of restored divine favor, Zion (often used representing Jerusalem) was consoled that its punishment and exile would end. Edom could anticipate that its day of judgment lay ahead. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 484). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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21–22The vain hopes were gone, and only the stark reality remained. To Edom (v.21), who stands for all the enemies of Judah (cf. Isa 34; Ezek 35), the poet says, in effect, “Rejoice while you can, for judgment is coming to you also.” The nakedness involved shame and revelation of sins, but it also implied slavery (cf. Isa 47:2–3). The consolation for Zion (v.22) was that she had received all the punishment she could (cf. Isa 40:2); there could be no more exile. (Ellison, H. L. (1986). Lamentations. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 729). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

4:21–22. Because of God’s covenant with Israel (Deut. 28–30) the people could hope for vindication. The last two verses in Lamentations 4 draw a contrast between Israel and her Gentile enemy Edom (see the chart).
Edomtook an active role in promoting Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon (cf. Ps. 137:7; Jer. 49:7–22; Ezek. 25:12–14; 35). (On Uz see comments on Job 1:1.) Edom’s crimes against her “brother” Jacob (Deut. 23:7) represented the actions of all the nations that profited at Jerusalem’s expense. God had noted their actions, and would punish those nations for their sin, exactly as He had said He would do (Deut. 30:7). Though Edom rejoiced and was glad over Jerusalem’s calamity, the bitter cup would someday be passed to her (cf. Lam. 1:21–22). Drinking from a cup pictured being forced to undergo judgment (cf. Jer. 25:15–28). As God was judging Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s day for her sin, so He would also judge Edom (and, by extension, all Gentile nations) for their sins. Jerusalem could look forward to restoration, but Edom could only expect judgment (cf. comments on Obad. 4, 15–18, 20–21). (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. 1221). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

Edom had rejoiced in the day of Judah’s calamity. The cup should soon pass to her. She must be made drunken and naked because of her exultation in the downfall of the city of God, and her manifold iniquities (ver. 21). The punishment of the daughter of Zion was accomplished. Restoration in place of captivity should soon be her portion, but Edom’s judgment was just about to begin. “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 346). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)

Ver. 22. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion, &c.] In part in the seventy-years’ captivity in Babylon, and more fully in their present captivity; for, as has been observed, there are some things in the preceding account, which had a further accomplishment in the destruction of Jerusalem, and the distress of the Jews by the Romans. The Targum is, “and after thine iniquity is fulfilled, O congregation of Zion, and thou shalt be delivered by the hands of the Messiah, and of Elias the high-priest.” He will no more carry thee away into captivity; he, the enemy; or the Lord, as the Targum; that is, thou shalt no more be carried captive: this seems to confirm the above observation, that this chapter is a prophecy of what would be, as well as a narrative of what had been; and includes the destruction both of the first and second temple, and of the Jews both by the Chaldeans and Romans; for it is certain, that, after their deliverance from the captivity of Babylon, they have been carried captive, and are now in captivity. He will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; punish the Edomites for their sins, as is elsewhere threatened, Jer. 49:7–22; Ezek. 25:12; Amos 1:11 which was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument; and may have some respect to the destruction of the Romans, when the Jews shall be converted, and return to their own land. The Targum, in the king of Spain’s Bible, is, “and at that time I will visit thine iniquity, O wicked Rome, which art built in Italy, and full of multitudes of the children of Edom; and the Persians shall come and oppress thee, and make thee desolate;” and so the copy used by Munster: he will discover thy sins; by the punishment of them; as, when God pardons sins, he is said to cover them; so, when he punishes for them, be discovers them; see Jer. 49:10. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 729). London: Mathews and Leigh.)