Lamentations 3
COMMENTARY:
: 1 I am the man that has seen affliction by 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.
: 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.
: 25 The LORD is good to them that wait for HIM, to the soul that seeks HIM. (6960 “wait” [qawah] means enduring, hope in, look for, expect, look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial, often with a focus of anticipation in a future event, or when the object of hope is the LORD, there is an eager expectation of salvation and deliverance.)
DEVOTION: What are we genuinely looking forward to in the future? Are we looking for more of the same or something different?
The children of Israel were looking for something different than captivity in Babylon. They were looking for the LORD to deliver them from their captivity and return them to their land again with blessing.
This is what we are looking for in our lives. We want the LORD to bring us to a place where we have a genuine hope of blessing instead of suffering. We know that suffering has to come at times but we want the blessings to happen as well.
The children of Israel in the Old Testament were followers of the LORD at times and then at times they were going their own way.
This is even happening today in our churches. There are people who want to live as they please and still receive the blessing of the LORD each day without any chastening of the LORD. That is not how HE works. If we sin HE will chasten if we are genuine children of HIS.
Only a fool thinks that he or she can live as they please and the LORD will still bless them. Even if they have said a prayer or attended church HE will chasten them to get them on the right path to living a live that is pleasing to HIM.
It is sad to say that some people who think they are born again have never made a genuine commitment to the LORD. They are deceived by the devil into thinking that they are a believer when their actions show that they are not.
The LORD wants genuine believers who are confessing their sins regularly and living a life that is pleasing to HIM. HE knows are not nor will be perfect but HE watches our attitude and actions to see if our faith is genuine.
CHALLENGE: Is there proof that our faith is genuine?
: 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 listeningverse 8
Jeremiah thinks LORD has closed heavenverse 44
Jeremiah called on the LORDverse 55
LORD answered Jeremiah’s prayerverse 56
Jeremiah recompense on enemiesverses 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 Godverses 1-66
HE turned HIS hand against me all the day
HE brought me into darkness
HE has builded against me
HE has compassed me with gall and travail
HE has set me in a dark place
HE has made my chain heavy
HE shuts out my prayer
HE has made my paths crooked
HE is like a bear or lion lying in wait
HE has putted me in pieces
HE set me as a mark for an arrow
I was a derision to all my people their song of the day
HE has filled me with bitterness
HE has made me drunken with wormwood
HE has broken my teeth with gravel stones
HE has covered me with ashes
HE has removed my soul far off from peace
I forgot prosperity
Soul is humbled
HIS compassions fail not – they are new every
morning – great is YOUR faithfulness
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 18, 22, 24-26, 40, 50, 55, 59, 61, 64, 66
LORD’S merciesverse 22
Compassionsverse 22
Faithfulness of Godverse 23
LORD is good to them that wait for HIMverse 25
Most Highverse 35, 38
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner)verses 31, 36, 37, 58
HE does not afflict willinglyverse 33
HE does not grieveverse 33
LORD doesn’t approve subverting a man to HIS causeverse 36
Evil and good don’t come out of HIS mouthverse 38
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name)verse 41
God in the heavensverses 41, 66
LORD looked downverse 50
LORD pleaded causesverse 58
Judgeverse 59
Recompenceverse 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)
Prisoners of the earthverse 34
Enemiesverses 46, 52
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Darknessverse 2
Crooked pathverse 9
Desolate verse 11
Song against Jeremiahverse 14
Bitternessverse 15
Drunkverse 15
Miseryverse 19
Reproachverse 30
Subversion verse 36
Sinsverse 39
Transgressedverse 42
Rebelledverse 42
Covered with angerverse 43
Slainverse 43
Fearverse 47
Wrongverse 59
Vengeanceverse 60
Imaginations against prophetverse 61
Device against prophetverse 62
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Afflictionverses 1, 19, 33
Leading of the LORDverse 2
Lightverse 2
Gall and travailverse 5
Peaceverse 17
Prosperityverse 17
Strengthverse 18
Hopeverses 18, 21, 24, 26, 29
Humbledverse 20
Merciesverses 22, 32
Compassionverses 22, 32
LORD is my portionverse 24
Wait on the LORDverses 25, 26
Seek the LORDverse 25
Salvationverse 26
Bear the yoke in his youth – it is goodverse 27
LORD not cast off foreververse 31
Griefverse 32
Search our ways and try our waysverse 40
Turn again to LORDverse 40
Pardonverse 42
Cryingverses 48, 49
Answered prayerverses 56, 57
No fearverse 57
Redeemedverse 58
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Made an offscouring and refuse in the midst of peopleverse 45
Mine eye affects mine heart because of all the daughters of my cityverse 51
LORD hears affliction of HIS peopleverses 59-63
Asks God to recompence according to work of enemies handsverses 64-66
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Cut off my lifeverses 53, 54
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