Lamentations 4:1-22

Israel is in a very difficult place in her history.  The devastation of the nation and the suffering of the people are at an all-time high.  When people thought of judgment they had no idea how harsh and complete it would be.  Jeremiah laments over the condition of the city and reminds us of why this has happened and gives us the details of what has happened.  This is a very sober reminder of how harsh the judgment of the Lord can be.  All men should take note of this fact and turn to the Lord in repentance.

CONTRASTS AND CAUSES OF DEVASTATION: Jeremiah contrasts the former glory of Israel with her present reality.  The gold of the past is gone and has been replaced by stones in the street.  The once powerful warriors have become weak and worthless.  The once tender mothers have become careless and cannibalistic with their own children.  The once royal leaders have become poor and powerless.  This judgment on Israel is deemed as being more severe than that of Sodom because Sodom was overthrown in a moment but Israel’s suffering has been long and torturous.  The once beautiful women have become dirty and dark.  Those who were killed in battle are considered to be the fortunate ones because they do not have to face this famine.  The cause of the devastation is the anger of God over the sins of men.  God’s anger is a consuming fire and will cause more pain and devastation than we could ever imagine.

RESPONSES AND REASONS FOR DEVASTATION: The response to this judgment is shock and awe.  The nations could not believe how complete the destruction of the nation was.  The reason for this condition was simply the sins of the people and more specifically the sins of the political and religious leaders.  The prophets and priests had become corrupt and deceptive.  They were ceremonially unclean and the nations were repulsed by their filth.  This devastation was brought on by the Lord as He turned His back on those who had rejected His Word.  The people had put their faith and hope on the surrounding nations which were all powerless to help and now stood in awe of the condition of their neighbors.  Israel became a nation of homeless beggars who were overcome by a swift and powerful enemy.  However, these shocked and gloating responses of the nations are premature because they too will fall under the same judgment from God.  There is hope for Israel who has been taken into exile and the surrounding nations will then experience the wrath of God as Israel has experienced.  We should never gloat over those who are being judged because it is only by God’s grace that it is not us.