September 6


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Lamentation 3-4

We are in the Prophetic Stream reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

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Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, the grief and the mourning that we suffer through is made bearable upon turning to You. Thank you for being very near to the broken hearted.  Amen.

3 – Jeremiah has been given commentary on the state of Jerusalem-the-desolate, God’s sentiment that led to this horror. Here Jeremiah is focussing on himself.  He is down and out and feeling very in the dark. He’s feeling trapped, weighed down, broken, desolate, pained, mocked, deprived, lost … and yet there are vv. 21-24ff.  Jeremiah KNOWS that God is yet merciful, faithful, loving.  His feelings mentioned are good to share. He must articulate this to let soul drain clear and let the goodness of the Lord pour in.  Jeremiah has time to sit quietly with the Lord. There aren’t many options these days in a deserted city! We are reminded to receive the Lord’s discipline. In these days, everyone is living in turbulence. There is no “Easy Street”. Jeremiah fully realizes the fate that has overcome this place. Tears flow constantly. The few left are jeering and pestering Jeremiah and he wants God to give them their due for their cruelty to him – a prophet who has simply done his job of warning that this was coming if they  did not turn.

4 – The terrors lingering in the city are too much to bear. We’ve heard of this before in literature written in the history and other prophets but here it is last time from Jeremiah who, like anyone witnessing this, would not get over it. The condition?: the gems are gone, the people are smashed, babies deserted, selfishness rules, luxuries traded in for garbage digging, the reduction of the city is worse than terrible, the once handsome are now covered in soot, starvation is everywhere, exhaustion, cannibalism, fire/smoke, treachery … Bad religious leaders ruined Jerusalem. The glory of the earth is the shame of it now. The illicit priests have led the people into disobedience and this unleashed enemies by removing God’s favor on Judah and Israel.  So where did this bad religion take them? Where might it take us today?!?!
In the finale~ there is rebuke for Edom. It is reminiscent of the book of Obadiah. Edom is said to have been howling and cheering with delight as Jerusalem burned.  Well Edom is getting their due too.

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