December 22, 2011
Hope yesterday, and now Jeremiah describes the despair of the people. Despair caused by their own disobedience.
I can't imagine the anxiety, torture, and fear the people felt as they were surrounded for years and were slowly stripped of their wealth, their health, their pride—everything. Slowly stripped. Jeremiah says the punishment the people were subjected to was worse than what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom's punishment was quick and total. It was over. But the people of Jerusalem's punishment went on... and on... slowly stripped of everything. Jeremiah said they would have been better off to have died by the sword in battle than to slowly waste away and die of famine and hunger.
God wasn't seeing how long He could carry out their punishment. His purpose wasn't to torture them for years. His purpose then and now is for restoration. He wanted His people to return to Him, to turn from their wicked ways and to obey Him. But they refused. It was their own stubborn pride that kept them from repenting and caused their punishment to be slowly carried out. Because of their stubborn refusal, "The LORD turned loose all of his anger; he poured out his strong anger."(Lamentations 4:11) God left them and did not look out for them any longer. They were caught in their own traps, and there came a time when their punishment was complete.
Lamentations 5:19 - "You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation."
God is THE LORD. His will WILL be done. He is in control.
Next Entry: Lamentations 4:1 – 5:22 (Continued)
Hope yesterday, and now Jeremiah describes the despair of the people. Despair caused by their own disobedience.
I can't imagine the anxiety, torture, and fear the people felt as they were surrounded for years and were slowly stripped of their wealth, their health, their pride—everything. Slowly stripped. Jeremiah says the punishment the people were subjected to was worse than what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom's punishment was quick and total. It was over. But the people of Jerusalem's punishment went on... and on... slowly stripped of everything. Jeremiah said they would have been better off to have died by the sword in battle than to slowly waste away and die of famine and hunger.
God wasn't seeing how long He could carry out their punishment. His purpose wasn't to torture them for years. His purpose then and now is for restoration. He wanted His people to return to Him, to turn from their wicked ways and to obey Him. But they refused. It was their own stubborn pride that kept them from repenting and caused their punishment to be slowly carried out. Because of their stubborn refusal, "The LORD turned loose all of his anger; he poured out his strong anger."(Lamentations 4:11) God left them and did not look out for them any longer. They were caught in their own traps, and there came a time when their punishment was complete.
Lamentations 5:19 - "You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation."
God is THE LORD. His will WILL be done. He is in control.
Next Entry: Lamentations 4:1 – 5:22 (Continued)
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