Lonely City

Loss of Greatness

The New Bible Commentary 1:1–7 Jerusalem’s Loss of Greatness

In the context of the Mosaic covenant, God had made a special promise to King David that he and his descendants would reign in Jerusalem

The New Revised Standard Version God’s Covenant with David

and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

Jerusalem was favored so highly because of God’s Covenant with Moses that it was hard to imagine that it would ever fall from grace. But the verses in Lamentations describes a once great city which has fallen from grace and now sits as a lonely place. In other words it does not have the blessing of God. When we think about our blessings it always starts with God. We are blessed because God is with us. I often think of this as the dilemma of hell. We walk this Earth and God is with us. Sin separates us from God. To be fully separated from God for eternity is hell.

2  She weeps bitterly in the night,

with tears on her cheeks;

among all her lovers

she has none to comfort her;

all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;

they have become her enemies.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), La 1:2.

Verse 2 describes a sleepless time. I don’t know about you but I have had many sleepless nights. Worry causes me to loose sleep.

Our lives as Christians are or should be blessed by the presence of a wonderful and powerful God. But what happens when we wonder off of the path. I was with my Bible Study group this morning and one of the guys talked about being bothered by the scripture concerning the narrow gate from the Book of Matthew. When we wonder from the narrow path we become exiled from God. It is not that He is exiling us so much as we have separated ourselves.

Verse 6 describes the symbolism of a deer with nowhere to eat.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

6  From the daughter of Zion

all her majesty has departed.

Her princes have become like deer

that find no pasture;

they fled without strength

before the pursuer.

I want you to notice how different this image is than what Psalm 23 states.

1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2  He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3  He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5  You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 23:1–6.