The Faithfulness of God

Introduction

Next Sermon Series: Haggai, “A Minor Prophet with a Major Message” 2 parts

Followed by our Summer Series: Proverbs - God’s Wisdom for Living (beginning on Father’s day)

Lamentations doesn’t list an author, although most scholars believe it was written by the prophet Jeremiah, based on comments he makes in the book bearing his name.

Jeremiah prophesied for over 40 years that if God’s people did not repent, God would allow foreign armies to conquer the land. And that is exactly what happened.

In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army came swooping in and conquered Jerusalem. It was a terrible time. The Babylonians destroyed homes, businesses, and the Temple itself. People starved. Pregnant women even resorted to cannibalism to survive.

Jeremiah wrote Lamentations to help surviving Jews process the tragedy and know God was still there for them. Orthodox Jews still read the book annually on the anniversary of the fall of the Temple. And Catholics read it during the last three days of Holy Week.

The book of Lamentations is named after the word, “lament,” which means to “cry out loudly.” A lament is a cry out to God.

Many of the psalms are laments, as are portions of practically every book of prophecy.

Lamentations 3:22–25 ESV

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

But Lamentations is the only book of the Bible made up entirely of laments.

And these laments weren’t just quickly jotted down. We know by their careful poetic composition that they took some time. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 contain laments of 22 verses each, with each verse beginning with a different consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

That’s some serious Lamenting!

Lamentations 3:22–27 NIV

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” 25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.

My Goal: (1) Those wrestling in their current situation, remind you that God is Faithful and he’s going to see you through (2) Those who are currently wrestling (you will soon), but also to help someone else wrestling right now. Invitation: Altar time!

Simple Definition: “God’s faithfulness means that everything He says and does is certain”

He is 100% reliable, 100% of the time!

He does not fail, forget, falter, change, or disappoint.

He says what He means and means what He says and therefore does everything He says He will do.

Exodus 34:6–7 NIV

6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

The New American Commentary: Exodus God Shows Moses His Glory (34:5–7)

The repeating of the name was certainly for the purpose of emphasis but also could have had some of the overtones associated with the pattern called repetition of such that Yahweh was in effect saying to Moses, “I am your dear Yahweh” or “to you I am your dearest friend, Yahweh” or something of the sort.

Gen

Genesis 34:6–7 ESV

6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done.

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Joshua 21:45 ESV

45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

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Psalm 25:10 NLT

10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

Psalm 89:8 NIV

8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

To say that God is faithful goes to the very core of who He really is. If He didn’t keep His word, He wouldn’t be God.

Illustration

Bill Bright, President of Campus Crusade for Christ, compares the attributes of God to an automobile engine. Pistons, fan belts, water pumps, and thousands of moving parts all whirl around within a small space, making power for us to drive our car. The parts all work together harmoniously as components of the whole engine.

Bill Bright, President of Campus Crusade for Christ, compares the attributes of God to an automobile engine. Pistons, fan belts, water pumps, and thousands of moving parts all whirl around within a small space, making power for us to drive our car. The parts all work together harmoniously as components of the whole engine.

That’s the way God’s attributes function too. If you took away love, God’s character would be incomplete. God’s love works with all the other attributes, like His justice, to produce the right kind of results.

We can compare God’s faithfulness to the oil in the engine that keeps the internal parts running smoothly. God’s faithfulness means that each attribute in His character is working at full capacity at all times.

When does God’s love fail? Never, because He is faithful.

When is God less than holy? Never, because His character is pure and He is always faithful to who He is and to what He says.

God’s faithfulness is at the core of His very nature.

He is knowable, holy, the creator, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, just, sovereign, unchanging, and loving because He is faithful to His own character. He never changes any of His attributes.

Paul drew on this truth when he wrote to the Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV

24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Transition

Lamentations, which is really a collection of sad songs, or laments. It’s a mournful postscript to the Book of Jeremiah.

Lamentations, which is really a collection of sad songs, or laments. It’s a mournful postscript to the Book of Jeremiah.

Through the use of five dirges, or funeral laments that correspond to the five chapters, Jeremiah reminds us that sin, in spite of all its allurement and excitement, carries with it heavy weights of sorrow, grief, misery, barrenness and pain.

The title of the book is taken from the first word in first verse.

Lamentations 1:1 NIV

1 How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.

“How” - It could also be translated, “alas!” which was a characteristic cry of lament or exclamation.

It could also be translated, “alas!” which was a characteristic cry of lament or exclamation.

Jeremiah is wondering how all this happened ­ everything was going so well and then this. Jerusalem has now been destroyed and Jeremiah, who is known as the “weeping prophet,” is in the dumps.

As we come to Lamentations, chapter 3, we see that Jeremiah bares his heart, not holding back the depths of his despair. No prophet ever pleaded with a people in a more impassioned manner. And no one, except Jesus, was treated with more contempt than he was.

His List of Laments

In the first 20 verses, the weeping prophet lets it all hang out. His language is real and raw.

1. God is angry

Jeremiah has seen trouble and he knows it’s because God is upset with His people:

Lamentations 3:1 NIV

1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.

2. Jeremiah is in the dark

Jeremiah feels the loneliness of darkness.

Lamentations 3:2 NIV

2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light;

Lamentations 3:6 ESV

6 he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.

3. Feels like God is against him

Because of God’s judgment, Jeremiah feels like God has turned on him.

Lamentations 3:3 NIV

3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.

In verse 10, Jeremiah compares God to a bear lying in wait, or like a lion ready to pounce on his prey.

Verses12-13 are very graphic

Lamentations 3:12–13 NIV

12 He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. 13 He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver.

4. He is tormented mentally and physically

He feels his pain intensely and he can’t find a remedy for it.

Look at verse 4:

Lamentations 3:4 NIV

4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones.

In verse 15-16, he describes how his life is filled with bitterness, how his teeth have been broken, and how he has been trampled in the dust.

5. He can’t find release

Jeremiah can’t figure out how to escape the pain and anguish he feels.

He is besieged and surrounded with bitterness and hardship in verse 5.

Verse 7 says:

Lamentations 3:7 NIV

7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains.

NIV “He has weighed me down with chains.”

His prayers are unanswered. Notice verse 8:

Lamentations 3:8 NIV

8 Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer.

6. He is ready to give up

We see his honest cry of despair in verse 17:

Lamentations 3:17 NIV

17 I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.

7. His hope is gone

In verse 18, he says:

Lamentations 3:18 NLT

18 I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!”

While it’s okay to be honest with God and express your real feelings like Jeremiah did, it’s NOT OKAY TO STAY THERE!

Verse 21 is really the “hinge” on which the book, and Jeremiah’s life turns:

Lamentations 3:21 NIV

21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

What to call to mind:

Four phrases that raise and answer Jeremiah’s question.

1. Why doesn’t God destroy me?

Here is Jeremiah’s answer:

Lamentations 3:22 NIV

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

Lamentations 3:22 ESV

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

The Hebrew word for “love” is “hesed”, a word rich with meaning. It has within it the idea of “covenant love or loyal love,” It will not let go because it does not depend on emotion but on an act of the will.

God loves us because He promised to love us and nothing can cause Him to break His promise!

2. How do I know God will keep on loving me?

Verse 22: “for his comp

Lamentations 3:22 NIV

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

Compassions is plural which means that it is limitless.

Hebrew word rahamim is related to the Hebrew word for the “womb” means “to be moved in the heart out of love for another.”

It describes the tender, caring love of a mother.

God’s compassion emanates from deep within Him. He is moved in His heart when He thinks about you!

3. When will God give me what I need?

Lamentations 3:23 NIV

23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

What if you woke up every morning to find your purse full of money, your car full of gas, your refrigerator full of food, and your youth and vitality fully restored? That’s the way it is with God’s compassions and mercies. You can never use them up.

Do you remember the story of God providing manna for His people when they were in the wilderness?

God sent it every day (except on the Sabbath). The people were instructed to gather as much as they wanted because it would never run out. However, they weren’t allowed to store it (except on the day before the Sabbath).

In order to drive home his point, God told them that if they tried to save it, the maggots would come and spoil the manna. They were to gather just enough for each day, eat it that day, and then gather more the next day.

This is how God taught His people to trust Him day by day to meet their daily needs.

This means at least two things:

1. We never have to live on yesterdays’ blessings. They are “new” every morning.

2. God’s blessings are never early but they aren’t late either. They are “new” every morning.

4. What is my hope for living?

Lamentations 3:23 NIV

23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Earlier in this chapter Jeremiah accused God of cruelty and faithlessness, now he exalted God’s love and faithfulness!

Jeremiah was rocked by the limitless supply of God’s grace offered to him.

“Faithfulness” Hebrew = emuna. This word come from the Hebrew verb mn which is closely to the word “amen” which means SO BE IT!

Closing

In the country of Armenia, in 1988, Samuel and Danielle sent their young son, Armand, off to school. Samuel squatted before his son and looked him in the eye. “Have a good day at school, and remember, no matter what, I’ll always be there for you.” They hugged and the boy ran off to school.

Hours later, a powerful earthquake rocked the area. In the midst of the pandemonium, Samuel and Danielle tried to discover what happened to their son but they couldn’t get any information. The radio announced that there were thousands of casualties.

Samuel then grabbed his coat and headed for the schoolyard. When he reached the area, what he saw brought tears to his eyes. Armand’s school was a pile of debris. Other parents were standing around crying.

Samuel found the place where Armand’s classroom used to be and began pulling a broken beam off the pile of rubble. He then grabbed a rock and put it to the side, and then grabbed another one.

One of the parents looking on asked, “What are you doing?” “Digging for my son,” Samuel answered. The man then said, “You’re just going to make things worse! The building is unstable,” and tried to pull Samuel away from his work.

Samuel set his jaw and kept working. As time wore on, one by one, the other parents left. Then a firefighter tried to pull Samuel away from the rubble. Samuel looked at him and said, “Won’t you help me?” The firefighter left and Samuel kept digging.

All through the night and into the next day, Samuel continued digging. Parents placed flowers and pictures of their children on the ruins. But, Samuel just kept working. He picked up a beam and pushed it out of the way when he heard a faint cry. “Help! Help!” Samuel listened but didn’t hear anything again. Then he heard a muffled voice, “Papa?”

Samuel began to dig furiously. Finally he could see his son. “Come on out, son!” he said with relief. “No,” Armand said. “Let the other kids come out first because I know you’ll get me.” Child after child emerged until, finally, little Armand appeared. Samuel took him in his arms and Armand said, “I told the other kids not to worry because you told me that you’d always be there for me!”

Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful.

WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD, WE PRAISE HIM

WHEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO GOD’S FAITHFULNESS,

WE TRUST HIM