Lamentations of the fallen Kingdom

Sin bears unwanted fruit

There are many things to lament in this world for sure. We lament the loss of our team. We lament the loss of our money when we have to pay the bills. Often it seems that the one thing we do not lament is our sin. Jeremiah captures very vividly what it means and looks like to lament over sin. Lamentations is a book that was written shortly after the fall of Jerusalem. It captures the brokenness and desolation of the sin of Israel. There is a present darkness to this book. It is aptly named Lamentations or mourning. We will see themes of darkness and only moments of light and hope, but it is the moments of hope that are enough to overcome the darkness and have hope. In the midst of a major life storm, what does it look like to mourn and still hope in God? Let’s find out. Lamentations chapter 1 shows us clearly that sin bears unwanted fruit.

Lamentations 1 CSB

How she sits alone, the city once crowded with people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has been put to forced labor. She weeps bitterly during the night, with tears on her cheeks. There is no one to offer her comfort, not one from all her lovers. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. Judah has gone into exile following affliction and harsh slavery; she lives among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in narrow places. The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the appointed festivals. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her young women grieve, and she herself is bitter. Her adversaries have become her masters; her enemies are at ease, for the Lord has made her suffer because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away as captives before the adversary. All the splendor has vanished from Daughter Zion. Her leaders are like stags that find no pasture; they stumble away exhausted before the hunter. During the days of her affliction and homelessness Jerusalem remembers all her precious belongings that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into the adversary’s hand, she had no one to help. The adversaries looked at her, laughing over her downfall. Jerusalem has sinned grievously; therefore, she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness. She herself groans and turns away. Her uncleanness stains her skirts. She never considered her end. Her downfall was astonishing; there was no one to comfort her. Lord, look on my affliction, for the enemy boasts. The adversary has seized all her precious belongings. She has even seen the nations enter her sanctuary— those you had forbidden to enter your assembly. All her people groan while they search for bread. They have traded their precious belongings for food in order to stay alive. Lord, look and see how I have become despised. Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see! Is there any pain like mine, which was dealt out to me, which the Lord made me suffer on the day of his burning anger? He sent fire from on high into my bones; he made it descend. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, sick all day long. My transgressions have been formed into a yoke, fastened together by his hand; they have been placed on my neck, and the Lord has broken my strength. He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand. The Lord has rejected all the mighty men within me. He has summoned an army against me to crush my young warriors. The Lord has trampled Virgin Daughter Judah like grapes in a winepress. I weep because of these things; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to keep me alive. My children are desolate because the enemy has prevailed. Zion stretches out her hands; there is no one to comfort her. The Lord has issued a decree against Jacob that his neighbors should be his adversaries. Jerusalem has become something impure among them. The Lord is just, for I have rebelled against his command. Listen, all you people; look at my pain. My young women and young men have gone into captivity. I called to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while searching for food to keep themselves alive. Lord, see how I am in distress. I am churning within; my heart is broken, for I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword takes the children; inside, there is death. People have heard me groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they are glad that you have caused it. Bring on the day you have announced, so that they may become like me. Let all their wickedness come before you, and deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many, and I am sick at heart.

Sin destroys what was

Sin destroys the goodness that was and instead leaves us with a new reality. Notice the reversals in . The city is lonely it once was full. She was great but is now like a widow. She was a princess but is now a slave.

Lamentations 1:1 CSB

How she sits alone, the city once crowded with people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has been put to forced labor.

Sin bears bitter fruit

Sin bears a bitter fruit. What was once thought to bring pleasure has instead brought nothing but pain. They were lovers, but now they are seen for what they really are. They offer no comfort. It will be so with us. There is no comfort from the sins we once reveled in. Instead we are stuck only with bitter tears.

Sin brings Isolation

Sin does not bring what it promises. It promises us fulfillment but leaves us in isolation. For the Christian, the isolation means a loss of the fellowship of believers and the presence of God. Isolation is the result of sin and the result of God’s judgment. . This isolation is not to leave us there forever, but to bring us to a place of seeing our need more clearly. For Judah, they ignored God when things were good, but now they are exiled and desolate and now searching for God.

Lamentations 1:3 CSB

Judah has gone into exile following affliction and harsh slavery; she lives among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in narrow places.

Sin must be recognized

Sin is not meant to leave us in a place of desolation but to lead us back to God. But first we must recognize the sin in our lives. Jeremiah displays this throughout the book and especially this chapter. He recognizes the sin of Judah and rightly understands it is God who is judging and doing so rightly.

Lamentations 1:12 CSB

Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see! Is there any pain like mine, which was dealt out to me, which the Lord made me suffer on the day of his burning anger?

Recognize sin to God

For us today, this will be confession of sin. We must see our sin, but it is not enough to acknowledge it is there God has called us to confess and repent. To confess it sometimes means we may be faced with the ugliness of our sin. That can scare and disgust us and it should.

Recognize sin in your life

We must see where sin has manifested in our lives. Is it in our interactions with certain people or groups. Is it private, is it internal/external? Where ever it is we must see and recognize it for what it is.

We must respond to sin

Once sin is recognized we must then do something about it. We must respond to it. But how ? and what does that look like?

Lamentations 1:16 CSB

I weep because of these things; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to keep me alive. My children are desolate because the enemy has prevailed.

1:16 a proper response is sorrow.

There should be genuine sorrow for the things we have done. This is an important step in the process of repentance. We can’t look at sin callously but with a broken heart.

Lamentations 1:18 CSB

The Lord is just, for I have rebelled against his command. Listen, all you people; look at my pain. My young women and young men have gone into captivity.

1:18: seeing God as right to judge

We must understand that God is right to judge sin. He is not being harsh but righteous. During times of Judgment we must realize that God is just and we are wrong and submit to that. This is no easy task since we live in a world that claims the opposite. God should somehow conform His righteousness to our wants and needs. This is the opposite of the Biblical view, but I fear it has infiltrated the church.

We must call out to God

From a point of brokenness and pain we must now call out to God, for He hears. Why else would Jeremiah call to God if he did not think God would hear and respond.

Lamentations 1:20 CSB

Lord, see how I am in distress. I am churning within; my heart is broken, for I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword takes the children; inside, there is death.

1:20 From the depths of sorrow call to God

God is big enough to handle our pain and distress. Jeremiah has no problem telling God how he feels. It is from the rock bottom that Jeremiah calls. We can call to God, whether from the rock bottom or somewhere in between.

Confess to God

We are right to confess again our sin to God. THis is part of calling out to Him.

God must be our only hope!

We must rightly see that there is no other hope of restoration except what is found in God. This is why Jeremiah calls to God in the first place. Who else can do anything. Not Judah, not you, not a pastor. God and God alone is our salvation. Call out to him even in the midst of distress. Whether it is sin or a storm of life, call out to our only hope, God!