Judgment Mournin'

Reading of the Text: Lamentations 1:1-22

1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! 2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. 3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. 4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. 5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. 6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. 7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. 8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. 9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. 10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. 11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.

12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. 13 From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. 14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. 15 The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress. 16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. 17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them. 18 The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. 19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls. 20 Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. 21 They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me. 22 Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

Introduction

As I was preparing this sermon, I had just listened to Miriam Anderson singing “O Lord, what a Mornin’.” It is probably based upon an earlier African-American spiritual which was included by Bishop Allen in an early hymnbook. There have been several other renditions of this song before being written by Harry Belafonte in 1960. These earlier renditions bring out more of the apocalyptic imagery. It is talking about the end of the world. Some have wondered if it should rather be rendered “O LORD, what a Mournin’.” It has a warning for sinners to mend their ways in light of this judgment. It also provides hope through this judgment for His people.

As we come into the season of Advent, we need to remember that Advent is not Christmas. It is not a time we prepare our hearts for the Christ child who arrived more than 2,000 years ago. Instead, it is a time in which we prepare fro the return of Jesus Christ our Lord. Are we ready for judgment morning? When the stars begin to fall, will we find our souls anchored in the hope of Jesus.

Why Jeremiah Mourned

To see what this day of judgment might look to us, let us go back 2,600 years to the time of the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah is known as the “weeping prophet.” He called out time and again for Judah to repent in the light of the coming destruction of Jerusalem. The people failed to listen. They considered Jeremiah to be a traitor. His long ministry failed to gain a single convert. The LORD had called him from the womb to this miserable ministry. He lived to see the horrific destruction of Jerusalem. The LORD had spared Jeremiah, and a remnant of the people were taken away captive to Babylon, while others found temporary refuge in Egypt. The vision of the destruction haunted Jeremiah. He recorded his grief in the Book of Lamentations.

Our Book of Lamentations is known in Hebrew by its first word which can be translated “How?”. It might also be rendered, “Why?”, Why has the LORD brought such destruction to the city which was once a shining light to the nations? This question actually answers itself once one thinks about it. the Book of Deuteronomy warned that if Israel was unfaithful to the covenant He had made with them that desolation awaited. Deuteronomy 28:15-44) Now the people had become widows, mourning their loss day and night. There was no end of their tears. There was no one to comfort her in her affliction either. Instead, the people were mocked in Babylon. “Play one of those old songs of Zion for us by the river here. “ (Psalm 137) . O LORD, what a mourning!

“A warning to “Christian” nations

We should be warned from this dirge that a similar fate awaits any nation who dares to call itself “Christian.” If god did not spare the natural branches, His people, how much more will the LORD rain down judgment upon those who are unfaithful to Jesus who is the LORD of the Covenant. We see a great falling away in the West from its Christian roots. I am not saying that “Christian” nations have ever been all that Christian. But judgment mourning awaits all nations who forsake God. As the LORD bent over backwards to send prophet after prophet to warn Israel and Judah, the LORD raises up ministers who are called to warn the people to repent, But like the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day, they would rather listen to the false prophets who promise prosperity and peace. But I call on you to look around. Don’t you see everything now falling in? Nations are disintegrating and perishing from a famine, not of bread, but of hearing the Word of God. (Amos 8:11) Judgment has been perverted. There is one law for the elite and another for the commoner. the poor cry, and no one cares. God’s ministers who preach the truth are sneered at. In some places, they are severely persecuted. As “Christian” nations stray more and more from the truth, the people are being made captives and exiles in their own land. One does not necessarily have to be removed to Babylon. Babylon comes to us here to oppress us. Rome came to Israel and made the Jews captive in their own land, for example.

But there is a silver lining to this. The middle of the Book of Lamentations tells us of God’s eternal faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). Even in the midst of catastrophic judgment, the LORD shows mercy and compassion. Jeremiah did not completely escape the suffering of Judah. Even though he was allowed to stay in the land, he was seized by the people and taken with them into Egyptian exile. But unlike countless others who perished in the seige of Jerusalem, he lived to tell about it with these five highly structured poems in the book. This is a thoughtful and reflective grief and not just the cry of utter despair. It does us well to reflect upon our sufferings and not just throw our hands up in the air.

What does this mean for us?

One of the things we should reflect upon Lamentations 1:12. Charles Jennins selected this text for Handel to use in his famous Messiah. The reason we have hope, even in despairful times is that Jesus, like Jeremiah, was a weeping prophet. He wept bitterly as he came into the City of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. (Luke 19:41-45) When everyone else saw an earthly Messiah come into the city to overthrow the Romans, Jesus had other ideas. They did not need deliverance from the Romans, they needed deliverance from sin. He came to suffer the desolation caused by our disobedience upon His cross. Was there any sorrow like unto His sorrow that day? See what good has come from this sorrow, In this we realize that God will even work out our sorrows for our eternal good.

In this season upon which we come, we eagerly await the return of the LORD. We sing “O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel!” Every day we wait here in our exile and eagerly anticipate that glorious day. Judgment mournin’ isn’t our destiny. That is for those who have not heard or refuse to hear the Gospel of Jesus. People who reject Jesus go from sorrow to even greater sorrow. They cry out in pain and despair. SO many in this world today feel totally alone. We are presented a wonderful opportunity, even though we suffer along with them, to tell the story of Jesus who is acquainted with our grief, who carried our sorrows. (Isaiah 53:3) He was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day, He arose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and will return to receive us unto Himself, to sorrow no more.

In the meanwhile, let us call upon people to repent, that is to think thoughtfully upon these matters and to choose the right path. Let us live lives beyond reproach. Being a Christian means that we are not here to cause suffering to others. In necessary, we will suffer, and in our suffering follow the example of Jesus our LORD.