They are new: (1) because they were forfeited yesterday by our sins; (2) because new light is thrown upon them, and our hearts have been renewed to see them better; (3) because they can be dedicated anew, used for new services and new love; (4) because of the "night of heaviness," which endureth but for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit, 1st series, No. Having considered his ways, he knows what he has to confess when he comes into his Maker's presence. The possession of reason should stir us up to daily thanksgiving to Him whose mercies are new to us every morning. (1) He tells us the goodness of waiting: it is good for a man to wait. We are surrounded by noise, notifications, and things that are clamoring for our attention. Whatever youve done, wherever youve been, Gods mercies are new for you every morning. Reference: Lamentations 3:40 . III. God is our only hope He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone: he hath . Lamentations 3:16-33 hold the tension of grief and hope in a beautiful mixture of proud sadness and . Despite the heartbreak and agony this book still contains an incredible message of hope. The soft, measured breath, or the laboring, gasping breath. Gods compassion, his mercy, is a byproduct of his love. And not only are Gods people failing to enjoy promises made to them, but they are also now failing to be a light to the nations. Consider the benefit of uniting these "It is good both to hope and quietly to wait." Gods mercies are new every morning. In Lamentations as well as around the world and down through time, as the leaders of a people go, so go the people. The entire Old Testament has been gradually working toward the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham in Genesis 12:13promises of blessing, descendants, and land. 5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me . In the Hebrew Bible it appears in the Ketuvim ("Writings") as one of the Five Megillot (or "Five Scrolls") alongside the Song of Songs, Book of Ruth, Ecclesiastes and the Book of Esther although there is no set order. Lamentations 3:22-33 The Faithfulness of God. Many persons suffer seriously throughout their life by not having borne in their youth the yoke of a church. I. Dr. Philip W. McLarty . Life protracted may be a season when the Saviour is won, and the Saviour won is the universe our own. For more check out: What It Means To Follow Jesus. That, whatever sorrow we are in, it is what God has allotted us, and his hand is in it. Where Does the Bible Say that Jesus Is God. III. Get time, if it be only a few moments, for meditation before you speak to God, and you will find a freshness in your thought of Him which will certainly inspire and help your supplications. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Supposing that you are ready thus to appeal, there are two evils to be guarded against: (1) That of lifting up the spirit without the hands depending upon mental prayer without times for prayer, seasons for prayer, words of prayer without an act of prayer. Lamentations reminds us of the importance not only of mourning over our sin but of asking the Lord for His forgiveness when we fail Him. They were before the year; they were before all years; they will outlive the year. 5. Like many of the prophets, Lamentations warns of the "day of the Lord." This is the day when God judges sin. Time and time again throughout the day. AUTHOR: Probably Jeremiah the Prophet A. The original name of the book in Hebrew, ekah, can be translated Alas! or How, giving the sense of weeping or lamenting over some sad event.1 Later readers and translators substituted in the title Lamentations because of its clearer and more evocative meaning. The story of the Bible and tools to study it. Even if he could only manage a sigh, it would be his cry for help that he longed for God to hear. But there are things newer than the year. Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? Speaking in the first person, Jeremiah pictured himself captured in a besieged city, without anyone to hear his prayers, and as a target for the arrows of the enemy (3:78, 12). J. Burton, Christian Life and Truth, p. 368. Thats missing the point of the meaning of Lamentation 3:22-23. This word carries with it a finality. It was an affliction that was misery itself; for sin makes the cup of affliction a bitter cup. . i. There is One who uses this very figure concerning His own Divine office. horror, all against a background of red sky. Lamentations provides eyewitness testimony of Babylons destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC in vivid, poetic detail. It is the Lord who reigns in all circumstances, and He reigns over them. They have been very rebellious (Lamentations 1:20). ii. If he be tempted to murmur, let him remember that he is yet alive, and that is more than his part cometh to, since it is the Lords mercy that he is not consumed, and sent packing hence to hell. God bless Chuck, God bless Insight For Living. The meaning of Lamentations 3:22-23 is a powerful reminder of what God has done for us. Why should a living man complain, Harrison, R. K. Brand. The Hebrew title of the book is 'ekah ("How . According to the work of their hands. Watch Now What's Next? Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. There are, with all of us, desires and tendencies which we have sternly to resist, and the denying of which is part of the training by which we are fitted for a noble and useful life. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND A. Turn to Lamentations 3:1726, where youll find someone aware of sins consequences and saddened by the results but who has placed his hope and his trust in the Lord. viii., No. IV. Background Although never named in the book, the book of Lamentations has long been attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, although some scholars have disputed this. My enemies without cause Life is still left thee; and of whatsoever thou hast been stripped, there is such a counterpoise in the continuance of life that complaint must be groundless. " In other words, nothing we have faced or will face can possibly remove us from Gods love. External Evidence: 1. (2) The one is needful to raise the other to its full strength. Generally in the combination of these two terms, each expresses the perfection of all prayer as it is either the active seeking of God or the passive waiting for Him; in other words, what man does and what he must expect God to do in the whole business of devotion. The command to seek the Lord and the command to wait on the Lord have the same general meaning, and the same general promises are given to each. The Hebrew exclamation u001fekah ("How,"which expresses "dismay"), used in 1:1; 2:1, and 4:1, gives the book its Hebrew title. Commend me to the man who has been through deep waters, through very dark places, through treacherous, serpent-haunted roads, and who has yet come out with a cheerful heart, mellow, chastened, subdued, and who speaks tenderly of the mercy of God through it all. If so, complaint is at once removed by the second consideration which our text suggests. The two words may be applied to the confidence and submission of prayer as it has to do with the seeking and waiting for special blessings. II. 7. He hath set me in 7 dark places, as they that be dead of old. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. i. I called on Your name, O LORD, Repay them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands: God had repaid Jerusalem and Judah for all their sin and disobedience. Earlier in this chapter, Jeremiah felt God was his adversary (Lamentations 3:1-18). I. i. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. It is no pleasure to God to afflict men. It is he that causes grief, and therefore we may be assured it is ordered wisely and graciously; and it is but for a season, and when need is, that we are in heaviness, 1 Pt. But this promise still rings true, Gods mercies are new every morning. How we go about that is through prayer. He who has his life still lent to him has small cause of complaint. Because of the Lords great love we are not consumed. But each line in Lamentations 3:1-3 begins with aleph; Lamentations 3:4-6 has each line begin with beth; and so forth. Very ancient words- written against a very traumatic background for God's people. We may request cookies to be set on your device. IV. Volume 19 in the Tyndale Old Testament . VI. The author of Lamentations recounts some horrific circumstances taking place in Jerusalem as the city starves, yet the greatest disaster is the apparent failure of Gods covenant with Israel. J. Vaughan, Sermons, 11th series, p. 13. They continued after the temple was rebuilt during Zechariahs time (c. 520 BC; see Zechariah 7:35; 8:19). God therefore disapproves heartily of any attempt to deprive an individual of his rights in the law (36), or to condemn him unjustly. (Harrison). . Lamentations 5 - God's faithfulness is worthy of trust. References: Lamentations 3:27 . It includes memorable prayers that confess sin, express renewed hope, and declare total dependence on Gods grace. As the verses of Lamentations accumulate, readers cannot help but wonder how many different ways Jeremiah could describe the desolation of the once proud city of Jerusalem. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. The year will grow stale, but these will always sustain their vigour and elasticity. We shall find increasingly, "how good it is." Taking the opening of the chapter along with the text, we seem to find a good deal of inconsistency and, in fact, positive contradiction. The five lament poems are outlined here: Lamentations 1 - Jerusalem's desolation is lamented. Spiritual experience must be looked at as a whole. Lamentations Themes. Our faith should have a direct impact on what we do and how we do it. Instead of bringing Gods saving purposes to the world, they are being conquered by a godless nation. Background Although Peter wrote to Jewish Christians driven out of Jerusalem and scattered throughout Asia Minor, there is much that we can learn from his letter. E. Mellor, The Hem of Christ's Garment, p. 138. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. I. A mother listens for the breathing of her babe in the dark. To turn aside the justice due a man before the face of the Most High: The MT of verse 35 lends force to the concept of natural or inherent human rights when rendered, to pervert the right which a man has in the very presence of the Most High. Chapter 3 is slightly different as . Colour. Jeremiah calls to mind that the the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, that His mercies never come to an end, that they are new every morning, and that His faithfulness is great . For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love (Lamentations 3:3132). What questions do you have? Because Gods love is steadfast his mercy and compassion will continue on through eternity. View a list of Bible maps, excerpted from The Swindoll Study Bible. Regardless of how often you rely on Gods compassion, there will be more for you tomorrow. We offer HD and FHD quality. God Has Set Zion under a Cloud (2:122) In a season of great suffering or calamity, it may be difficult to remember that God rules over all things if not directly, then in what He allows. 15. Book Title. Your browser does not support JavaScript. Lamentations 3:23 KJV Bible images with quotes are generated using nature scenery backgrounds and scenic photos. Since your question is about the teaching of Lamentations, we need to first . Lamentations 3:21-26 (ESV) We have no argument that can win us back into God's favor, but his mercy and love are always available. We dont live constantly focused on our sins and failings, but there are appropriate times to carefully, deliberately search out and examine our ways. Children begged food from their mothers (Lamentations 2:12), young men and women were cut down by swords (2:21), and formerly compassionate mothers used their children for food (4:10). Its not a license to sin however we want. You have slain and not pitied. View Chuck Swindoll's chart of Lamentations. BACKGROUND AND OCCASION . (2) We are living men. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Do not hide Your ear And be full of reproach. (Read Lamentations 3:1-20) The prophet relates the more gloomy and discouraging part of his experience, and how he found support and relief. Introduction. In the first place, it gave him a true view of Divine government. A determination to go, yet a willingness to stand still that is the mystery of true waiting. When we sincerely repent and long for the ways of the Lord, we can trust in his salvation and be renewed. Without repentance we shall perish, and repentance absolutely requires and supposes a careful review of the actions of our life, and that at stated and oft-recurring periods, so that the actions may be remembered and not slip through, from the length of time through which the review extends and the difficulty of recalling its performances. I. For the Lord will not cast off forever. Here is the danger of forms and modes. Nor grieve the children of men. Lamentations agrees with the Psalms that prayer is the way to restore a broken relationship with God. And what we need is to be reminded of this, especially on the difficult days. (Lamentations 3:24). It is good for a man to bear in his youth the yoke of living godliness. 4 - He has made my flesh and my skin old.He has broken my bones. I am their taunting song. c. LORD, You have seen how I am wronged: Jeremiah rested in the confidence that God was a righteous judge, who would see how he was wronged and who would rightly judge his case. There is no book in the Bible which is more characterised by the illuminations of sorrow. He is the Lord of hope ( 3:21,24-25 ), of love ( 3:22 ), of faithfulness ( 3:23 ), of salvation and restoration ( 3:26 ). 1) In 3:1, Jeremiah states that he has seen the affliction by the rod of God's wrath. x., No. Much of Jeremiahs poetry concerns itself with the fallen bricks and cracking mortar of the overrun city. We receive mercy and compassion not because we are faithful, but because God is faithful. Title. This steadfast love is expressed ultimately in the coming of Christ, the great hope of Old and New Testament believers alike. (3:19) (God) keep recalling my impoverished condition, my misery feels like bitter poison. We forget, that although we did not ourselves elect Adam to act as our representative, we should, almost beyond doubt, have elected him, had it been put to our choice. Steadfast means firmly fixed or immovable. Background. Prophets such as Jeremiah announced the Babylonian invasion as the judgment of God. Click on the different category headings to find out more. N/A. Much of Jeremiah's poetry concerns itself with the fallen bricks and cracking mortar of the overrun city. We owe it to ourselves to make this appeal to God. You have not pardoned. And said, Do not fear! Pastor. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes. When the Lord has not commanded it? Indeed, in Jesus Christ, God has drawn closer to us than could have been imaginedhe has become one of us, sharing in all that we suffer in this fallen world (Hebrews 2:1418; 4:1416). 3:22-23: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. We have transgressed and rebelled; You have seen all their vengeance, The book itself is a collect. (2) This is true also of spiritual requests. Context and Background of Lamentations. The book of Lamentations is all poetry that deals with many different key themes throughout such as justice, sin, and various imagery. Lamentations speaks from within that judgment.

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