“Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities.”

This verse touches on an important topic of personal responsibility for sin. Some people are confused, thinking, for example, that God will judge me for my father’s sin. The Bible is clear that no man is held responsible for another person’s sin. However, we cannot necessarily escape the results of another’s sin. For example, if I do something really stupid and go to prison, my wife and kids will not be legally responsible for my actions. But they will be left managing the remains of what used to be. In other words, they will bear my iniquity.”

This is a great reminder that my actions can have a tremendous negative impact on others, particularly my wife and kids.

Father, please help me to grow in sanctification that my family may rejoice in your blessing and not weep under your discipline. Amen.

This is what is happening in this verse. Folks are living a hard life (rape, torture, etc – see 5:10-15) because generations of Judeans rejected the Lord.

“Those who once feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps.”

The devastation went all the way to the royal and wealthy, presumably because they were not immune to the idolatry of the nations. I conclude that the wealthy and the royal were included in the suffering because of the use of two words in this poem: delicacies and purple.

Those who feast on delicacies are the wealthy, which would include the royals. In Hebrew poetry, the second line often repeats the first line, but in different words. Those who are brought up in purple are the royal and wealthy. Look at the outcome for the rich and royals: they perish in the streets or they embrace the ash heaps. In other words, in this devastation, they became “normal” people.

The ash heaps reminded me of God’s grace mentioned in Psalm 113:4-8

“The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.”

In Lamentations, Jeremiah describes how sin lowers everyone, even the rich and royal. The Psalmist describes how the Lord lifts folks from the ash heaps to become his royal people.

Father, help me to long for the day of redemption when all things will be made right. Amen.

Wow! Jeremiah spends 20 verses describing the afflictions he is under, then he writes,

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope.”

In the midst of hardship, he has to remind himself of God’s goodness. He reminds himself that:
1) The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
2) his mercies never come to an end;
3) his mercies are new every morning;
4) great is God’s faithfulness.

Then he concludes, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will hope.”

If a prophet of God has to remind himself of God’s goodness, I’m sure I must do the same. In addition to reading the Bible for these reminders, we can sing songs that proclaim God’s goodness to us.

Years ago, Colleen had the idea that each night, as we close the day in prayer, we all say at least one blessing we experienced during the day. We still do this as a way to force ourselves to recognize God’s goodness toward us.

Father, help me to be ever mindful of your goodness and mercy. Amen.

“All your enemies rail against you; they hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry: ‘We have swallowed her! Ah, this is the day we longed for; now we have it; we see it!’” (16)

The Lord has done what he purposed; he has carried out his word, which he commanded long ago; he has thrown down without pity; he has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes.” (17)

We can see at least 2 things here:

First, we see that Israel’s enemies despise her and rejoice at her downfall. Most importantly, they take credit for defeating Israel: “We have swallowed her!”

Second, we see that God is taking credit for Israel’s downfall: The Lord has done what he purposed; he has carried out his word…

When we compare these statements, we can conclude that God accomplishes His will on earth through the actions of people. In this case, Babylon was all too happy to be the Lord’s rod of discipline, even though they didn’t realize that’s what they were doing.

They also didn’t realize they would be judged for their hatred toward Israel. Jeremiah mentions this judgment in 51:36: “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry, and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, the haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without inhabitant.’”

I am amazed at how God accomplishes his will on earth, and that I play a part in that … even when I don’t realize it. I want to be an instrument of God’s blessing. I’m afraid that if I am an instrument of his wrath, I will step over the line as Babylon did and deserve to be judged myself. I don’t trust myself in such a situation. For example, if God used me to punish Hamas, I’m afraid I would be all too happy in the process.

So, today I begin making a conscious effort to bless others.

“Her foes have become the head; her enemies prosper, because the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe.”

Notice the connection Jeremiah makes between the city and the people.

1. “Her foes have become the head.”

“Her” refers to Jerusalem. Whereas the Jews once ruled the city, Babylon (foes) now rules the city.

2. “Her enemies prosper …”

Not only does Babylon rule over Jerusalem, but it also prospers. The city on which God wrote his name is now under the thumb of Babylon.

3. “because the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.”

The reason Babylon rules Jerusalem is that the Lord is punishing his people for their sins. This is somewhat good news. At least we now know this situation is part of God’s plan and not simply the result of Babylon knocking the Lord off his throne.

Notice that the city, which did not sin, is suffering because of the people who live in it.

4 “her children have gone away, captives before the foe.”
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What must seem like the worst possible thing that could happen to a person is, in fact, the Lord’s plan.

This goes so against my normal thinking that I have to slow down and let this thought settle in. My natural thought is that God would make everything easy for his children. But that approach doesn’t seem to work in terms of drawing my heart to him. See Deuteronomy 6:10-12, for example:

“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

God will bring them into the Land he had promised and give them 1) great and good cities they did not build, 2) houses full of stuff they did not fill, 3) cisterns they did not dig, and 4) vineyards and olive trees they did not plant!

That’s what I naturally think would lead people to love God. Yet, we are reading Lamentations because the people’s hearts still wandered to idols after God did all that. Why do I think I would do better?

I need the Lord to transform my heart, not just give me stuff.

Father, please help me love you because of you and not for any material gain. Amen.