Welcome to 2025!
The Book of Lamentations update edit 1/6/25
Do you know anyone who is lonely, isolated or estranged? Anyone who is grieving, devastated, enslaved, who weep bitterly every night, and feel oppressed? Our world is full of people described just like that – in churches, businesses and homes.
In the chaos of our culture, we have become numb to people talking about their issues, problems and pain. We see it on the news, we experience it in the streets, and in relationships. It is not meant to be that way, so why is it?
In the Old Testament, the prophet Jeremiah (or perhaps his secretary Baruch) wrote poems with prayers and lament. A lament is an expression of grief, regret or sorrow. Each poem begins with an acrostic and it contains the mourning of God’s people. This section shares a people who remembered the joy of God’s favor but now are feeling the affliction of God’s wrath. It’s one thing to feel oppressed, it’s another thing to realize that the all loving God is the One bringing the pain. Keep in mind this book is pre-Savior.
Hear the three main “cries” in Chapter one, and evaluate your last year or ten years – is it similar?
- There is no one to comfort
- There is no rest
- There is no one to help
The audience of this book had the Torah, oral tradition and prophecies, but not a whole Bible like we have today. How unbearable! No comfort, no rest, no help – all signs of judgment. They were getting opposite of what GOD wanted for them.
This is not only the plight of the lost, this is the state of the soul estranged from God. This was the result of sin.
Sometimes suffering this can be from warfare or circumstances — true, but it can also be the fall out from alienation with God. It can be the result or a broken relationship with Him. It is not Gods’ heart or desire for us. Comfort means there is consolation, pity, and compassion. We all need it, we all want it and we hope God will be that for us. Remember that we now see God’s character thru Jesus but the people in that day did not trust God was good or know He had their back. They only knew that one day, a Messiah would come that would break yokes, care for the poor, comfort the oppressed and help them in their suffering (see Is.58, Jer.29).
Judgment means there is constant work and worry –no rest. No place or person to be at ease with – a home, a marriage, a purpose that keeps you going. There is no state of rest or peace– because before Christ they had to sacrifice for all sin. Their debt was owed, their guilt remained. They ceased to seek God or go to the Temple. Help is more than just support, it is protection, being surrounded and receiving aid. God had been their present help in time of need, now they say there is no one. The Lamentations are cries as they see the result of turning away from GOD.
In the very first book of the Bible, we hear God telling Adam that it is not good for man to be alone. His Father grants him someone to console and support him, and Eve is his helpmate. A gift from God. But then we see loneliness come back when Adam stops walking with God. His labor intensifies as he misses God’s voice and becomes Eves sole source of comfort, rest and help. Relationships without God look like this- weary, worn out from trying to replace all that God wants to be in that persons life. Here in Lamentations, we are told the city, the nation, and the Individual have no comfort, no rest, no help. It is a state of utter chaos and pain.
Why? They remembered when things were good and God’s blessing was on them. Those who have never felt comfort, rest or help have nothing to remember to bring them back. It must be shared so they can know and feel it. Comfort, rest and help are signs God is near and reveal Jesus.
The author of Lamentations tells us the suffering and trials are because of transgression and sin, that things have broken down and become such a crisis. The Lord not only allowed it but brought it. Yikes, that’s bad news but it would lead them back to their Source.
Transgressions can be moral, religious, or national. They stem from trespasses. My husband Joe said if you read the “ingredient list” on a can of transgression, rebellion would be the top item listed. Rebellion is opposed to what is good and right. In our day we say people “erred” or “made a mistake” perhaps a blunder, but the word of God says transgressions separate us from a holy God. Sins are different from transgressions. They are mess-ups with blame, guilt-inducing errors from when we go wrong. We can go against a holy God or we can disobey when we block His leading to do something right. We want to alleviate others’ guilt so they feel good, but sometimes things go wrong because of God showing us where we turned away from HIM. A pill, a therapist or a pastor cannot make you feel better if it is God behind the life lesson. We must check our hearts and invite God to change us with His with grace. (Note of caution: not all suffering is a sign of sin, this is specific to broken relationship with God and the absence of the blessing that comes with it.)
The author and poet tells us that the highways of their day were “crying” and rising up in sadness for the loneliness of those who no longer came for the set festivals or gathered assemblies. Netflix and Doordash can never replace fiery worship and preaching! Not only the rocks were crying out, but Highway 95 was buckling under the mourning of the absence of feet heading to the Temple. The people no longer pounded the pavement to make it to church, no longer came in droves to praise God or seek His face. Pretty intense visual. I don’t want to make the highways cry for the longing of my family’s feet! There are times when sickness, weather or work prevent an occasional absence but when whole groups of people are going down other paths, there is a serious, spiritual problem. When people stop encountering God and others in the service, they will vote with their feet. When hearts go tepid, lukewarm or turn selfish, no church in the world can keep them. It won’t just limit church attendance, it will crush a nation. HELP! The absence of these things is a warning sign for Gods people. Who is in need of Comfort, Rest or Help? Hear the alarm, hear the Lord, we must hear the cries, they alert us to a people in need of a comforter, a burden bearer and helper. If they could speak, what are the highways by your house or church saying this morning?
Transgressions and sins caused God to pause. He let them try things their own way.
Transgressions and sins allowed chaos to overwhelm and overpower them. He let them feel the loss of His comfort, rest and help.
It is a sad book. It can’t be preached away or simplified by saying God is always good and it must have been the” devil at work”. It (the crime, agony, isolation, pain, betrayal) was caused by their choices. That was not God’s ideal plan for them. Sin failed them.
Let me ask you a question. Is there comfort, rest, and help for you today? For our nation?
We have an epic carnal problem. Doing our ”own thing” has bankrupted us and our nation. Moral corrosion spreads – to Democrats, Republicans, saints and sinners. If we address it, we might just find our way back to God’s grace. If we face it– we might just begin to see that all along God has provided Comfort, Rest and Help through Jesus. There are happier books to read but this one shares Gods’ solution – turn back to Him.
Fast forward to the scene at the nativity, fast forward to the empty tomb – Jesus was, is, and will be our COMFORT, REST, and HELP. Those things are not just random verbs, they represent a person, a Savior with a plan and His name is Jesus. Not just for this election cycle but for EVERY cycle. This January 2025, are you Enslaved? Lonely? Overwhelmed? Tired? Crying? Bitter? Betrayed, afflicted? Wouldn’t you rather be supported with Comfort, Rest and Help? Return, we must all return. Return to the One who is waiting for us.
God spoke (and speaks) through Lamentations and let them and us know the root cause of these devastating issues. He was resolved to bring us the solution. It is dark now, but it does not have to be or stay that way. Help is on the way! Rest is on the way! Comfort is on the way!
We need Comfort. We need Rest. We need Help. We were not made to be alone.
We need our transgressions and sins to be cleansed and forgiven. Now is the day…
God is good. We need to make room for Him in our hearts by asking Him to clear out the transgressions and sins in our lives. He’s willing – we need to let Him know we are willing – to live His way- holy. Then He will push back the chaos and bring back the favor and joy. I can’t think of a better way to start 2025 than turning to God, asking for forgiveness for our transgressions and sins, and letting Him become these three things in our lives. Quite the package deal – Comfort, Rest and Help. Come Lord Jesus!
RenaeRoche2025
ps. Please share with us your story.