Lam 3:16-24
SS Lesson for 07/07/2024
Devotional Scripture: Ps 136:1-22
The book of Lamentations commemorates the devastating destruction of Jerusalem that occurred when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invaded Judah in 586 BC. A long siege left many dead from starvation, and a significant number of the remaining population was brutalized and taken captive to Babylon. The city itself was leveled after Nebuchadnezzar’s forces successfully breached the city. Especially hurtful to the inhabitants of Jerusalem was the utter destruction of the temple, the centerpiece of their city and the symbol of their special relationship with God (Jeremiah 7:4-14; 52:12-23). The five poems of Lamentations are one person’s attempt to sort through his confusion and questions as well as to find a reason for hope. Though traditionally, this person has been identified with the prophet Jeremiah, the book of Lamentations is anonymous. We cannot know with certainty who expressed the community’s grief with such vivid images and powerful poetry. What is clear, however, is that the poet was a master of metaphors with an unusual awareness of his people’s pain. The poet’s experience is representative of the people as a whole. In fact, throughout Lamentations 3, the speaker presents himself as an authoritative figure with an official role as the people’s representative with a responsibility to lead them in expressing and processing their pain. This leads eventually to his leading them in a liturgy of repentance, appealing to divine mercy, and seeking restoration to divine favor (Lamentations 3:40-42). The first four of these five laments are acrostic poems: they use the Hebrew alphabet as their organizational scheme by having the first word of each stanza begin with the successive letter of the alphabet. The third lament, the one in which our text is located, intensifies the acrostic so that the first word of each line of each stanza features the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This technique aided the community’s collective memory of the trauma. It was also a means of trying to order the chaotic emotions and make sense of the horrific experience in terms of the people’s covenant with God. While the people of Judah certainly had to express their grief and wrestle with the difficult theological questions raised by their intense suffering, they also had to remember God’s character and his long track record of faithfulness and love if they were to avoid succumbing to despair. This latter task dominates the poet’s concerns in Lamentations 3:16-24. These verses are a climax for the collection of poems that make up the book of Lamentations.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. 22 Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel, and covered me with ashes.
17 You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I said, "My strength and my hope have perished from the Lord."
19 Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers and sinks within me.
18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
1 "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
22 Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent — not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.
19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
7 "Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
This chapter also differs from the others in this book, in that: it contains a first-person narrative of the prophet’s reactions to the sufferings he endured as the Lord’s faithful servant. It is similar to the "confessions" sections in the Book of Jeremiah, where the prophet opens up and lets the reader into his heart and mind. "Jeremiah proposes his own experience under afflictions, as an example as to how the Jews should behave under theirs, so as to have hope of a restoration; hence the change from singular to plural (Lamentations 3:22; Lamentations 3:40-47)." [Note: Jamieson, et al., p. 664.]
Faithful servants of the Lord of all ages can identify with many of the prophet’s sentiments expressed here. "Chapter 3 is the heart of Jeremiah’s short book. This chapter gives the book a positive framework around which the other chapters revolve. The black velvet of sin and suffering in chapters 1-2 and 4-5 serves as a fitting backdrop to display the sparkling brilliance of God’s loyal love in chapter 3." [Note: Dyer, "Lamentations," p. 1216.]
In parts of this chapter, Jeremiah spoke for the people of Jerusalem and Judah, as well as for himself (e.g., Lamentations 3:22; Lamentations 3:40-47). "He speaks as a representative Israelite, facing the dark and baffling ways of Providence." [Note: Price, p. 698.]
"In many respects this elegy crystallizes the basic themes of Lamentations, and as a fore-shadowing of the passion of Jesus Christ has definite affinities with Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22." [Note: Harrison, Jeremiah and . . ., p. 223.]
Verse 1
Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; Job 21:9; Psalms 89:32; Isaiah 10:5). "The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins with the complaint of a man over grievous personal suffering." [Note: Keil, 2:402-3.]
Verses 2-3
The Lord had driven the prophet to walk in the darkness of His judgment, rather than in the light of His blessing and presence (cf. Lamentations 3:6). The Lord had disciplined him repeatedly for a long time, in that while He was judging Jerusalem, Jeremiah was suffering along with the people.
Verse 4
Jeremiah’s suffering included sickness and pain, as when someone does not get enough food to eat or breaks a bone (cf. Psalms 42:10; Proverbs 5:11). Fever pains sometimes resemble the pain of a broken bone (cf. Lamentations 1:13-14; Job 30:17; Psalms 32:3-4; Psalms 51:8; Isaiah 38:13). He may have experienced these physical ailments, or he may have simply described his inner pain in terms of physical afflictions.
Verses 5-6
Bitter experiences and hardship had assailed the prophet as Yahweh had judged His people (cf. Jeremiah 8:14). Jeremiah’s existence had turned into a living death for him (cf. Psalms 143:3).
Verse 7
The Lord had imprisoned His prophet in his affliction; he could not escape from it (cf. Job 19:8; Psalms 88:8; Jeremiah 38:6; Hosea 2:6).
Verses 8-9
The Lord would not ease his suffering in answer to prayer (cf. Psalms 18:42; Jeremiah 7:16). It was as though the Lord had opposed Jeremiah’s progress toward restoration and made it very difficult.
Verses 10-11
Jeremiah felt like the Lord was lying in wait to devour him, like a wild animal (cf. Psalms 10:9; Psalms 17:12). The Lord had desolated Jeremiah by opposing his ways and making him feel torn apart.
Verses 12-13
Jeremiah felt as though he was a target that the Lord was shooting at and that Yahweh had wounded him severely (cf. Job 16:13).
Verses 14-15
The prophet’s contemporaries mocked and ridiculed him constantly. He had become full of bitter experiences, like poison, which the Lord had given him to drink (cf. Job 9:18). "Wormwood is the name given to certain plants used for imparting a bitter flavor to some drinks; the name has no connection with either worm or wood." [Note: Ellison, p. 718.]
Verse 16
Jeremiah felt like his teeth were broken and that God had given him stones to eat instead of bread. ". . . the teeth have become broken and ground down because God has given His people stones to eat as punishment for venerating the images of Baal." [Note: Harrison, Jeremiah and . . ., p. 224.]
Verses 17-18
Jeremiah had forgotten what peace and happiness were like. He had also lost his strength and his hope.
Verse 19
Jeremiah prayed that the Lord would remember his affliction and bitterness (cf. Job 13:15). He himself remembered something that gave him hope.
Verse 22
The prophet remembered that the Lord’s loyal love (Heb. hesed) never ceases and that He is ceaselessly compassionate.
Verse 23
There are new evidences of Yahweh’s lovingkindness and compassion every day that testify to His great faithfulness (cf. Psalms 36:5; Psalms 36:7). His daily provision of manna for the Israelites in the wilderness was one example of this. "The word translated ’compassions’ draws attention to God’s emotional response to the needs of His people [cf. Genesis 43:30; 1 Kings 3:26]. The terms rendered ’love’ [or "lovingkindness"] and ’faithfulness’ are closely related in meaning [cf. Psalms 89:24; Psalms 92:2; Psalms 98:3; Hosea 2:19-20]. They refer to God’s devotion to His covenant people and to the promises He made to them." [Note: Chisholm, p. 362.]
This verse was, of course, the basis for the classic Christian hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas O. Chisholm (b. 1866). It has also inspired modern composers (e.g., "The steadfast love of the Lord never faileth; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness, oh Lord, great is Thy faithfulness . . .").
Verse 24
Jeremiah reminded himself that Yahweh was his portion. Consequently he had hope (cf. Numbers 18:20). By calling the Lord his portion, the prophet was comparing Yahweh to an allotment of land that provides the necessities of life (cf. Psalms 16:5-6; Psalms 73:26; Psalms 119:57; Psalms 142:5). "To have God for our portion is the one only foundation of hope." [Note: Jamieson, et al., p. 664.]
(Adapted from URL:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dcc/lamentations-3.html)
Lamentations 3:16-24 can be thought of as an exercise in remembering the whole truth. The text does not shy away from the ugly reality of the community’s suffering. Honest and vivid expression is given to the pain, disillusionment, and bitterness experienced by the poet and his people. This, however, is not the whole truth. Experience is important and sheds valuable light on reality, but it is not the only or final word. The poet balanced his experience with revelation Scriptures, prayers, and traditions he had learned since his youth. Though the tension created by their juxtaposition at times seems greater than our hearts can bear, the internal dialogue between our lived experience and the Spirit’s testimony in Scripture is essential to our arriving at the whole truth and to the survival of our hope. When enduring great trials and suffering, we cannot isolate ourselves in an echo chamber of despair. Never is it more crucial to participate in the worshipping community than when we are wrestling with intense doubts regarding God’s goodness and love. Many people of faith have survived harrowing experiences only to rebound from them with greater assurance of God’s love. We must not ignore their testimony. All of these form a great cloud of witnesses testifying that faith in God’s ceaseless love need not wither and die in the face of the world’s horrors. The secret to their resilient faith was that they trained their memories to recall not only the pain of their experience but also the many pieces of evidence of God’s enduring love, both in their own lives and in the lives of believers who preceded them