Lamentations 1

Bible Passage:  Lamentations 1

Defeated and taken captive as slaves, far away from their home country, the Israelites groan under the yoke of Babylonian slavery. They have been literally uprooted; not only physically but also spiritually. They have lost all their material possessions, but even more tragic is the fact that God has turned His face away from them due to their grave sins and their stubborn refusal to repent of these sins. The latter punishment even supersedes the physical suffering, for without God man has no hope.

“Behold and see 
If there is any sorrow like my sorrow, Which has been brought on me, 
Which the Lord has inflicted 
In the day of His fierce anger.…
He made my strength fail; 
The Lord delivered me into the hands of those  whom I am not able to withstand. 
For these things I weep; 
My eye, my eye overflows with water; Because the comforter, who should restore my life, 
Is far from me.” (Lam 1:12, 14, 16)

Yet Israel has learned her lesson; she finally begins to admit her sins:

“The Lord is righteous, For I rebelled against His commandment.” (Lam 1:18)

“See, O Lord , that I am in distress; My soul is troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious.” (Lam 1:20)

Sometimes, we are just like Israel: complacent, self-content, taking things for granted, selfish, proud, unaware of our sins, and stubborn. It is not until we are afflicted for our sins that we begin to realize that we were utterly wrong. Today, as we read about Israel’s grief and sorrow for her sins, let’s reflect on our words and deeds. Have we really pleased God and edified man? Let us not wait until the Lord strikes but let us walk with God in wisdom and humility.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” (Eph 5:15)