Lamintations: The Love of the Lord Never Ceases
The Golden Thread • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
If this book does not hurt, you have done what Pastor Gabe talked about, compartmentalization.
The book is avoided, like Ecclesiastes.
When was the last time your heard someone say, I’m going to do a deep dive into Lamentations.
Let’s Read
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; 29 let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope; 30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. 31 For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33 for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.
May God Bless the reading of His Holy, Infallible and Sufficient Word
Let’s Pray
Transition
Transition
As we discussed the devastation and evil pour out by the Chaldeans was, if you’ll excuse the Pun, on biblical proportions. In the middle of all that where could anyone look for hope. What shelter is there from the wrath of God? When a nation and people offer children as sacrifice to false gods and polite their land with never kind of perversion, I’m not talking about ancient Israel now, what hope is there? Let’s read verse 19-24.
Body
Body
The Goodness of the Lord
The Goodness of the Lord
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
remember the Picture the prophet gave us last week
Lamentations 2:11–12 (ESV): 11 My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. 12 They cry to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers’ bosom.”
But in the middle of the gut wrenching experience the prophets says Verse 21 “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope”
In the middle of destruction, in the middle the devastation in the middle of the worst calamity he has ever say he says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Calvin clarifies here. “How can despair produce hope from itself? This would be contrary to nature. What then does the Prophet mean here, and what does he understand by the pronoun this, זאת, zat? Even that being oppressed with evils, he was almost lost, and was also nearly persuaded that no hope of good any more remained. As then he would recall this to mind, he says that he would then have new ground of hope, that is, when he had recourse to God; for all who devour their own sorrows, and do not look to God, kindle more and more the hidden fire, which at length suddenly turns to fury. Hence it comes that they clamour against God, as though they were doubly insane. But he who is conscious of his own infirmity, and directs his prayer to God, will at length find a ground of hope.” [1]
How over quoted under-understood this verse is.
They sin of God’s people are more grievous
Example: it is a grievous thing when a man commit adultery. It it doubles gracious when a pastor does.
Why are elder held to the higher standard?
It is much more grievous when a Christian sins then when a worldly person does.
It is much more grievous when an mature Christian sin then when a new born in Christ fails.
Israel is seeing first hand the grievousness of what betraying the Lord looks like. What they went through is recorded in scriopture so we can see the grievous and the grace of the Lord so the prophets says, verse 23, The LORD, Yahweh, the God is Isreal, the creator of the universe, the King of ever king, is my portion.
Transition
Transition
God does everything for a primary reason according to his Character. First lets talk about the reason then we will get in to his Character.
The Lord Strikes for a Reason
The Lord Strikes for a Reason
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; 29 let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope; 30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults.
Paul in Romans 9 22 -23 says, “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.” (Ro 9:22–23, ESV)
Why is it “good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Because God is making “known the riches of his glory.” The Prophet The LORD is my portion.
“It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; 29 let him put his mouth in the dust”
The picture in verse 27-29, is a yoke you cannot bare, a burden.
It is good to come to no trust in your own strength.
Remember by to when Pastor Gabe was in James,
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jas 1:2–4. ESV)
The person the has no confidence in himself and all confidence in God is “lacking nothing” because God is his portion.
To have no trust in your own strength.
Remember what Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28–30, ESV)
do you take Jesus light yoke lightly?
Do you realize how utterly destitute you are and how gentle he is with you.
Verse 30 “let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults.”
If that one strikes you if those insults drive you to have no hope but God himself then those stirkes and those insults have been for your good.
Do you struggle with something, depressions, sickness, temptation, doubt? If they drive you to see your weakness and your need for Christ.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Co 12:8–10,ESV)
So there we see the prophet standing in the middle of every kind of disaster, calamity, horror and in him we see the truth that all things work together for good for God’s children, because right in the middle of all that the prophet is brought to place his only trust in God and God made “known the riches of his glory” in Jeremiah for us to see.
Transition
Transition
God’s primary reason is his glory, as we confess Soli Deo Gloria, but that reason is rooted in who he is. See verse 31-33
The Goodness of God is rooted in His Character
The Goodness of God is rooted in His Character
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33 for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.
the character of is not pernicious.
God does not afflict pain a suffering because he enjoys it, or the pain a suffering pleases him, the pain an suffering and the mercy are all come from his unwavering Good nature.
according to the abundance of his steadfast love
Conclusion
Conclusion
If Jeremiah can say, my hope is in the Lord, how much more can we having the Spirit of Christ in us.
Benediction
Benediction
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
References
References
[1] John Calvin and John Owen, Commentaries on the Prophet Jeremiah and the Lamentations, vol. 5 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 406.