Sermon Tone Analysis

*God’s Faithfulness**    *Lamentations 3:22-26

            All Scriptures ESV unless otherwise noted

 

The Prophet is writing out of the experience of his soul being weighed down with the JUDGEMENT OF GOD.

Still he is Never the Less CONFIDENT in –

    GOD’S UNCONQUERABLE MERCY !!! 

(see vv.

19-26 & cf vv, 55-57)

No matter how Bad Things seem to be…

It is of the LORD’s MERCY that they are not worse!

(See following notes by Matthew Henry on Lamentations vv.

1-20)

Title of Psalm 102 would fit well… /A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord/

God is Angry – v.1

He is at loss – v. 2,6

God appears as enemy – v. 3,12,13 (Ps 73:14)

He is sorely afflicted – v. 4,15,16 (Ps 102:9)

No escape seen – v. 5,7,9,11

God not heaving prayers – v. 8

Neighbors laugh – v.14

In despair – v. 17,18

Therefore – Grief stricken – v. 19,20

 

There is reason for HOPE –

Because of God’s Faithfulness and Steadfast Love

God never fails – He does not Change !

The promise of Mal.

3:6 is true.

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Israel was unfaithful…  We are unfaithful…

If God dealt with us according to our sin, we would be consumed.

Psalm 130:3,4  “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”

But PRASE GOD !

He s FAITHFUL – to all his covenant promises (and warnings – cf.

Deut.

28)

 

I Cor.1:9  “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Heb.

6:10-19  Look up – God makes promise and swears by Himself.

The people of God are like the burning bush -  burning, but never consumed.

The church of God is persecuted by men… but never forsaken by God.

Listen to how Paul pictures this truth in 2 Co 4:7-10  “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

*WHY?

-Because*- “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lam.

3:22-23

 

Mercies – plural inexhaustible fountain of mercies… God is the Father of mercies.

Zephaniah 3 describes the Judgment of God on Jerusalem and the Nations, but 3:5 says “The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.”

God’s mercies are adapted to each days requirements.

Consider the blessing of Moses on Asher and closing benediction.

Deut.

33:24-27 “Most blessed of sons be Asher; let him be the favorite of his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil.

Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be.

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

NOTE:  These words of comfort are not spoken indiscriminately *for or to any and all*

 

But vv.

24-26 for those who can say “The Lord is my portion”.

Psalm 72:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

*The Prophet points us to PATENCE and EXPECTATION!*

 

\\ *loving-kindness,* a characteristic of God in the ot.

The Hebrew word /khesed//,/ which is rendered by the kjv as ‘loving-kindness’ (30 times), as ‘kindness’ (38 times), and as ‘mercy’ (145 times), is translated in the rsv chiefly as ‘steadfast love’ (182 times) and ‘kindness’ (21 times), but occasionally as ‘great kindness’ (Gen.

19:19) or ‘loyal love’ (1 Sam.

20:14).

In its preference for ‘mercy’ the kjv was obviously influenced by the Septuagint (lxx) which in 168 instances renders /khesed/ as ‘mercy’ or ‘compassion’ (Gk.

/eleos//)/ .

All renderings in English only approximate the richness of the original.

It contains the idea of devotion, loyalty, and covenant faithfulness (see Exod. 34:6; Neh.

9:32).

Thus one who was ḥasēēd (Ps.

18:25) was a ‘loyal’ (rsv) ‘devout person.’

The plural ḥasidim is used frequently by historians to describe the pious and devout predecessors of the Pharisees at the time of the Maccabean revolt (167 b.c.).

This word is used chiefly, but not exclusively, of God.

The ‘kindness’ the prophet Micah enjoins humankind to love includes both its human and divine aspects (Mic.

6:1-6).

It is thus a metonym for covenantal loyalty and performance.

J.G.G.

[1]

 

 

\\ Faithfulness (27 ~/ 49)

 

| Deut 32:4 |   | A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

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| 1 Sam 26:23 |   | for his righteousness and • his faithfulness, |

| 2 Chron 19:9 |   | in faithfulness, and with your whole heart: |

| Ps 33:4 |   | and all his work is done in faithfulness.

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| Ps 36:5 |   | extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

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| Ps 37:3 |   | dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

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| Ps 40:10 |   | I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; |

| Ps 88:11 |   | in the grave, or your faithfulness in • Abaddon ?

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| Ps 89:1 |   | make known your faithfulness to all generations.

~* |

| Ps 89:2 |   | the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

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| Ps 89:5 |   | O Lord, • your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

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| Ps 89:8 |   | O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? |

| Ps 89:24 |   | My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, |

| Ps 89:33 |   | steadfast love or • be false to my faithfulness.

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| Ps 89:49 |   | which by your faithfulness you swore to David? |

| Ps 92:2 |   | in the morning, and your faithfulness by • night, |

| Ps 96:13 |   | righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

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| Ps 98:3 |   | love and • faithfulness to the house of Israel.

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| Ps 100:5 |   | and his faithfulness to all generations.

~* |

| Ps 119:30 |   | way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.

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| Ps 119:75 |   | and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

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| Ps 119:90 |   | Your faithfulness endures to all generations; ~* |

| Ps 119:138 |   | testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness.

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| Ps 143:1 |   | In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! |

| Isa 11:5 |   | and • faithfulness the belt of his loins.

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| Lam 3:23 |   | they are new every ~* morning; great is your faithfulness.

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| Hos 2:20 |   | I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.

And you |