Christ in Lamentations: Our Comfort

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, saw his prophecy of the fall of Judah realized in 586 B.C.  In the book of Lamentations, he very effectively described the desolation of the city of Jerusalem and the punishment of her people by God.  Don’t kid yourself.  The enemies of Judah did not punish her, but God did.  He used Babylon to overtake His chosen people as punishment for their rejection of Him, but Babylon is not even mentioned by name in this book.  Many people today want to acknowledge only the loving nature of God, completely ignoring the fact that He is also just and righteous.  He will not tolerate sin and disobedience.  And the book of Lamentations is a picture of His judgment against an unrepentant people.  But in addition to the theme of judgment, we also see in Lamentations the theme of hope in God’s great compassion and faithfulness.  The book ends in the last three verses with Jeremiah pleading for God’s restoration and renewal, even though the people of Judah did not deserve to be restored.  He was pleading for God’s grace, His undeserved favor.  Even though this book was written by Jeremiah as he mourned the downfall of Judah, we should read it today as a warning to ourselves.  God does not change.  Malachi 3:6a says, “I am the Lord, and I do not change;” and James 1:17 says, “Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all.”  He still punishes disobedience and rejection.  But He still offers us hope because of His grace when we repent and come to Him.

Jeremiah wept over the destruction of Jerusalem, as we see in the entire book of Lamentations, but specifically in the following verses:

Because of all these things I’m crying. My eyes, my own eyes pour water because a comforter who might encourage me is nowhere near. (Lam. 1:16a)

My eyes are worn out from weeping. (Lam. 2:11a)

Streams of water pour from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow and don’t stop. There is no relief until the Lord looks down from the heavens and notices. My eyes hurt me because of what’s happened to my city’s daughters. (Lam. 3:48-51)

Jesus also wept over Jerusalem as He saw her rejection of Himself, and since He knew that she would once again be destroyed, this time by the Romans in 70 A.D.: 

As Jesus came to the city and observed it, he wept over it. He said, “If only you knew on this of all days the things that lead to peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes. The time will come when your enemies will build fortifications around you, encircle you, and attack you from all sides. They will crush you completely, you and the people within you. They won’t leave one stone on top of another within you, because you didn’t recognize the time of your gracious visit from God.” (Luke 19:41-44) 

Jeremiah was comforted by knowing that God is faithful and compassionate:

Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The Lord is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him. The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the person who seeks him. (Lam. 3:22-25)

Jesus said:

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4, King James Version)

I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world you have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world. (John 16:33)

And Paul wrote about Jesus Christ:

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God. That is because we receive so much comfort through Christ in the same way that we share so many of Christ’s sufferings. So if we have trouble, it is to bring you comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is to bring you comfort from the experience of endurance while you go through the same sufferings that we also suffer. Our hope for you is certain, because we know that as you are partners in suffering, so also you are partners in comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

And John wrote about the comfort Jesus will give us in Heaven:

They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelation 7:16-17) 

Jeremiah trusted in God to provide his salvation through mercy and grace.  Read the following verse carefully.  Notice that Jeremiah is asking God to provide the means for reconciliation with Himself, despite the sinfulness of His people.  He is not asking, "What can I do to be reconciled to God," but rather "God, return us to yourself.":

Return us, Lord, to yourself. Please let us return! Give us new days, like those long ago. (Lam. 5:21)

When God sent His Son to die for us, He provided the means for reconciliation with Himself, despite our sinfulness:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18, King James Version)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, King James Version) 

However, we know that a person isn’t made righteous by the works of the Law but rather through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We ourselves believed in Christ Jesus so that we could be made righteous by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the Law—because no one will be made righteous by the works of the Law. (Galations 2:16)

This week, my prayer for you and for myself is from 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17:

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.

All Scripture is from Common English Bible except where otherwise indicated.