Introduction: In our last time together, we learned of the afflictions of both the Prophet Jeremiah and the city of Jerusalem. As we continue in Jeremiah's third lamentation, we will look at three more A's.
- First, the Afflictions.
- Next, the Agony.
- After that, the Assurance.
- Finally, the Admonition.
Having painstakingly listed all his afflictions from the Lord, the people, and their enemies, we now hear how all of this affected Jeremiah.
1. The Agony.
- Personal conflict and trials affect us deeply. We may try to hide this as much as we can, but we cannot deny that we are affected.
* He was scared and felt snared. He was desolate and felt destroyed, "Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction." (Lamentations 3:47)
* He cried with great compassion, "Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission." (Lamentations 3:48,49) Here, Jeremiah is so much like the Lord Jesus, "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it." (Luke 19:41) Often, Jeremiah pictures the Lord Jesus.
* What he saw moved him to brokenness, "Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city." (Lamentations 3:50,51)- A great lesson to be learned here, especially from verses 50-51, is what you see and understand affects you deeply. Therefore, you must be careful what you see and what you come to understand. The eye does affect the heart. In other words, what you see truly affects YOU personally. This is borne out in Acts 4:20, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
2. The Assurance.
* Lamentations 3:21-24, "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."
* Lamentations 3:31-33, "For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men."- Despite Jeremiah's groaning, he is still able to find hope in the Lord.
- Even though Jeremiah and God's people were under the chastening hand of God, Jeremiah recognized God's mercy in all of it. Mercy is when God does not give us what we truly deserve. Thus, Jeremiah says, "It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed..."
3. The Admonition.
- Jeremiah lends a three-fold advice to the people of God:
* Wait patiently, "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." (Lamentations 3:25,26)
* Accept your discipline, "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach...To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?" (Lamentations 3:27-30 & 34-39)
* Repent of your sin, "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned." (Lamentations 3:40 42)
Conclusion: Trials and tribulations make us better or bitter; the choice is always ours. Did you know that surrender and rebellion are opposites?
James wrote, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:4) The word "let" means "to allow or to surrender." The deaf have a sign for the word "surrender" which is to raise both hands with palms open so as to indicate that one's hands have been removed from the situation. It also means "I give up." It means that I now surrender all and that I'm taking my hands off the situation and not fighting any more.
Take your hands off and surrender to what God is doing. What trial are you facing? Have you surrendered completely to the will of God and taken your hands off of your current trial or tribulation? If indeed surrender is the opposite of rebellion, then you need to surrender and stop rebelling today.