Introduction: We now enter into a study of Jeremiah's fourth lamentation. Here, the mighty prophet clarifies Jerusalem's desperate situation and details the causes and events of the city's destruction. Finally, Jeremiah gives a strong warning to Edom.
This chapter, like chapters 1-2, is an acrostic. You will notice in your Bibles that each verse begins successively with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
1. Jerusalem's current judgment.
- The consequences of Jerusalem's destruction.
* God's chastisement of His people affected everyone without exception. This is the consequence of sin. When Jerusalem was destroyed, it affected:
- The children, "How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them." (Lamentations 4:1-4)
- The mothers, "The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people." (Lamentations 4:10)
- The rich people, "They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her." (Lamentations 4:5,6)
- The princes, "Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field." (Lamentations 4:7-9)- The causes of Jerusalem's destruction.
* The sins of the prophets and priests, "The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders." (Lamentations 4:11-16)
* The strength of the enemy, "As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen." (Lamentations 4:17-20) They trusted in the strength of man instead of God. This kind of trust always ends up in a bad way. The Psalmist wrote, "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes." (Psalms 118:8,9)
2. Edom's coming judgment. - Lamentations 4:21-22
"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins."
- Said in a rather solemn way, verse 21 states, "Go ahead, laugh now while you can, because later, you won't be able to."
Conclusion: When you backslide, more damage is done than what you can imagine. Often, when a person backslides, he believes it causes no harm except to himself. What are the affects of backsliding? There are a number of characteristics of the backslider found in Jeremiah's writings. Notice Jeremiah's warnings to God's people in the book of Jeremiah concerning backsliding:
1. Your backsliding will be noticed by others. Jeremiah 3:6 says, "...Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done?"
2. Your backsliding will influence others to backslide. Jeremiah 3:8 says, "...her [Israel's] treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also."
3. Backsliding is always judged. Jeremiah 2:19 says, "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee..."
4. Backsliders always justify what they've done. Jeremiah 3:11, "...backsliding Israel hath justified herself..."
5. Backsliding always increases. Jeremiah 5:6 says, "...their backslidings are increased."
6. Backsliding is perpetual. Jeremiah 8:5 says, "Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return."
When Peter backslid, he took others with him including the disciple whom Jesus loved. When judgment comes upon sin, it affects many, as we have seen in this study. Innocent children were affected, as well as, their mothers. Jeremiah suffered through the judgment.
When Abraham went to Egypt out of God's will, it affected his entire family. When Lot chose the well-watered plain of Sodom, it affected the family he did not yet have.
If you choose to backslide, before you do, think of everyone who may be affected by your bad choice. It may cost you more than you are willing to pay.