Lamentations 2
by Pastor David Groendyk

If we don’t slow down while we read through the book of Lamentations, we’re liable to miss some of the nuances between different chapters. Each chapter in this book is a different song describing a different aspect of the fall of Jerusalem. Chapter 1 highlighted the terrible state that the city of Jerusalem was in after Babylon destroyed it. Chapter 2 highlights the fact that God himself was the one who brought about this destruction. “The day of the anger of the Lord” (v. 22) would be a sufficient title for this song.

Did you notice that each of the first eight verses in our chapter all begin with “the Lord” or “he”? The author is obviously telling us that God is the ultimate agent behind the horrors in chapter 1. Notice also that there is a huge reversal of so many promises from earlier in the Old Testament, or, at least, a reversal of how we expect God to act. The Lord burns with anger at his people (v. 1) rather than pitying or having compassion on them (Ex. 34:6); the cloud that once protected Israel from the Egyptian army (Ex. 14:19–20) now descends on Israel with wrath (v. 1); instead of remembering his people and his covenant and having mercy (Psa. 106:45), God does not remember them and turn to help them (v. 1); he has become an enemy to Israel (v. 5) rather than its great defender and ally (2 Kgs. 19:34); rather than dwelling in his sanctuary (Ex. 40:34), he has left and forsaken it (v. 7). But here’s one image and promise that remains the same: our God is a consuming fire who devours all uncleanness and impurity (v. 3). God does not deal with sin lightly, and neither should we. As Paul says in Galatians 6:7–8: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Continuing to live in sin after we have professed our faith in Christ to save us puts us in great danger. Let us resolve to make every effort to identify, confess, and kill the remaining sin in our lives, lest we become like Israel who forfeited all the beautiful promises of God.

Another lesson for God’s people in this chapter is that none of God’s purposes ever fail. Usually we think of that promise as a good thing. After Israel had crossed the Jordan River and conquered the Promised Land, Joshua reminds us, “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Josh. 21:45; see also Josh. 23:14 and 1 Kgs. 8:56). But here we read that God had determined to ruin Jerusalem (v. 8) and that he was carrying out the word that he had planned and purposed a long time ago (v. 17). The promise that God is faithful to do and accomplish everything that he has said is a total joy and comfort to his children, but it should be a scary prospect to those who are in rebellion to him. As we read in the book of Jeremiah over and over, the prophets in Israel continued to deceive the people by telling them that no judgment or punishment would come because of their sin (v. 14). That was a lie. If God has said that punishment will come for sin, then punishment will come for sin. This should drive us, first of all, to be zealous and diligent in growing in godliness. It should also grow in us, secondly, a sort of urgent compassion for those around us who are lost. Let us resolve to do everything we can to save people from this wrath to come.

But if God is in control of all things and purposes even the pouring out of wrath, how do we escape it? Cry out to the Lord in prayer (vv. 18–19). Throw yourself at the mercy of his grace. Pour out your heart before him, and plead with him. “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out,” Jesus says in John 6:37. That is a promise from God himself, and his promises never fail. He will surely hear you and receive you if you call out to him. Let us resolve, therefore, to cling closely to our Savior who is our only hope of salvation, to continue “sowing to the Spirit” rather than to the flesh, and to rely wholly on the grace of God to do it all.