· 3:34-36: Though the Lord makes use of men as His hand, or rather instruments in His hand, for the correcting of His people, yet he is far from being pleased with the injustice of their proceedings and the wrong they do them. The immediate context of Lamentations illustrates what Jeremiah is saying. Judah and Jerusalem were viciously attack by the Babylonian army. There were a lot of raping and killing and torturing of people who were not part of Judah’s military or who would gladly have given themselves up to the enemy if given the chance. As Jeremiah struggled with the situation he may have seen that there were people who tried to give up to the enemy but who were killed or treated “unfairly” anyway. This is actually the way it was: the nations such as Assyria and Babylon and Rome who were used by God in the chastening of His people always went beyond what the Lord had intended for them to do.
If you have ever read the prophet Habakkuk you will remember that he had this issue with God. He cried out to God to do something about the evils of His people and God’s answer was that He would send the Babylonians. The prophet’s response was to question God’s choice: You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? (Hab. 1:13). What Jeremiah is saying is that God is aware of every level and instance of justice. In my stressful situation I might want to find relief in pointing out the sins of those who have brought about my affliction. It is quite common to engage in comparisons, pointing out the sins of others as if they are more deserving of affliction than I am. And maybe they are. But the problem is that we have taken upon ourselves the role of “judge” and have indicted another person while failing to come to grips with our Creator’s work in our own lives. Consider this issue of “perspective” when you find yourself blaming parents or other incompetent authorities such as a teacher or supervisor or coach. Consider it as you think of the the drunk driver or the criminal who got off with a light sentence or no sentence at all. Assigning blame does not relieve the pain.
All that Jeremiah has found to be true, these eight perspectives, he says are keys to unlocking the door of hope. This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope (3:21). Let me conclude this post by a list of these perspectives. Then, in the next post, we will seek a path whereby we can go through that door of hope.
· Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed. It could have been worse. And it is because of God’s mercy.
· His compassions fail not. God was in the judgment and fury, but there was also evidence of His goodness and compassion.
· The LORD is my portion. If I make the LORD my Portion, the source of my happiness, then I can “hope in Him.”
· The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
· Afflictions are really good for us, and, if we bear them aright, will work very much for our good. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.
· God will graciously return to His people with seasonable comforts according to the time that he has afflicted them.
· The LORD does indeed afflict us, but He does not do so willingly or literally, “from the heart.”
· Though the Lord makes use of men as His hand, or rather instruments in His hand, for the correcting of His people, yet he is far from being pleased with the injustice of their proceedings and the wrong they do them.
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