S) "9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts;
She did not consider her future.
Therefore she has fallen astonishingly;
She has no comforter.
'See, O Lord, my affliction,
For the enemy has magnified himself!'"
Lamentations 1:9 (NASB)
O) There is a stark contrast of the Lamentations, as a whole, when compared to the truth of the gospel of the New Covenant with the LORD, in Jesus Christ. When Jerusalem finally fell, Jeremiah was heartbroken. He was grieved because of the loss of their holy mountain, Zion, and what it meant to their ability to worship. He was grieved by the loss of the temple, and what it meant to their covenant with the LORD. He was grieved simply by the guilt of his people. In this verse, the prophet noted that the sins of the people were individual and secret ("in her skirts;"). The people would not listen to the words of God, and consciously disregarded their future. In the sense that God warned them repeatedly, over the course of centuries, there should have been nothing astonishing about their punishment. However, because they would not listen, the people were still astonished at their fall. Only then, did they finally cry out to God, as they considered that their enemies were against God's will, which was still a fundamental misunderstanding.
A) Quite a bit about this verse (and the book as a whole) don't really apply to my life. My life in the New Covenant, certainly, but also my life in my country. Certainly, God has blessed my country in the past, but we were never a theocratic kingdom. Jesus Christ is not in the constitution. So, if my country continues to move further and further from biblical Christianity, I do not grieve the same way Jeremiah did. Furthermore, Jesus made it clear that His Kingdom has no borders. He also made it clear, that true worship is not respective of location, but it is a matter of spirit and truth. Relative to the verse above, I also have the Comforter that my Lord has given me. So, this verse really serves as a reminder for me to keep focus on the words of Jesus, and to be thankful that the blessings I have in Him cannot be taken by any conqueror. Still, like the Judeans of Jeremiah's time, I must not hide my sins, but confess them. I must still listen to the words of God and consider my future, and repent. There is no enemy I ever need to fear, but instead must continue to fear the Lord my GOD, only. The Lamentations as a whole, and certainly this verse, remind me of where I could be, and where others are.
P) Father, I am so blessed by the grace You have given me, that I cannot even fully understand it. I know that I understand in part, but I also look forward to the day that I understand in full. In the meantime, Lord, I pray that I continue to seek to understand this grace more and more. In that understanding, let me respond with thanksgiving and obedience. My sins were hidden in my skirts, shamefully storing up judgment against myself. But, You rescued me. You opened my eyes, to see the future where my sins were leading. You opened my ears to hear Your call. You comforted me, healing me, by the Holy Spirit upon me, restoring me to You, my God. This beautiful goodness, the grace of the gospel, the mercy and hope and healing and peace, all through the mercy of the cross, this is the gospel I want to share. Let my life glorify You, Father God. Let Your will be done in my life, to reveal Your goodness to others. Let them see that there can be an end to their lamentations. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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