April 15: THUS SAYETH THE LORD
The LORD is righteous, for I rebelled against His commandment. Hear now, all peoples, and behold my sorrow; my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. Lamentations 1:18
In his writings known as Lamentations, Jeremiah humbly includes himself among God’s sinful and rebellious people. As he composes this poetic, tear-stained portrait of the city (1:1), he is moved to declare the righteousness of the holy God that they claim to serve. The prophet recognizes the root problem of fallen mankind as a whole — every one of us! — including the very ones chosen to bear the glad tidings of His salvation to the world.
The glory of the goodness of God is a dramatic contrast with the abominable condition of the “City of Peace” (for this is the meaning of the name Jerusalem). The sight of the city in utter ruins is the backdrop against which Jeremiah’s poem rises above his lamentations. The prophet recognizes the justice of God in all His dealings with His professed people. The light under which the lament is uttered is not an attitude of self-pity, for self-pity is of the devil. The true light here brings genuine, godly sorrow* into view; the kind of remorse of one who realizes the vastness of his own failures before a righteous God whose patience has been stretched beyond all conceivable limits.
Any human who desires to walk with the LORD will come into a similar recognition by contrast. He graciously bends down to take each willing hand into His own. The contrast of characters becomes obvious, not as a way to put each of us down. No, beloved! As the only way to lift us up! Never doubt the righteousness of God. To do so will cause you to take your spiritual eyes off of Him. Instead, fix your gaze upon Him. With eyes open wide, awash with real tears, you will find Him revealed in His word. You will learn to see more and more of Him. [He is] your exceedingly great reward (Genesis 15:1). When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!**
The Hebrew words translated His commandment in our opening verse are literally His mouth. In light of this, the mouth of the LORD means His utterance or His order, or thus sayeth the LORD – all pointing directly to the fact of His role as Creator. The incredible beauty and perfect synergy of all divinely given roles — spoken into creation — are soon to be restored. But, for now, we can benefit from looking in the mirror of God’s word (James 1:22-25), and seeing our own captivity. Like Jeremiah, you and I can pray: “Father in Heaven, I have rebelled against You, my Creator, for I rebelled against Your commandment, against the mouth of the LORD, against Your utterance, and against Your perfect order. I now ask for the gift of tears – for genuine repentance. Dear Lord, I truly believe You know what is best for me. Help me to discover and accept Your best so that I can learn to lay aside every habit and idea that is inferior. Shed Your glory upon me today! I ask it in the name of Jesus who bore the world’s sin upon Himself and bids us to bear the glad tidings of His salvation to all.”
*For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
**From the song lyrics by J.H.Sammis entitled Trust and Obey