‘Life is tough and unfair’ Lessons from Jeremiah and Lamentations
At an ‘Exploring Christianity’ group there was a discussion about whether God was unfair. The draconian treatment of prisoners in Auschwitz and the fact that two year olds can develop brain tumours were given as examples. One person summarised her concern,
“I want a God who is fair.”
Unfortunately, at different periods of our lives, life does seem to be unfair for most of us. There are times in life when we all feel deserted and cannot see the way ahead. Then everything seems so unfair, so where is God?
The Bible does not avoid this problem
There is an almost universal belief that God, as well as other people, should be fair, just as he should be honest and strong. It is a good question to ask where this way of thinking comes from, if not from our being made ‘in the image of God’. Abraham, who lived around 2000BC, also felt that God should be right and just. God had chosen Abraham for a similar purpose, The Lord said,
“For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” Genesis 18:19
This sense of justice led him to feel that God should not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were some righteous people living there.
“Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Genesis 18:23
Abraham then enters a discussion with the Lord and asks if there are just 50 righteous will he preserve the city, and he argues,
“Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with gthe wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. . . Will not the judge of all the earth do right.” Genesis 18:25-26
Abraham then enters a bidding war with the Lord, if there are not 50, then 45, then 40, then 30, then 20 and finally if there are 10 righteous will be not destroy them. The destruction still went ahead. There were not even 10 people who were righteous in God’s eyes.
The book of Lamentations addresses as similar problem. The Israelites were facing horrendous times as their enemies overwhelm them. Their plight was desperate. The Hebrew title for the book is ‘ekah, which means ‘How’, as this is the first word in each of chapters 1, 2 and 4. The opening sentences of these chapters describe the dire situation the people of Israel found themselves in. Chapter 1 begins, ‘How deserted lies the city’ and goes on to describe the desperate plight those living in Jerusalem faced when they were attacked by the Babylonians. Chapter 2 begins ‘How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with the cloud of his anger,’ and Jeremiah describes this anger that both the Lord and he feel,
“My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.” Lamentations 2:11
Chapter 4 starts ‘How the gold has lost its lustre’ referring to the quandry the people of Israel were now in.
“How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay . . . Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those nurtured in purple now lie on ash heaps.” Lametations 4:1,5
Everything was going desperately wrong for them. They saw themselves as being in a similar situation to those in Nazi and Japanese prisoner of war camps during World War 2!
The Judgment in Lamentations
This book appears to have been written about the same time as the books of Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Obadiah and Habakuk. They were all warning that there will be consequences if the Israelites continue to forget what God had done for them and expects from them. Lamentations is written in a very systematic way. Each of the first four chapters in the book are written in an acrostic format so that each stanza of each chapter begins with a word starting with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Hebrew has 22 letters in its alphabet so chapters 1, 2, and 4 and 5 each have 22 verses. Chapter 3, in the middle of the book, has longer stanzas, each consitsing of 3 verses, but these three verses still begin with successive Hebrew letters and consequently the third chapter has 66 verses. The last chapter stands out as although it also has 22 verses it does not use the acrostic format – it appears chaotic in comparison. However the conclusion of chapter 5 is glorious.
There is a Jewish tradition that Lamentations was written by Jeremiah himself and indeed the core message is very similar. Doubtless there were a few godly people living in Israel at this time and the children there were undoubtedly similar to children today, yet all will suffer because of the judgment of God. These prophets were very clear, it was God’s judgment on God’s corporate people that resulted in these atrocities and gross unfairness.
“The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.” Lamentations 4:6
God had repeatedly said that it was the people’s sin against himself that had resulted in this judgment. He is the Lord God and insists on being treated as such.
“Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean.” Lamentations 1:8
“Is any suffering like my suffering that the LORD has brought on me in the day of his fierce anger.” Lamentations 1:12
“See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed for I have been most rebellious.” Lamentations 1:20
The people understood that the Lord who created this world is all powerful and could have prevented this catastrophe, yet had chosen not to do so.
“In fierce anger he has cut off every horn (power or king) in Israel. He has withdrawn his right hand at the approach of the enemy . . . The LORD is like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel.” Lamentations 2:5
The Reasons for the Judgment
The book of Jeremiah is the longest in the Bible but it appears disordered in that the various prophecies which are dated by the ruling kings are out of order. However the message is abundantly clear.
a. Our Sin
The writer is clear that the problems that the country was facing was because of their sin, their rebellion against the rule of God. The people were now walking in the dark. They did not know what to do. God’s representatives were no longer sharing with the people what God expected of them and as a result the people have gone their own way and tried to find new ways to satisfy themselves rather than living God’s way.
“My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that do not hold water.” Jeremiah 2:13
The Lord had said to his people that their sin, their longing to live independently of God, would have consequences,
“ ‘Consider then and realise how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me,’ declares the LORD. Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve you.’” Jeremiah 2:19-20
Everyone was at fault. Jeremiah had been told,
“ ‘Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider . . . If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive the city.” Jeremiah 5:1
At that time some people still had an outward form of religion but even these were not living as God wanted.
“Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” Jeremiah 5:2
Godlessness was the root problem,
“But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God.” Jeremiah 6:23-24
The effects of this disregard of God was crime and social injustice in their society, and yet people did not concern themselves about this.
“Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds know no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 6:27-29
Is this not what is happening rapidly in Britain. In 2018 only just over a third of people identified themselves as Christians. In 1983 two thirds described themselves as being followers of Christ.
In 2016 a YouGov survey asked people, ‘Do you believe in God or a higher power?’ Only 28% said they did, 38% said they didn’t, 20% believed in some kind of spiritual power only and 14% were unsure. The message of Jeremiah and Lamentations is very relevant to our situation.
b. Poor leadership
The Lord does recognise that people need to be led. He therefore addressed their secular leaders,
“These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.” Jeremiah 5:4-5
Poor leadership results in godless behaviour. The fathers no longer trained their children in the ways of God, and instead followed the gods of the world, so God said,
“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods.” Jeremiah 5:7
Sexual promiscuity was rife as a result of this desertion of God.
“I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife? Should I not punish them for this?” Jeremiah 5:7-9
In Great Britain today there are similar signs of a rejection of God. In today’s papers we read that regular church attendance is at an all time low, one in four pregnancies are now being terminated and a bishop is protesting against the Archbishop of Canterbury’s decision to refuse to invite homesexual partners of bishops to the next Lambeth Conference. Yet the Bible is clear how God thinks.
At this time, even the clergy, who were ordained to teach people the Word of God and encourage them to live this way, had forsaken their calling.
“But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.” Lamentations 4:13
They were not teaching people the Word of God and the public were enjoyiong their new self-centred teaching.
“A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and the people love it this way.” Jeremiah 5:30-31
Jeremiah, as the spokesman for God is desperate and is near to exploding!
“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. But I am full of the wrath of the LORD and I cannot hold it in.” Jeremiah 6:10-11
The criticism of ungodly clergy is a repeated theme.,
“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practise deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say when there is no peace. Are they not ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all.” Jeremiah 6:13
The same theme is repeated in Lamentations,
“The visions of your prophets were false and worthless. They did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading.” Lamentations 2:14
I have been to many funerals in churches where the deceased had had no interest in the things of God and did not join in worshipping the Lord. Yet so often the minister has said,
‘He is now at rest and has gone to a better place into the arms of a loving God.’
Neither Jeremiah nor Jesus would approve of such teaching. It is not true. It we don’t care for God now, he will reject us later. Jesus taught that hell is a real destination for those who reject him,
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36
The Solution
Does God warn us today in similar ways. Could the present fears about the Corona virus be a warning to us all to return to God? Outward religion will change nothing. What is needed is genuine repentance by all people. The Lord gave Jeremiah the message that people of all time and of every nation need to hear.
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ‘Stand at the gate of the LORD’s house and there proclaim this message,
“Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!’ If you do not really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly . . . But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.” Jeremiah 7:1-8
The Bible is clear, outward religion saves nobody, only a personal submission to the Lordship of God and his Son can save us. The sacrifice of Jesus on that cross on our behalf is the only sacrifice by which we can be forgiven. Godly behaviour is the requirement once we are in Christ, but godly behaviour alone can be no substitute for Christ. Such a relationship can only begin when we submit ourselves to the Lord.
“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin: pour out you heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.” Lamentations 2:19
The great message of the Bible is that if we rebellious people genuinely return to God he will graciously accept us. This is the message of hope the church has to share.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait on him.’ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him; it is good to wait on him; it is good to wait patierntly for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:22-26
Some have tried to reject the validity of the Old terstament because they do not understand the type of society the ancient Jews were living in. Just as many products have inbuilt obsolescence, so the Old Law was seen, even by the writers of the Old Testament, to be temporary. Both Jeremiah (chapter 31:31-34) and Ezekiel (chapter 36:24-32) looked forwards to a new permanent covenant that would be instituted when the Messiah, God’s chosen King, entered his world. Although the character of God has never changed, his loves and hates remain the same, how these demands are expressed to the people does needto change. The Biblical scholar, Professor N.T.Wright wrote,
“The Torah is given for a specific period of time, and is then set aside – not because it was a bad thing now happily abolished, but because it was a good thing whose purpose had now been accomplished.”
Paul explains this by saying that the law is a ‘tutor’ for Israel, so that the way is prepared for the coming of God’s chosen eternal king, the Christ (Galatians 3:24). Those aspects of God’s concerns, that he wishes to stand for all time, such as moral standards of what is right and what is wrong, are confirmed moral standards of what is right and what is wrong, in the New Testament.
The Scriptures tell us about a loving, caring God from beginning to end. Yet he is not a weak God, he is the Almighty God who created the universe and is not to be trifled with. C.S. Lewis describes this God in his book ‘The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe’ when Mr. Beaver tells Susan that Aslan (the ruler of Narnia) is a great lion. Susan is surprised, since she had assumed Aslan to be a man. She then tells Mr. Beaver, “I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” She asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is safe, to which he replies, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.” He who created this world, and everything and everyone in it, is not incapable of exerting his will yet he stands there with open arms to welcome home those who are willing to live with him.
Some of those inmates in horrendous prisoner of war camps recognised this. Corrie ten Boom was imprisoned in Ravensbruck by the Nazis for hiding Jews. Her sister, Betsie, died in that camp but Corrie was able to spend the rest of her life telling people about the loving God who forgives those who turn back to him. She wanted all people to have confidence in the Lord whatever the horrors of this world we have to face, saying,
“Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strength.”
It is not the problems we face that destroy us, it is our reaction to them. Britain’s Derek Redmond had dreamed all his life of winning an Olympic gold medal in the 400-metre race, and his dream was in sight as the gun sounded in the semifinals at Barcelona in 1992. He was running the race of his life and could see the finish line as he rounded the turn into the back stretch. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain go up the back of his leg. He fell face first onto the track with a torn right hamstring. Sports Illustrated recorded the dramatic events:
‘As the medical attendants were approaching, Redmond fought to his feet. “It was animal instinct,”‘ he would say later. He set out hopping, in a crazed attempt to finish the race. When he reached the stretch, a large man in a T-shirt came out of the stands, hurled aside a security guard and ran to Redmond, embracing him. It was Jim Redmond, Derek’s father.
“You don’t have to do this,” he told his weeping son. “Yes, I do,” said Derek. “Well, then,” said Jim, “we’re going to finish this together.” And they did. Fighting off security men, the son’s head sometimes buried in his father’s shoulder, they stayed in Derek’s lane all the way to the end, as the crowd gaped, then rose and howled and wept. Derek didn’t walk away with the gold medal, but he walked away with an incredible memory of a father who, when he saw his son in pain, left his seat in the stands to help him finish the race.’
That’s what God does for us. When we are experiencing pain and we’re struggling to finish the race, we can be confident that we have a loving Father who won’t let us do it alone. He left His place in heaven to come alongside us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
“I am with you always,” says Jesus, “to the very end of the age.” Matthew. 28:20
The Reason for Hope
The book of Lamentations brings together, at its centre, the answer to the dilemma of our present suffering and our need for hope – this lies in the character of God. In the middle of the concerns comes this wonderful passage,
“The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to those who seek him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:25-26
The writer recognises that all of us have fallen far short of the love for our maker that he desires but again he recognises that the solution lies in the nature of God – he is grace personified.
“Why should any man complain when punished for his sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: ‘We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven’ . . . . You heard my plea: ‘Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.’ You came near when I called you and you said, ‘Do not fear.’” Lamentations 3:39-42, 55-57
This is the Christian gospel in a nutshell. We suffer because God has allowed this. We suffer both because of our own sin against God and the sin of the society we live in. We are all urged to look seriously at our own lives and see ourselves as God sees us. The response God wants is for us to make a permanent decision to return to live in a relationship with our heavenly Father whose love always trumps his anger.
Jesus himself addressed the issue of seemingly unfair suffering. There is a corporate dimension to this questione. He had been told of a group of Galileans who had come to sacrifice in the temple. We don’t know the reason but Pilate’ soldiers had slaughtered them but undoubtedly this action would have caused much unrest in an occupied country. Perhaps this was another attempt to get Jesus embroiled in political issues and so discredit him. Jesus’ response was robust,
“Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:2-3
Jesus acknowledged that suffering and sin are related, but turns the question round to address those still alive, asking ‘Have you repented of your sin?’
Jesus then addressed the issue of natural disasters. A Tower in Siloam, the south-eastern area in Jerusalem, had collapsed killing eighteen people. Today people would look for a scapegoat in the architect, builder, surveyor of works, inadequate rescue services or any body else they could think of. However Jesus asked about those killed and related them to his listeners,
“Do you think they were more guilty than others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Jesus is clearly warning all people that the greatest problem we face is our sin, our rebellion against God, and unless we think again about the direction of our lives we will also face God’s judgment.
An agnostic farmer wrote to the editor of his local newspaper, whom he knew to be a Christian. He said;
“In defiance of your God I ploughed my fields this year on Sunday, I hoed and fertilized them on Sunday, I planted them on a Sunday, I cultivated them on Sunday, and I reaped them on Sunday. This October I had the biggest crop I have ever had. How do you explain that?"
The editor replied:
“God does not always settle his accounts in October.”
BVP
