God's Grief

Read Lamentations 1-2
 
Lamentations 1:1-2 Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave. 2 She sobs through the night; tears stream down her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there is no one left to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her and become her enemies.
 
JEREMIAH laments. He deeply mourns Jerusalem’s tragic downfall. When we consider how Jerusalem’s citizens and officials had threatened and demeaned Jeremiah, we might wonder why Jeremiah doesn’t rejoice over his enemies’ defeat. But we must remember Jeremiah is a man of God. That means the Holy One of Israel had called Jeremiah to reveal Yahweh’s character to Jerusalem and Israel. In the years of Jeremiah’s ministry, God’s people had seen the LORD’s power, anger, wisdom, authority, holiness, justice and grace. Now in Jeremiah’s lamentation they will see God’s love.
   Yes, amid the lamentation Jeremiah still speaks some hard words against the fallen city. The truth must be told. Jerusalem is the wayward daughter who realizes her rebellion has left her empty. Jerusalem is the wasteful son who has sought prestige from the world but finds himself grieving an impoverished life. God formed Israel to be set apart from the unbelieving nations. Now she is forced to dwell within a pagan nation. God had given Israel rest in her own land. But now she was enslaved at the mercy of godless rulers. The roads were once filled with pilgrims to the feasts and to worship. Now the roads are empty. The city’s walls are broken, and the Temple is gone. Israel had sinned and deserved the punishment from God’s hand. Unrepentant sinners will not escape God’s just wrath. This God’s holy character.
   And in this canvas of judgment and destruction, of lost opportunity and desolation, one can see God’s love in the background. Remember, the book is called Lamentations, not Rejoicing. God does not rejoice over the sinners’ death and condemnation. Nowhere in Scripture do we read of God’s pleasure to see anyone suffer judgment. Jeremiah reflects this over reaching love as he mourns Israel’s deaf ears and hard hearts toward I AM.
   We are to have God’s heart, aren’t we? He commands, “Love your enemies.” (Matthew 5:44). This means we put aside our personal objections toward people who reject God. We see their lives in the darkness. And our hearts must love them to point them to the light.
   Lamentations begins with a list of Israel’s evil. And still we see God’s love. Perhaps it is a message to help us know the broken need true love.