GREAT EXPRESSIONS OF GOD'S LOVE:
In the Writings: Love That Spares (Lam 3:22-27)
In the Writings: Love That Spares (Lam 3:22-27)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2005
We are by nature given to complaining. It seems to start when we are born and just keeps going.
When Babylon (modern-day Iraq) launched its western offensive toward the Mediterranean Sea, King Jehoiakim decided it would not be in Judah's interest to resist, and he agreed to become a vassal state of the empire. This meant he paid a hefty, annual tribute to Babylon, but that minimized foreign interference in Judah's domestic affairs. The empire stationed no troops there and was content to have a friendly government on its southern border opposite its chief rival in the region: Egypt. The absence of a Babylonian presence, however, gave Jehoiakim the false impression that the empire was unconcerned about Judah and—like a tenant who thinks he can take advantage of an absentee landlord—Jehoiakim decided to be delinquent with his payments.
In addition to authoring the book that bears his name, Jeremiah pens another, much shorter work. It expresses his personal grief, a heart-wrenching cry that rises and falls as he contemplates the disaster that has overtaken his people. Right in the middle, at the center of his musing, is one of the Great Expressions of God's Love in scripture. Please turn to Lam 3:22-27, where we encounter the unexpected assertion that God's love is Love that Spares.
After all that has happened, Jeremiah is confident that...
I. God will not destroy Israel.
With all that has gone wrong, how does Jeremiah come to see so much that is right? Was it a gradual awakening as he meditated on God's compassion in the past, or was it a sudden epiphany, as when the curtain parts to reveal the next scene in a play? However he reaches this point...
The U.S. military has the most advanced arsenal in the world, the most sophisticated weaponry that has ever existed— precision munitions that can destroy a building and leave the area around it unscathed. The U.S. military also takes great care to avoid civilian casualties, a policy the enemy attempts to use against us by using civilians as human shields. While our technology and tactics minimize collateral damage, they cannot eliminate it. Non-combatants, including those who do not support our enemy, still suffer in war.
The Babylonian military was a blunt instrument, even in God's hands. Neither its technology nor its tactics made a careful distinction between combatants and civilians.5 Consequently, many of the righteous in Judah probably suffered with the unrighteous. We would like to think that God protected them,6 as He did Noah's family from the flood waters and Lot's family from the fire and brimstone, yet Noah and Lot still saw their homes destroyed. Even if God kept the righteous alive during the Babylonian invasion.7 as He kept Jeremiah alive, they probably suffered in other ways, as Jeremiah did.
However personal these musings are, Jeremiah eventually makes this book public. Whom does the prophet want to reach with his message? It probably includes the righteous in Judah, those who suffered as he did during the Babylonian invasion. It may also include some of the unrighteous who, in light of recent events, are reconsidering the claim of God on their lives. To both groups, Jeremiah says that the invasion does not mean God's love for His people has diminished or disappeared. His compassion is even now available to them and active for them.
Because the Lord's character does not change, the prophet's message is as true today as it was then, as true for you as it was for him.
The people's current situation in exile will not change any time soon. They will remain in Babylon for "seventy years" (Jer 29:10), and in the next verses, Jeremiah explains how they should conduct themselves. Their reaction to such trauma may be to assume God has rejected them, and they might be tempted to respond in kind.
II. Israel must not deny God.
When people deny God, they cut themselves off from His blessing. That is certainly not true of anyone here, but are you doing what you can to experience God's blessing?
At this low point in the history of God's people, when it seemed He had forsaken them, Jeremiah issues one of the Great Expressions of God's Love. It offers hope to the exiles, as well as to us who have also received this Love that Spares.
When Janet had her baby, she took a leave of absence from her job for a few weeks. During that time, she was talking with a friend, who asked how things were going and if there was anything about her experience she had not expected. "Well," Janet replied, "I was really surprised by all the whining and crying. It seemed to go on incessantly for days. Finally...my boss stopped." (Adapted from Hodgin 1994:51-52)The Bible contains several complaints from God's people when they experience hardship. These grievances appear most frequently in the Psalms. They also constitute an entire book that we rarely read, a book entitled...Lamentations.
When Babylon (modern-day Iraq) launched its western offensive toward the Mediterranean Sea, King Jehoiakim decided it would not be in Judah's interest to resist, and he agreed to become a vassal state of the empire. This meant he paid a hefty, annual tribute to Babylon, but that minimized foreign interference in Judah's domestic affairs. The empire stationed no troops there and was content to have a friendly government on its southern border opposite its chief rival in the region: Egypt. The absence of a Babylonian presence, however, gave Jehoiakim the false impression that the empire was unconcerned about Judah and—like a tenant who thinks he can take advantage of an absentee landlord—Jehoiakim decided to be delinquent with his payments.
- In response, Babylon invaded, ravaged the countryside, deported the king as well as his administration, and set up a new government with Jehoiachin, his son, on the throne.
- In response, Babylon invaded, laid siege to Jerusalem, deported the king as well as most of the upper and middle classes, and set up another new government with Zedekiah (Jehoiachin's uncle) on the throne.
- In response, Babylon invaded, destroyed Jerusalem, including the temple, deported the king as well as most of the remaining populace, and set up a provisional, non-Judean governor.
Ezek 37:11b ...our hope is gone; we are cut off.One of the few people who remains in Judah is the prophet Jeremiah. He witnesses the fall of Jerusalem. He sees the crushing defeat of Judah's outnumbered and outgunned forces. He sees the end of his country's very existence, not because of Babylon's might but because the people of God turned their back on God.1 Now God had obviously turned His back on them. But wait....
In addition to authoring the book that bears his name, Jeremiah pens another, much shorter work. It expresses his personal grief, a heart-wrenching cry that rises and falls as he contemplates the disaster that has overtaken his people. Right in the middle, at the center of his musing, is one of the Great Expressions of God's Love in scripture. Please turn to Lam 3:22-27, where we encounter the unexpected assertion that God's love is Love that Spares.
After all that has happened, Jeremiah is confident that...
I. God will not destroy Israel.
Lam 3:22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed [NAS: The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease], for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.Here, Jeremiah says that...
A. The Lord is consistent (vv. 22-23).Although it may seem as if God has forsaken His people, the fact that they were not wiped out attests that He has not wiped His hands of them.2 No matter how bleak the future appears, they can depend upon God's immutability, His unchanging nature, specifically His compassion.3 First...
"This is not a passing phase in God, but an enduring part of his nature...and an ancient part of Israel's faith" (Hillers 1992:28). God is always ready to forgive any who repent, even those whose sin has sent them into exile. They may have lost everything, but they can still find God's pardon, because He retains His compassion. Moreover...1. He retains His compassion. (It is even now.)
...so that each day has the prospect of God's blessing, of experiencing afresh His grace and goodness...even in exile. He renews His compassion.2. He renews His compassion. (It is ever new.)
With all that has gone wrong, how does Jeremiah come to see so much that is right? Was it a gradual awakening as he meditated on God's compassion in the past, or was it a sudden epiphany, as when the curtain parts to reveal the next scene in a play? However he reaches this point...
B. The prophet is content (v. 24).
Lam 3:24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."Considering all that has befallen Jeremiah—from the public accusation of being a false prophet to his imprisonment for days in a pit—considering all that he has witnessed—from the starvation of his countrymen to Judah's last king blinded and in shackles—considering all this and more, it is amazing that Jeremiah has any faith left.4 Yet, here...
In spite of all that has happened, the Lord remains uppermost in the prophet's life, Nothing has shaken his dedication, and nothing has shaken his expectation as...1. He affirms God's importance.
The Lord has helped Jeremiah through difficult situations before, and, in view of God's unchanging nature, there is every reason to believe He will help the prophet through this situation.2. He awaits God's assistance.
The U.S. military has the most advanced arsenal in the world, the most sophisticated weaponry that has ever existed— precision munitions that can destroy a building and leave the area around it unscathed. The U.S. military also takes great care to avoid civilian casualties, a policy the enemy attempts to use against us by using civilians as human shields. While our technology and tactics minimize collateral damage, they cannot eliminate it. Non-combatants, including those who do not support our enemy, still suffer in war.
The Babylonian military was a blunt instrument, even in God's hands. Neither its technology nor its tactics made a careful distinction between combatants and civilians.5 Consequently, many of the righteous in Judah probably suffered with the unrighteous. We would like to think that God protected them,6 as He did Noah's family from the flood waters and Lot's family from the fire and brimstone, yet Noah and Lot still saw their homes destroyed. Even if God kept the righteous alive during the Babylonian invasion.7 as He kept Jeremiah alive, they probably suffered in other ways, as Jeremiah did.
However personal these musings are, Jeremiah eventually makes this book public. Whom does the prophet want to reach with his message? It probably includes the righteous in Judah, those who suffered as he did during the Babylonian invasion. It may also include some of the unrighteous who, in light of recent events, are reconsidering the claim of God on their lives. To both groups, Jeremiah says that the invasion does not mean God's love for His people has diminished or disappeared. His compassion is even now available to them and active for them.
Because the Lord's character does not change, the prophet's message is as true today as it was then, as true for you as it was for him.
- When things have not been going your way, and you wonder if God has forgotten you, remember that His compassion is constant, always active on your behalf, even when you may not notice it.
- When you have not been going God's way, and you wonder if God will forgive you, remember that His compassion is constant, always available for your benefit, even when you think you do not deserve it.
The people's current situation in exile will not change any time soon. They will remain in Babylon for "seventy years" (Jer 29:10), and in the next verses, Jeremiah explains how they should conduct themselves. Their reaction to such trauma may be to assume God has rejected them, and they might be tempted to respond in kind.
If God no longer wants anything to do with me—and His sending me into exile certainly proves that—then I no longer want anything to do with Him. I'll find another deity to serve. There are plenty to choose from here in Babylon.That is not a fair assessment of their situation, and it will not help them....
II. Israel must not deny God.
Lam 3:25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;Here, Jeremiah counters the initial reaction of those in Babylon to the news of Jerusalem's fall. They said...
Ezek 37:11 b ...our hope is gone; we are cut off.While the situation may seem bleak, it is not the end.8 Even in exile...
A. The Lord will bless (v. 25)....but not necessarily everyone. Jeremiah lists two prerequisites for God's blessing.9
...and...1. He is good to those who trust Him.
While turning to God will not shorten their time in exile, it will enable them to experience His blessing even in exile, which will certainly make their punishment more bearable. Then, Jeremiah lists two characteristics that will help people reach the end of the exile.2. He is good to those who seek Him.
Lam 3:26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.God fully intends to deliver His people from Babylon. Of this they can be certain...
B. The problem will pass (vv. 26-27).but not necessarily soon. God has decreed seventy years. So...
...who are patient,10 and...1. It is best for those who have the temperament.
...who are young, who have most of their life ahead of them.2. It is best for those who have the time.
When people deny God, they cut themselves off from His blessing. That is certainly not true of anyone here, but are you doing what you can to experience God's blessing?
- When a situation does not turn out as you hoped, do you view that as an obstacle to something good or as an opportunity for something good? Do you trust "that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love [Him], to those who are called according to [His] purpose" (Rom 8:28)?
- When you come to church, are you content just to warm a seat, or do you actively look for God? Do you seek Him "with all your heart" (Jer 29:13)11 as you sing the hymns, as you listen to the sermon, as you study the SS lesson?
At this low point in the history of God's people, when it seemed He had forsaken them, Jeremiah issues one of the Great Expressions of God's Love. It offers hope to the exiles, as well as to us who have also received this Love that Spares.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
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Jim Skaggs