WWUTT 2629 Only God Can Heal (Lamentations 2:10-22)

Lamentations as a Lament Over Sin and Judgment

If we have sinned against God, then we must acknowledge that to God, and we must lament over our sin, hate our sin, that God would forgive us our sin, and we would turn from it and walk in it no more, when we understand the text.

This is When We Understand the Text, a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the Word. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we feature New Testament study, an Old Testament book on Thursday, and our Q &A on Friday.

Now here's your teacher, Pastor Gate.

Thank you, Becky. In our study of the book of Lamentations, today, we will finish up Chapter 2. Remember that this book is a lament, as the name would suggest. It is a song of mourning over Jerusalem, who has been destroyed by the Babylonians, as well as surrounding Judea and even Israel, because they went after other gods and followed in the ways of the pagans around them, and so God subjected them to the hands of their enemies.

Now, even though it was a stronger nation that came against them, it has been acknowledged, and we will see this even in the section that we read today, that it was the Lord's hand that did this. The book of Lamentations is not very uplifting, but all of it points toward the center of the book, in Chapter 3, where it is said that God will restore his people again.

His mercies are new every morning, and great is his faithfulness. As we have been going through Chapter 2, this chapter is divided into three parts. Last week, we read of God's righteous anger revealed against them.

That was in verses 1 through 9. Today, we're going to pick up in verse 10, and we see this acknowledgement for healing, especially spiritual healing, and then toward the end of the chapter, verses 20 to 22, there is this crisis of faith, but the prayer that is offered up is less a request and more of a complaint, and you'll kind of see that when we get to it.

But let me begin by reading the section, so we'll go verses 10 through 22 out of the Legacy Standard Bible. Hear the word of the Lord. Yod of the daughter of my people when infants and nursing babies faint in the open squares of the city.

They say to their mothers Where is grain and wine as they faint like a wounded man in the open squares of the city. As their life is poured out on their mother's bosom. Mem. What shall I testify about you?

To what shall I equate you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I liken you as I comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your destruction is as vast as the sea. Who can heal you? Nun. Your prophets have beheld for you worthless and ineffective visions.

And they have not uncovered your iniquity so as to return you from captivity. But they have beheld for you worthless and misleading oracles. Samech. All who pass along the way clap their hands in derision at you.

They hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem. Is this the city of which they said the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth? Pay. All your enemies have opened their mouths wide against you.

They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say we have swallowed her up. Surely this is the day for which we have hoped we have found it. We have seen it ayin. Yahweh has done what he purposed. He has completed his word which he commanded from days of old.

He has pulled down without sparing and he has caused the enemy to be glad over you. He has exalted the might of your adversaries. Sadi. The heart cried out to the lord. Oh wall of the daughter of zion.

Let your tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief. Let your eyes not be still cough. Arise cry aloud in the night. At the head of the night watches pour out your heart like water before the presence of the lord.

Lift up your hands to him for the life of your infants who are faint because of hunger at the head of every street. And i'll stop there for now that was just through 19. But we'll get to verses 20 to 22 and hear that closing prayer at the end.

Now a reminder once again that each one of these sections begins with a hebrew letter and that's what I was reciting there. That's preserved in the legacy standard bible. Which is why i'm using this translation and you can tell in each one of those sections.

It seems to address Something different it is a different lament as we go through this second half of chapter two. So let's pick up again in verse 11 where it is said my eyes fail because of tears. My inmost being is greatly disturbed.

My heart is poured out on the earth because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. When infants and nursing babies faint in the open squares of the city. The people have become so destitute in this judgment that has come upon them that there is not even any food for their infants.

It's as if the the mother's breasts have dried up and there is no food for them. Even they grow faint. In the open squares, there is no home for them. All the homes have been destroyed. So what was left of the square is about the best place that we have to reside.

And my eyes faint because of tears now. This is greatly lamenting, of course. But remember the lament that's being expressed here in lamentations is because of sin. It is certainly the case where we will go through trials in life that have come upon us that are not because of our sin.

You may have had had great sorrow. Stress anguish that has come upon you and it wasn't because of anything you did. It was just the trials of life became so Burdensome and even in those circumstances we cry.

We we call out to the lord. We wonder why no one is answering us. But remember the words that david prays in psalm 13 where he says that very thing. How long oh lord will you forget me forever. But at the end of that psalm saying I will rejoice.

For god has dealt bountifully with me. He remembers Those times that god has been faithful even in those moments where he's wondering where god is. And so as we as we would be in a time of sorrow of searching.

Still call upon the lord and look for his goodness and faithfulness in those times of lament. The context here in lamentations is specifically with regards to sin. These tears are because I have sinned against god and now I am reaping what I have sown.

But but the lament that is pouring out is in the hopes that god will hear and forgive and restore. So we go on to lamed verse 12. They say to their mothers. This is this is like the infants and nursing babies as if they could speak to their mothers, but really it would be uh more akin to the next generation that generation that is suffering now because of what their parents had done and.

So that generation as if could speak and call out to their mothers. Where is grain and wine? As they faint like a wounded man in the open squares of the city. As their life is poured out on their mother's bosom.

They're right there at their mother's breast. But there is nothing for them and they are faint and near death. And if this generation passes then who is left? To carry on our name that question of where is grain and wine?

Where is the abundance when we are faithful to god? He will bless us through the land that was the understanding that israel had. God had promised them a land that would be given to the descendants of abraham.

And it was through the land that god would bless them when they were faithful to follow god and obey his commandments. They received grain and even in the abundance of their crops. They would receive wine.

Wine was A symbol a demonstration of the abundance of the harvest when there was lots of flowing wine. Then the harvest had been really really good. So because there is no grain and wine. This is that younger generation that is saying to the older you were unfaithful and now there is nothing for us as well.

And so going on to the next section mem. What shall I? Testify about you and this is talking about jerusalem to what shall I equate you? Oh daughter of jerusalem now remember in chapter one Jerusalem was being likened to a widow.

But what I had said there in that chapter is this widow was not a woman who lost her husband. As if the husband had gone off to war and didn't return and now that woman was left a widow. Rather this woman is a widow.

Because She has behaved like a prostitute. And so her husband has cut her off and now she has no husband and she's left to fend for herself. As we had read about in chapter one and even at the beginning of chapter two your lovers have forgotten you they're not there for you.

These people that you had caroused around with where are they? And now once you have been shamed and they have no respect for you anymore. They have seen really your best the best that you had to offer you gave it all to them.

And now they have left you wallowing in your own tears and filth and rags. So to what shall I equate you? Oh daughter of jerusalem to what shall I liken you? As I comfort you oh virgin daughter of zion.

For your destruction is as vast as the sea who can heal you. This is not the kind of circumstance where you can just pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Just do better and you will be fine. The only one who can offer healing is the lord.

Consider malachi 4 verses 2 and 3. But for you who fear my name the son of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings and you will go forth and skip about like calves From the stall and you will tread down the wicked for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day.

Which I am preparing says yahweh of hosts. The only one who can heal and restore back to this place of prominence That jerusalem once had. Is the lord who can heal you. And that question is is meant it is intended for jerusalem.

To recognize that the only one who can heal me is the one who has done this to me. That is god because we had sinned against him. So will he have mercy? And bring us back to himself again verse 14. This is where we read of prophets that have misled the people and Following those false prophets has put them in this place in this position your prophets have beheld for you worthless and ineffective visions.

And this is false teachers even today. The false teachers that will promise things that they cannot deliver. They will take passages and twist them in order to scratch itching ears and people will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.

As said in second tibetan chapter 4 and they will wander away from the truth into myths. Because they go after those teachers that tell them the things that they like to hear. But what do they have for you just worthless and effective visions, you know.

There are a lot of young men in our culture that have been fed up with The ways that that men have been looked down upon how they have been weakened and effeminized and made to look like fools. And they hate the lgbtq agenda and wokeness and all this kind of thing.

And so you have a lot of young men that are very very angry about the trajectory of the culture. And there are certain pastors that have stepped in pastors that don't really have solutions. I'm talking like online influencers here.

I'm not talking about their real pastors in churches. But some of these influencers who have used their positions as pastors to present themselves as men of authority. And instead of giving them the gospel Instead of helping them to set their hope on christ and be men of god.

Instead they're just feeding their anger because the anger of that young man. Of those young men is probably profiting them in some way like watching my youtube channel so I get I get money or attending our conferences or Donating to our patreon for bonus content so on and so forth.

And so these men are are using the young men who are angry and just feeding that anger. If they try to resolve that anger, well that doesn't turn out to be profitable for them. So instead of the hope of christ and the peace of the gospel.

They just feed that anger and and try to make them think yes, we need to rise up. We need to take this back. We need to beat back the women the jews are at fault and all whatever their talking points might happen to be.

And of them it is said in first timothy 6 3 of these teachers. It said if anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words those of our lord Jesus christ with the doctrine conforming to godliness in other words those things That would lead to godly living.

If they have gone away from those sound words. Then they're conceited and they understand nothing. They have a morbid interest in controversy and disputes about words out of which arise envy strife slander evil suspicions and constant friction between men of Depraved mind and deprived of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Because that's what these false teachers are going to do. They're going to tell you what you want to hear. So that they can profit off of you. And that's what these worthless prophets have done no pun intended.

Here in jerusalem having led the people astray. They have not uncovered your iniquity. So as to return you from captivity, they're not even interested in bringing you back to the lord. But they have beheld for you worthless and misleading Oracles that lead nowhere that have led to this destruction.

That jerusalem is now wallowing in verse 15 all who pass along the way clap their hands in derision at you they hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of jerusalem. Is this the city of which they said the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole earth?

You know, this was the same sort of a thing that the people did to jesus when he was hanging on the cross but the difference being. When people were passing by jesus and shaking their heads, they were shaking their heads at a man who had done nothing wrong.

But here in this instance The people walking by are shaking their heads at jerusalem. Who had gone away from god? And were suffering the consequences of their evil. Verse 16 all your enemies have opened their mouths wide against you.

They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say we have swallowed her up. Surely this is the day for which we have hoped we have found it we have seen it. They love to see the people of god fall. And here they take credit for it.

They think we're the ones who did this. When really it was god who had subjected jerusalem to the hands of their enemies and god will pour out his judgment. On those who had treated jerusalem unjustly and we've read about that as we've gone through isaiah and jeremiah.

Even though god would use these nations to judge Israel that does not mean. Those nations would be off the hook. They must repent of their evil and turn to the lord as well. Verse 17. Yahweh has done what he purposed he has completed his word which he commanded from days of old.

This is this all has happened as god had decreed that it would happen. Remember through isaiah which had been prophesied a hundred years before this stuff had taken had even taken place. Through isaiah.

It was said the lord has purposed and who can turn it back. If it is god's will that can that this should happen. There's nothing that the people can do to avoid it. He has pulled down without sparing and he has caused the enemy to be glad over you.

He has exalted the might of your adversaries. Verse 18. Their heart cried out to the lord. Oh wall of the daughter of zion. Let your tears Run down like a river day and night give yourself. No relief.

Let your eyes not be still. Verse 19. Arise cry aloud in the night at the head of the night watches. Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the lord lift up your hands to him. For the life of your infants who are faint because of hunger at the head of every street.

And we end this section the same way as we started with the infants that are calling out and are asking What has happened here and why is there not grain and wine for us? What have you done? That even the next generation should perish from the earth and so we have this final cry.

That comes here at the conclusion of this section this crisis of faith and calling out to the lord in verses 20 to 22. Let's look at verse 20. Oh yahweh see and look. With whom have you dealt. Thus should women eat their offspring.

The infants who were born healthy. Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the lord? Should it be. That the infants should perish in this way. There is such famine that would be upon the land that we would consume our infants or more figuratively.

This generation has been punished should the next generation have to suffer because of us. So this is calling out for god to be merciful that the name of israel would not be blotted from the earth blotted out from the earth.

So verse 21 on the ground in the streets lie young and old. My virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword. You have killed them in the day of your anger. You have slaughtered not sparing. Now again, as I had mentioned in the beginning this may be more like a complaint.

Than it is really a confession but the confession the the true heartfelt Mourning and acknowledging of god's goodness will come that will happen In the middle part of lamentations, which we'll get into a little bit next time.

We won't do all of chapter three next time, but that's where we will start in on. When we come back to these lessons next week, finally, this is the verse that closes out chapter Chapter two. This is verse 22.

You called as in the day of an appointed time my terrors on every side. And there was no one who escaped or survived in the day of yahweh's anger. Those whom I gave birth to and reared my enemy consumed them.

Confession, Lament, and the Hope of Restoration

My friends if we have sinned against god, then we must acknowledge that sin before god and we must lament. We must mourn over our sin. And ask that god would restore us and it's not enough that we complain about our sin.

It's not god's fault that we sinned. Even though as we have taught here on this broadcast that god has ordained whatsoever comes to pass. We've also taught as said in romans chapter 9 that no one can point the finger at god and say why have you made me like this.

Who are you oh man to answer back to god? What should your response be not to point the finger at god but back at yourself? And realize that I have sinned and I have done this. But to also see the promises of god that are given to us in scripture that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

First. John 1 9. So whatever it is you have done against god. Even if you are not feeling the effects and reaping what you have sown yet. Even if the consequences have not yet come upon you, but you know you have sinned repent now before those consequences come.

Because maybe the consequences will be worse than you could even imagine. Turn from your sin to the lord jesus christ and he alone. Will heal will cleanse. And restore you. To the path of righteousness that we should be on all of us who call on the lord with a pure heart.

Prayer for Conviction, Cleansing, and Christ's Salvation

Heavenly father we thank you for what we have read and I pray that it would be convicting to us. That our sin is something that would disgust us that we would hate we would desire to have it driven from us.

We would cry out as the apostle paul in romans chapter 7. Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. And we know our deliverer has come. The lord jesus christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead whoever believes in him Will not perish but have everlasting life.

Create in me a clean heart. Oh god and renew a right spirit within me. We ask in jesus name.

Amen. This has been when we understand the text of pastor gabriel hughes. For all of our podcasts episodes videos books and more visit our website at Wwutt .com if you'd like to submit a question to this broadcast.

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