Exhortation Station

Hey y’all. I hope you are safe and healthy. May Yahweh grant you grace and perseverance as you continue to walk with Him in this unusual season in history.

A while ago I was reading in the book of Lamentations. Right there in chapter 3, in the midst of reading many sobering verses regarding Yah’s judgment upon wayward Israel, I came across some encouraging words of hope. I’d like to share what I found.

Although the author of Lamentations isn’t explicitly identified in the text, it is highly probable that the author was the prophet Jeremiah. Here, I will assume this is the case. Before we dive into Lamentations, let’s get a little context by reviewing a couple points about the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah had quite the story to tell. Called as a prophet when he was still a youth (Jer 1:6,7), Jeremiah proclaimed a very unpopular message, as he was called to warn the house of Judah of impending judgment and exile to Babylon. His ministry spanned a period of about 40 years, from the days of king Josiah all the way through Judah’s final exile to Babylon. Because Jeremiah’s message was not well-liked, he experiencing many hardships at the hand of his own people. He was mocked (Jer 20:7,8), imprisoned (Jer 37), thrown into a cistern (Jer 38), and threatened with murder (Jer 26).

The book of Lamentations was written after the prophesied exile to Babylon had taken place. In this book, Jeremiah laments the destruction and judgment which was before his eyes.

With that as a backdrop, let’s look at some verses in the earlier part of Lamentations chapter 3. Here we get a glimpse of Jeremiah’s distress over all he had seen and experienced.

Lamentations 3:1-8,17,18 — “I am the man who has seen affliction because of the rod of His wrath. ² He has driven me and made me walk in darkness and not in light. ³ Surely against me He has turned His hand repeatedly all the day. ⁴ He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away, He has broken my bones. ⁵ He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship. ⁶ In dark places He has made me dwell, like those who have long been dead. ⁷ He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy. ⁸ Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer….¹⁷ My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness. ¹⁸ So I say, ‘My strength has perished, and so has my hope from YHWH.'”

Jeremiah was in quite a place of anguish. If we stopped reading here, we might get the impression Jeremiah had lost hope altogether…but then we read this:

Lamentations 3:19-26 — “¹⁹ Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. ²⁰ Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. ²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. ²² YHWH’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. ²³ They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ²⁴ ‘YHWH is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’ ²⁵ YHWH is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. ²⁶ It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of YHWH.”

Wow. These words are impactful to me particularly because they were spoken not from a place of mirth and happiness, but from a place of deep anguish. This was not a shallow hope that Jeremiah had, but one that was able to stand in the midst of great turmoil. May Yahweh give us the strength to utter such words of undivided trust even when everything seems to be collapsing around us.

May we remember the following from the above passage:

1. Yahweh’s lovingkindness and compassion never cease nor fail
2. Yahweh’s faithfulness is great
3. Recognizing that He is our portion, we have reason to hope
4. Yahweh is good to those who wait for Him and seek Him
5. It is good for us to wait silently for Yahweh’s salvation

These are truths that we should not lose sight of when confusion threatens to rob our focus. Next time you feel overwhelmed, remember that the prophet Jeremiah also felt overwhelmed. Yet, despite the distress in his heart, he proclaimed that “YHWH’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease.”

Before we wrap up, let’s look at a couple more verses. Beginning in verse 39, we read:

“Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? ⁴⁰ Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to YHWH.” (Lamentations 3:39,40)

When we’re experiencing difficulty, it is good for us to remember that we are saved by His grace. We do not deserve blessing or prosperity. The knowledge that we have all broken God’s law should humble us and keep us on our knees. Praise Yahweh for His mercy upon us. When tempted to complain, may we probe our ways and return to Him in any areas of our lives in which we might have strayed from the path.

In conclusion, these words in Lamentations 3 remind us of what matters most. Jeremiah stood on a hope whose roots went deeper than the anguish he was experiencing. Temporary circumstances do not change eternal truths — truths of Yah’s goodness and faithfulness. Praise Yahweh for the promise of eternal life that awaits those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. We have reason to hope!

Hebrews 10:22,23 — “…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful…”

(Bible passages NASB; emphasis and Hebrew transl. added.)