Johannine Writings Amralkeis, one of the writers of the Moallakat, terms a man grievously afflicted [Arabic] a pounder of wormwood. They confess the righteousness of God in afflicting them (v. 42): We have transgressed and have rebelled. "This is that which I depend upon and rest satisfied with: Therefore will I hope in him. We must not quarrel with God for any affliction that he lays upon us at any time (v. 39): Wherefore does a living man complain? Verse 51. Verse 9. Yet He will show compassion Great is Your faithfulness. The nations recognition of itself as offscouring (so most evv) employs a descriptive term sehi, occurring here only in the Hebrew Bible, and in the context denotes anything rejected as unfit for use. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. In offering the cheek to the smiter the captive was conveying the idea of absolute surrender. (Harrison). Wisdom Literature As Abraham said of God, shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? i. We must keep silence under the yoke as those that have borne it upon us, not wilfully pulled it upon our own necks, but patiently submitted to it when God laid it upon us. This was the language of God's prophets preaching to them not to fear (Isa 41 10, 13, 14), of his providence preventing those things which they were afraid of, and of his grace quieting their minds, and making them easy, by the witness of his Spirit with their spirits that they were his people still, though in distress, and therefore ought not to fear. He has set me as a mark for his arrow, which he aims at, and will be sure to hit, and then the arrows of his quiver enter into my reins, give me a mortal wound, an inward wound, v. 13. 1. III. Why do I fret thus?" 6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. 2. 2. 34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, 35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, 36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Pursue and destroy them (2.) If we cannot say with unwavering voice, The Lord is my portion; may we not say, I desire to have Him for my portion and salvation, and in his word do I hope? here are mercies in the plural number, denoting the abundance and variety of those mercies. There may yet be hope. Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? And, when God's hand is continually turned against us, we are tempted to think that his heart is turned against us too. He was so low that life seemed ebbing out, and he groaned. (Spurgeon), ii. II. It is sin that makes the cup of affliction a bitter cup. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a They complain that there was a wall of partition between them and God, and, (1.) 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. We have been with him, and it has never been well with us since we forsook him; let us therefore now turn again to him." 2. 5. I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. Our Lord Jesus has left us an example of this, for he gave his back to the smiter, Isa 50 6. He who has not got under wholesome restraint in youth will never make a useful man, a good man, nor a happy man. (Clarke), ii. He is good to all; his tender mercies are over all his works; all his creatures taste of his goodness. He doth not ascribe his deliverance in any measure to any man, much less to his own merit; but it is thou. (Spurgeon). 9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. d. You have made us an offscouring and refuse: In the desire to turn back to the LORD, Jeremiah knew that it was important to honestly see their condition. 53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. Like many psalms (see Psalms 22 and 88 for examples), the poem begins with painful and heartfelt statements about the horrors of the author (Lamentations 3:1-20). They complain of the contempt of their neighbours and the reproach and ignominy they were under (v. 45): "Thou hast made us as the off-scouring, or scrapings, of the first floor, which are thrown to the dunghill." If he show us kindness, it is because so it seems good unto him; but, if he write bitter things against us, it is because we both deserve them and need them. 1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. Praying is lifting up the soul to God (Ps 25 1) as to our Father in heaven; and the soul that hopes to be with God in heaven for ever will thus, by frequent acts of devotion, be still learning the way thither and pressing forward in that way. Observe here, 1. The living man should be grateful he still has life, and recognize there is some justice in the punishment of his sins. Have opened their mouths against us. But for hope, the heart would break. To this very day it is asserted by Romanists that Martin Luther was a drunkard. He has pulled me in pieces; he has torn and is gone away (Hos 5 14), and has made me desolate, has deprived me of all society and all comfort in my own soul." While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. i. Faith comes off conqueror, for in these verses the prophet concludes with some comfort. They have loaded us with curses; as they loved cursing, so let it come unto them, thy curse which will make them truly miserable. That God's compassions fail not; they do not really fail, no, not even when in anger he seems to have shut up his tender mercies. They complain of the afflictions they are under, not without some reflections upon God, which we are not to imitate, but, under the sharpest trials, must always think and speak highly and kindly of him. All our enemies We should observe what makes for us, as well as what is against us. He does not himself crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth, but he regards the cry of the prisoners; nor does he approve of men's doing it; nay, he is much displeased with it. The reasons here urged are very cogent. Note, Whatever hard things we suffer, we must never entertain any hard thoughts of God, but must still be ready to own that he is both kind and faithful. All their schemes against me. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, The Lord does not approve. 45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. Let us try our ways, that by them we may try ourselves, for we are to judge of our state not by our faint wishes, but by our steps, not by one particular step, but by our ways, the ends we aim at, the rules we go by, and the agreeableness of the temper of our minds and the tenour of our lives to those ends and those rules. We have little reason to complain of our trouble, for it is our own doing; we may thank ourselves. 3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me. "While I have an interest in God, therein I have enough; I have that which is sufficient to counterbalance all my troubles and make up all my losses." He has bent His bow: This figure shows the power of the archers arm, which transfixed the poet with arrows. (Ellison), ii. 59 O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause. We are men; let us herein show ourselves men. He has filled me with bitterness, a bitter sense of his calamities." i. Some think Jeremiah makes these complaints, not only as an intercessor for Israel, but as a type of Christ, who was thought by some to be Jeremiah the weeping prophet, because he was much in tears (Matt 16 14) and to him many of the passages here may be applied. Of this, death would deprive him; therefore let not a living man complain. 2. We may bear ourselves up with this, 1. Note, It becomes us, when we are in trouble, to justify God, by owning our sins, and laying the load upon ourselves for them. 2 17, 21), but here they correct themselves, and own, 1. 4. He has caused the arrows of His quiver Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. Who could be preserved in the night, if the Watchman of Israel ever slumbered or slept? It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed Being thus humbled, and seeing himself and his sinfulness in a proper point of view, he finds that God, instead of dealing with him in judgment, has dealt with him in mercy; and that though the affliction was excessive, yet it was less than his iniquity deserved. If you cannot speak, cry, sob, or groan, then be still. 3 I am the one who has seen the afflictions. And to those who thus wait and seek God will be gracious; he will show them his marvellous lovingkindness. Many times through the affliction he felt God to be his adversary, not his friend. Because there is room for hope. All their schemes against me, This verse seems to allude to the Chaldaic prediction, in Jeremiah 10:11. 3. a. Verse Lamentations 3:5. No; they are new every morning; every morning we have fresh instances of God's compassion towards us; he visits us with them every morning (Job 7 18); every morning does he bring his judgment to light, Zeph 3 5. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed We read it as a petition for further audience: Hide not thy ear. b. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point "Our Daily Homily: Isaiah-Malachi" Volume 4 (Westwood, New Jersey: Revell, 1966), Morgan, G. Campbell "Searchlights from the Word" (New York: Revell, 1926), Morgan, G. Campbell "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Revell, 1959), Poole, Matthew "A Commentary on the Holy Bible" Volume 2 (Psalms-Malachi) (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1968), Ryken, Philip Graham "Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope" (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2001), Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The New Park Street Pulpit" Volumes 1-6 and "The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit" Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990), Trapp, John "A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments" Volume 3 (Proverbs to Daniel) (Eureka, California: Tanski Publications, 1997). II. And sinks within me. The Lord is my portion Psalms 119:57. But the complaints here are somewhat more general than those in the foregoing chapter, being accommodated to the case as well of particular persons as of the public, and intended for the use of the closet rather than of the solemn assembly. You have moved my soul far from peace; i. They silenced my life in the pit Verse 39. Verse 12. b. b. That while they continued weeping they continued waiting, and neither did nor would expect relief and succour from any hand but his; nothing shall comfort them but his gracious returns, nor shall any thing wipe tears from their eyes till he look down. 29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. When we are meek and mild towards those who are the instruments of our trouble, and are of a forgiving spirit, v. 30. Even if he could only manage a sigh, it would be his cry for help that he longed for God to hear. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed Being thus humbled, and seeing himself and his sinfulness in a proper point of view, he finds that God, instead of dealing with him in judgment, has dealt with him in mercy; and that though the affliction was excessive, yet it was less than his iniquity deserved. it is perished! i. It is good that a man should both hope Hope is essentially necessary to faith; he that hopes not, cannot believe; if there be no expectation, there can be no confidence. Duty prescribed in this afflicted state, ver 37-41. If we call this to mind, we may have hope that all will end well at last. Thou saidst, Fear not. If inward impressions be not in some measure answerable to outward expressions, we do but mock God and deceive ourselves. But these and similar expressions in the following verses may be merely metaphorical, to point out their straitened, oppressed, and distressed state. (Clarke), ii. Or, let us put our heart on our hand, and offer it to God; so some have translated this clause. that come from the rod of the Lord's anger. He has aged my flesh and my skin, These past deliverances created his assurance that Jehovah would yet act on behalf of His people and destroy their enemies from under the heavens. (Morgan), 2021 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com, The Whole Bible They complain of the lamentable destruction that their enemies made of them (v. 47): Fear and a snare have come upon us; the enemies have not only terrified us with those alarms, but prevailed against us by their stratagems, and surprised us with the ambushes they laid for us; and then follows nothing but desolation and destruction, the destruction of the daughter of my people (v. 48), of all the daughters of my city, v. 51. Surely He has turned His hand against me Verse 17. They had several times complained that God had not pitied (ch. They were against him like a fowler is against a bird. Yet this is mercy in comparison with those who put them in prison, and keep them there, when they know that it is impossible, from the state of the laws, to lessen the debt by their confinement. I am their song, their neginath, or hand-instrument of music, their tabret (Job 17 6), that they play upon, as Nero on his harp when Rome was on fire. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone He has put insuperable obstacles in my way; and confounded all my projects of deliverance and all my expectations of prosperity. To be thrown into a mass or bed of perfect dust, where the eyes are blinded by it, the ears stopped, and the mouth and lungs filled at the very first attempt to respire after having been thrown into it-what a horrible idea of suffocation and drowning! He delights not in the death of sinners, or the disquiet of saints, but punishes with a kind of reluctance. And we must thus humble ourselves, if so be there may be hope, or (as it is in the original) peradventure there is hope. Therefore I hope in Him: God couldnt really be his hope until he was first his portion. That, whatever men's lot is, it is God that orders it: Out of the mouth of the Most High do not evil and good proceed? Thank you for registering. Verse 23. Do we succeed in our designs, or are we crossed in them? What! Mine eye affecteth mine heart What I see I feel. In his own day he was called the German beast, that for lust must needs marry Catharine. They look upon the Jewish nation as dead and buried, and imagine that there is not possibility of its resurrection. VIII. How powerful is this word when spoken by the Spirit of the Lord to a disconsolate heart. But waiting is good because God is worth waiting for. (Ryken). When we are in distress we should, for the encouragement of our faith and hope, observe what makes for us as well as what makes against us. I. These rivers of mercy run fully and constantly, but never run dry. (Read Lamentations 3:21-36) Having stated his distress and temptation, the prophet shows how he was raised above it. He remembered that as beat down and defeated the people of Jerusalem and Judah were, they were not yet completely consumed. We may observe throughout this chapter a struggle in the prophet's breast between sense and faith, fear and hope; he complains and then comforts himself, yet drops his comforts and returns again to his complaints, as Ps 42. It has already been noticed in the introduction, that this chapter contains a triple acrostic, three lines always beginning with the same letter; so that the Hebrew alphabet is thrice repeated in this chapter, twenty-two multiplied by three being equal to sixty-six. He hath filled me with bitterness bimrorim, with bitternesses, bitter upon bitter. We have no reason to quarrel with God, for he is righteous in it; he is the governor of the world, and it is necessary that he should maintain the honour of his government by chastising the disobedient. These are the two things which our afflictions should put us upon. 2. Shall a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? They are new every morning; Nor grieve the children of men. Whatever we are robbed of our portion is safe. And I said, My strength and my hope Yet the consideration of Gods sovereignty would also become the source of their hope. Who could exist throughout the day, if there were not a continual superintending Providence? But this they brought upon themselves by sin. Peculiarities We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn from evil to God.
Dayton, Ohio Crime Rate,
Funny Mom Quotes From Daughter,
Articles W