Monday, July 20, 2020

People In Exile - Utterly Unbalanced and Uncertain

Utterly Unbalanced and Uncertain
Lamentations 5:1-22

Lamentations 5 continues the pattern present in the earlier poems, jarring people with its honesty about suffering and all the emotions that accompany it. Yet, this poem deviates from the previous poems in important ways. First, while it has the façade of a Hebrew acrostic with its 22 verses or stanzas, it differs from the previous poems because no true acrostic exists.[1] The poem has fallen into chaos. It no longer follows the ordered pattern previously present. Second, this poem is the shortest of the 5 poems that make up the collection of Lamentations. This brevity could indicate that the community runs out of hope as the poet declares these final words.[2] Alternatively, this shortened poetic expression may indicate a weariness in expressing the grief. The poet is exhausted and has little more to say. These two deviations from the primary poetic form that makes up Lamentations emphasize the uncertainty central to this poem.

Interestingly, there are other deviations in the poetry in this chapter as compared to the other chapters. This poem, unlike its predecessors within the collection, has balanced lines. The most common line contains three accents in each half. There are also a larger proportion of parallel expressions within the poem. Very often, the second half line echoes the expressions that precede it.[3] These features provide order in the midst of the chaos, which further develops feelings of uncertainty. Sorrow mixed with praise. Doubt mixed with hope.

In addition, this poem, of all the poems that make up Lamentations, most closely resembles the structure of a communal lament. Lamentations 5 presents a collective prayer, using the plural “we” to indicate the far reaching effects of the communal grief. Other poems with this structure, such as Psalms 44, 60, and 74, tend to follow a specific pattern. These poems often begin with an address to God, continue with an expression of complaint, and conclude with a praise statement toward God. Lamentations 5 diverges from this pattern in two important ways. First, it extends the complaint portion. Secondly, the praise offered to God at the end of the poem is intermingled with other emotions and ultimately, concludes with further lament.[4] Using this form emphasizes the fact that the entire community experiences the pain expressed throughout this poem. All the people are utterly consumed with this lament. This form also allows the poet to present a prayer, a final beseeching of God, begging for God to notice the brokenness, hurt, and alienation experienced by the entire community. In addition, the communal lament encourages both poet and worshipper to turn and worship God even in the midst of life’s tragedies. The community finds itself utterly consumed by grief and yet utterly encompassed in a call to worship God as it seeks restoration.

The poem begins by addressing God, asking God to remember. In asking God to remember, this prayer does not infer that God has forgotten, but instead this prayer calls God to act on behalf of the people.[5] This prayer begins with hope that God will act on behalf of the covenant people, as He has in the past. God’s action will occur as He sees the people’s disgrace. Disgrace refers to the experience of reproach, abuse, and shame.[6] Experiencing shame was a huge deal in the ancient near east. The people sought honor, desiring acceptance and esteem from various groups. This acceptance came based on the behavior deemed desirable, virtuous and socially productive in a given culture. Shame refers to the experience of being devalued or belittled based on the inability to measure up to the expectations.[7] The people feel shame as they have failed to measure up to God’s expectations. This shame is compounded as they experience devaluation by the culture and peoples who attack them and take advantage of their situation. Based on their hope that God will see this shame and desire honor for His beloved, the people ask for God to remember them.

The majority of the rest of the poem elucidates what God observes as He looks upon the peoples shame, discovering an unbalanced situation. The entire community struggles through broken existence. This broken existence is punctuated immediately by the loss of inheritance. God had blessed Israel with the land, which they have now lost due to their behavior as rebellious children. This behavior also leads to the loss of family and justice. Comparing themselves to the fatherless and the widow in verse 3, announces both of these truths. Yes, they have literally lost parents and husbands through war and deportation. They have also lost relationship with their heavenly father who no longer blesses them with inheritance. This leads to an ironic understanding that they now live with the same injustice they cast upon the fatherless and widows who lived among them during the times of abundance in The Promised Land. The experienced injustice continues as the people must scrounge and barter for resources, which they should receive as part of their inheritance from God. Water, wood, and bread, commodities for life should be readily available. Yet their situation has stolen the availability of these material needs.

At verse 10, the poet displays a parade of groups who experience the brokenness. This display serves to announce that the entire community experiences the loss, pain, and injustice of exile. Beginning with women and continuing with princes, elders, young men, and boys, the poet shows that no one remains untouched by the grief. Then verses 15-17 display specific experiences that consume the entire community. Joy is gone and dancing has turned to mourning. Both joy and dancing are frequent practices of worshippers, as seen in the Psalms. The community no longer enters into worship or celebration. In addition, the crown has fallen from their heads. This could refer to the literal crown as the monarchy has been destroyed through the deposition of Zedekiah.[8] This could also refer to the loss of glory experienced by the people. Israel, once viewed as a royal people, chosen by God, now exists in shattered remains.[9] The loss of the crown could also symbolize the destruction of the city as the Old Testament often portrayed Jerusalem’s walls as a crown.[10] The city has fallen and the people have fallen with it. The final images of the community, faint hearts and dim eyes, emphasize the frailty of the people caused by their experience and their excessive grief.

As the community suffers, repentance emerges. In the midst of exploring the experience of the community, the poet declares, “Woe to us, we have sinned.” With these words, the poet encourages the community to take ownership of their rebellion against God. Previously in this poem, at verse 7, it appears the people, through the voice of the poet, fail to take on the blame. They declare that their fathers have sinned. But now, at this moment, the people own their wickedness. Their shame, their loss of glory, their disgrace comes because of their choices to dishonor the covenant and rebel against the sovereign Lord. Taking ownership of the rebellion that leads to shame is important for all people as they seek the honor that God bestows through His infinite mercy.

As with most laments, this poem continues with words of worship, declaring the eternal truth about God. The poet affirms God’s complete and everlasting sovereignty. Verse 19 declares that the people believe God remains utterly in control, even in the midst of the community’s unbalance and uncertainty. When unbalance seems to reign and when uncertainty overwhelms, this stanza reminds the faithful that God continues to reign!  When doubt encroaches, God reigns! When life seems shattered, God reigns! When betrayal abounds, God reigns! When peace is a distant dream, God reigns! When chaos consumes, God reigns!

Yet, in the midst of this confession, the poet expresses utter honesty paired with a prayer for restoration. Almost in the same breath of praise, the poet questions God, wondering why God still forgets and forsakes. If God remains on the throne, why do His people exist in brokenness? As the poet questions God, a plea for restoration emerges. This prayer acknowledges further truth regarding God. Restoration must come from God. Human beings cannot initiate or bring about restoration. In the reality of rebellion against God, we cannot even approach the throne of God. Instead, we must depend on God’s amazing grace.[11] We must lay our case before Him, admitting to our absolute and total guilt. Then, we must await divine mercy. The opportunity to return to God cannot depend on the people, for all people continue to rebel. Thanks be to God for His incredible mercy! Perhaps this is why the poem ends in uncertainty. The people of Israel deserve utter rejection by God. Here the poet acknowledges this, wondering at the possibility of restoration. After all, in God’s sovereignty, He also must meet out justice upon all people. We do not deserve God’s grace and love. Will we yet receive it? This truth leaves the people of exile in uncertainty.

This truth points to the world’s need for Christ as the final answer to God’s wrath and justice and the final manifestation of God’s amazing grace! In Christ, God remembers all people. In Christ, God offers to restore each person to Himself. The entire world community can respond, moving from uncertainty and unbalance to certainty and balance. God has not utterly rejected anyone. Instead, God has utterly received us into His eternal embrace. Even in the midst of rebellion, we can all bow before God’s throne and know the fullness of grace! In the midst of the brokenness and rejection we have brought upon ourselves, we can bow before God’s throne and know the fullness of grace!

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, you do indeed reign forever, from generation to generation. We ask that this truth would bring people comfort. It is in your sovereignty that you remember us, you act on our behalf, blessing us with the fullness of grace in Christ Jesus! Through this you restore us to relationship with you! Please inspire all people to come before your throne to confess to rebellion. Then restore all people to your kingdom. Enable us all to rest in the promise of your mercy and the fact that your love overcomes your wrath. We pray these things in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen!



[1] Tremper Longman III., NIBC: Jeremiah, Lamentations. (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2008), 388.

[2] John Goldingay, Lamentations and Ezekiel for Everyone. (Louisville: WJK, 2016), www.scribd.com edition, 33.

[3] Delbert R. Hillers, The Anchor Bible: Lamentations. (Garden City: Doubleday and Co., Inc., 1972), 102.

[4] F. W. Dobbs-Allsopp, Interpretation: Lamentations. (Louisville: John Knox Press, 2002), 142; Hillers, 102.

[5] Longman, 389; Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Lamentations. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2015) www.scribd.com edition, 192.

[6] Dobbs-Allsopp, 143.

[7] D. A. deSilva, “Honor and Shame.” Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry, and Writings, Downers Grove: IVP, 2008, 287.

[8] Longman, 392.

[9] Walter C. Kaiser, A Biblical Approach to Suffering. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1982), 117.

[10] Dobbs-Allsopp, 147.

[11] Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Lamentations. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2015) www.scribd.com edition, 205.


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