Wrestling
with Reversals
Lamentations 4:1-22
The concept of reversal is a common one in Scripture. Typically,
the reversal portrayed declares renewal and a restoration to righteousness.
Consider the reversal presented in Exodus. In this situation, the children of
Israel have been enslaved for generations. God intervenes, delivering them from
slavery. Their situation reverses: God makes those who were enslaved into a
free people, restoring them as His community. Consider also the situation that
occurs in the book of Jonah. Once Jonah declares God’s intent to destroy
Nineveh, the people choose to repent. God then repents of His justifiable
wrath, delivering Nineveh from sure destruction.
As we encounter the poetry of Lamentations 4, the poet uses the
technique of opposite parallels in order to show reversal. Unfortunately, the reversal
portrayed reveals God’s wrath against a people He once called His own. The
entire poem reveals a reversal of fortune for the people of Israel. It does so
through four sections. The first section, verses 1-12, names the sufferings
that the people deal with in poetically graphic terms. The second section,
verses 12-16, reveals the cause of the sufferings by portraying a reversal in the
expected behavior of the priests and prophets. In verses 17-20, the poet considers
how the people’s focus has been misdirected. The final section, verses 21-22,
gives us a hint of reversal in the opposite direction, offering hope.
The reversals presented in the opening verses reveal a very bleak
situation for the people of Jerusalem. The poem opens speaking of gold that has
lost its luster and sacred gems that have been scattered through the streets.
While this might paint a vivid picture of what the Babylonians did to the
temple, verse 2 reveals that these images speak of the people. Once they
displayed great value and beauty. Now they are pots of clay, having lost their
luster. The people of Jerusalem no longer reflect the beauty of the Lord. They
were once precious, but now they are common. Reversal leaves them without
value.
The second image of reversal comes in verses 3 and 4 where the
poet reveals an excruciating situation. The poet presents us with two animals:
the jackal and the ostrich. These animals symbolize the absolute depravity of
the people. Jackals, normally considered a wretched animal, are presented as
more compassionate than the mothers of Jerusalem. These mothers are compared to
ostriches. These comparisons may seem odd until we realize how the people of
the Ancient Near East viewed the ostrich. Job 39:14-16 illustrates the callous
attitude of the ostrich, “She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in
the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may
trample them.”[1]
Arabs consider the ostrich as the impious bird because of the way they treat
their children.[2]
Comparing the mothers of Jerusalem to the ostrich emphasizes that mothers have
ceased being able to compassionately care for their children. In times of
blessing mothers can provide just like the jackal. In times of war, exile, and
destruction the ability to provide ceases. Better to be a scavenging jackal
than a heartless ostrich.
The reversals continue emphasizing poverty where there should be
material blessing. The poet presents images of rich people who used to eat
plenty, now destitute in the streets. Their clothes have lost their finery as
they now lay in ashes.
The reversal in verse 6 is particularly harsh: better to face the
punishment afforded Sodom than the punishment the people now face. Sodom was
destroyed in an instant. Jerusalem must linger in its sorrow. The poet presents
a situation in which obliteration would be preferred to the current situation.
The poet reinforces this desire in the words found in verse 9 where death by
sword is preferable to living during famine.
As the poet enters into the second portion of his meditation,
reversal continues. This new reversal comes in the form of backwards behavior
by the priests and prophets. This backwards behavior has directly caused the
situation depicted in the first 11 verses. Priests have been appointed by God
within the community of the chosen people to guide the people in their
religious practices. In this, they should offer sacrifice and guide the people
toward actions of justice and righteousness. They should provide inspiration to
the people so they might follow the laws laid down in the Mosaic covenant. Prophets
have also been given the role of guiding the people in their relationship with
God. In verse 13, both groups receive descriptions of backwards behavior. The
prophets sin and the priests practice iniquities. They shed the blood of the
righteous. Rather than leading the people in sacrifice, these religious leaders
sacrifice the righteous who had sought to point the people toward God.
Because of their actions, the status of these religious leaders
has been reversed. This reversal begins as the poet declares that those who
should see visions from God now grope around in blindness, unable to offer
guidance to anyone, including themselves.[3] The
poet then paints a vivid picture of their impurity. Priests and prophets, being
consecrated by God, should exhibit purity. Contrary to this, the poet announces
that they are defiled with blood. Since they have shed the blood of the
righteous, they are now covered with blood guilt, making them impure.[4]
The images of impurity receive reinforcement by comparing these religious
leaders to lepers. In verse 15, the people cry out, “Go away! You are unclean!
Away! Away! Do not touch us!” The people want nothing to do with the impurity
ascribed to these religious leaders. These leaders have become untouchable!
They find themselves in a reality where their authority and honor has been
reversed all because of their choices in leading the people astray.
This section of the poem serves as a warning to all those called
to serve God’s kingdoms as priests and prophets. As I Peter 2:9 reminds us,
speaking to all who believe in Christ Jesus as Lord, “You are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. . .” In these
words, Peter declares the status of those who claim Christ as Lord. Through
God’s grace in Christ Jesus, we are all made into a royal priesthood. We all
have a calling to serve and worship God. A significant part of this calling is
guiding other people in faith, leading others to Christ much as the Old
Testament priests should have served the people, leading them to God’s mercy
seat. Those who follow Christ have a great responsibility. Sometimes, we fail
at this responsibility, leading people astray. In addition, I Corinthians 12
reminds us that some receive the gift of prophecy. Those that receive this
gift, as with all gifts, need to use prophecy to edify, producing love amongst
God’s people. While we, as God’s community, should call people toward lives of
justice and righteousness, our very actions and rhetoric too often drive people
away from God and His gift of grace for all people. This causes similar pain
and loss of luster as discussed in the opening words of this poem.
Following the exposition concerning the religious leadership, the
poet continues discussing the plight of the people. Verses 17-20 explore the
fact that Israel looked for help in all the wrong places. Rather than looking towards
God, Israel looked toward other nations. These nations failed to bring
deliverance. Instead, foreign nations turned upon the people bringing them to
ruin. Another reversal occurs: instead of receiving help from the nations, upon
which they focus, Israel experiences betrayal. When people take their eyes off
of God and depend on someone or something else for deliverance, deliverance
will not come. We all need to keep our eyes focused on God, then our eyes will
not fail!
The final reversal, found in verses 21-22, seeks to offer hope to
the people. The poet singles out Edom as one of those nations that betrayed
Israel, in order to emphasize justice and hope. Edom is a territory located
south and east of the Dead Sea. The people of Edom descend from Esau, the first
son of Isaac and brother to Jacob. Thus, this people claims close kinship with
Israel and Israel expected support from them. According to Biblical evidence,
this support rarely came. From the perspective of the Old Testament prophets,
Edom betrayed Israel, whether through not honoring a treaty or wholehearted
assistance to Babylon when the latter attacked Jerusalem.[5] In
Lamentations 4, the poet refers to Edom in order to inform them that a reversal
is coming. They will come to know the cup of God’s wrath. They will experience
intoxication and pass out of consciousness.[6]
Conversely, the punishment dealt out to Israel will end. The exile
will come to a conclusion. As this poem closes, the poet declares that God will
bring restoration. Judgement has fallen, but upon confession by the people God
will do a new thing, bringing about an end to losses, trials, and heartache
spoken of at the beginning of chapter 4.[7]
The sins of Israel and her leadership have been uncovered and forgiven. God
will bring restoration and renewal for the covenant people.[8]
The character of God remains true! God must deal with the sin in
our lives. God must redirect the murderous attitudes that often rule our
hearts. God must direct us to being a people of righteousness and justice. So
sometimes God’s wrath must overwhelm us, reversing our fortunes. Then as our
selfish and destructive tendencies get revealed and we come before God, confessing
our evil, imploring Him to remember us, God will bring restoration. God remains
love and in this He consistently offers forgiveness, providing a new reversal
in our lives so we may know Him, worship Him, and serve Him more consistently.
Prayer: Righteous
Lord, you deeply desire to draw us into your righteousness. Unfortunately, we
often live without justice, encouraging others to live similarly. Help us to
focus on you, knowing that you alone can deliver us from our
unrighteousness. Please forgive us and restore us as your people so that all
people might be drawn into your righteousness. In Christ’s holy name, Amen!
[1]
Tremper Longman III, NIBC: Jeremiah, Lamentations. (Peabody:
Hendrickson, 2008), 380.
[2] Walter
C. Kaiser, A Biblical Approach to Personal Suffering. (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1982), 99.
[3]
Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Lamentations. (Downers Grove:
IVP Academic, 2015) www.scribd.com
edition, 180.
[4]
Ibid., 181.
[5] J.
R. Bartlett, “Edom.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume 2,
New York: Doubleday, 1992, 287-295.
[6]
Longman, 386.
[7] J.
Andrew Dearman, The NIV Application Commentary: Jeremeiah/Lamentations. (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 468.
[8]
Kaiser, 108.
No comments:
Post a Comment