Lamentations: the Church's Funeral Lament

Lamentations 1

How, says Jeremiah, has it come to this..

Lamentations, a lament or wailing, the occasion was the destruction of Jerusalem in 588BC, the dissolution of the Jewish state, both civil and ecclesiastical.  The judgment and chastisement of the old testament church. Jeremiah warned of the destruction that was coming for 40 years. The predictions of ruin were mocked by false prophets and not believed and scorned by God's people.  Everyone mocked Jeremiah's message.

Church historians say that the fires that destroyed Jerusalem burned for 3 days.

To properly understand the message of Lamentations we must sit in the smoking ruins of the old covenant church.  We must smell the stench of the thousands upon thousands of rotting corpses. And then we may say, How has it come to this. Even though Jeremiah knew the answer even before he commenced his ministry because God told him that the old covenant church would not listen to him.  When the judgment comes, Jeremiah still weeps for the church because he cares for the church, one of the very few people that does care.

In a situation of chastisement or ruin of the visible church, all scriptures are to be applied to us, God hasn't changed.

1.  Instrument of God's judgment

2.  Reason for God's judgment

3.  Sorrow of the godly at God's judgment

4.  Challenge to the church concerning God's judgment

1. Instrument of God's judgment - God does not send lightning or fire upon his people to chasten them.  He uses the church's enemies.  He uses the heathen whom he brings into her midst...he uses her adversaries.  What happens when the heathen come in?  They desecrate the worship of the church to plunder worship, to get something for themselves.  It's the church's pagan enemies.  Everything that is not true Christianity is Pagan.  These enemies come in to chasten and corrupt the church with their worldliness and heathen worship methods.

2. Reason for God's judgment - what is the reason for church in ruins?  Why has it come to this?  Is it because we live in an amoral society, an educated society? That's not the reason.  Jerusalem had grievously sinned therefore she was removed. It’s the church's sin that has brought God to judge them and the church today.  The church's willful, continued transgression of the law of God, willful disobedience to the Bible.  When we look at the state of the church today, let us not blame second causes, it’s the Lord, and it’s the church's sin.  If the heathen are in the church, if the visible church is falling apart, all you have to do is go into a Christian book store and look.  What you see is sin, the sin of pride, performance and entertainment flaunted.

3.  The sorrow of the godly at God's judgment or chastisement. -  Sitting in the rubble of the visible church does nothing but grieve a godly man or woman.  Their sorrow and tears flow from the love of the church.  They care about the church and this is right.  It is God's will that the godly grieve about it.  God is never happy with those who do not grieve at the affliction.  The more we love the church of Jesus Christ, the more we grieve to see her defeated.

4.  The challenge to the church concerning God's judgment -  Jeremiah said "is it nothing to you who pass by"  Where is your love, compassion, pity for the church of Christ.  Are your eyes as marbles?  Can you not bestow one compassionate thought.  There are those who are uncaring about a church in ruins and that is where this challenge comes in. 

Application:

1. If the church is in decline and being defeated by heathen enemies we must know that behind it is God's hand because God's favorite tool to chasten his people is the heathen.

2. If the church is afflicted and becoming more persecuted its because of the church's continued willful sin, false worship, immorality, dishonesty.  No new techniques will save the church.  Repentance from sin and obedience to the word of God is the only way.

3.  Do you love the church?  when we compare the church today we sit in a smoldering ruin, something that was once great..  The church justifies sin.  What's the reaction of most who profess the name of Christ?  indifference.  Is it nothing to you who pass by?  Can you remain unmoved?  Many just excuse it as small things because they are so acclimatized themselves that they do not recognize God's chastisement upon the church.  the enemy has come in like a flood.  The godly are sorrowful and confess it.  That which was once honored is now mocked.    If you don't see the unmistakable parallels between the church today and the church in Jeremiah's day you are willfully blind.  There were loads of false prophets and preachers in Jeremiah's day preaching Peace, peace when there was no peace.

4. Challenge to the church concerning God's judgment. -  In the light of the scriptures, pray that God will glorify his name in the visible church of our day.



The notes below were taken by myself from a sermon by Rev. Paul Dowling on Lamentations 1..  here is the link to the sermon at YouTube: