January 25 Daily Discovery

Read Lamentations Chapter 1

Judgment Finally Comes

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

² She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

³ Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

~ Lam. 1:1-3

Time to Repent

²¹ And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

²² Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

²³ And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

~ Rev. 2:21-23

The worship of idols is often symbolized by the prophets as "whoredoms".  God likens His unfaithful people to an unfaithful, adulterous wife.

Jeremiah preached for about 23 years before the Babylonian captivity became a reality.  He continued to preach for 40 years total.  

He was ignored, hated, ridiculed, slandered, beaten, imprisoned, threatened with death, and more while he was preaching those four decades.

He wanted to quit.  He wanted to give up, but he couldn't.  He was a fiery preacher, but with a heart that was full of love and brokenness for his people.  

⁷ O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

⁸ For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

⁹ Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

~ Jer. 20:7-9

Time's Up!

Because judgment has not yet come yet, does that mean that it will not come ever? 

¹⁰ And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

¹¹ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

¹² Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

¹³ But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

~ Eccl. 8:10-13

What God had been warning them about has come to pass.

⁵ Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

⁸ Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

~ Jer. 1:5,8

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Continue Your Search

In this chapter, do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method