Stephen preached this morning from Lamentations, a book that deals very honestly with a dark period in Israel’s history.
It is easy for us sometimes to think that the God of the Old Testament is different to the God of the New Testament, or perhaps to focus on God’s anger in the Old Testament and on His love in the New Testament. However, we need to acknowledge the immutability of God – He doesn’t change – and the steadfastness of His character – where love, strength, compassion, justice and wrath don’t mean inconstancy.
Jeremiah wrote Lamentations at a time when Israel had sinned greatly and things were not going well for them. Lamentations 1 chronicles the deserted city, the grieving and tearfulness of the people and the lack of comfort. There are times when things don’t go well for us. Not all churches are currently flourishing; the number of church buildings being used for other purposes these days reflect the hard times many congregations have faced.
Difficult times are made worse when we feel deserted or punished by God. (Lam 2:1-5) We are not exempt from life’s difficulties, but those difficulties seem even harder to bear when we don’t see God’s presence with us, when we feel that He has withdrawn His love, compassion and strength from us.
Jeremiah knows what it feels like to feel alone, calling himself a ‘man who has seen affliction by the rod of the LORD’s wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.’ (Lam 3:1-3). Nonetheless, the lament is not without hope, for in Lam 3:24-26, Jeremiah, reminding himself of God’s purposes, says, ‘I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.’
Talking to ourselves is not a sign of insanity; it can often be the thing we need to do to put things into perspective! God restores us even in the midst of difficult times. God is true and just. Even when we are guided by His rod, even when we face His disciplining hand, He can change our lives around; moreoever, as Hebrews reminds us, He only disciplines us for our good.
Lamentations is honest about the dark times in ways that perhaps we don’t like to admit, but it is also a book with hope, for even in the darkness, God’s light shines and the darkness has not overcome it.