Lamentations 2 - The Way of Lament

0:00Life hands us hurt we never asked for, leaving us anxious and secure and stuck. But what if your healing is not only possible, but could actually bring healing to those around you? In her new book, Collide, Willow Weston invites you to start bravely stepping into the places you've avoided because Jesus meets us in our mess. If your past is still haunting your present, if being in self-protective mode is hurting you more than protecting you, if you're longing for wholeness, discover healing with Collide, available now at Amazon.com. Purposely Your Life, God's Purpose. Listen at Purposely.com What is the point of lament? Hey, this is Jen. You're listening to the Bible for busy people and we've already talked about how easy it can be to try to skip past uncomfortable emotions, especially when it comes to faith. But the way lament is included in the scriptures and is even expressed by the Trinity shows that we are not only invited to lament with God,

1:04but it's a necessary practice. It's a way of processing our pain. And you know what? God meets us there. Yes, God shows lament. For example, before the flood that destroyed the world, the one Noah and his family were saved from, God lamented about creating humans who became evil and all turned to their own ways in Genesis 6. Jesus wept over Jerusalem in Luke 13. The Spirit groans for us when we don't have the words in Romans 8. So what is the purpose of lament? As the Bible project says, these poems give a sacred dignity to human suffering. As these human words of grief, addressed to God have become part of God's word to his people. On NT writes blog, Dr. Glenn Pacheum addresses this question with five points. He says, first, lament is actually a form of praise. He says, a complaint is an accusation against God that aligns his character, but a lament is an appeal to God based on confidence in his character.

2:05Second, lament proves our relationship with God that we are able to go to him with any request and he listens. Third, lament helps us develop deep relationship with God. Fourth, lament is a prayer and action on our part of petitioning to God. And fifth, lament allows us to participate in other people's pain with them. The link is in the show notes. It's really a helpful article if you struggle to understand lament or if you want to express it yourself or make that a part of your faith practice. I've noticed for me that prayers of lament will do a work on my heart to help shift my perspective. It'll also help me to feel engaged with God and often it helps me feel comfort where I was lacking it. Now, I will say that's not always the case. Those things don't always happen or all at once, but then again, that's the point of practice. You are building yourself up to be in a place where these things can shape your heart and can help you to get where you need to be.

3:07It's not a quick fix. That's why we practice lament again and again. I will say it helps regardless just to get the feelings out to be honest with God and to face things instead of glossing them over. So if there are any immediate benefits, I would say that they are those things. Today, we're reading in Lamentations, chapter 2. It says how the Lord has covered Daughter Zion with the cloud of his anger. He has hurled down the splendor of Israel from heaven to earth. He has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. Without pity, the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob. In his wrath, he has torn down the strongholds of Daughter Judah. He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor. In fierce anger, he has cut off every horn of Israel. He has withdrawn his right hand at the approach of the enemy. He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire that consumes everything around it. Like an enemy, he has strung his bow. His right hand is ready. Like a foe, he has slain. All who were pleasing to the eye, he has poured out his wrath like fire

4:09on the tent of Daughter Zion. The Lord is like an enemy. He has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for Daughter Judah. He has laid waste his dwelling like a garden. He has destroyed his place of meeting. The Lord has made Zion forget her appointed festivals and her sabbaths. In his fierce anger, he has spurned both king and priest. The Lord has rejected his altar and abandoned his sanctuary. He has given the walls of her palaces into the hands of the enemy. They have raised a shout in the house of the Lord as on the day of an appointed festival. The Lord is determined to tear down the walls around Daughter Zion. He has stretched out a measuring line and did not withhold his hand from destroying. He made ramparts and walls lament. Together, they wasted away. Her gates have sunk into the ground. Their bars he has broken and destroyed. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations. The law is no more and her prophets no longer find visions from the Lord. The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have sprinkled

5:13dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. My eyes fail from weeping. I am in torment within. My heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. They say to their mothers where is bread and wine as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city as their lives ebb away in their mother's arms. What can I say for you with what can I compare you Daughter Jerusalem to what can I liken you that I may comfort you virgin Daughter Zion. Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? The visions of your prophets were false and worthless. They did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading. We're going to stop here for today. You can go back and read it, but I want to dive into this a little bit. What you're going to notice here is a lot of metaphor. It's the author expressing the feelings, not necessarily historical accuracy. And by the way, we don't know exactly who the author is, although this book is traditionally attributed to Jeremiah.

6:16In this chapter, we see expressions of feeling that God has been wrathful and punishing, and also the acknowledgement of Israel's guilt in listening to false prophets, and an understanding that God followed through on what he said he would do if the Israelites disobeyed, which we're going to talk about a little bit more in the next couple days. This was justice, but also they are begging for God's mercy. Something I notice here is the appeal to God's glory, noting that the destruction of his people affects everyone else's view of God. This happens a number of times in scripture I can think of times when Abraham and David said the same thing to God. What are these other nations going to think of you God? How can we glorify you and honor you if you destroy us? So all of those things said, how does it feel to take your frustrations to God? Does it feel comfortable or uncomfortable? God invites us to do this. God even grieves and mourns with us, but it can still feel kind of uncomfortable. And I think that's why lament is such an important

7:20practice to add to our faith walk is to become more comfortable approaching God with these emotions. God wants to hear all of it. You don't have to shape yourself up or get yourself together to come to God with what you grieve or mourn over. I'll talk with you some more tomorrow about lament. If you're listening to this podcast, I'm going to assume two things about you. First of all, that you're a busy person and second that you are in need of a restful break. Canon Beach Conference Center is the place for a beautiful coastal retreat, whether it's one of there enriching conferences or your own church or ministry event. You can find out more at 800-745-1546 or visit cbcc.net. Thank you to Canon Beach Conference Center for sponsoring the Bible for busy people. Thank you for listening to The Bible for busy people. If you need prayer or want to go deeper in your faith, visit our show notes. Will you take a moment to share with a friend and

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