Lamentation 1:12-22 – Rebellion has consequence

Putting himself in the shoes of the devastated Jerusalem, the Prophet Jeremiah personified the lament of the city. In verses 12-16, the city is depicted as a pitiful, isolated, solitary and deserted widow crying out for sympathy. In deep anguish, she appealed to passers-by to take note of her plight and agony. No traveller seems to take note or care about what was happening to her. Indeed, no other city had undergone such great suffering like Jerusalem. The prophet identified what they were going through as the hand of Yahweh that had come against the city. Jerusalem was seen encountering the day of Yahweh’s fierce anger. He had brought the calamity upon Zion.  A series of imageries were used to illustrate the intensity of the suffering the city had to endure. Although these verses look as if the appeal was made to the passers-by to take pity on them, it was in reality, a complaint to God concerning their unbearable discomfort.  

In verses 17-19, the city is portrayed as appealing and soliciting for comfort from the neighboring nations. The nations which she went into an alliance with deserted her and had become her enemies. Hence their young men were deported into exile. The prophet had rightly identified the cause. What they were experiencing was the just desert dished out to her for her rebellion. Yahweh was executing His judgement upon that city. God chastises those He loves. His punishments are never intended to break us but to bring us to where He can build us all over again. They may be painful but they are often needful to break our rebelliousness.  

In verses 20-22, we see a petition to God. It is a realization of how rebellious the city had been. So, with a broken spirit and a contrite heart, Jerusalem accepted her punishment and cried to God. So even as the city prayed, she pointed out how the enemies whom the Lord had used to bring about the judgement gloated over her misfortune. She called on God to return to them what they had done to her and to inflict upon them similar judgement. These three verses should not be seen as a call for her enemies’ destruction but a plea for God to show mercy upon Jerusalem.

This poem is somewhat messianic in essence. Much like Jerusalem, Christ Jesus went through much more for us. He took the punishment of our sins so that we can be free from the guilt of our sin. The pain and agony he went through were unbearable yet He bore it for us. Let us live to please Him.