Lamentation 4:1-10 – The costly effect of sin

Lamentations 4 is the fourth lament. Like the first two laments in chapter 1 and 2, this is also an acrostic poem. But instead of three lines per stanza, there are only two lines each. Going by what he had already said earlier, Jeremiah in this lament was again describing the tragedy of the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. However, in this lament, he spoke about all that had happened factually with less emotional force. There are three parts in this dirge: verses 1-10 describe the catastrophic remains of Jerusalem; verses 11-20 explain the cause of the catastrophe and verses 21-22 predict the similar outcome for Edom, the people of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. In this reflection, we will go through the first segment covering the first ten verses of Lamentations 4.

Here we see the glory that once attended the city of Jerusalem was shattered.  The gold that once shone brightly to reflect God’s glory had its gross. It is described as dark because it was covered by the dust of ruin. Every category of her people was left shattered, distraught and confounded. The young men, once the pride, the strength and useful asset of the nation were seen as shattered pieces of clay and broken pottery. The famine was so intense that children were deprived of bread and milk. The once rich and wealthy who were used to fine clothing and delicacies were affected by hunger. They would have attested that they would be better off dead. So starved and deprived that they had to rummage for food in the city trash. Poorly nourished and exposed, their skin became blackened. They moved about as bags of bones and could hardly be recognized. The once tender mothers lost their motherly touches. They even murdered and ate up their own children. Unlike the destruction of Sodom that was instant and swift, Jerusalem’s was slow and prolonged. These are the pictures of what sin can do to us.

There is only one message. It does not pay to trifle with sin. It will make us pay much more than we can afford, and destroy us much more than we can anticipate. So be careful how we live, not as fools but as wise, understand what the will of God is. Live to please Him!