The Heart and Soul of Lamentations
Lamentations 2:1-12
September 6, 2020
Abraham Hong
Sermon Script
There can be much lamentation when a child is disciplined by a parent. A child may cry because of physical pain. A child may weep from feelings of guilt and shame. There can be many reasons for lament. But there is one reason that is of first importance.
Why should a child lament when being disciplined by a parent? Why did the narrator of Lamentations lament when the Lord disciplined the city of Jerusalem?
He did not merely lament because of all the death and destruction that was around him. He deeply lamented because he was most concerned about the communion bond, the covenant relationship, between God and his people. His tears were not centered on the traumatic experience that Jerusalem received. His tears were centered on the terrible dishonor that God received. He did not weep because of the unspeakable consequences of his offense. He wept because of his offense against the Lord. In other words, at the end of the day, it wasn’t about Jerusalem. It was about God.
Look carefully at what the narrator talked about in his lament. The narrator talked about the loss of God’s footstool, the ark of the covenant, which was basically God’s throne before his people. And he also talked about the loss of God’s temple, which was basically God’s dwelling place with his people. The narrator talked about the loss of Jerusalem’s king and princes, which was ultimately about God’s rule over his people. And he also talked about the loss of vision for Jerusalem’s prophets, which was ultimately about God’s word for his people. The narrator talked about the loss of festival and Sabbath and bread and wine, which was basically God’s blessedness and joy over his people. Do you see the reason for his lament? The narrator lamented over the communion bond, the covenant relationship, between God and his people.
Look carefully at what the narrator remembered in his lament. He remembered certain things that used to be good markers of God’s good relationship with his people: things such as the cloud in verse 1 and the fire in verse 3, which brought to mind how the Lord led Israel through the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; things such as the right hand of God in verse 3, which brought to mind how the Lord protected his people with his mighty right hand. These were all good markers of God’s good relationship with his people. But not anymore. The Lord has become like an enemy. The Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud. He has burned like a flaming fire and he has poured out his fury like fire. He has withdrawn from Israel his right hand in the face of the enemy. Do you see the reason for his lament? The narrator lamented over the communion bond, the covenant relationship, between God and his people.
Look carefully at who the narrator thought about in his lament. The narrator thought about the people of Jerusalem. He thought about the elders and the young women. He thought about the infants and the babies. The narrator also thought about the meaningful names of the nation. He thought about the names of Israel and Jacob and Judah. Do you see the reason for his lament? The narrator lamented over the communion bond, the covenant relationship, between God and his people.
And finally, and this is big, look carefully at how the narrator described Jerusalem. The narrator described Jerusalem as the daughter of Zion. The relationship between God and his people is like the special, one-of-a-kind relationship between a good father and his beloved daughter. God loved and cared for his people like that. Jerusalem was like a daughter to him. Do you see the reason for his lament? The narrator lamented over the communion bond, the covenant relationship, between God and his people.
Dear Highland, this is the true drama and the heart and soul of Lamentations. The narrator lamented over the Lord’s discipline of the city of Jerusalem because it seemed that she lost God himself. It seemed that the communion bond, the covenant relationship, between Jerusalem and God was finished. It seemed that the daughter, because of her rebellious heart, was disowned by the father. And so there was no greater suffering or hurt or pain than the terrible possibility that the relationship was over. It’s as if the narrator is crying out: Who cares about the city walls? Who cares about the economics and the geopolitics? Who cares about the victory of the enemy? Who cares about the lack of bread and wine? Who cares about the land? We lost our God! We lost our relationship with him! Therefore, I lament! Yes, all the death and destruction around us is terrible. Yes, the fall and exile of Jerusalem was a traumatic experience. Yes, the consequences of our offense is unspeakable. But none of this is the point. None of this is the heart and soul of why I lament. I lament because of the communion bond, the covenant relationship, between God and us. I lament because God received dishonor and offense. I lament because I love God. This is the true drama and the heart and soul of Lamentations.
Given all of this, is all hope lost for Jerusalem? How does the story end for the sinful and rebellious people of God? What shall happen to the daughter of Zion?
At the end of her Disney story, Mulan comes home to face her father. She saved all of China from the Huns. And so she comes home with the rewards of the crest of the emperor and the sword of the enemy. But she also ran away from home and dishonored her father. And so she also comes home with sadness and lament.
Mulan comes to her father. Her father is sitting on a stone bench underneath a beautiful tree. Mulan falls to the ground and bows. She knows that she is a prodigal runaway and a dishonorable daughter. And so she puts her hope in her rewards. “Father, I brought you the sword of the enemy. And the crest of the emperor. They’re gifts, to honor the family.”
The father holds the gifts in his hands and looks at Mulan as she closes her eyes and bows her head to the ground. But he casts his daugther’s gifts aside and comes off the stone bench to his knees before Mulan and embraces her with all of his love. And he says to her, “The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daugther.”
All hope was not lost for the daugther of that Disney movie. And all hope was not lost for the daughter of Zion. And the reason why is because of the Father. Because of the love and the compassion and the heart and the promise of the Father. Only God can make everything right again. Only God’s mercy and grace provides hope. And here’s the amazing good news. God did make everything right again. God did show mercy and grace. God did provide hope. And that is because the daughter of Zion was still God’s daughter. Yes, the daughter of Zion was disciplined. And yes, for the moment God’s discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. But the Lord disciplines the one he loves. Remember, the fall and exile of Jerusalem was meant to teach Israel of her need for Jesus and teach Israel of what was eternal and true for her. And remember, the covenant of grace remained in force for her. The daughter of Zion abandoned him and cancelled him and burned down her bridges. But he never abandoned her. He never cancelled her. He never burned down his bridges. This was his love. This was his compassion. This was his heart. This was his promise.
And the Father fulfilled his promise to make everything right again for us, for the New Jerusalem, when he sent us and gave us his Son. Jesus reconciled you to the Father. He didn’t come to merely forgive you of your sins and make you a new creation. He didn’t come to merely give you eternal life and give you the new heavens and new earth. He came to have a communion bond, a covenant relationship, with you. He came to have you and be with you. Forgiveness or the new creation or eternal life or the new heavens and new earth are all means to an end - they are all salvation means to his ultimate end. His ultimate end was you.
Look carefully at what Jesus talked about in his salvation. Jesus talked about how he is now the temple. He was talking about his body when he said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days.” And the Apostle John said that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, or more precisely, tabernacled or templed with us. As you come to Jesus, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” Highland, you are united with Christ and you are the temple of God. This is your relationship with Christ.
Look carefully at who Jesus thought about in his salvation. Jesus thought about all of us. He thought about the elders and the young women. He thought about the infants and the babies. And he says these words in the book of Revelation: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” This is your relationship with Christ.
And finally, and this is big, look carefully at how Jesus described our relationship with him. The church is now more than just a daughter of Zion. The church is now the bride of Christ. This is your relationship with Christ.
Dear Highland, this is the true drama and the heart and soul of our salvation. God is your God. You are his people. And one day, we will have a perfect communion bond and an everlasting covenant relationship that is face-to-face with Jesus. There is nothing better than this. This is the reason why Jesus saved us from sin and from death. This is the true drama and the heart and soul of our salvation in him.
There are many applications that we can draw from today’s passage in Lamentations.
First, if the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ is having a relationship with him, then let us reexamine our motivations for our repentance, our faith, and our good works. When you lament because of your sins, why you do lament? Is your lament centered on you? Or is your lament centered on God? Dear Highland, let us not forget the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ.
Second, if the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ is having a relationship with him, then let us really care about our relationships in general. Imagine that you got a ticket for speeding on the road. When you come home with the ticket in your hand, why do you lament? Do you lament because of the money that you have to lose because of what you did? Do you lament because of the hassle of having to do all the paperwork for the ticket? Do you lament because of the embarrassment of getting caught? Or do you lament because you realize that in speeding on the road you endangered the lives of other human beings? Do you lament because you care about people and your relationships with them? This simple thought experiment can be quite revealing. Dear brothers and sisters, let us not forget the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ.
Third, if the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ is having a relationship with him, then let us be gracious and forgiving and patient with one another. It is easy and tempting to burn your bridges when things go bad with other people, especially now with cancel culture being in. But think about the Father’s grace and forgiveness that he has given to us in his Son Jesus Christ. Think about how you have been reconciled with him. God does not do away with his people quickly. In Matthew 18, even if a church member is excommunicated and fallen and exiled from a community of believers, there is still hope and prayers for that church member. Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus did not drop him for good. Dear saints, let us not forget the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ.
Fourth and finally, if the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ is having a relationship with him, then let us truly desire to see him as we wait for his return. At the end of this old age and fading earth, we will come home to the new heavens and new earth and see Christ face to face. There will be the beautiful tree of life. And perhaps you will want to fall to the ground and bow before your Lord. You were once a prodigal runaway. We were once a dishonorable daughter. But the truth of the matter is that we come with a hope that is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. And I’m willing to bet that Christ Jesus will hold you fast on that day. For your Savior loves you so. Those he saves are his delight. And I dare say that Jesus’ greatest gift and honor is having us as his people. This is what we are looking forward to right now. Dear fellow pilgrims, let us not forget the heart and soul of our salvation in Christ.
Soli Deo Gloria