Ephesians 2:14-16

“For he (Christ) is our peace… having abolished, in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain (ie, Jew and Gentile) one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

When Paul wrote this letter, the middle wall of partition was still standing in the Temple, and the veil between the Holy and Host Holy was still hanging. The one signified the separation of Gentiles from fullness of worship, but the other signified — just as vividly for those with humility to see — the separation of even the Jews from the greatest possible fellowship with God. Paul is telling the Ephesian believers, both Jew and Gentile, that the same perfect sacrifice which opened the way into the Most Holy — both literally (Mat 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45) and figuratively (Eph 1:3,9; 2:6) — had also removed any barrier, real or imagined, between the two bodies of believers. Now they were, or should be, “one body in Christ” (Eph 2:16; 4:4)!

For each class — Jews no less than Gentiles — Jesus had, on the cross, slain the enmity between the serpent and the woman’s seed (Gen 3:15). He had become the “serpent” lifted up (Num 21:9; John 3:14,15), rendered incapable of “bruising” again. He had also “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances” that was against the Jew (Col 2:14). In his death sin was vanquished, the righteousness of God honored, and the flesh “of sin” destroyed — the perfect sacrifice; Even the pious Jew, who devoted his life to the keeping of the Law of Moses, could never “slay the enmity”, since even one lapse invalidated all his efforts. So the “righteous” Jew as well as the “alien” Gentile (Eph 2:12) stood on the same ground: lost, without Christ!

Ephesians 4:14,15,22-27

While much exhortation might be derived from this passage, we pass it by with only a glance at the obvious links with the early Genesis record. The “sleight” and “cunning craftiness” of men who “lie in wait to deceive” (v 14) calls to remembrance the serpent in the garden. By contrast, those who are faithful “speak the truth in love” (v 15) — even when that truth has a negative tone, as for example, “Thou shalt not eat of it” (Gen 2:17). We need to remember that negative restrictions are just as necessary as positive commandments; both are the result of God’s love for His children. It was in forgetting this that Eve was led astray.

This “Genesis thread” provides the basis for Paul’s “serious call to a devout and holy life” (to borrow a fine phrase from an old writer):

“Put off… the old man (Adam!) which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph 4:22) —

See how concisely Paul describes the fall in Eden! — “And be renewed (a second creation!) in the spirit of your mind” (v 23).

There is where the first sin originated! Control the mind, and you will control the body! Create a new mind, and you will one day receive a new body to go with it!

“For the devil, that “old serpent”, is still active in the “garden” of human nature! He just changes his disguises from time to time. Wherever or however he might appear, do not listen to him!

Philippians 2:5-8

The RSV is by far superior to the AV in this passage:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (‘slave’ in margin), being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”

Verse 6 is often “wrested” to “prove” that Jesus before his birth (!) possessed the essential nature of God. The Greek “morphe”, however, is most readily translated as “status” or “rank” — not “essential nature”. The same Greek word occurs in v 7: “the form (‘morphe’) of a servant”. Since, obviously, “rank” or “standing” is the idea in v 7, it should logically apply in v 6 also.

The allusion to the serpent and Eve in the garden is found in v 6, where we are told that Jesus “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”. Jesus succeeded where Eve in a similar trial had failed. She had succumbed to the subtle reasoning of the serpent that, if she grasped and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge, she would be “as the Elohim” (Gen 3:5).

Eve was lifted up in pride. Jesus, instead, cast himself down in humility, as a servant bound to keep the law of his master:

“By his knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isa 53:11,12).

What a lesson it is for us! Let this mind be in us, as it was in Christ: a humble, teachable mind, pliable to the Divine direction. A mind free from selfishness and conceit. A mind given over in joy and praise to the will of our Heavenly Father.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-11

The parallels between the “Man of Sin” and the Serpent of Eden are many and obvious. How could it be otherwise when the “Man of Sin” is scripturally defined as the “Seed of the Serpent”? “Like father, like son”, certainly!

2 Thessalonians 2	Genesis 3
1. deceives believers (v 3); lying (v 9); deceit (v 10); strong delusion (v 11).	1. “The serpent beguiled me” (v 13).
2. The son of perdition — or destruction (v 3).	2. “Thou art cursed” (v 14).
3. Opposes God (v 4).	3. “Hath God said…?” (v 1).
4. Exalts himself above God (v 4), as a “Satan” — or adversary (v 9).	4. “For God doth know…” (v 5)… presuming to speak for God.
5. Sits in the temple of God (v 4).	5. Antitype of serpent, sitting in Eden — the place of God’s sanctuary (v 24).
6. Manifested “in them that perish” (v 10) because…	6. “Unto dust shalt thou return” (v 19) because…
7. “…they received not the love of the truth” (v 10).	7. Adam and Eve, given a command, disobeyed it.
8. “A lie” — or “THE lie” (v 11).	8. The foundation lie of all apostasy: “Ye shall NOT surely die!” (v 4).

Proceeding through history with Bible in hand, we recognize that the “Man of Sin” apostasy has so many Scripturally-attested descriptions that we can scarcely fail to identify it. But perhaps the preeminent mark of the apostasy — in all its faces — is the great lie: “Ye shall not surely die”! Virtually every church of “Christendom” repeats, in one form or another, this original deception of its “father” the serpent.

The doctrine of the immortality of the “soul” — borrowed from deluded paganism — has become the cornerstone of apostasy. This doctrine alone effectively prevents its holders from perceiving the simple and reasonable truth of the gospel. This one doctrine, when given its logical (or illogical!) force, distorts almost every first principle. It is surely the great “delusion”!

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Paul counsels that, in the ecclesia, the woman is to “learn in silence with all subjection” (v 11). A similar command is found in 1Co 14:34,35. She is not to teach, nor to usurp (grasp! — cp Gen 3:6; Phi 2:6, RSV) authority over the man, but to be in silence (1Ti 2:12).

Paul gives two reasons for these restrictions — both drawn from the early chapters of Genesis:

1. Eve was formed after Adam, and out of Adam (v 13; Gen 2:7,18,21,22). She was created to be his assistant, his helper — but not his head! “For the man is not of the woman; but the woman (is) of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman (was created) for the man” (1Co 11:8,9).

We note in passing that Paul thus puts his apostolic seal of authority on the early Genesis record (as also does our Lord — Mat 19:4,5). These first chapters of the Bible are not myth, nor legend, nor symbolic, spiritualized concepts with no factual basis. They are facts!

2. Adam was not deceived, but Eve was deceived (1Ti 2:14). This agrees with 2Co 11:3: “The serpent beguiled Eve.” Eve allowed herself to be thoroughly deceived, to be swayed by her emotions. She was led away by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1Jo 2:16), set in such a pleasing form by the subtle, immoral reasoning of the serpent.

Adam was enticed by Eve. This did not pardon him, for he was in knowledge, but the woman was first in the transgression. It is probable that Adam was further influenced by the fact that Eve seemed to be none the worse from her experience; she had certainly not died.

On this matter John Thomas has the following to say;

“A man should never permit the words of a woman to intervene between him and the laws of God. This is a rock upon which myriads have made shipwreck of the faith. Adam sinned in consequence of listening to Eve’s silvery discourse. No temptation has proved more irresistible to the flesh than the enticing words of woman’s lips. ‘They drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; and her steps take hold on hell’ (Pro 5:3-5). Adam was a striking illustration of this truth…” (Elp 123).

To conclude this section of his letter to Timothy, Paul holds out a great hope to the woman — to all women:

“Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness and sobriety” (1Ti 2:15).

A correct understanding of one little word opens up the depth of this phrase. The word “in” is the Greek “dia”, which means more precisely “through”. This phrase is very similar to 1Co 3:15, where we are told that we are saved by (“dia” = through) fire (ie, trials — 1Pe 1:7). Also, Acts 14:22: “We must through (‘dia’) much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.” It may be seen from these two verses and many others that trials and hardships are the paths we must all travel; this is the refining vat through which we must each pass, so that our faith may be purified. God does not enjoy seeing us suffer; but by His chastening, He helps and teaches us to walk in the right way, and He molds our characters.

Thus we see childbearing for what it is; a necessary trial for God’s daughters. It was first a punishment placed on the woman for her part in the first sin: the woman was to have sorrow in childbirth, and her husband was to rule over her (Gen 3:16). But it is God’s mercy and foresight that the very childbearing which serves to remind women of the part Eve played in the original transgression, may be one of the trials which pave their way into the glorious kingdom.

Let us now view this phrase in a slightly different way: In another sense, God made possible the reward of eternal life through that role of woman which was a punishment. In this verse the word “childbearing” is preceded by the definite Greek article: Paul is speaking about a single, very special birth: “THE childbearing”. At the same time that Eve was receiving the punishment for her sin, she received the promise of a special man to be born, called “the seed of the woman”, through whom the serpent or sin-power would be fatally wounded (Gen 3:15).

This same promise is mentioned by Isaiah — that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, who will be called “God with us” (Isa 7:14). This promise was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, who was conceived not by the will of man, but by the Spirit of the Most High overshadowing Mary (Mat 1:21-25). This same Jesus, throughout his life, resisted sin in all ways, and died a sacrificial death so that the way to life might be opened to all men and women. Thus the sisters can take courage to serve God in quietness and self-restraint now, comforted with the hope offered by the “seed of the woman”.

It is said that a music teacher once had a carefree student with a fine voice. One day in exasperation he said to him, “If I could bring you some sorrow that would break your heart, I could make you the finest singer in the world.” We may be like that singer, well-versed technically in the Truth, with more than enough theoretical knowledge of the Bible — and yet something is lacking to mature us as disciples of Christ. Suffering provides that deficiency.

The Lamentations of Jeremiah are about suffering and sorrow, and heartbreak. This is not a book selected often for detailed study. But it is a book to which we may be drawn more and more as the years go by, and trials become our inevitable lot. Then “deep calls to deep”, and we find the reasons for our disappointments and disillusionments in the Lamentations.

Every believer in God, at one time or another, must endure trials. How he or she responds to those trials will be of eternal consequence. Sometimes the reasons for those trials are obvious (as, for example, the sins of Judah that led to her overthrow); other times they seem to be “without rhyme or reason” (as with the long-suffering Jeremiah and especially with Jesus). But in every case, without exception, they are necessary, and God knows the purpose even if we do not at the time:

“For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth… If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb 12:6, 7, 11).

This work is divided into three major sections, progressing from most general to most specific:

1. The Book as a Whole;
2. Chapter by Chapter, and
3. Verse by Verse.

The first major section alone will provide an overview of the book. The second section will impart a feel for the progression of thought through the five separate poems, or chapters. And the third section will fill in some details for the really serious, “midnight-oil” student. It has been our experience that all three approaches are necessary for the best grasp of a book of Scripture. A knowledge of the generalities without detailed study produces an “acquaintance” with Scriptural principles, but never a really first-class familiarity with the Word of God. But a verse by verse approach by itself may give the student a wonderful view of each “tree” without his ever seeing the “forest”. When his studies are “completed”, he may find himself “lost in the woods”, with still no notion of a final destination.

A final section contains “other perspectives” of a general and supplementary nature, not easily includible in the body of the study.

It is our prayer that this study of a little-known book of the Bible may play a part in preparing the children of God for the coming “apocalypse” of their Lord.

George Booker

Troy Haltom

July, 1981

Acts 14:22 is a profound lesson which believers of all ages must learn:

“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”

Nowhere is this tribulation more evident than in this book of sorrows: Jeremiah’s Lamentations.

“In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen” (2Ki 25:8-12).

In this excerpt from Kings are presented the facts regarding the captivity and complete overthrow of the “kingdom of God over Israel (Judah)”; in Lamentations we are presented with the significance of these facts. We see not only the extremes of physical anguish and mental frustration, but the spiritual significance of the fall of God’s city — for in a sense, we are presented with cause and effect. The sins of the people, nationally, bring about the fall of the city and the nation. The city itself, once “the perfection of beauty” (Psa 50:2) and “the joy of the whole earth” (Psa 48:2), is fallen — from being full of people to being solitary; from princess to tributary; from greatness to widowhood. Gone are the walls and towers, symbols of God’s protection. Gone are the priests, and with them the festive and solemn worship. Gone are the prophets and with them the visions and the living word of God — all are in captivity. The land suffers the “sabbath”, or cessation, of the glory of God in full Temple manifestation.

The book of Lamentations is the expression of an almost inexpressible grief. It is portrayed in a first person manner, perhaps initially for the benefit of the survivors. Men live on best after a calamity, not by avoiding the circumstance or repressing their shock or grief, but by facing reality, and learning from the experience. This book contains tremendous sadness and grief, but also it offers hope from lessons learned; hope and dependence on Him Who will save; hope in affliction.

In this book we see confession. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jo 1:9). Jeremiah does not record excuses for his nation or to evade responsibility for the consequences he witnessed because he is not recording his own feelings but is recording by inspiration what the Spirit wanted. Yahweh had consumed Israel because Israel had turned from Him, disregarding the warnings of those He had sent to turn them from their destructive course.

In the very center of this book is an expression of hope. Not speedy hope; not hope based upon any right of Israel; not encouragement based upon the past — it is rather a conditional hope. In the central chapter is seen an unnamed individual, a sufferer who has survived. True, it is God who brings about the affliction — but His motive is a righteous one. God has done this for the ultimate greater good of the individual and of the righteous remnant. The godly survivors understand and appreciate this motive:

“For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men… Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD” (Lam 3:31-33, 40).

With this in mind let us turn to the book of the “man of affliction.”

The title used traditionally by the Jews is the first word of the book — “Eeyek” (according to Strong’s, but variously rendered “aichah”, “ekah”, “ekhah”), which means “How!” (The books of Moses are similarly titled by their first words in the Hebrew.) The first chapter begins:

“How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces… How is she become tributary!”

Chapter 2 begins with this same exclamation of sorrowful bewilderment:

“How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not His footstool in the day of His anger!”

And again, Chapter 4:

“How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street! The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold… How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!”

This word “how” (Isa 1:21; Jer 48:17) indicates the wonder, confusion and grief of the things that had occurred. How could Judah have allowed herself to become disobedient, so placing herself in this position of judgment and tribulation — bringing about the disintegration of God’s rule in Zion and Jerusalem? This word “how” succinctly expresses the feelings of all the people: “How could these things have happened to us? How could we have let this happen?” How? The nation had slept through the warnings of God.

The title used in other versions is taken from the general nature of the contents. The Septuagint called the poems “threnoi”; the Vulgate (Latin) titled the book “threni” — both these words mean dirge or lament. The Rabbis titled the book “Kinoth” or elegy. Jeremiah uses this term in Jer 7:29; 9:10,20 and in 2Ch 35:25 it is used of the dirge to the memory of Josiah. The Syriac version and the Talmud also use the word for dirge or lament. The full title, “The Lamentations of Jeremiah”, is found in the Syriac, Latin and later Greek versions.

This is an area of study limited only by the student’s own curiosity, ingenuity, and ambition. To pursue links between Scriptures can be fruitful, to a point; but it can readily be pushed beyond that point to become burdensome. Three main examples and a few passing references must suffice to illustrate the Lamentations’ relationship with other passages.

First of all, Lamentations is a compilation of five elegies — poems which reflect affliction, hope and deliverance. (Some briefer examples of the elegy in Hebrew Scriptures are Amos 5:1,2; Isaiah 14:4,5,12; and Ezekiel 19:10-14). Of the five poems: the first, second and fourth are dirges in the strictest sense; the third is a personal lament and prayer and the fifth is a national prayer.

Perhaps the best example of the funeral song is David’s lamentation over Saul and Jonathan (2Sa 1:17-27). The quickest examination reveals a number of parallels with the Lamentations:

David’s funeral dirge (2Sa 1:17-27)	Lamentations
19. The beauty of Israel	1:6; 2:1
How are the mighty fallen!	1:1; 2:1; 4:1; 5:16
20,21. Lest the daughters (of the Philistines) rejoice…	4:21,22
21. Anointed with oil	4:20
22. The blood of the slain	4:13
The bow (of Jonathan)	2:4; 3:12
The sword (of Saul)	2:21; 4:9; 5:9
23. Swifter than eagles	4:19
Stronger than lions	3:10
24. Ye daughters of Israel, weep	1:2, etc
Clothed in scarlet	4:5
Ornaments of gold	4:1,2

Psalm 74 is an excellent example of a national lament and prayer, and has extraordinary parallels with Lamentations (so many, in fact, that some expositors have suggested a common authorship):

Psalm 74	Lamentations
1. O God, why hast Thou cast us off forever?	3:31; 5:20,22
Why doth Thine anger smoke…?	2:1,3; 4:16
2,18. Remember…	1:9,11,12,20; 2:20; 5:1
This mount Zion, wherein Thou hast dwelt	2:1,15; 5:18
3. The perpetual desolations	5:18
All that the enemies hath done wickedly in the sanctuary	1:10; 4:12
4,5. Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy congregations	2:6,7
7. They have cast fire into Thy sanctuary	1:13; 2:3; 4:11
8. (Note: the AV’s “synagogue” is not, as some claim, a sure sign of post-exilic authorship — but rather a poor translation of the Hebrew “moed”: the same word is translated “congregation” in v 4.)
9. There is no more any prophet	2:9,20
10. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?	2:15
11. Thy right hand	2:3

Perhaps Psalm 69 is the best example of a personal lament (as Lamentations 3):

Psalm 69	Lamentations
1. The waters are come in unto my soul	3:54
2,14. I sink in deep mire	3:53,55
2,15. The floods overflow me	3:54
3. I am weary of my crying	1:2,16; 2:18,19
My throat is dried	4:4
Mine eyes fail	2:11; 3:48,49
I wait for my god	3:25,26
5. My sins are not hid from Thee	3:39,42; 5:16
7. I have borne reproach	2:15
8. A stranger… an alien…	3:14
11. Sackcloth	2:10
12. I was the song of the drunkards	3;14,46,60-63
15. The pit	3:55; 4:20
16. The multitude of Thy tender mercies	3;22,23,32
17. Hide not Thy face from Thy servant	3:8,44
I am in trouble	3:1,19
20. I looked… for comforters, but I found none	1:2,7,9,17,21
21. Gall	3:5,19
22-28. Imprecation against enemies	1:21,22; 3:64-66; 4:21,22

Among the other personal laments of Scripture, Psalm 22 may also be noted for its parallels to both Psalm 69 and portions of Lamentations, and for its applicability (along with those two portions of Scripture) to the sufferings of Christ.

Neither should we neglect to mention, in passing, the strong parallels (too diffuse to catalogue and examine here) between Job and Lamentations.

According to one major tradition, this book is not found in the Law or the Prophets sections of the Canon, which has caused some doubt as to the Jeremiah authorship of these poems. Instead it is placed with the “Kethubim” or writings, which include the Psalms, Proverbs, and Job as well as the “megilloth” or rolls. The “megilloth” consist of Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Ruth and Lamentations. The edition commonly used in scholarly study today, Kittel’s “Biblia Hebraica”, is based on a manuscript of 1008 AD which lists the scrolls in chronological order: Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Esther. In many manuscripts they are listed in the order in which they are used to commemorate the different Jewish festivals: Song of Songs (Passover); Ruth (Pentecost); Lamentations (the great fast of the ninth of Ab); Ecclesiastes (the feast of Tabernacles); and Esther (Purim).

The following is Schaff’s description of a scene at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem: “There the Jews assembled… to bewail the downfall of the holy city. I saw… a large number, old and young, male and female, venerable rabbis with patriarchal beards and young men kissing the stone wall and watering it with their tears. They repeat from their well-worn Hebrew Bibles and prayer books the Lamentations of Jeremiah and suitable Psalms… The keynote of all these laments and prayers was struck by Jeremiah, the most pathetic and tender-hearted of prophets, in the Lamentations, that funeral dirge of Jerusalem and the theocracy. This elegy, written with sighs and tears, has done its work most effectually in great public calamities, and is doing it every year on the ninth of the month Ab (July, when it is read with loud weeping in all the synagogues of the Jews and especially at Jerusalem). It keeps alive the memory of their deepest humiliation and guilt and the hope of final deliverance. The scene of the Wailing Place was to me touching and pregnant with meaning.”

A second major tradition places Lamentations immediately after the prophecy of Jeremiah. This is the order followed by the Septuagint, the Vulgate, Josephus and most of the English versions. Jerome explains this by stating that this fits with an enumeration of the Old Testament books which makes their number agree with the letters in the Hebrew alphabet; in this listing Jeremiah and Lamentations are counted as one book.

Although no author’s name is attached to this book in the Hebrew, there has never been any serious, reasonable doubt among Bible students concerning its authorship. Since the third century BC, the majority of translators and commentators have acknowledged Jeremiah as the author.

Some of the “higher critics” of the past century criticize the idea of a single author, concluding instead that these poems were compiled from four or five different writers by a single editor. Others cite Lam 2:9; 4:17; 5:7 as proof that Jeremiah did not write the book. Others have claimed contradiction between Lam 5:7 and Jer 31:29, 30 (apparently failing to remember Jer 32:18).

However, we feel overwhelming evidence is presented to confirm Jeremiah as the single author. For example, the Septuagint begins:

“And it came to pass after Israel had been led into captivity and Jerusalem had been laid waste, Jeremiah sat weeping, and he lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and he said…”

This has every appearance of being a translation from the Hebrew, and apparently stood at the head of the text used by the translator. Also, Jeremiah’s dungeon experience (Jer 37:15; 38:13-16) fits in well with Lam 3:52-57.

Also compare Lam 2:22 with Jer 20:3: The name “Magormissabib” (“fear on every side”) is Jeremiah’s watchword and is found in its original form in Jer 6:25; 20:3,10; 46:5; 49:29; and in the plural in Lam 2:22; perhaps Jeremiah borrowed this from Psa 31:13. This phrase is not found anywhere else in the Bible and the word “magor” by itself is found only in Isa 31:9. Furthermore, any good set of marginal references will yield a wealth of comparisons between Lamentations and Jeremiah — which can be followed up to good benefit.

Many analogies can be drawn between the prophecies of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Jeremiah spoke of the sins of the people and their coming desolation and tribulation due to their iniquities. He spoke of the fall of Jerusalem. He also spoke of a coming restoration and glory. In Lamentations we read an eyewitness account of the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecies of judgment from God; and we see within the book, as in Jeremiah, a bright future for those who trust, obey and fear the Lord.

The intense grief of the writer is seen throughout the book. These expressions of grief and tribulation appear to fix the date of the book’s writing as shortly after the captivity of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, 587-586 BC perhaps within thirty days of its fall. The fact that famine is, throughout the book, described as still prevalent (1:11, 19; 2:19, 20; 4:4) supports this also. Most of the book appears to be in the past tense. In Lamentations 4:22 it can be clearly seen that Jerusalem has already fallen:

“The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no more carry thee away into captivity.”

The vividness of the scenes seem to indicate that Jeremiah wrote these poems while still in Judah. According to some commentaries, it was five years before Jeremiah along with other Jews left for Egypt; therefore it seems unlikely that Lamentations was written while he was there.

These words would become a warning — a reminder — but not an epitaph! Israel would be back!

“Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him: and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation” (Jer 50:17-19).

It should be stated, by way of conclusion to this part, that even though most of the book is in the first person and parts seem to portray a personal lament (eg, Lam 3), the style and content is determined by God’s inspired message and not by reason of Jeremiah’s feelings. We, therefore, study these Lamentations not to discover Jeremiah’s personality, but God’s message.

“The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in Mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good” (Jer 18:1-11).

The predictions made by Yahweh’s prophets are often conditional. Just as a potter exercised his prerogative to reshape his work, God as the Master Potter, may choose to do the same — He may not completely destroy His work. Yahweh may change His purpose with reference to His people when they change their conduct either for good or bad. In other words, the purpose of “prediction” can be to affect the conduct of the people to whom the “prediction” is given. If disaster is prophesied, it is a warning to turn from sin. If blessings are spoken of, it is to encourage the people to maintain an affection and loyalty for Yahweh.

The words of the prophets must be taken with utmost seriousness. Because of their function their word was always a specific word: a specific directive to a specific people, caught up in the never-to-be-repeated events of a specific time in their history. Moreover, it was very often a word that interpreted events, the events through which the people were passing or were about to pass (if the situation of their spiritual life remained unchanged), in the light of the Divine demands and promises. And this is why it is only against the background of their times that many of the sayings of the prophets come alive — indeed, in many instances, make any sense at all.

Jeremiah was born in the year 645 BC approximately, in the reign of Manasseh. Judah had been a vassal of the Assyrian Empire for about 100 years.

In the year 745 BC Tiglath-pileser III (745-727), ascended the Assyrian throne. As he advanced toward the west, Rezin (of Damascus) and Pekah, son of Remaliah (of Israel) joined forces to repel him. They sought Judah’s help, but Judah wisely refused. However, Ahaz against Isaiah’s protest sent a large sum of tribute to Tiglath-pileser III to enlist his aid against Rezin and Pekah. With that gesture, Judah became dependent upon Assyria.

Tiglath-pileser III crushed the combined forces of Rezin and Pekah in 732, taking Damascus and large portions of Israel. Because she was a vassal, Judah was saved from the succeeding ravages of Shalmaneser V (727-722) and Sargon II (722-705) as they invaded what was left of Israel (Ephraim) and destroyed the capital city of Samaria (721). Judah’s price was high — not only was she a pawn to a foreign power, but she was forced to recognize Assyria’s gods in the Temple.

Hezekiah reversed the policy of his father, increasing his efforts toward independence, while at the same time undertaking sweeping religious reforms. However, when Sennacherib came to the throne (705-681), things came to a head;

Hezekiah openly rebelled against the proud Assyrian. Sennacherib invaded Judah, reduced Judah’s fortified cities, and slaughtered or deported a large number of their population. Only a last-minute angelic intervention spared Judah from complete overthrow at that time, and Sennacherib returned to other pursuits. The capital was spared and Hezekiah retained his throne, but the efforts for independence were short lived. When Hezekiah died, his son Manasseh declared himself a loyal Assyrian vassal. Hezekiah had reigned from 726-697.

Sennacherib’s successors, Esarhaddon (681-669) and Asshurbanipal (669-627) conquered Egypt; during Manasseh’s reign (697-642) the Assyrian Empire reached its greatest physical expansion. It is no wonder the Egyptians kept things stirred up in the area of Palestine — they did not want to become subject to the Assyrians.

Under Manasseh’s reign, altars to the Assyrian deities were erected within the temple confines; pagan practices of all sorts were given free rein, the fertility cult with its ritual of sacred prostitution being tolerated in the temple (2Ki 23:4-7; Zep 1:4). There was a general aping of foreign fashions and ways (Zep 1:8) along with enormous interest in the occult. But the most barbarous of all was human sacrifice — with possibly even the king taking the lead in the proceedings (2Ki 21:6). It is possible that with the passage of time, the people worshipped the Assyrian gods and Yahweh side by side, without recognizing that they were doing wrong. The inevitable result of such widespread apostasy is found in Zep 1:9; 3:1-7. Those who dared to protest were dealt with severely (2Ki 21:16).

Assyria began to spread herself thin as a result of her conquests; she could not protect her borders. She was being threatened by various Indo-Aryan peoples to the north and the east. Chief among these were the Medes, who had pestered Assyria for over 200 years, and were now becoming potentially dangerous. Along the northern frontier, hordes of barbarians (Cimmerians and Scythians) were now established. Asshurbanipal found himself in trouble midway in his reign; Egypt, so recently conquered, could not be held. Psammetichus (664-610) of Egypt withheld tribute and seceded from the empire because of Assyria’s weak situation.

Asshurbanipal’s brother, who had been appointed deputy king of Babylon, rebelled against his brother in 652 BC, aided by Elam. (Manasseh may have also rebelled at this time, thus explaining 2Ch 33:11-13). After a two-year siege, the rebellion was controlled. In 640, Asshurbanipal began his march of revenge. He conquered Elam, the Arab tribes, and reasserted his authority in Palestine. He died in 627.

Manasseh’s son Amon reigned for two years and was assassinated (642-640). Josiah, age eight, was placed upon the throne. When Asshurbanipal died (627), there was a dispute for his throne between his two sons. This plunged Assyria into civil war, leaving her very weak. Babylon took advantage of this whole set of circumstances and sought her freedom. Nabopolassar (626-605) took the throne from Assyria in 626. In 628 BC, Josiah had denounced the Assyrian gods, in effect declaring Judah’s independence; Assyria, torn with civil strife, ceased to exercise even normal control over Palestine. With Judah now truly free for the first time in over 100 years, Josiah could carry out his reform measures.

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It might be well to have the following in our minds before we continue:

• 645 BC: Jeremiah (“he whom Yahweh raises up”) is born

• 639: Josiah (“Yah heals” or “Yah is the foundation”) begins his reign, at age of 8

• 631: Josiah serves the God of David his Father

• 627: Josiah begins his reform

•         626: Jeremiah is called to the ministry

• 621: The Great Reformation

• 608: Josiah dies: Jeremiah, who has been silent for 13 years, resumes his prophecy

• 608: Jehoahaz (“Yah has seized or laid hold of”) begins a reign which lasts for 3 months

• 608/597: Jehoiakim (“Yah will raise”) reigns

• 597: Jehoiachin (“Yah will establish”) reigns for 3 months

• 597/586: Zedekiah (“Yah is righteous”) reigns

• 586: Jerusalem and Zion razed to the ground, the people taken into captivity — Jeremiah under inspiration writes the Book of Lamentations.

Jeremiah’s life is one of the loneliest and saddest in Scripture. His personal experiences were bitter; the message of disaster he had to proclaim was depressing and unwelcome; and the times in which he lived were of unparalleled calamity. His cause was lost from the beginning, because the people would not hear him. He was everywhere hated and misunderstood. While intensely loving and grieving for his countrymen and his nation, he was despised and persecuted as an enemy and a traitor.

In a short period of 40 years Jeremiah witnessed a temporary resurgence of true worship, saw it fall victim first to Egypt (Josiah’s death), then to Babylon and finally watched it destroy itself while trying to break free from Babylon. His books reflect the tragic drama of the situation. Out of his agony, and the agony of his people, comes the sombre note of lamentation.

When Jeremiah began his ministry, he and Josiah were about the same age. It is truly touching watching these two young men — prophet and king — labouring to turn the nation to righteousness as the smoldering judgments of God hovered over the land; just as two young men — a prophet and a king — John and Jesus, did in the days of the nation’s final judgment.

It is notable that Jeremiah’s ministry began just forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple by the Babylonians, as recorded in the Lamentations. We remember that Jesus began his ministry just forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple by the Romans. In each case we see a period of final probation given to the city.

Jeremiah’s mission was to witness for God against apostate and worldly Judah. But his work was not only as a witness of condemnation; it had a far more glorious purpose. It was to encourage and strengthen the scattered, faithful remnant — of his own day and of all the ages since. And in our present time of crisis for the Truth, and imminent judgment, its message of comfort has great and sustaining power.

When the terrible judgments came, it would appear that God had completely rejected Israel, and that all hope was gone. But the lonely prophet with his message of eventual glory was a symbol that God was still concerned with them although they had been unfaithful, and his prophecies gave comforting assurance that those who held fast would never be forgotten, and that, though these dreadful evils should come, the latter end would be blessing and peace.

The name Jeremiah has become in the world proverbial for a pessimist. But we should know Jeremiah better than this. The world hates those who call attention to its wickedness and folly, and who raise their voice to warn of the judgments that will come upon it. But the duty of the watchmen is clear, whether in Jeremiah’s day or ours:

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isa 58:1).

Jeremiah found he could not hold back: He must speak as God commanded:

“Then said I, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His Name. But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jer 20:9).

The Jews of Jeremiah’s day were typical of human nature in every age. They recognized that he was sent by God, yet they still blindly hated him for his faithful testimony, and resented his forebodings of judgment. Jeremiah lived in the day of the formation of the great image of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2) — the kingdom of men; we live in the days of the end of this great image, and the time heralding the construction of that great Kingdom of God. People do not change — they do not really want to hear about the end of this system, because they think it would mean the end of pleasure for them; they are sometimes willingly ignorant of the true pleasure that awaits those who serve the true King.

When the Book of the Law was discovered in Josiah’s reign, it is likely that he read of the evils which Moses had prophesied would come about if the Jews neglected God. He sent to inquire of God what he might do to avert this judgment. God’s answer was that it was too late; the calamities were on the way. However, because Josiah was faithful and God-fearing, they would not come in his day. Thus the first fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning a northern invader, may have been averted because of Josiah and the resurgence in his day of Judah’s right worship. (The Scythians passed by Palestine. However, the Babylonians would not.) While he lived Josiah indeed did God’s will, so that —

“All his days the children of Israel departed not from following the LORD” (2Ch 34:33).

Not only did he cleanse Judah, but he was also instrumental in reducing idolatry in Israel.

As a result of what he read in the book, Josiah kept a last, great Passover feast in Jerusalem. The Passover was serene and peaceful, for it commemorated God’s blessings upon His children, and deliverance from slavery. But God’s blessings and forbearance were to cease, and Judah was to be delivered into slavery again. God had taken the yoke of Egypt from Israel’s shoulders, and was about to replace it with the Babylonian yoke of iron because of their disobedience (Lam 1:14).

Though for a time there was a great show of piety on the part of the people, they failed to be truly transformed by God’s Word. It appears that the reform only brought about a superficial righteousness or change. God is not and will not be mocked by hypocritical worship. The people had once more rallied around a human leader and failed to recognize their true leader — God; when Josiah died the people once more turned from Yahweh. Josiah met his death thirteen years after the great Passover at the hands of Pharaoh Necho. Josiah delayed Necho long enough to prevent him from arriving in time to assist Assyria in recovering from Babylon, in a sense sealing Judah’s fate (God-decreed) as an imminent victim of the newly arrived power (Babylon). God’s Word also states that the righteous Josiah had been taken away from the evil to come — a very sobering warning, had the Jews listened (2Ki 22:18-20).

It is recorded that Jeremiah renewed his ministry by lamenting for Josiah. Well he might, for he above all others would realize that with Josiah’s death, the last curtain fell on the happiness and well-being of Judah. The nation now had 23 appointed years of existence left — and they were to be a terrible 23 years. The most prominent part of Jeremiah’s ministry now begins. He seems to have enjoyed an easy enough life up till now, but now he finds himself at increasing variance with the nation and its rulers as they head for destruction.

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The people made Jehoahaz, [Josiah’s son] king — but he lasted only three months. The king of Egypt took him prisoner and set up his brother Jehoiakim in his stead. He reigned for eleven years, and Jeremiah had much to do with this ungodly, hateful man. In the first year of his reign, God commanded Jeremiah to stand in the temple court and proclaim to all the people that came there, that unless they put away their wickedness God would make the Temple a desolation and the city a curse —

“I [will make] this city as Tophet (byword, contempt)… the Valley of Slaughter” (Jer 19:12, 6).

The fifth year of Jehoiakim was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, and a very significant year. Jeremiah tells the people that they have not hearkened to the Lord (Jer 25:3). Judah now has eighteen years left. At this time Jeremiah understands that the captivity is to last for seventy years, to fulfill the “sabbaths” which Judah has profaned.

Jeremiah is commanded to write these things in a book, and his faithful aide Baruch does so and delivers it to Jehoiakim. When a few sentences are read, the king seizes the book and begins to tear the pages, and cut them with a knife, and cast them in the fire. The same is to be done to the children of Judah themselves, as Ezekiel prophesied (ch. 5). They were so set in their ways that Jeremiah records:

“Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king nor any of his servants that heard all these words” (Jer 36:24).

This seems to be the point at which the nation’s doom was finally sealed. Each step of wickedness led them deeper and deeper into the pit.

Because of his prophecy, Jehoiakim seeks out Jeremiah, but the “LORD hid him” (36:26). At this time, Jeremiah rewrote his book, this time “adding many more words” (36:32). For his insulting manner, Jehoiakim receives the message that he is to be given the burial of an ass.

Now that his final written testimony of God has been nationally rejected, a new phase begins. Jeremiah is commanded to keep himself separate from this people, as a witness of their rejection by God. He is forbidden to join with them either in mourning or in feasting. He found himself in the same isolated position as the faithful find themselves in the world today. God often used the personal lives of the prophets in this way — as living examples and object lessons. Like Jeremiah, God’s people today are required to manifest a striking difference in their lives from the surrounding world, so that they will be unmistakable beacon-lights of the Truth. The way may seem hard, often demanding, but the believer must remember God’s words of encouragement–

“Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee” (Jer 1:8).

Jeremiah was told that the people would not hearken, but would simply intensify their anger and resentment against him. Finally, the time came when he was forbidden to pray for them (14:11, 12). It had now come to this! All opportunity for the nation has passed; they are doomed. However, there would always be a remnant drawn out, so Jeremiah continued to preach and warn.

Nebuchadnezzar has made his first invasion, and still they do not listen to Jeremiah. In addition to this, Jehoiakim’s reign was troubled with plundering by the surrounding nations. God slowly reduced Judah to ashes — Jehoiakim along with it. He dies and suffers the final indignity of an ass’s burial. Jehoiachin reigns for three months and is carried away captive to Babylon. But in that three-month period he leaves behind a definite record — he did evil in the sight of God.

Finally comes Zedekiah — weak, cowardly, evil Zedekiah — called by Ezekiel a “profane, wicked prince”. Zedekiah was not as bitter toward Jeremiah as Jehoiakim had been, but as disasters came upon Judah with increasing frequency, he came to hate Jeremiah.

The better and more righteous of the people had been carried to Babylon, as was shown in the vision of the figs (ch. 24). The very good figs are those like Daniel whom God had caused to be taken to Babylon, to escape the final dreadful days of the city. If we are found watching we will escape the final days of judgment on this wicked age. Jeremiah sent a letter to the captives in Babylon (Jer 29), telling them to seek the peace of the city, and to wait patiently upon God, to pray to Him and trust in Him. His words here are certainly for our benefit, for we are in practically the same position in the world today — “strangers and pilgrims”, with “no continuing city.” While the false prophets are promising peace and safety and revival in two or three years, Jeremiah promises the captives that they are to be in captivity for seventy years — but also that God will bring about a reversal, a return. God would not cast off His people forever.

In the final years of the kingdom, Zedekiah plots with Egypt against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar decides that there is only one solution — complete destruction of Jerusalem and Judah. His army comes and besieges Jerusalem; the details of the suffering are to be found in Lamentations. Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah; God’s answer is harsh:

“Deceive not yourselves… the Chaldeans shall fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire” (37:8, 9).

Jeremiah is then cast into a filthy dungeon (after being beaten), where he remained many days. We are now in the ninth year of Zedekiah. The city has eighteen months left. Again Zedekiah asks:

“Is there any word from the LORD?”

Again the answer comes:

“Thou shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon” (v 7).

Jeremiah is released from the dungeon, but again the princes demand that he must die. He is lowered into a cistern, and left there to die. (He must be about 60 years old at this point.) He is then rescued by Ebed-melech, Zedekiah’s servant; and he stays in the prison court for the remainder of the siege. Here he witnesses the happenings of which he writes in Lamentations. The Babylonians enter the city and destroy the Temple — which had become a symbol of lip-service and outward ceremony (let us learn the lesson here). Later, against his will, Jeremiah is taken to Egypt by the few who remain in the land. We are not told in Scripture how, when, or where he dies.

The people had rejected the admonitions of the Spirit-inspired prophet. The Kingdom of God on earth is rent. The glory departs Israel, only to return momentarily in the person of Jesus Christ at his first advent. The long Gentile night has begun.

Look down, O God, with pitying eye,

And view the desolation round;

See what wide realms in darkness lie,

And hurt their idols to the ground.

With gentle beams on Zion’s shine,

Raise up her kings, restore her priests,

And by Thine energy divine,

Let sacred love o’erflow their feast.

Then shall each age and rank agree

United shouts of joy to raise:

And Zion, made a praise by Thee,

To Thee shall render back the praise.

Each of the Old Testament prophets may be considered as in some way typifying Christ, for they were all God’s spokesmen. They all sought to turn their countrymen from their ways of sin, and all were received by the majority with hostility and contempt.

Several things in the life and writings of Jeremiah, however, are especially indicative of Christ and his mission. In his birth and calling, Jeremiah certainly resembled Christ and his miraculous origin:

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee… Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth… and said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth” (Jer 1:5, 9).

Jeremiah because of his teaching fell into such disrepute that he likened himself to “a lamb that is brought to the slaughter” (11:19). In this also we see Christ in prophecy (Isa 53:7) and fulfillment (1Pe 3:18; 2:20-24; John 1:29). Jeremiah by his preaching incurred the special displeasure of his own kindred (Jer 12:6), again as Christ (Psa 69:8; John 1:11).

Chapters 7 through 9 present several allusions to the experiences of Christ. Jeremiah, just as his greater successor, was faced with deep-rooted wickedness, found especially among the religious leaders, the priests and elders of the community. In his efforts to reform a cynical, hypocritical priesthood, and to cleanse the Temple of its idolatry, he firmly pointed forward to Christ. In these three short chapters we find the following familiar phrases:

“Is this house, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD… They (the priests) have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace, Peace, when there is no peace… In the time of their visitation, they shall be cast down… No grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree.”

One of the reasons Jeremiah was hated was that he taught the Jews to humble themselves before the Babylonians, realising that this was God’s way to chasten them for their wrongs (Jer 37:8-12). He was therefore despised by the haughty “patriots”. In the same way Christ’s teachings of humility and submission were scorned by many Jews of his time who felt Rome’s yoke must be cast off. Both Jeremiah and Jesus saw that true peace and true freedom could come only through obedience under God’s hand, a “bearing of the yoke” (Lam 3:27) and a patient waiting (v 26).

Lastly, Jeremiah’s lament for his people (9:1) evokes great similarities to Christ and his lament for the judgments to come upon his stubborn generation. The whole of the book of Lamentations is this type of sustained sorrow. And it is a sobering exhortation and warning to us. God has always given His people instructors and ample warning to change their ways. If His people refuse to listen, judgment is certain.

Jeremiah typifies Christ and his reward — and our future reward as well:

Jeremiah was at last put into prison (37:15), where he sank into the mire, just as Christ was killed by those he came to help, and was placed in the prison house of death. Jeremiah was freed from his prison, typifying the resurrection and immortalization of Jesus:

“So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon” (38:13).

The last few chapters of Jeremiah deal with the destruction of Babylon and her allies in the last days (the last days of the kingdom of Judah). Christ also will bring judgment upon spiritual Babylon and her allies in the last days (of the kingdom of men), at which time the lamentations for the Hope of Israel will be at an end, when mourning will be turned to joy — for the saints and the faithful Jews.