Lamentations 1:1 says, 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! This book is credited to Jeremiah, so I will refer to him as the one writing what is said in the book. Jeremiah was lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem and asking how it could be true. Of course, I believe he knew why, and that was because of the judgment of God against the sins of the people of Jerusalem and all of Judah. Verse two adds, She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. Jeremiah said that those who had been friends of the people of Jerusalem had dealt treacherously with her. We should realize that we like the people of Jerusalem and Judah can never depend on those who do not believe in God and may even be doing everything they can to discredit Him to stand by us in times of trouble if we are followers of Christ. Verse three continues, Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. Jeremiah was troubled because Judah had been taken away captive and now was in great servitude to the heathen. The people of Judah had begun to worship the false gods of the heathen, those who were not God's people, and now they were enslaved by them. As Christians, if we allow some false gods to come into our lives, we should not be surprised if we are soon imprisoned by them. Verse four states, The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Jeremiah said that no one in Judah was coming to worship God. They had already abandoned worshipping God even before they were taken away captive, and now there was no one left to worship Him. Verse five adds, Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. Jeremiah then acknowledged that this happened because of the multitude of transgressions by the people of Judah. If we suffer the punishment of God, it will be because of our sins and not simply because God has arbitrarily chosen to punish us. Verse six continues, And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. The beauty of the daughter of Zion had been her relationship with God, and once that was gone, so was her beauty. As Christians, it is our relationship to Christ that gives us beauty in the world, and if we abandon His calling and do not follow His guidance, then we lose the beauty of that relationship. Verse seven declares, Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. Jeremiah said the people of Judah remembered the days when they enjoyed the pleasant things of life before God allowed them to be defeated and enslaved. If we are followers of Christ and find ourselves imprisoned by the things of this world, we need to remember that God is the One Who brings us joy. Verse eight adds, Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Again Jeremiah said it was because of the sins of the people of Judah that she was suffering. Sin will always ultimately bring suffering. Verse nine continues, Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. Jeremiah said that because of the sins of Judah, she had no Comforter, which was God Himself I believe. We need to look to the Comforter, Jesus Christ, today to find forgiveness for sins and restoration with God. Verse ten states, The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. The places of worship, which should have been set aside for God and His people, were desecrated by the people of the world, those who did not believe in God. We need to be careful that we do not allow the things of this world to desecrate the places of God today, and that means more than the church buildings. We must keep every aspect of our life set aside for God. Verse eleven adds, All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile. Jeremiah said that the people of Judah were willing to give up everything simply for bread to eat. We can never afford to turn away from God simply to meet material or physical needs.
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