Lamentations 5:12 says, Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured. Jeremiah said that the leaders were punished and there was no respect for the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, which was a result of their sin. If there comes a time when we are punished and there is no respect for us as followers of Christ, we need to make sure that it isn't because we have allowed sin to rule our life. Verse thirteen adds, They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood. There was also no respect for the young people, and they were forced into manual labor. This was more than simple chores. Verse fourteen continues, The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick. Jeremiah said that there was no joy left. The elders no longer sat talking by the gates and the young men no longer played music. When the people of Judah and Jerusalem turned away from God and chased after idols, they suffered His punishment and lost all the joy of life. As followers of Christ, if we allow sin back in our life and begin to chase after the things or this world instead of obeying God, we won't lose our salvation, but we will lose our joy in life. The things of this world without being used in obedience to God will never bring lasting joy. Verse fifteen declares, The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning. The priests and prophets had said that Jeremiah was wrong in prophesying that Judah and Jerusalem were going to fall, but now the truth of his prophesy was a reality. People today may refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is the only hope of salvation and that He is coming again to judge the sins of people, but it doesn't make it any less true. Verse sixteen adds, The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! Jeremiah acknowledged that the people had lost their freedom as a result of their sins. They had no one to blame but themselves. It was not God's fault that they were in the condition that they were in. Every individual today has only himself or herself to blame if they face God's ultimate judgment without hope. God has made salvation available to everyone, but too many people, like those in Jeremiah's day, refuse to believe His word. Verse seventeen continues, For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim. Verse eighteen adds, Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it. Jeremiah said that the people were in deep sorrow because Zion, which was seen as the place of God, and all things associated with Him had fallen. Verse nineteen states, Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Jeremiah acknowledged the eternal nature of God, even if everything associated with Him had been destroyed. God will never cease to exist, even if everything associated with Him today is destroyed. Of course, as followers of Christ, everything can never be destroyed in our life, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Verse twenty adds, Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Jeremiah asked how God could seemingly forget them forever, and we know that God never forgets anyone, especially those that are His people. The problem was that the people of Judah and Jerusalem had forgotten God and not the other way around. Verse twenty-one continues, Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. Jeremiah called on God to turn the people to Him once more, and God had always stood ready to forgive and restore them if they returned to Him. God will never force anyone to believe in and follow Him, but He always stands ready to restore people to a right relationship with Him if they only come to Him for forgiveness. Verse twenty-two concludes, But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us. Jeremiah said that God had utterly rejected the people of Judah and Jerusalem, but once more, the opposite was true. The majority of the people had utterly rejected God.
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