1 Peter 1:1

1 Peter 1:1 says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  Peter identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ.  We need to remember that this was after Peter had denied Jesus and was restored to Him after His arrest, death burial and resurrection.  We have likewise denied Jesus at one time, but the important fact is whether we then accept Him as our Savior and Lord.  Peter addressed his letter to many different churches, whereas Paul addressed his to a particular church usually.  Verse two adds, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.  Peter then listed the qualifications for being an apostle or a disciple of Christ.  God knew before creation that a way of salvation would be needed, and He knew the only acceptable way would come through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and for each individual to accept His sacrifice by faith.  Then, that person would be sanctified to God and have peace multiplied to him or her.  Verse three continues, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  Peter said that this was done for the glory of God, since it was by His abundant mercy and grace that salvation was and is made available.   Verse four states, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,  Peter told them and tells us that the inheritance that we have through Jesus Christ is incorruptible, undefiled and will never fade away.  This inheritance is not in this life but waits for using heaven.   Verse five adds, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  Peter also told followers of Christ in that day as well as those today that salvation is kept by the power of God.  Nothing can ever take away our salvation.   Verse six continues, Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:  Peter also said that they were to greatly rejoice, even if they were in heaviness because of manifold temptations.   Temptations are nothing new for Christians, but we can rejoice because through faith in Jesus Christ, we can overcome them all. Verse seven says, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:  Peter also said that trials would come to our faith, which is worth so much more than silver and gold, even if that faith is tried but fire.  Peter added that the reward for faithfulness would come at the return of Jesus Christ, and He most certainly will return.  Verse eight adds, Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:  Though Peter had seen Jesus Christ in the flesh, those he was writing to had not, and yet they believed in Him.  This is true for every believer in Jesus Christ today.   Peter said they loved Jesus Christ with an unspeakable joy, and were full of His glory, and so should we also be today.  Verse nine continues, Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.  The end of faith in Jesus Christ then and now is the salvation of our soul.  Verse ten states, Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  Peter said this salvation was nothing new but had been inquired about and searched for diligently by the prophets and they had prophesied about salvation which would come through the grace of God.  Salvation can never be earned, but always has been and always will be a free gift by the grace of God.  Verse eleven adds, Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  Peter said that the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets even before He came in human form to be sacrificed for the sins of all people for all time.  Verse twelve continues, Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.  Peter said that this was not revealed to the prophets simply for their good, but for the good of those who came after them.  This Peter said was reported by those who preached the gospel through the leadership of the Holy Ghost.  We today have that same gospel to preach and the same Holy Spirit to enable us to do so. 

Review

 We will look at a few things we learn from the book of Lamentations.  First, God's judgment of the people of Judah and Jerusalem occurred just as Jeremiah had prophesied.  Jeremiah was very saddened by their condition.  God's judgment is coming on all the world, and we as Christians should be very saddened by the fact that so many people will not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and God's everlasting punishment awaits them.  Second, the state of the people of Judah and Jerusalem was because of their sin and open rebellion against God, from the governmental leaders to the priests and prophets on down.  Just because the government or someone claiming to be speak for God says that something is okay or true doesn't make it so.  We must always look to God and His word for answers.  God will never change His commandments for us, no matter who may say so.  Last, though the people were suffering, and Jeremiah was lamenting their condition they were not without hope. Today, even if we are saddened by the condition of the world, we need to acknowledge that we are not without hope.   God waited to welcome the people of Judah and Jerusalem back to Him, and He waits to welcome everyone who will come to Him through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ today.  

Lamentations 5:12

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.  

Lamentations 5:1

Lamentations 5:1 says, Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.  Jeremiah called on God to remember what was happening to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.  We really don't have to ask God to be aware of what is happening in our lives individually or as a nation collectively, because He is always aware.   Verse two adds, Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.  People of other nations had taken over their land.  Still, this was because of their disobedience, and if we are defeated spiritually today it will be because of our disobedience to God.  Even though our salvation is everlasting, we may still at times allow sin back into our lives.  Verse three continues, We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows,  When they rejected the heavenly Father, they were as orphans and Fatherless.   Verse four states, We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.  Even water was not free when they were under the authority of other nations.  We should never forget that all our blessings come from God.  If we turn away from Him, the we will find ourselves in need spiritually of the living water, which cannot be bought, but is given freely.  God had given His people a land flowing with milk and honey, and after they rejected Him, they didn't even have water to drink freely.  Verse five adds, Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.  They were continually working under oppression instead of working for their own benefit and God's glory.  Verse six continues, We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.  Jeremiah said that the people of Judah, and Israel as well, had placed themselves under the authority of the Egyptians and Assyrians for protection.  They had quit looking to God for protection and thought they could find it under other nations, but it did not work.  We will never find protection anywhere but in God.  Verse seven says, Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.  Jeremiah said that the fathers of the people had sinned and that they had borne their iniquities.  Even though their fathers may have sinned and been responsible for the people being enslaved, unless the current generation returned to God, the responsibility was theirs as well.  Every individual is responsible for his or her own sins.  Verse eight adds, Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.  Those who had been their servants were now in a position of power over them.  It was not just the rulers of the Chaldeans that had power over the people of Judah, but the servants of the Chaldeans did as well.  Verse nine continues, We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.  Jeremiah said even getting bread, one of the most basic of needs, was dangerous.  There is no real safety in the world outside of the protection of God.  Verse ten states, Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.  Famine had left their skin dry and parched, probably because of their being out scrounging for food.  Verse eleven adds, They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.  The men could not protect their wives and daughters from being ravaged and abused.  This was possible one of the hardest things to bear.  Death is not always the worst fate, unless we die without putting our faith in Jesus Christ.

Lamentations 4:13

Lamentations 4:13 says, The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, Jeremiah said that no one would have believed that Jerusalem could be defeated.   This was because of the protection of God, which they no longer had because of their sins..  Not just the people, but the prophets and priests of Jerusalem were guilty of sins.  These were the religious leaders.  It is bad enough when any person who calls them self a follower of Christ doesn't truly have a personal relationship with Him, but it is even worse when those who call themselves preachers and teachers do not.  Verse fourteen adds, They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.  The prophets and priests wandered around like blind men with blood on their hands.  Verse fifteen continues, They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.  Jeremiah pointed out the hypocrisy of these religious leaders, who had called the Gentiles unclean while they themselves were filled with sin.  We need to be sure that we are not denouncing the sins of others while we are guilty of allowing sin to rule our life.  Verse sixteen declares, The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.  Jeremiah said that God would no longer protect the people of Jerusalem and Judah, because they did not obey His laws.  Verse seventeen adds, As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.  The people of Jerusalem had looked in vain for deliverance, or salvation, from some other nation, or source, instead of looking to God in obedience to His word.  We may look for salvation from some other source today, but salvation comes only from God through faith in Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior and Lord.   Verse eighteen continues, They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.  Though there might have been a time when no enemy could have come into Jerusalem, the people were now afraid to go out into the streets and knew that their defeat was ar hand.  Verse nineteen states, Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.  The people of Jerusalem and Judah could not outrun their enemies.   We cannot always outrun our enemies today as Christians, but if we remain faithful to God, He will always defeat them for us.  Verse twenty adds, The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.  The people thought that even though their leader had fallen that they could still survive as God's people under the rule of those who had defeated them.  If we are God's people in name only we may think that we can survive by accepting the rule of those who do not believe in God, and who may even think that they have defeated Him, but this will never be true.   Verse twenty-one continues, Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.  There was still hope for God's people if they returned to Him.  God is still our only source of hope today.   Verse twenty-two concludes, The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.  When the punishment for their sins was complete, then God would restore them.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our captivity by sin is over.  We are restored to a right relationship with God. 

Lamentations 4:1

Lamentations 4:1 says, 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 gold of the temple had become tarnished, and the fine gold of the ornaments thrown into the streets.  Verse two adds, The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!  The house of God, the temple, and the people of God, Judah and Israel, had been held in high esteem like fine gold, but now they were seen as mere earthen vessels made by a potter.  Since their rebellion against God had lost them their protection from God, they were a weak and powerless people.  Without God's protection today, we as followers of Christ would be a weak and powerless people too often, which is why we must live in obedience to Him.  Verse three continues, Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.  The little children were suffering from lack of nourishment.  Verse four states, The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.  Jeremiah continued to speak of the suffering of the children, who were reliant on their parents for their food and drink.  As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to meet not only our children's physical needs, but their spiritual needs as well.  We cannot afford to leave them spiritually hungry and thirsty.  Verse five adds, They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.  Not only the children, but all the people of Judah and Israel were left hungry, even though they had been blessed with plenty when following God.  Verse six continues, For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.  Jeremiah said that the punishment of Judah and Israel was greater than the punishment of Sodom.  Sometimes falling immediately is better than suffering for a long time.  The people of Sodom never had to endure long time suffering like the people in Jeremiah's day were.  Verse seven says, Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:  Verse eight adds, Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.  The Nazarites, some of the most devout and healthy of God's chosen people, had also been brought down.  Our devotion to earthly standards will never keep us safe if we are not following God's will for our life.   Verse nine continues, They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.  Jeremiah said that those who had been killed by the sword were better off than those who were dying of hunger.  If we are killed for our belief in God today, it may not be the worst outcome.   Of course, those who were supposed to be God's people then were suffering because of their lack of belief in and faithfulness to God.  Verse ten states, The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.  Mothers were killing their children because of their lack of food and the ability to provide for them.  Today, women kill their children before they are born simply because they would be an inconvenience.  Verse eleven adds, The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.  Jeremiah said that it was God Who had brought about the destruction of His rebellious people.  No matter what happens in this life, it is God's judgment that will be the final one.  Verse twelve continues, The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.  Jeremiah said that the people of the world had not believed that Jerusalem could or would be defeated.  This only happened because of their rebellion against God.  If we as Christians remain faithful to God, then the world will never defeat us. 

Lamentations 3:55

Lamentations 3:55 says, I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.  When he was in the dungeon, Jeremiah called out to the LORD, by name.  I believe this indicates a personal relationship with God, or at least a personal belief in God.  If we call out to God by name, we have to at least believe that He exists, and if He is to hear our prayers, we must pray in faith believing He will answer, which makes the relationship personal.  Verse fifty-six adds, Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.  Jeremiah asked God to not hide from hearing him.  Matthew Henry points out that his prayer was as natural as breathing, as should our prayers be today.  This should be the way of our prayer life at all times, and not just in times of distress.  Verse fifty-seven continues, Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.  Jeremiah said when he cried out to God in prayer that God told him not to fear.  We are not told that Jeremiah's condition changed, but that God simply told him to not be afraid.  If we put our faith in God, then we never have a need to be afraid, no matter what is happening in life.  Verse fifty-eight states, Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.  Jeremiah said God had interceded for his soul and redeemed his life.  Through Jesus Christ, God has interceded for anyone who will accept His gift of salvation and will save that person's soul.  Verse fifty-nine adds, O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.  Jeremiah didn't say that he was guiltless but placed his life in God's judgment.  We cannot claim to be guiltless of sin today, but we can ask that God judge us through our relationship with Jesus Christ, which is the only way that we can have hope.  Verse sixty continues, Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.  Jeremiah said that he knew that God was aware of what was going on in his life and of the vengeance that people felt against him.  Many of these were God's chosen people who not only refused to listen to Jeremiah but also imprisoned him.  Verse sixty-one says, Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;  Jeremiah really didn't have to state that God knew of his afflictions, but even so he acknowledged that God knew.  We should always have faith that God knows what is going on in our life, whether good or bad.  Verse sixty-two adds, The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.  Verse sixty-three continues, Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.  Jeremiah said that the people spoke against him all day long and that they plotted against him all the time as well.  Verse sixty-four declares, Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.  Jeremiah asked that God punish his enemies according to their works.  We are called to a higher standard, where we ask that God forgive our enemies, because if we are judged by our works we are all guilty and deserving of death.  Verse sixty-five adds, Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.  Verse sixty-six concludes, Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.  Again, we may know that God will one day punish those who refuse His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, and they may mistreat us continually, but our prayer should be for their salvation.  This is the example that Jesus Christ set for us.