Reading: Lamentations 1-2
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! The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: He hath thrown down in His wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; He hath brought them down to the ground: He hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. He hath cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel: He hath drawn back His right hand from before the enemy, and He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about (Lam. 2:1-3).
ZThe subject of God’s anger is almost taboo in today’s world. Pastors shy away from the topic in their sermons, study groups reference it only in passing as a historical event from the Old Testament, and individuals witnessing for Christ are encouraged to keep their focus on the wonderous gift of salvation and the miracle of rebirth. We stress His unconditional love, mercy, and grace and extoll the limitless nature of His forgiveness. We conveniently forget that the Lord is more than our support and salvation; He is our Heavenly Father, the ultimate authority figure to whom we all answer. His unconditional love for us presents in many forms, one of which is righteous anger. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent (Rev. 3:19).
The sorrow Jeremiah expresses in the Book of Lamentations on behalf of the nation of Judah is that of a guilty child who has acknowledged his wrongdoing only after punishment has already been administered. The grief expressed is raw and painful to witness, but it is necessary. The child (Judah) trembles in the face of its father’s (God’s) anger, yet deep down begins to understand that the punishment is just. The Lord hath done that which He had devised; He hath fulfilled His word that He had commanded in the days of old: He hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and He hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, He hath set up the horn of thine adversaries (Lam. 2:17).
Uncomfortable to contemplate or not, God’s righteous anger and subsequent chastisements are necessary components of our spiritual growth and development. Right and wrong, good and evil, are concepts that only God is qualified to define, and it is His will that we live within the parameters of His definitions. As His children, we should be thankful that He loves us enough to get angry with us, even when the consequences are painful to endure. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons (Heb. 12:7-8). Instead of getting upset and defensive the next time you feel the conviction of God as you are suffering the consequences of some rash action, try praising Him for coming after you and guiding you back to the right path.
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. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed (Heb. 12:11-13).
Thought For Today:God’s wrath and anger are as pure as His love and mercy—perfect and justified.
Christ Revealed: By Jeremiah’s sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem (Lam. 1:12-22). Jesus expressed His sorrow for Jerusalem’s failure to come to Him before it fell (Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34).
Word Studies:1:3 between the straits = where there was no way out; 1:4 solemn feasts = appointed assemblies; 1:9 came down wonderfully = had a horrifying fall; 1:14 wreathed = joined, intertwined; 2:12 their soul was poured out into = they died in.
Pray For Government Officials: Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA), Sen. Thom Tillis (NC), Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ) • Country: Bahrain (1,314,089) Mid East • Major Languages: Arabic, English • No evangelical work is permitted • 70.2% Muslim; 29.8% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Ask God for daily direction (Ps. 48:14).
Optional Readings:Revelation 4