The Prophet Pled For Deliverance From The Pit

Lamentations 3:41–Lamentatio 3:66
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

Suffering should drive anyone to repentance, prayer and to renewed dedication to God. This seems to be the condition of Judah in this passage. In the first step the prophet exhorts the people to confess their sins to God because of their suffering (vv. 41-47). In the second step he calls on God to judge his enemies (vv. 48-66).

As God had rescued Jeremiah personally He would rescue Judah and judge her enemies, if she would call on Him. Judah’s return to the Lord would be accomplished through prayer. As she repented she would turn toward heaven and acknowledge that she had sinned and rebelled. This is what our country needs to do today. Judah’s troubles could be listed as God’s anger, unanswered prayer, rejection by other nations, all of which stemmed from her disobedience to God. It can be said that her ruin and destruction resulted from disobedience to God. When Judah would realize the awful consequences of her sin, she could finally go to prayer and admit her guilt.

At this point Jeremiah shifts from the people’s confession to Jeremiah’s example (vv. 48-66). Without excuse for their hatred toward Jeremiah, the prophets enemies hunted him down, cast him into a pit and sought to destroy his life. Jeremiah used this picture of his own experience to illustrate the sufferings that had come to the Israelites. As the people confessed their sins and waited for God to respond Jeremiah continued to weep and pray until the Lord would look down from heaven and restore Israel. Jeremiah vowed to continue calling on God for the restoration of his people or until the event actually happened. While waiting on God to answer, Jeremiah related circumstances from his own life which were examples for the people. As Judah was afflicted Jeremiah was also afflicted.

Application

Suffering can have meaning. It can take my attention away from the trivial to the eternal, from trying to put myself in the lime light and acquiring possessions to my relationship with Christ.