The Prophet Pled For Deliverance From The Pit
August 10, 2021
Commentary
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.
Lamentations 3:41– 66 (NET)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven:
42 “We have blatantly rebelled; you have not forgiven.” ס (Samek)
43 You shrouded yourself with anger and then pursued us; you killed without mercy.
44 You shrouded yourself with a cloud so that no prayer could get through.
45 You make us like filthy scum in the estimation of the nations. פ (Pe)
46 All our enemies have gloated over us;
47 panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. ע (Ayin)
49 Tears flow from my eyes and will not stop; there will be no break
50 until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what has happened.
51 What my eyes see grieves me — all the suffering of the daughters in my city. צ (Tsade)
52 For no good reason my enemies hunted me down like a bird.
53 They shut me up in a pit and threw stones at me.
54 The waters closed over my head; I thought I was about to die. ק (Qof)
55 I have called on your name, O Lord, from the deepest pit.
56 You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief!”
57 You came near on the day I called to you; you said, “Do not fear!” ר (Resh)
58 O Lord, you championed my cause; you redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; pronounce judgment on my behalf!
60 You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me. ש (Sin/Shin)
61 You have heard their taunts, O Lord, all their plots against me.
62 My assailants revile and conspire against me all day long.
63 Watch them from morning to evening; I am the object of their mocking songs. ת (Tav)
64 Pay them back what they deserve, O Lord, according to what they have done.
65 Give them a distraught heart; may your curse be on them!
66 Pursue them in anger and eradicate them from under the Lord’s heaven.