Lament

 

    A lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.  In a sense it is to mourn, but not over a death.  Jeremiah would lament to God.  He hurt over what he knew.  It pained him to give God's message because he was one of them, not strangers.  He hurt over how his people treated him for giving God's message.  However, he always turned to God.  He told God his burden and did not complain to other people.

    Pushhur was official overseer of  the priest that had heard the message of Jeremiah.  His response to God's word was to beat Jeremiah and put him in stocks.  When Jeremiah was released he told Pushhur the name that God had given Pushhur: Magor-Missabib.  This means terror is on every side.  God would turn his life into a nightmare.  He and his family would die in exile along with everyone else who chose to lie with false prophecies.  It like like Pushhur is the father of the Pharisees.  He was the beginning of a trend at least.

    Jeremiah was understandably upset about what happened.  He felt deceived and betrayed.  He was tired of being ridiculed and mocked.  It was all very taxing on his mind and emotions.  Speaking God's Word had only brought him misery.  However, he could not stop because it burned within him.  He was compelled to make sure the people knew what was coming.  

    Jeremiah was committed to God all the way until the end.  He was not enjoying this part of his life, but he would be faithful to God.  Jeremiah may had cursed the day he was born, but that was a conversation with God who understood his heart.  God let him lament because God knew he needed a release from his pain and anguish.  Jeremiah ultimately knew that God would never truly abandon him and would rescue him in his time of need.  He was not insulting God.  He was just venting.

    Jeremiah knew that God would not allow evil to consume or destroy him.  However, he did not believe that he would be rescued from what was going to happen to his people.  He wanted to know why he was born into a life of trouble and sorrow.  I think many of us ask the same kinds of questions of God today.  Jeremiah listened for an answer.  Do you?  Are you willing to accept whatever the answer may be?

Jeremiah 20