We sat quietly for hours. His eyes were so very red that you could not see white spaces in them any longer. I wasn’t sure what to say to him, and I wasn’t sure when to speak . We were friends for many years, and I never really understood why he was so unhappy in his marriage. Early in life he had married a wonderful young gal, but at some point his heart had wandered. He was not content in his home, nor in his business. He sought out my advice and number of times, and each time I directed him back to his home and his commitment to his wife. Between them there were several beautiful children, and it looked like they had a happy home. After the news of his affair, the devastation was so complete in their home, no one would ever mistake that place as happy. I knew my friend was facing terrible pain. I knew that there were very few that would stand with him in this hour. Sadly, I had warned him many times that his marriage was a sacred place, and that God would not stand by while he mocked holy things. Now was not the time to say more about this… I wished I had been more forceful in the past…If I could do it again, I would be more clear with this passage…
Key Principle: If I violate my covenant to treat God’s Word seriously, and I walk in disobedience, I open myself to His judgment. Holy things will not be trampled with impunity. Sin has its price. If I regard God’s Word lightly, I set myself up for a terrible price. God spells it out!
I mentioned this truth from the Word of God because we have lived for many years in a time of preaching characterized by the great revivalist need to tell us of the greatness of God’s grace, often at the expense of the balancing truth — sin has its price. During the time of the great expansion in America under the immigration from Europe, people from liturgical churches were pouring in to agricultural communities across America. Most of these people, came from churches that celebrated a liturgy, but required obedience to earn salvation. These churches taught the immigrants that they needed to walk in obedience to the church to have the salvation of God. Upon arrival in America, the revivalists understood the need to preach against a “works based” salvation. As a result, preachers and churches were trained to warn people not to count on their work as any key to God’s response in their lives. Clearly this was not what the Bible intended. Yet, in the over emphasis on free grace there was an imbalance into costless Holiness — a free casual approach to treating God’s Word seriously.
We live now in different times. People are not trying to work their way to heaven. People are trying to amuse their way into happiness. Few in our world would be considered fanatical about righteousness in anyway. Our gospel must reemphasize surrender. Our teaching must carefully, sensitively, explain two men and women that God is holy — and we are not. In an eager hunger to build up the self-esteem of a generation, we have released the demons from Pandora’s box. People are not convinced that there is anything wrong inside them. They are not convinced that God has the right to hold them to any standard. They are casual with holy things, because they do not understand the power of God — nor the reality of judgment.
The title of the Hebrew book we are looking into is “Echah” - simply an exasperating expression like “Oi” or “Alas!” The Septuagint (LXX) gave us the name “Lamentations” – an emotionally expressive writing about the capture of the city of Jerusalem and the subsequent terrible sufferings of the people of Judah (the penalty of national sin) from the start of the siege onward. The Commentator Lowth says, “Every letter is written with a tear, every word the sound of a broken heart.”
This heavy book contains five lamentations, grouped in stanzas, without any external system of arrangement. The five are acrostic: each is divided into twenty-two stanzas or verses. In the first three the stanzas consist of triplets of lines (excepting La 1:7; 2:19, which contain each four lines) each beginning with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in regular order (twenty-two in number). In three instances (La 2:16, 17; 3:46-51; 4:16, 17) two letters are transposed. In Lamentations 3, each line of the three forming every stanza begins with the same letter. The stanzas in Lamentations 4-5 consist of two lines each. The alphabetical arrangement was adopted originally to assist the memory.
The point of the narrative is the price of sin in my life now, in my walk with God, and in my need of redemption. It is an awkward place to preach from, but it is a necessary Word from God to a “never lost” generation. It is even more needful for a prideful generation of believers that has become very casual with holy things. If I violate my covenant to treat God’s Word seriously, and I walk in disobedience, I open myself to His judgment.
The Price of Sin in This Life Now – Lamentations 1:1-9a):
- Stalled Life: (Lamentations 1:1a) How lonely sits the city that was full of people!
- Broken Relationships: 1b She has become like a widow, Who was once great among the nations!
- Lost Status: (Lamentations 1:1b) She who was a princess among the provinces, Has become a forced laborer!
- Lonely Pain: (Lamentations 1:2) She weeps bitterly in the night, And her tears are on her cheeks; She has none to comfort her, Among all her lovers.
- Lost Friends: (Lamentations 1:2b) All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies.
- Physical Limitation: (Lamentations 1:3) Judah has gone into exile under affliction, And under harsh servitude; She dwells among the nations,
- Restlessness: (Lamentations 1:3b) But she has found no rest;
- Defeated: (Lamentations 1:3b) All her pursuers have overtaken her, In the midst of distress.
- Distance in Worship: (Lamentations 1:4) The roads of Zion are in mourning, Because no one comes to the appointed feasts.
- Lack judgment: (Lamentations 1:4b) All her gates are desolate;
- Disconnected from God: (Lamentations 1:4b) Her priests are groaning,
- Future is bitter: (Lamentations 1:4b) Her virgins are afflicted, And she herself is bitter.
- Arm opponents: (Lamentations 1:5) Her adversaries have become her masters, Her enemies prosper;
- Guilt before God: (Lamentations 1:5b) For the LORD has caused her grief, Because of the multitude of her transgressions;
- Guilt before innocent ones: (Lamentations 1:5b-6) Her little ones have gone away, As captives before the adversary. 6 All her majesty, Has departed from the daughter of Zion; Her princes have become like deer, That have found no pasture; And they have fled without strength, Before the pursuer.
- Painful Memories of brighter days: (Lamentations 1:7) In the days of her affliction and homelessness, Jerusalem remembers all her precious things, That were from the days of old,
- Painful Reflection on the moment of destruction: (Lamentations 1:7b) When her people fell into the hand of the adversary, And no one helped her. The adversaries saw her, They mocked at her ruin.
- Intense Shame: (Lamentations 1:8) Jerusalem sinned greatly, Therefore she has become an unclean thing. All who honored her despise her, Because they have seen her nakedness; Even she herself groans and turns away. 9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts;
- Recognition of Her Blindness: (Lamentations 1:9b) She did not consider her future. Therefore she has fallen astonishingly; She has no comforter.
The Price of Sin Between God and I (Lamentation 1:10-17)
- God’s Silence on the enemy’s advance:: “See, O LORD, my affliction, For the enemy has magnified himself!” 10 The adversary has stretched out his hand, Over all her precious things, For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, The ones whom You commanded, That they should not enter into Your congregation.
- God’s silence on meeting needs: 11 All her people groan seeking bread; They have given their precious things for food, To restore their lives themselves. “See, O LORD, and look, For I am despised.” 12 “Is it nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain, Which was severely dealt out to me, Which the LORD inflicted on the day of His fierce anger.
- Enduring Pain from Him: 13 “From on high He sent fire into my bones, And it prevailed over them.
- Feeling Trapped by God: He has spread a net for my feet; He has turned me back; He has made me desolate, Faint all day long. 14 “The yoke of my transgressions is bound; By His hand they are knit together. They have come upon my neck; He has made my strength fail. The Lord has given me into the hands, Of those against whom I am not able to stand.
- Desolation of Self Strength: 15 “The Lord has rejected all my strong men, In my midst; He has called an appointed time against= me, To crush my young men; The Lord has trodden as in a wine press, The virgin daughter of Judah.
- Removal of His Future Blessing: 16 “For these things I weep; My eyes run down with water; Because far from me is a comforter, One who restores my soul. My children are desolate, Because the enemy has prevailed.” 17 Zion stretches out her hands; There is no one to comfort her; The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob, That the ones round about him should be his adversaries; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
The Turning Point from Sin: (Lamentations 1;18-22)
- Admission of Guilt:: 18 “The LORD is righteous; For I have rebelled against His command;
- Desire to Testify: Hear now, all peoples, And behold my pain; My virgins and my young men, Have gone into captivity. 19 “I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; My priests and my elders perished in the city, While they sought food to restore their strength themselves.
- Cry for Renewal: 20 “See, O LORD, for I am in distress; My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword slays; In the house it is like death. 21 “They have heard that I groan; There is no one to comfort me; All my enemies have heard of my calamity; They are glad that You have done it.
- Hunger for Justice: Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, That they may become like me. 22 “Let all their wickedness come before You; And deal with them as You have dealt with me, For all my transgressions; For my groans are many and my heart is faint.”
Why tell you this story? Maybe this story will help explain it:
My wife and I recently saw a television show on The History Channel titled, “The Man Who Predicted 911.” We were both moved by this hour presentation and its focus on one man by the name of Rick Rescorla. Long before September 11th, Rick Rescorla, the 62-year-old head of security at the Morgan Stanley Bank, developed an evacuation plan for the bank. The bank’s offices were situated high up in the South Tower at the World Trade Center. Rescorla was convinced that Osama Bin Laden would use jet planes to try and destroy the World Trade Center. The plan and its preparation were hugely unpopular with the Morgan Stanley staff, many of whom thought Rescorla was mad. On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 hit World Trade Center Tower 1 at 8:46 am. Rick Rescorla ignored building officials’ advice to stay put and began the orderly evacuation of Morgan Stanley’s 2,800 employees on 20 floors of World Trade Center Tower 2, and 1,000 employees in WTC 5. Rescorla reminded everyone to “be proud to be an American … everyone will be talking about you tomorrow”, and sang God Bless America and other songs over his bullhorn to help evacuees stay calm as they left the building. Rescorla had most of Morgan Stanley’s 2800 employees as well as people working on other floors of WTC 2 safely out of the buildings by the time United Airlines Flight 175 hit WTC 2 at 9:07 a.m. After having reached safety, Rescorla returned to the building to rescue others still inside. He was last seen heading up the stairs of the tenth floor of the collapsing WTC 2. His remains were not recovered. As a result of Rescorla’s actions, only 6 of Morgan Stanley’s 2800 WTC employees were killed on September 11th, 2001, including Rick and three of his deputies who followed him back into the building. The remainder of this very moving broadcast focused on Morgan Stanley Bank employees who now in tears were praising and acknowledging Rick Rescorla for saving their lives from total destruction that day. Many felt so guilty and apologetic they had thought Rick foolish to keep preaching and standing for what he believed would happen if they were not ready. Those interviewed said they would never forget Rick Rescorla. He was their hero. Mr. Rescorla left behind a widow, Susan Rescorla, and two children that day. Since 911, a memorial stone was erected in Rick’s hometown of Hayle, Cornwall, to commemorate his life and the sacrifice he made to save others. James 5:19-20 says, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” As sinners saved by grace, we must have a “Rick Rescorla Attitude.” He was convinced people entrusted to his care would perish if his plan of escape were ignored. Rick Rescorla stayed the course even when unpopular and ridiculed because he believed what he was doing would save lives. Sadly, many Christians today have a “Cain Attitude” when it comes to rescuing the perishing and having a consistent witness. Unlike Rick Rescorla, they say by their actions: “I am not my brother’s keeper.” (Bruce Ferris, Sermon Central.com illustrations).
I don’t want to bow to ridicule, or risk our futures out of fear. Too much is at stake, and God has not been silent. His mercy is abundant if I bow and surrender, but if I violate my covenant to treat God’s Word seriously, and I walk in disobedience, I open myself to His judgment. Even believers need to take heed how we stand.
