An Elder Speaks

Grievous Sin Leads to Grievous Shame
By Ronald Thompkins
May 16, 2004

8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is become as an unclean thing; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: Yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

9 Her filthiness was in her skirts; she remembered not her latter end; Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter: Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself.

10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: For she hath seen that the nations are entered into her sanctuary, Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thine assembly.

11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul: See, O Jehovah, and behold; for I am become abject.

12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is brought upon me, Wherewith Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. (Lamentations 1:8-12, ASV)

One of the common customs of this day and time when the Jews were taken into captivity by the Babylonians was to have the victor (in this case the Babylonians) parade their captives (Judah) through the streets naked.

Jerusalem had always been a City watched by others. In her glory days she was watched with honor, as God’s chosen nation. Now verse 8 points to her current shame. This current shame was borne out of spiritual harlotry. They had in effect paid their lovers, with no corresponding payment in return. (Ezekiel 16:32-37; 23:29-30). What they were now experiencing was not from a raving impulsive God, who the next day after being cheated on decided to inflict His just punishment. No, this was the prophetic result of Israel’s unrepented sins that had spanned over several decades. While pursuing all kinds of sins, including idolatry, they never considered the consequences or end result of their actions (Lamentations 1:9). They had concluded no one dares trample on them, for after all God’s temple was always clearly visible in the mist. Because of their divine birthright they had simply taken God for granted. Because of their sinful ways this once invincible nation had not only been taken captive, but the captors had looted and violated the once sacred temples which had symbolized their protection by God (2 Kings 25:8-17; and Jeremiah 52:17-24).

These once proud people had now become a starving people who sacrificed not only earthly treasures for food but also their own children (Lamentations 2:20; 4:10). In some cases they would even eat each other. Verse 11 alludes to the phrase “to restore life” referring to their now spiritually dead state. All levels, including the priests and the elders, were now desperately fighting for their physically lives.

Those who find themselves then and now indifferent to discipline will also put off repentance, which is the start of being restored to God’s heavenly family. When one becomes Godly sorrowful for the sins they have committed because of who they are, rather than simply feeling guilty for being caught in their sins, they now are prepared to come back to God. Let us not have to learn the same painful lessons as these Jews of Jeremiah’s days that separation from God is an experience worst than death.

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