34 To crush under His feet
All the prisoners of the [k]land,
35 To [l]deprive a man of justice
In the presence of the Most High,
36 To [m]defraud a man in his lawsuit—
Of these things the Lord does not [n]approve.
37 Who is [o]there who speaks and it comes to pass,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That [p]both good and ill go forth?39 Why should any living [q]mortal, or any man,
Offer complaint [r]in view of his sins?
40 Let us examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the Lord.
41 We lift up our heart [s]and hands
Toward God in heaven;
42 We have transgressed and rebelled,
You have not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger
And pursued us;
You have slain and have not spared.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud
So that no prayer can pass through.
As this lament continues, Jeremiah notes several things of which “the Lord does not approve.” He also reminds us that nothing happens without God’s command, that both good and ill go forth from Him. One might thing that’s a raw deal, that if God is so good, why does He dole out ill as well? But we are aptly reproved in v. 39, “Why should any living mortal… offer complaint in view of his sins?”
Even Job, who was counted by God as righteous (Job 1:1) and even he asked, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” As we’ve seen in Lamentations and elsewhere, if God sheltered us from hard things, we would be pretty weak examples of His workmanship. But there’s a bit more to cover still, as Jeremiah calls his fellow Israelites to repentance.
Their plight was dire, as God would not pardon them and His anger pursued them. Many were slain and not spared, and no prayer could pass through. Yikes! However, this was not capricious action by the Almighty. This was judgment for centuries of wrongdoing–committed by the very people God called His own.
It should be a wake up call to us, and to any who dally along the road of self-indulgence. God’s grace and patience is great. As we saw before, His compassion and lovingkindness endures. If you’re reading this, no matter what state you find yourself in, it could be far worse. Indeed, you have been spared the worst if you are still among the living.
God’s mercy is offered to each of us yet, wherever we are, and whatever we’ve done. Like the Israelites, one day the judgment will come, but today God calls to us. Draw near and embrace the gift He offers with outstretched hands. Thank Him indeed for both the good and the ill, for it all is from God, to make us more like His Son, and to save us from our stubborn rebellion. Put self aside and put on His righteousness day after day.