Ver. 22.— But ; rather, unlesi. The poet wishes to sugiceBt that the idea seems to him inconsistent .vith the covenant relationship of Jehovah tow.irds Israel. May we not compare a striking passage in Isaiah which should probably be rendered thus : " A wife of one's youth, can she be rejected ? saith thy God " (isa. liv. 6) ? Both passages express, in a most delicate way, the incredulity of the writers with regard to the absolute re- jection of Israel. And thus this melancholy Book of Lamentations concludes with a hope, " faint, yet pursuing," of the final realiza- tion of the promises to Israel. The inter- pretation adopted admits of no reasonable doubt, in spitu of the fact that ancient doctors of the synagogue thought otherwise when they established the custom of repeat- ing ver. 21 after ver. 22 had been read, in order to soften the supposed gloomy impres- sion of ver. 22.
HOMILETIC&
Ver. L — A prayer of distreat. I. It is offered to God. The whole of this last elegy is in the form of a prayer. Other laments are interspersed with cries to Heaven. This poem is one continuous address to God. We see here true wisdom ; for mere complaining is useless. To wail to the winds is foolish and vain. To make our troubles known to our fellow-men often avails little, for we may only weary them instead of eliciting their pity, or, if we do succeed in gaining commiseration, that may be of little real use to us. But God is the great Comforter. His ear is ever open to the cry of his distressed children. His heart is always tender to feel compassion for their woes. His hand is strong and willing to work substantial deeds of helpfulness.
II. It describes the mournful condition of the suppliant. The polt refers to "what has come upon us" and "our reproach." Subsequent verses describe the miserable condition of the Jews in more detail. It is much that we can unbosom oui souls before God. The mere relief of confiding in him is a comfort. Moreover, if we desire his help we must make this confidence. Reserve on our part nec«ssitates apparent indifference on his part. We need not fear of wearying him with our plaints. Indeed, if we were more open-hearted in confiding our troubles to God we should com* to have fewer troubles to concern ourselves with.
III. It asks fob Divine notice. 1. " Memember." It seems as though God must have forgotten and deserted his children when he has permitted them to fall into grievous distresses. 2. " Consider." We need God's thought for us. Our case is such that the wisdom of God as well as his grace is necessary for our salvation. The great work of Christ is a proof of Divine thought, study, consideration. 3. " Behold." Here is a nearer attention. God is not only asked to remember and think of our case, but to mspect it himself. And when he looks he heals. When once we are assured that God remembers, considers, and beholds our trouble, we can leave it with him, well knowing that he will not mock our cries by listening without answering.
Ver. 2. — The lost inheritance. L The earthly inheritance of Isbael was tubred TO flTBANOEBS. Canaan, the land promised to Abraham and his seed, was always IiAhbntations. a
82 THE LAMENTATIONS OP JEREMIAH. [oh. T. 1—21
regarded as more than a mere possession. It was considered to be received &om God as an inheritance, and held by a Divine right. Yet even this sacred soil was taken away from the people. Strange races from the East settled down upon it, and the rightful owners were driven into captivity or compelled to pay for water from the wells their fathers had dug, and for fuel from their own woods (ver. 4). A second time the people have been driven from their inheritance, and Turkish mosques now desecrate the city of the Jews.
II. The spiritual iNHEitiTANOE OF Israel was turned to btrakoebb. The Jews were more than possessors of one little favoured land. To them were entrusted the oracles of God. Prophets and priests gave them peculiar privileges in spiritual things. They were a people of God's own possession. The blessings of the Jews were to culmi- nate in the advent of the Messiah. The Messiah came. He came to his own inheri- tance, and his own people received him not ; for Christ first ofTered himself to Jews, and Christ was first refused by Jews. In rejecting Christ the house of Israel rejected its true inheritance. Gentiles took up the privileges which Jews despised. We and other nations of Gentile Christendom are the strangers to whom their inheritance is turned over.
in. The Christiait inhebitanob mat be turned to strangers. There have been Christian lands, such as North Africa and Asia Minor, which have lost their Chris- tianity and have passed into the possession of the bitterest foes of the Crucified. Within the pale of Christendom the inheritance may be lost. If we permit unbelief to lay hold of people who once enjoyed full faith in Christ, this result will take place. When men who are unbelievers at heart get possession of Christian pulpits aad undermine the very faith they are supposed to be preaching, is not this a terrible instance of the inheritance passing to strangers ?
IV. The inheritance is turned to btbanoers because the conditionb on which it IB HELD ARE VIOLATED. This truth applies to all three cases just described — to IshmI's earthly inheritance and her spiritual inheritance and to the Christian inheri- tance. The land was not given to strangers till after strange gods had been admitted into the land. It was always designed by God that the privileges of the gospel should be given to Gentiles as well as to Jews (e.^. Isa. Ix. 3). But it was owing to their refusal of these privileges that the Jews lost their own share in them. The inheritance was to have been widened to admit new citizens ; the old citizens cast themselves out of it, and so gave place to the new. In like manner Christ never takes the candlestick from any portion of his Church till bis people have faithlessly cast him out of their hearts.
T. The lost inheritance is to be restored. Whether Israel will return to Palestine is only a question for the curious, and of no great practical interest. For so long as the people are restored to Gud and truly prosperous it cannot much matter on what spot of the globe they reside. In their palmy days many of them were in the habit of wandering far from their native land. But the true restoration, restoration to the spiritual inheritance in God, is promised to all who will return to him (Isa. Izi. 1—3).
Ver. 8. — Orphanage and widowhood. In the desolation of Jerusalem the inhabitants felt like orphans and widows, bereaved of the stay and comfort of life, uncared for and homeless. Many would be literally orphaned and widowed after the great slaughter of the siege. The sad condition of these greatest sufferers brings before our notice the similar trouble of those who are similarly situated in our own day.