Lamentations

Lamentations 1:1-8

Rev. Jack Kawira

We will open God’s word from the book of Lamentations. Chapter one, verse one, I will read first:

“Ah, how lonely sits the city that was once full of people! How like a widow she has become, she who was once great among the nations, who was once a princess among the provinces, now has become a vassal.”

Brothers and sisters, there is a part that is mostly untranslated in English editions. That is why when it was read in English earlier, the word “alas” was added. In the original language, it is a cry of lamentation. In Indonesian, we read it as “Aduh”—a cry of weeping in extremely deep grief.

I want to give a few illustrations first so that we might know how painful, how deep the wound is when these words are spoken. In 2015, there was a large wave of refugees from Syria heading to Europe. One heartbreaking photo was of a child around two or nearly three years old named Alan Kurdi. Wearing a red shirt, he was carried, lifeless, with a limp body, completely still. I believe many people experienced mild or severe PTSD at that time because that image provoked our emotions: “Lord, why could this happen?” A young child died because his father had to cross that ocean. So many children died that day. For us, even if we were not there, when we see the sight of many children dying, how do we feel?

Another example: some time ago in Indonesia, a man stole a fighting rooster. He was caught and beaten to death. After he died, there was a very young girl, maybe four or five years old, who cried out, “Daddy, Daddy!” That child’s cry and scream are still not enough to depict the lamentation found in the book of Lamentations.

The book of Lamentations teaches us to lament the sins we have committed. We might lament unfortunate events in our lives, but how many people lament their sin?

On the day Christ was crucified, the women of Jerusalem wept for Christ. Seeing the image of Christ having to carry the cross with a wounded body was indeed heartbreaking. They wept for Christ. Was that wrong? But Christ said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep for yourselves and for your children.” We will realize the essence of the Lord Jesus’ statement was to remind them of how miserable the life of the Israelites was at that time.

Now, I want us to reflect briefly on the background of the book of Lamentations. Why is there such deep weeping? Jeremiah was a prophet who served God’s people from the era of their glory to their destruction. A prophet had said, “Repent.” And what did the Israelites do? They did not care until finally those difficult times arrived.

How did Jeremiah feel? Have you ever seen Rembrandt’s painting of Jeremiah’s lamentation? A hand supporting his head, staring blankly, wearing priestly garments with the burning Jerusalem in the background.

It is like another example: suppose someone said to a woman, “Ma’am, it is dangerous; this shophouse you live in has no other exit. If there is a fire, it will be dangerous. Therefore, make another exit.” They said it was safe, “Calm down, nothing will happen, everything is safe.” When a fire occurs—there are many such heartbreaking reports in Indonesia; I personally have a friend to whom this happened—his two children burned to death, dying while hugging each other. Look at that; how does that feel? If that is someone very dear to us, our own friend, what sentence would we speak? We would not say, “Ah, see, I told you so.” That sentence would not come out. The sentence that comes out is, “Aduh!” That is a cry that represents an entire struggle.

Up to this point, let us reflect: how many Christians feel a sadness like this when they look at the church of God? A church filled with people who do not live in holiness. When we reflect that Christ died for us, we must ask: why do many people insult the name of the Lord? The Bible has stated this; yesterday we reflected on 2 Peter 1:3-5. In that passage, it is said that God has given everything necessary for a godly life through the knowledge of Christ. Grace has been given. The Holy Spirit has been given in our lives. But the question is, why do many people insult the name of the Lord?

Take an example: do you feel our situation here is fine? When sin is normalized, that is a sign of a society’s destruction. This is indeed unpleasant to hear: we see in all civilizations, Judah was once mighty and very strong, but when they abandoned the Lord, they were destroyed. Then God raised Babylon to punish Jerusalem—a very mighty nation, none stronger than Babylon. But then they carried out judgment beyond what the Lord asked, and Babylon was no more. Persia experienced the same thing. Greece experienced the same thing. Rome experienced the same thing. When was Rome destroyed? Rome had a history of thousands of years, but when they abandoned God and normalized sin, they were also destroyed.

Sometimes we think, “Oh, we live here and everything is fine.” May I ask, how fine have we really been in these past few years? Even in 1945, things were still in complete chaos here. Too many people think about a utopian life: “Oh, the salary here is good, healthcare facilities are okay, education is free, this is one of the best places in the world.” But when sin is normalized, it will bear its consequences. Every part of history shows that everyone who acts contrary to the truth will bear the consequences.

Was Saddam Hussein not strong? He could mobilize his entire military force. But how did Saddam Hussein end up? We can see his end was truly miserable. We can look at tyrants one by one—Kim Jong Un is just a matter of time. All will receive their consequences.

Therefore, in this section of Lamentations, imagine: this book was written with an acrostic pattern. It was written from A to Z according to the alphabet. In the Hebrew alphabet, there are only 22 letters. Thus, all five chapters are written in an acrostic pattern. Jeremiah wrote this with every effort to state how deep a lamentation a person should ponder.

Therefore, let us look at Lamentations 1:1. The sentence goes: “Ah, how lonely sits the city that was once full of people! How like a widow she has become, she who was once great among the nations! She who was once a princess among the provinces now has become a vassal.”

Something we might know: great cities before they were destroyed, how beautiful were those places? Even in Berlin, we see the remnants of past glory, half-ruined or destroyed. Or if we had the chance to visit Ukraine: Ukraine before the war with Russia and today is different. Jeremiah saw the glory of Jerusalem, and on that day he had to say she was like a widow. He said, “Once a queen, now a slave. Once great, now a widow. Once crowded, now desolate.” This is a reversal motif of God’s blessing. This was also represented by David when he lamented in Psalm 51.

Here we begin to realize there are consequences of sin experienced by all who defy God. Sin is not to be toyed with. The wrath of God is not to be toyed with. Therefore, in this section, Jeremiah begins to make observations about the state experienced by Jerusalem. Until later, there will be a change of tone in chapter 1 representing the first-person pronoun, representing Jerusalem, from verse 12 onwards.

Therefore, in these initial parts, we are invited to observe the condition of Jerusalem first, and only then look at our condition today. Why? Because we must not rejoice in a place where God displays His wrath. For example: many people go to nightclubs, commit sin there, and rejoice. What they are doing is rejoicing in the wrath of God. How many people live together outside of marriage? They are rejoicing in the wrath of God. This is the problem in our society today: sin is normalized. That is why this passage provides a perspective on how a person must return to God.

Let us look at verse 2: “She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.”

Weeping bitterly at night: why? Nighttime is indeed the loneliest place. Why do people get insomnia? They cannot sleep because too many thoughts enter their minds. If you have ever been betrayed, that causes insomnia. This goes further to describe a romantic relationship between Jerusalem and her lovers (plural). Jerusalem is depicted as truly cheap, offering herself to anyone she liked. On the day a prostitute experiences grief, who wants to help her? This depicts the moment when loneliness comes to cover Jerusalem.

Here she was betrayed. You might have heard of Brutus betraying Julius Caesar. When he was stabbed: “You too, Brutus?” He had spent money and effort to raise Brutus, yet Brutus betrayed him along with the rest of the Senate. How did that feel? Painful.

I do not know about us: how do we live in this world, and whom do we rely on? On the day of distress, whatever we rely on besides God will betray us. This is very true in the collective context of Indonesia, and even more so in the individualistic context here. One phrase I often hear here is: “It’s your problem, it’s not my problem.” When you are in distress and ask for help, and someone says, “It’s your problem, it’s not my problem”—you are about to die, and people say, “That’s your problem”—on this day of lamentation, we are invited to see people who compromise with God. This is the result.

We will look at the third verse: “Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.”

In this section, where did Judah flee? If we read the book of Jeremiah, one of the greatest ironies is Jeremiah saying, “Do not go to Egypt.” Because Egypt represents the most rotten figs. And eventually, Jeremiah was kidnapped and taken to Egypt. What does this mean? Judah relied on Egypt to help them. This is a picture of a reversal motif. Once again, God brought Israel out of Egypt, out of slavery; now they willingly return to the context of slavery.

Do you realize this? This is an ironic reversal motif in the lives of many Christians. Christians who have been redeemed by Christ, set free from the power of sin, made into new human beings in the likeness of Christ, given the power to oppose and reject sin, yet many return to living in sin—whether in adultery, immorality, or controlled by addictions like pornography, alcohol, gambling, or anything else. The lust for comfort in life, wealth, success, a good name, and so on. Christ released it all, but many justify themselves and take it all back into their lives. This is a picture of Israel returning to Egypt. God set them free, but they take up slavery again.

Look at social problems in major cities around the world. One of the most densely populated cities on earth is Jakarta—maybe 25 million people in Jakarta and surrounding areas. Why go to Jakarta? Why does everyone go there? Is it not a city full of traffic jams, crime, and pollution? Why do people still flock there? Because perhaps they are captive to an ideology that going to Jakarta will make them successful. But at what expense? What do they sacrifice? They might sacrifice their marriage, compromise themselves to become corporate slaves, or shift their original integrity. In Indonesia, working in government is largely corrupt; even if we call it individual instances, it is almost everyone.

There was an experiment conducted by John Calhoun called Universe 25. The experiment placed four pairs of mice in a perfect environment. They reproduced rapidly until around the third year when it peaked. Then social problems emerged: some became introverted and locked themselves in their cages, sexual orientation deviations occurred, babies were not nurtured, and cannibalism began. Looking at John Calhoun’s experiment, it feels similar to our society.

We must realize that many people who still appear free are actually bound by sin and lust. We pray that God opens our eyes to see where we are, so we realize the kind of society we are looking at and respond to God.

Look at verse 4: “The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly.”

From verses 3 and 4, we see the pile of misfortunes in Jerusalem. Starting from being betrayed, entering into suffering, enemies plundering them. If you read the book of Obadiah, on the day Israel lamented, the Edomites came in and joined in stealing. For those of us who know what happened in Jakarta in 1998, people entered houses and completely looted them.

Now in verse 4, places that were usually crowded with young people coming to worship God are now desolate. I do not know if you have this lamentation; I do. I was raised in a small town in Indonesia called Bengkulu, in a conservative church. I am very grateful I was there at that time. We served, were nurtured by God’s word, and grew. Then deviation happened because of small compromises: accommodating contemporary music for youth fellowship first. Soon, the youth grew into the general congregation, and contemporary services began on the fifth Sunday of the month. I am not criticizing contemporary music itself, but the absurdity in chaotic worship music expressed in services, and eventually, it happened every week.

When I returned, I realized one thing: the congregation could hardly sing anymore. Before, the voices of people praising God were so beautiful. Now they cannot. The band is so loud that people cannot hear others. People sing off-key. My eyes, having seen the beauty of that church before, questioned why this was happening.

This happens in many places in Europe. Maybe it is not about contemporary music, but people leaving the church one by one until the church is empty. Eventually, churches close down and become cafes. Today, many elderly people who once saw the glory of God’s church are lamenting. Today we reflect so our eyes are opened to see our condition. While God still gives us time, what do we need to do?

We must know: when is our allegiance to Christ visible? When, in difficult situations, our minds think of the narrative of the kingdom of heaven, not ourselves. I often say: if a family breadwinner gets laid off while the children are small and need food, what would that person normally do? Would he say, “Oh well, it is what it is, what can I do?” Impossible. He will certainly work, driven by his love to move forward and search again.

Today, when we see the state of our surroundings—especially Christianity—what should we do? Do we say, “It’s your problem, it’s not my problem”? That is unacceptable. “The main thing is I am saved; as for others, let it be. Going to church or not is the same.” That is not the speech of someone in the Lord.

Therefore, today we reflect on a theme: to lament first. Just as Habakkuk, when he looked at his society, lamented: “Lord, why do You allow my eyes to see all this? Lord, where are You?” Habakkuk sought God’s will until he found it.

Continuing to verses 5 and 6: “Her foes have become the head; her enemies prosper, because the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe. From the daughter of Zion all her majesty has departed. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer.”

In 2 Kings 25:6, when Israel was besieged by the enemy: how long did it last? When besieged, the hardest part is hunger. Imagine women saying, “We have no food left. How about today we eat your child, and tomorrow my child?” That was the situation.

Let us see: after this, did they repent? That is important to see. In 2 Kings 25, they experienced lamentation, and then the king tore his robe. And after that, Elisha was pursued by the king. They did not repent.

In 2 Kings 25, the final response of God’s punishment on Zedekiah: he was captured, his children were killed before his eyes, and then his eyes were blinded. It was a painful moment: the last sight he saw was the death of his own children. And imagine those who did it laughing at them.

This is why, in verse 7: “Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and wandering all the precious things that were hers from the days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her, her foes gloated over her; they mocked at her downfall.”

They began to recall how good things used to be. Going from having privileges to being nobody is not pleasant. If you are used to flying business class—being served, skipping lines, treated as first-class passengers—and suddenly you do not even have money for food, your heart is shattered. That is what they experienced. Here she remembers: there is no one to help, enemies look on and mock.

My question is: how do people in Europe view the church today? Do they say, “Wow, Christians are truly people who love God”? No, they look and say, “Oh, you are Christian? You must be judgmental or homophobic.” Ask yourselves who is being judgmental toward whom. But now, enemies look on and mock us; are we aware that this is happening? It used to be normal to wear a cross necklace or pray before meals in public. Now, maybe it is no longer like that. In just a few decades, Christianity has been turned upside down.

Now the question is: how do we live our lives? In the very beginning, we started with a painful illustration: a father who lost a child, a child who lost a father. Imagine someone in grief in a village whose beloved partner died unnaturally: what would their response be? Would they say, “It’s fine, let’s go to the cinema, let me eat at a buffet,” as if nothing happened? That could never happen. A person who laments is in deep sorrow.

This is what we need to realize today: how can we live our lives rejoicing as if there is no sorrow and lamentation in this life, as if nothing happened? That likely happens because our hearts are not truly captive to the truth of God’s word. A person who has lamentation in their life will live differently. This is what happened with Jeremiah: he lamented, he prayed. He represented Jerusalem to repent. This writing was read by the people of Jerusalem, so Jeremiah’s lamentation was felt by other believers; they lamented together.

Until when? The temple was destroyed in 587 BC, and they reconstituted worship in 516 BC—around 70 years. During those 70 years, they read these five chapters, lamenting: “Lord, we used to be full of majesty, look at us now.” Tears flowed, lamenting their nation, Judah, Jerusalem, and the temple. What did these people long for? To see the temple rebuilt. The ultimate answer, of course, is Christ Himself as the temple.

In our context today, a simple question: who hopes in the Lord, saying, “May my eyes see many Christians awakened by God”? This cannot be faked. A person who longs will go the extra mile, walking further than they are able. This is what we see in the New Testament: people whose hearts were captive by the Lord used their single life to proclaim the word and shepherd God’s flock until they found their source of joy in Christ.

Just one last point before we end. Let us look at verses 8 and 9: “Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away. Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. ‘O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!’”

In verse 8, there is a phrase: “she herself groans and turns her face away.” She cannot look at herself anymore. This is the beginning of repentance: seeing oneself as sinful and being disgusted by it. Repentance is when we realize how corrupt, broken, and weak we are. If we know we have faults, there is hope for restoration. If we say, “So far so good, nothing wrong with me, you are the one with the problem,” that person has NPD (narcissistic personality disorder) and projects it onto others; there is no hope for such a person.

But Jerusalem says, “I turn my face away.” And for the first time in verse 9, she says, “O Lord, behold my affliction!”

This is a passage for us to reflect on and lament today. But we must realize one thing: our lamentation was borne in Christ so that we can be freed from the binding power of sin. But if we, who have been freed, take back a life full of sin—read 2 Peter, Hebrews, or James—those are signs of people not truly rooted in God. May there be fear in our hearts, and total surrender to God. The Bible says, “Whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.”

Let this passage remind us once again of our dedication as Christians before God. God raised so many missionaries from Germany who served even in Indonesia. Last Saturday, we had a vacation Bible school for teenagers. At the end of the session, there was a reenactment of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life. Bonhoeffer was a great man from Germany who inspired so many people. You know how teenagers typically act: you speak, and it seems they listen, or maybe not—just playing on their phones. But yesterday, many teenagers shed tears. They need to see us as examples to follow.

May our lives truly change. In true lamentation, there will be true comfort. Let us pray.