Now Let Them Be As I Am

Lamentations 1:11-22
August 30, 2020
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

It’s easy to think that the book of Lamentations is repetitive and tedious. The sadness and sorrow is nonstop. The pacing feels slow. And it seems that the narrator is just going back and forth between vivid descriptions of suffering and loss to confessions of sin and cries to God. I admit having felt this way when I got ready for this sermon series. I was worried of running out of things to say.

Can we get through Lamentations? The answer is yes.

It turns out that the book is full of structure and movement. Lamentations is actually a collection of five masterfully composed poems. And each poem blossoms with new thoughts and themes that altogether grow to become like a summer garden full of flowers. Let’s think of that. A lovely garden of flowers. Because the book of Lamentations, as sad as it may seem, is ultimately a book of faith, hope, and love. It is ultimately a book about Jesus.

Last Sunday, we were introduced to one of the most important events in the history of God’s salvation and his covenant of grace: the fall and the exile of Jerusalem. Jerusalem sinned grievously. Jerusalem was guilty of a multitude of transgressions against the Lord. And so God dealt with Jerusalem. He afflicted her and he destroyed her. But he did it in order to show his people their great need for Christ Jesus. And he did it in order to remind his people of what is eternal and true. The fall and the exile of Jerusalem was meant to serve God’s covenant of grace. It was meant to magnify his majesty and his mercy. It was meant to bring glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This was the meaning of the fall and the exile of Jerusalem.

This morning, as we consider the second half of the opening poem of Lamentations, we see the narrator reflecting on the judgment of God. God’s judgment had direct impact on Jerusalem. It was like a fire that descended into her bones. It was like a net that trapped her feet and left her stunned and faint. God’s judgment required that Jerusalem reckon with her sin. Her transgressions were bound into a yoke and set upon her neck. And she was delivered into the hands of her enemies. God’s judgment brought rejection and withheld comfort. All of her mighty men were rejected. And as her eyes flowed with tears and as she stretched out her hands, there was no one to comfort her, no one to revive her spirit. God’s judgment brought dishonor. Jerusalem became a filthy thing among the other nations. This is the substance of the poem up to verse 17.

But starting in verse 18, the poem takes a very fascinating turn. And then in verses 21-22, the poem closes with a very strange ending.

After the narrator reflects upon the judgment of God, it is very fascinating that he confesses sin. He acknowledges that the Lord is in the right. He admits that he has rebelled against God’s word. He says, “Look, O Lord, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious.” This is very fascinating. It’s as if the narrator is acting like a spokesperson, like a representative for Jerusalem. It’s as if he is taking ownership of Jerusalem’s sin. It’s as if he himself is Jerusalem. This is fascinating. Why does the narrator do this? Who does he think he is? Who is he? This is the fascinating turn that happens until the end of verse 20.

But then from verse 21 to the end, it gets very strange. In the final two verses of this poem, the narrator calls on the Lord to bring judgment upon Jerusalem’s enemies. He asks that the same judgment that fell upon him fall upon his enemies. This is very strange. Aren’t we supposed to love our enemies? How is the narrator justified in declaring judgment for his enemies when he himself, when Jerusalem herself, is guilty and deserving of judgment as well? This is the strange end of the first poem of the book of Lamentations.

If you remember last Sunday, then you will remember the big idea of how the entire story of Israel was a grand redramatization of the story of Adam and his sin. The fall of Jerusalem was a historical echo of the fall of Adam. The exile of Jerusalem was a theological reflection of the exile of Adam. The entire story of Israel looks back to the beginning.

But it also looks forward to the end.

The entire story of Israel is also a pre-dramatization of the story of Christ and his judgment. The fall and exile of Jerusalem was a pre-echo of the judgment that Jesus would GIVE and the judgment that Jesus would TAKE: the judgment that Jesus would give to those who do not repent of their sins and do not believe in him, and the judgment that Jesus would take for those who do repent of their sins and do believe in him. Judgment given. Judgment taken.

Dear Highland, for anyone who does not have repentance and faith in Jesus, Lamentations is a pre-echo of the judgment that Jesus will give. The earthly fall and the symbolic exile of Jerusalem is a precursor to the ultimate fall and the eternal exile of every sinner who does not repent and believe in Jesus. But what happened to Jerusalem is nothing compared to the ultimate judgment that will come when Jesus returns. The wicked who do not obey the gospel of Christ will be cast into eternal torments and be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. Imagine having fire in your bones forever. Imagine having to reckon with your sin without end. Imagine having rejection and having no comfort and having dishonor… all without any hope of grace or forgiveness or love. This is the judgment that Jesus will give. Highland, look and see if there is any sorrow like the sorrow that will come with God’s judgment in hell.

And so now the ending of this poem should be very clear and true. When the narrator of Lamentations says, “Now let them be as I am… and deal with them as you have dealt with me,” he is ultimately quoting the words of Jesus and his judgment. All who do not repent and believe in Jesus will get the same fall and the same exile that Jesus received on the cross, except for the fact that their fall will be eternal and their exile will be in a literal hell. It’s as if the Son declares to the Father the following words: “Now let them be as I am… and deal with them as you have dealt with me.”

This is the judgment that Jesus gives. But there is also a judgment that Jesus takes.

Dear Highland, for those of us who have repentance and faith in Jesus, Lamentations is a pre-reflection of the judgment that Jesus takes. Jesus took the judgment that you deserved. For the yoke of all of your transgressions was set upon his neck. Jesus took the judgment that you deserved. For the unspeakable anguish, pain, terror, and agony, which he endured throughout all his sufferings, but especially on the cross, was like a fire sent from on high, a fire that descended into his bones. Jesus took the judgment that you deserved. For he was rejected. For he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Jesus took the judgment that you deserved. For he received no comfort. For he was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. Jesus took the judgment that you deserved. For he received dishonor. For he emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus took the judgment that you deserved. Highland, look and see if there is any sorrow like the sorrow that has been taken away from you.

And so now the ending of this poem should be very clear and true. When the narrator of Lamentations says, “Now let them be as I am… and deal with them as you have dealt with me,” he is ultimately quoting the words of Jesus and the salvation exchange of our sins and his righteousness. The Father dealt with the Son in a way that he should have dealt with us. And the Father dealt with us in a way that he should have dealt with his Son. Jesus took your place and you took his. He became sin who knew no sin, so that we might become his righteousness. When the narrator of Lamentations acted like a representative for Jerusalem, as if he were taking ownership of Jerusalem’s sin, he was ultimately pointing forward to the fact that Jesus represented you and substituted himself for you and took ownership of your sin and died for you. It’s as if the Son declares to the Father the following words: “Now let me be as Highland is… and deal with me as you ought to deal with Highland.” “Now let Highland be as I am… and deal with Highland as you ought to deal with me.”

Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dear Highland, all of this is important to our Christian lives. There are many flowers of faith, hope, and love that come from the garden of Lamentations. There are three applications for our church.

First, brothers and sisters, be at peace. Be at peace because there is no more judgment for you. There is no more condemnation for you. There is no more fall or exile for you. God does not count your sins against you. Your sins have been forgiven. God does not regard you with your old identity and your old status. You have a new identity now: you are now a new creation. And you have a new status: you are now a citizen of the New Jerusalem. God does not despise you. There is no fire for you, no net for you, no yoke of transgressions for your neck. You will never again be rejected. The comfort of the Lord will never be far from you. You are not a rebel anymore. Therefore, do not live with a faint heart. Be at peace. You are freed from your past. Freed from your dark history, your shameful acts, your embarrassing words, your sad regrets, your secret sins, your hurtful mistakes against others. Be at peace. There is no more judgment for you. Be at peace.

Second, brothers and sisters, take no vengeance. Take no vengeance against those who are against Christ because there will come judgment for them. Condemnation will come to them. There will be an eternal fall and an everlasting exile for them. God will count their sins against them and their sins will not be forgiven. Salvation belongs to the Lord. But so does judgment. Judgment belongs to the Lord and to the Lord alone. Therefore, when you are persecuted, or when you receive injustice, do not take vengeance. Instead, leave it to the wrath of God. For it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Do not take vengeance. Instead, wait on the Lord. Wait patiently and with endurance. The wicked may win right now. And we may lament because of them. But Christ Jesus guarantees that the wicked will lose at the end. And when our laments end, their lament will begin and their lament will never ever end. People may get away with things right now. But no one will get away with anything when Jesus returns and judges them in his righteousness. Take no vengeance. Judgment is coming. Take no vengeance.

Third and finally, brothers and sisters, declare the gospel. Declare the gospel so that sinners can repent of their sins and believe in Jesus and therefore escape the judgment that is to come. Jesus is coming back soon. It is our duty and our desire to proclaim the grace and the mercy of God in Christ. Judgment is coming. But right now it is delayed. Judgment has been delayed since the fall and the exile of Adam. But soon and very soon, that window of opportunity will close. Therefore, now is not the time to celebrate. Now is not the time to kick back and enjoy life. Now is the time to lament. Now is the time to pray. And now is the time to evangelize. Now is the time to ask God, “Deal with them as you have dealt with me. Now let them be as I am.” There is no salvation without lamentation. And there is no salvation without declaration. Declare the gospel. You know what it’s like to be free from judgment. Declare the gospel.

Soli Deo Gloria