[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during June 2021]
Many of us will be familiar with Thomas Chisholm’s hymn “How Great Thou Art” and perhaps image that it was inspired by some phrase in one of the Biblical epistles. It might be surprising to find these words in the middle of the book of Lamentations:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [Lamentations 3 v22-23 NIVUK]
Of the ~330 reflections[1] published here none has hitherto quoted from the book of Lamentations. Why might that be? The book is an integral part of the canon of scripture and therefore, according to the apostle Paul, it is not only inspired by God but also is beneficial for building up God’s people[2].
The authorship of the book is often attributed to the prophet Jeremiah or one of his contemporaries, and relates to the time following the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC. The book is well named. The nation of Israel was in dire straits; the northern tribes had already all but disappeared, Jerusalem, the ‘City of God’, was in ruins and the southern tribes were in exile in Babylon. Much of the book alludes to the degradation and reversal of fortunes that had followed the nation’s rejection of God’s laws. The mood is summed up in Psalm 137:
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
Nevertheless, hidden among the desperate cries are the hints of God’s faithfulness. There were penalty clauses in the covenant that God made with the Israelites and now it has become necessary to invoke them. God is faithful to both his justice and his love. Harsh though the treatment may be, it is intended to bring the people back to God.
For no one is cast off by the Lord for ever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. [Lamentations 3 v31-33 NIVUK]
God allowed his people to be defeated but he did not abandon them. He told them to settle down and make good of the time that they were to be in Babylon. It has been suggested that the wise men who came seeking the baby Jesus in Bethlehem were themselves descended from families that had been taken into exile and had prospered, in accordance with God’s instructions. If that is so then it is another example of God’s faithfulness to his people.
It is often argued that, for those of us living in the ‘New Testament era’, there is little need for lament; everything in the garden is rosy, God is just waiting to bless us. The argument falls down because we are not in the garden or, if we are, it does not bear much resemblance to the garden of Eden. As Christians we can often feel as if we are living in a foreign land ourselves, but God alone knows what might come from how we conduct ourselves whilst we are here.
In due course the exile came to an end; the people returned to their land and rebuilt their society. Do you feel as though you are in spiritual exile? Let Chisholm’s words remind you of the blessings that we have received:
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
[1] ‘Yours’: 131, Sandy: 16; Martin: 61, Steve: 119
[2] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness [2 Timothy 3:16 NIVUK].
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
