Trauma.
Jeremiah was caught in the STORM that came because of the sin of his nation. Jeremiah had been wholly faithful to God … yet he too suffered in the backwash of the consequences.
“Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you.” – Jeremiah 6:22-23
War! It is absolutely awful!! The horrors of war cannot even be put into words.
Jeremiah lived the horrors of war!
We open the book of Lamentations to see that this is the grief journal of Jeremiah, as he processes trauma:
“How deserted lies the city, once so full of people!” – Lamentations 1:1
“See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed … outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.” – Lamentations 1:20
“My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.” – Lamentations 2:11
What do you do when the world is falling apart? And there is nothing you can do?
What do you do when you are caught in the terrible backwash of sin? And yet you have been faithful to God.
What do you do with the emotions? With the pain? With the trauma?
Surrender it all to God. Give it all to Him … God can handle it. The book of Lamentations shows us how to process trauma. It’s ok to feel … all of it … all of the ugly messy emotions. It’s ok to pour it all out to God. He can handle it.
Jeremiah pours out his emotions:
– lonely – chapter 1
– groaning – chapter 1
– angry – chapter 2
– broken – chapter 3
– weeping – chapter 3
– desperate – chapter 4
– anguished – chapter 4
– weary – chapter 5
– pleading – chapter 5
Not only does Jeremiah pour out his emotions, he prays:
– God see us! – Lamentations 1:20-22
– God look at us! – Lamentations 2:20-22
– God judge them! – Lamentations 3:55-66
– God avenge us! – Lamentations 4:20
– God restore us! – Lamentations 5:21
The book of Lamentations meets us where we are at. It is real and it is raw. Have you ever suffered in the backwash of someone else’s sin? The bitterness. The brokenness. The pain. Lamentations meets us there … in that raw place.
Jesus Christ in Lamentations.
The book of Lamentations is Jeremiah’s weeping in brokenness and bitterness over the sins of Jerusalem. So also, Jesus wept in brokenness and bitterness over the sins of Jerusalem.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.” – Matthew 23:37-38 / Luke 13:34-35
“As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.’” – Luke 19:41-44
