2. Lessons from Suffering Part 3 Lam 3:31-66
Lamentations
Lessons from Suffering
Part 3
Lam 3:31-66

3. Review
Chapter 1 addressed how the nation of Judah felt about its suffering because of its sin
Chapter 2 addressed how God felt about Judah’s sin and the necessity of suffering
It also briefly addressed the need for repentance
Chapter 3 looked at suffering from the individual’s viewpoint
How we can either blame God or others, or we can be honest and accept the blame
How we can have hope because God is loving and merciful
How we need to surrender our priorities to the will of God if we are going to have hope

4. Understanding God Lam 3:31-33 Lam 3:34-36
God wants to be forgiving (Ex 34:5-7)
But justice demands the guilty be punished
Not that God has pleasure in bestowing such punishment (Ezk 33:11)
Lam 3:34-36
God must be fair and righteous
It would not be fair to completely destroy those who have no real power (like prisoners)
It would not be right to refuse to give someone what they deserve (good or bad)
It would not be right to take away man’s responsibility for his actions

5. Understanding God Lam 3:37-39 Lam 3:40-41
Considering God’s mercy, justice, love, fairness, and righteousness . . .
And adding to that His Power
Then who are we to complain when He allows us to suffer because of our sins?
Lam 3:40-41
Rather than complain, we should examine ourselves for sin (2 Cor 13:5; 1 Thes 5:21-22)
And if we find sin, then we must repent and pray to God for forgiveness

6. Praying for pardon Lam 3:42-47 A prayer asking God’s forgiveness
Confession of sin
Admission of God’s righteousness in not forgiving those sins and punishing those sins
Understanding that God had not listened to prayers not accompanied by true repentance
Isa 59:1-2, 9-13
Same point made in Lam 2:7-17, followed by the call for true repentance (Lam 2:18-19), not just remorse or sorrow
So it shouldn’t surprise us that God requires individuals to repent as well
So prayer alone, unaccompanied by action, will not grant pardon
Prayer is necessary, but alone is not enough

7. Remorse
Lam 3:48-51
Some want God to forgive as soon as we feel sorrow for our sins
But sorrow alone brings no change from God
2 Cor 7:8-11
Sorrow may cause us additional pain and suffering for our sins
Remorse, like prayer, is necessary, but it’s not enough
Even remorse with prayer is not enough

8. A broken spirit
Lam 3:52-56
Before we can have true repentance, we need to come to realize that we can’t save ourselves
We must come to rely solely upon God
Ps 32:3-5
Prayer, remorse (sorrow), combined with a broken spirit and complete surrender to the will of God is true repentance
Ps 6:1-10

9. Forgiveness and Redemption
Lam 3:57-58
Once we truly repent, God says, “Do not fear”
His forgiveness is immediate and complete
1 Jn 1:9
Once we have truly repented, then God goes from being against us to being for us
He was our opponent (Lam 2:1-6; Jas 4:4)
He becomes our Advocate (1 Jn 2:1-2)
And our Redeemer (Col 1:19-23; Rom 5:6-11)

10. Judgment Lam 3:59 But what about for those who refuse to repent?
Not as in NKJV “You have seen how I am wronged”
Because the entire book points to the fact his suffering was right and just
But rather as KJV “Thou hast seen my wrong”
Like Lk 18:13-14
An admission of guilt and surrender to God’s judgment (after true repentance)
But what about for those who refuse to repent?

11. Judgment Lam 3:60-66 Those who refuse to heed the call to repentance
Who mock and ridicule those who do repent
God will repay them for their evil
Why? Because that is justice
They refused to accept God’s mercy so they have no right to expect mercy
Heb 10:26-31

12. Conclusion God wants to be merciful We must truly repent of our sins
We have sinned and separated ourselves from Him
He gave His Son to die for our sins
We must truly repent of our sins
Sorrow, prayer, a broken spirit, and a complete surrender to God’s will – all combined
Includes the necessity of baptism (Mk 16:15-16)
But whether we choose to accept His mercy or not, all will be judged by Him (Heb 9:27-28; 2Cor 5:10)