TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 148:1-14
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted. - Psalm 148:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Nephila, also called golden or white orb-web spiders, are among the largest spiders in the world and spin some remarkable webs.

Nephila build very large webs about five or six feet off the ground, usually across wide, human-sized gaps between trees. Their silk is golden in color, and the webs are slightly angled to trap large insects more efficiently. Small birds are even known to have been caught. Sometimes trapped prey is strung in a line down the center of the web. Nephila are shy, not aggressive, and while their bite is painful, it is not life-threatening.

Perhaps the most striking fact about the nephila’s webs is the extreme strength of their silk. Natives in New Guinea even use it for fishing nets!

This unique spider is included in the call to praise God in Psalm 148. All of creation (spiders, too!) is urged to praise the Creator.

Today begins our fourth major section of this month’s study on the doctrine of creation. We’ll be using selected psalms to focus on the theme of creation and worship. After what we’ve already learned this month, we should be able to worship in both spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).

Psalm 148 is a call to praise the Lord and a catalog of who should do the praising: all created things (cf. Rev. 5:13). The first six verses cover the heavens, or things above the ground, such as angels, the sun, moon, and so on. Why should they praise God? Because “He commanded and they were created” (v. 5). Their origins display His power and sovereignty.

The next six verses focus on the earth, or things at ground level, such as the ocean, weather, mountains, birds, and people of every age and social status. While neither this list nor the previous one is exhaustive, they do represent in a poetic form every dimension of the created world.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
“All Creatures of Our God and King” by Francis of Assisi was penned in the same spirit as Psalm 148. This would be a great hymn to learn! You might sing it as a family, or meditate on it as you commute to work. To get you started, here’s the first verse:

All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam,

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 8:1-9
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! -
TODAY IN THE WORD
Researchers Wolfgang Kirchner and Axel Michelson performed a number of experiments to test a theory.

The way in which explorer bees “dance” to tell other bees where to find flowers, sugar, or other food has long been studied by scientists. The bees’ dance conveys information--one part directs other bees where to go, another part tells them how far. But how is this accomplished?

Kirchner and Michelson believed the answer lay in noises pitched lower than the buzzing we hear. The bees could sense this, via their antennae, even in the dark. To test their theory, the two built a tiny robot bee which imitated an explorer bee’s informational dance in every detail.

The robot bee worked perfectly. When it danced, the real bees “listened” and went straight to a pan of sugar water in a field. A bit more of the bees’ intricate “language” had been eventually unlocked!

The intricate design of the created world should inspire not only our study, but also our worship, as it does for David in today’s psalm.

Psalm 8 opens and closes with identical affirmations of the majesty of God’s name. What is His name? As He told Moses, “I Am” (Ex. 3:14)--the eternal, self-existent, one and only God.

His glory is the highest truth in the universe (v. 1b). This is why praise of God in the mouths of children is enough to silence His enemies (v. 2)--a verse partially quoted by Jesus after the Triumphal Entry (Matt 21:16).

David is moved to worship when he considers the night sky. “Consider” (v. 3) suggests that he observed attentively, reflected, meditated, and saw the moon and stars as pointing to their Maker.

He is then led to thoughts about the place and purpose of humanity (vv. 4-8). How is it that we matter to God? Why does He pay so much attention to us (cf. Job 7:17-18)? For what reasons does He love and honor us? Why did He appoint us to rule over the created world (cf. Gen. 1:28; Heb. 2:6-9)?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We suggest that you plan a time of worship for yourself, your family, or your small group which would be centered around creation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 33:4-11
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made. - Psalm 33:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
Annie Jump Cannon, a pioneering astronomer of the early twentieth century, invented the modern system of classifying stars according to their spectra. She grouped them into seven categories, each labelled by a single letter, so that today we speak, for example, of a “K-type star.” Since her day, three new categories have been added, but her system is still taught in basic astronomy classes.

Cannon catalogued more than 400,000 stars over a career of more than 40 years. She is also credited with discovering 300 variable stars. For her work, she was given the first honorary doctorate ever presented by Oxford University, and was the first woman elected as an officer of the American Astronomical Society.

The stars observed and classified by Annie Jump Cannon should prompt praise for the God who created and organized them. He alone is worthy!

Psalm 33 urges us to sing to God a new song (v. 3), then gives us plenty of reasons to do so. One is His character (vv. 4-5). His words are right and true, utterly reliable and trustworthy. He’s faithful in all that He does (cf. Ps. 119:89-90). Furthermore, He is righteous, just, and loving. His love is everywhere and it never fails!

The psalmist moves naturally from God’s attributes to His works, chiefly creation (vv. 6-9). By the same powerful word that is always right and true, He made and ordered the created world. We might say verse 9 is a short summary of Genesis 1: “He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” It’s that simple!

God is sovereign not only over creation, but also over all the peoples of the earth (vv. 10-11). He’s no local deity! He has full control over the plans and ambitions of the nations, but they, on the other hand, can do nothing to thwart His purposes.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we did back on January 10, today we’d like to suggest that you learn more about nature. Using any resources you choose, learn to recognize several common star constellations in our night sky.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 104:1-23
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. - Psalm 104:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
Several world weather records show us the extremes of nature. The hottest temperature ever recorded is 136.4 degrees in Libya, only nine years ago. The coldest, minus 128.6 degrees, in Antarctica. The widest range is found in northeast Siberia, where temperatures can fall as low as minus 90 degrees in winter and get as high as 98 degrees in summer.

Mount Wai’ale’ale in Hawaii holds the record for the most rainy days, 350 in one year. The driest place in the world, on the other hand, is the Atacama Desert in Chile, which receives less than 1/250th of an inch of rain in a year.

Then there are hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, snow, waterspouts, and other phenomena. How remarkable that these powerful, often frightening, forces of nature are actually the “messengers” and “servants” of God (v. 4)!

Psalm 104 focuses on God’s rulership and providence in creation. The first verse sets the tone, exhorting us to praise God, who is “clothed with splendor and majesty.” Clothing points to the wearer, revealing something about identity or character. Similarly, the metaphor here points to the fact that the created world of the following verses is a kind of “clothing” which reveals more about who God is.

Throughout the rest of today’s reading, this psalm poetically develops this idea. “He wraps Himself in light” (v. 2; cf. Gen. 1:3; John 8:12) reinforces the clothing metaphor, but there are other images as well: building, chariot-driving, and kingship.

Creation’s orderliness is a theme here. God built the earth well; “it can never be moved” (v. 5). He created the waters and assigned them their places (v. 8; cf. Gen. 1:9-10; Jer. 5:22). The sun and moon mark off seasons and divide nights from days (vv. 19-23; cf. Gen. 1:14-19).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This psalm presents a visual feast for the imagination. As we did on the 22nd, we’d like to suggest several creative, worshipful responses to today’s devotion.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 104:24-35
How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all. - Psalm 104:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
These days, Velcro fabric is used to fasten everything from sneakers to coats to duffel bags. The word “Velcro” (which is a registered trademark) was coined by combining the French words “velour” (velvet) and “crochet” (hook) to describe how it works.

A Swiss mountaineer named George de Mestral invented Velcro by trying to imitate something he’d seen in nature. He’d noticed that burrs would stick tenaciously to his dog, using tiny hooked ends to cling to the dog’s softer hairs. After much effort, he was able to duplicate this ability in his design and patented Velcro in 1955.

A tiny burr taught Mestral the secret of a clever, useful product. God’s creation is full of such examples of practical design! He made and controls the whole system, every part of the entire created world.

We’re continuing with Psalm 104 and the theme of God’s rulership and providence. After all the poetic pictures we saw yesterday (cf. Job 38-41), the psalmist catches his breath to exclaim at the creation panorama as a whole: “How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all” (v. 24; cf. Prov. 3:19).

Then he can’t resist one more burst of description--about the sea, home to creatures large and small (cf. Gen. 1:20-22), as well as things familiar (ships) and unfamiliar (sea monsters). All creatures depend on God for food, happiness, and life itself (cf. Acts 17:25). Unlike capricious pagan idols, God is dependable, giving food at the proper time (vv. 27-28) and holding the cycle of birth and death in His hands (vv. 29-30).

What’s our response? The poet said: “I will sing to the Lord all my life” (v. 33). Based on this resolve to worship, he offered two prayers. First, he asked that the meditations of his heart be pleasing to God (v. 34; cf. Ps. 19:14 and 139:23-24). And then he prayed that wickedness will vanish and (implicitly) that righteousness will triumph (v.35).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you found a favorite creation verse this month? Why not share it in a note to a friend?

A word from Scripture may encourage your friend just when they need it most. You could also tell them some of the truths and principles you’ve been learning while studying creation this month in Today in the Word. Also ask what your friend has been learning lately in their Bible study and personal devotions.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 19:1-11
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. - Psalm 19:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
One evening, some students and their professor sat by a small pond in the north woods of Michigan. It was the time of year for male peepers, tiny frogs only an inch or two long, to sing to draw the females: “PRRREEP.” As the sun set, more and more peepers began to sing.

The scene is recounted in the book Redeeming Creation:“We were surrounded, in the gathering dusk, by a moving sea of peepers, singing and struggling all around. There was just light enough to see them, crawling up a bracken fern to find a singing perch, filling their throats with air like tiny balloons about to burst, and then giving forth, at close range, an ear-splitting 'PRRREEP’. . . When the concert ended and the peepers had gone away, we laughed together for the sheer joy and power of life, displayed for a moment in the grand efforts of one tiny creature to “be fruitful and increase in number” (Gen. 1:22).

The created world declares God’s glory!

In verses 1-4 of our reading, David personified the skies as proclaiming God’s glory, as if they were an announcer or a town crier (cf. Rom. 10:18). The idea of speaking is extended and exaggerated to make the point even stronger: They “pour forth speech,” so much so that their “voice” is heard throughout the world. Creation is a kind of universal language, available to all people at all times.

The most prominent specific example of how the skies declare God’s glory is the sun (vv. 5-6). The sky is a “tent” for it, while the sun itself is compared to a “bridegroom,” suggesting eagerness and joy, and a “champion,” pointing to strength and swiftness. These are not scientific observations but poetic ones, highlighting the power and beauty of this created object.

David spent most of the rest of the psalm praising God’s Word (vv. 7-11). Why did he make this sudden jump? Is there any connection? Yes. In the Jewish mind, the change of topic was not a leap at all.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
“The heavens declare the glory of God.” What about you? Do you declare His glory? This is another way of asking, “Are you active in witnessing?” To witness is to testify to God’s work in your life, to declare His love as shown in the good news of the gospel.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 65:17-25
Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. - Isaiah 65:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
If you walk around the main Chicago campus of Moody Bible Institute, you’ll soon notice our blue recycling bins. Our students and staff use them conscientiously, depositing various recyclables on a regular basis.

Has someone finished drinking a can of soda pop or a bottle of juice? There are blue bins for aluminum and glass. Is a staff member finished with a memo or a report? There’s a blue bin for paper. What about all the cardboard boxes at Moody Press? They, too, are baled up and sent to a recycling plant.

We recycle from a desire to be good stewards of creation, and know that through recycling we honor the Creator. In faith, we understand that all He created is good (Gen. 1:31; 1 Tim. 4:4-5), and wait eagerly for the new creation He has promised: “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

Concluding this month’s study, we want to encourage you with a quick look at this new creation, today in the Old Testament and tomorrow in the New. We won’t be trying to sort out a timeline of what happens when, just pulling back the curtain and seeing what’s there.

In the totally new order of things (v. 17) described in today’s reading (cf. Ps. 102:25-26; Isa. 11:6-9), there will be no sorrow or weeping (v. 19). Nothing that could cause them pain will be there--for example, there will be no deaths (v. 20).

People will live peacefully, tending fruitful farms (v. 21). (This is an image of an ideal life, not necessarily everyone’s literal vocation.) Injustice and oppression will not exist (v. 22; contrast Deut. 28:30-33). In short, the inhabitants of this new earth will be a “people blessed by the Lord” (v. 23).

Israel thought only of returning from exile, but God had greater things in mind than what they had prayed for (v. 24). He loves His people, and does not need to be begged.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Recycling can show love for the Creator and faith in the new creation He has promised. Does your family recycle newspapers, glass, aluminum cans, and other items? Why not join Moody Bible Institute in its commitment to creation stewardship?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 21:1-7
I am making everything new! - Revelation 21:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
A wedding day is a landmark day in the life of any family. The bride rises early. Her bridesmaids help her arrange her hair, put on a special white gown and veil, and adorn herself. Meanwhile, the nervous groom, already dressed in a tuxedo, checks his watch a thousand times. Do they have the wedding rings? Where’s the wedding license?

The parents of the couple are quiet over breakfast, knowing that their “little babies” are leaving home for good. They remember their children’s first steps, and now they’re going to send them out on a much longer journey.

Then the organ sounds, the bride and her father walk down the aisle to meet the groom, and two become one in the sight of God (Matt. 19:5-6). Later, at the reception, the rejoicing continues with food and fellowship.

In the same spirit, we as Christians are looking forward to the return of Christ. We are the bride, He is the Bridegroom. As was done in biblical cultures, He will one day come for us (cf. John 14:1-4)! The Wedding Supper of the Lamb will be celebrated with great rejoicing (Rev. 19:7; cf. Matt. 22:1-14)!

A wedding feeling permeates this New Testament description of the new heavens and new earth (v. 2; cf. Isa. 54:5; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:32). Once again, we see that there will be no sorrow, pain, or death. God “will wipe every tear from their eyes” (v. 4; cf. Isa. 25:. This applies to those who’ve drunk at the well of salvation, trusting Christ as Savior (v. 6; cf. Isa. 12:2-3 and 55:1; John 4:14).

God’s children (v. 7) believe in creation and in the return of the Creator. Unbelievers, on the other hand, “deliberately forget” this crucial doctrine, and make fun of our beliefs in the events of early Genesis. Christ’s return will surprise such people like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:3-10).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you’re married, a good application for today would be to browse back through your wedding album and reflect on the significance of that day. If you’re single, think back to a wedding service you participated in or attended. How did the anticipation, the joy, and the sacredness of the vows all work together? How did the community celebrate?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ecclesiastes 12:1; 1 Timothy 4:4-5
Remember your Creator. - Ecclesiastes 12:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Do people want a better, happier life? Of course they do, and the publishing industry has seized on this very natural desire. Multitudes of self-help books fill the shelves of American bookstores, and millions of people buy them.

A recent search on Amazon.com turned up 18,726 self-help titles, while Barnes & Noble claimed 23,070 books in this same category! They ranged widely in topic, covering everything from “how to find inner peace” to “how to make more money” to “how to win friends.” Chances are that no matter what you think is the key to a more fulfilling life, you can find a book with a “how to” method covering it.

The wise king Solomon also wrote a “self-help” book, Ecclesiastes, the story of his search for a better life. But compared to the thousands of books we have today, his advice at the conclusion of Ecclesiastes is simple and succinct. How can we live “the good life”? “Remember your Creator.”

“Remember” doesn’t mean “look back in time,” because Solomon said to do this “in the days of your youth.” Instead, “remember” means to recognize a truth, to see it clearly, and to meditate and live with it constantly in mind. The implication is that doing so will make our lives more meaningful, valuable, and pleasurable. If we do so while we’re young, we’ll build a good foundation, as opposed to realizing the truth when we’re older and time has been wasted (a poem on old age follows this verse, Eccl. 12:1b-7).

Part of a right attitude to the Creator is a right attitude to His creation (1 Tim. 4:4-5). As God declared throughout Genesis 1, it’s all good--no exceptions (cf. 1 Cor. 10:25-26). The right attitude then is to enjoy His creation with thanksgiving, to receive it worshipfully. By means of the Word and prayer, it is consecrated or made holy. We can revel in the goodness of the created world; the key is a right relationship with the Creator.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we conclude this month’s devotions, write out the top three insights you’ve gained from our study of the doctrine of creation. Why did they make such an impact on you? What do you think the Lord wants you to do from now on concerning these insights?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-19
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. - Jeremiah 1:5a
TODAY IN THE WORD
On August 24, 410, the Visigoths sacked Rome--the first time in nearly eight hundred years that this mighty city experienced foreign occupation. From a monastery in far-off Bethlehem, the great Bible scholar Jerome wept, “The city which has taken the whole world is itself taken!”

Centuries before Jerome, another man wept bitterly over a city’s ruin. The “heartbroken prophet” Jeremiah had repeatedly warned Jerusalem and the nation to repent of its flagrant sin, but to no avail. The book of Lamentations details the frightful fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecies. Although the message of Lamentations is not easy to hear, it is as timely today as it was 2,600 years ago: sin’s consequences are inescapable, but God’s mercies are new every day.

We begin our study with Lamentations’ author, whom historical context (2 Chron. 35:25) and tradition identify as Jeremiah. In 627 B.C., Jeremiah received God’s clear calling for his life (Jer. 5, 10). Because of his youth, he felt unqualified for this staggering task (v. 6). But God replaced Jeremiah’s objection with His promise, “I am with you,” and symbolically replaced Jeremiah’s words with His words (v. 9). God then gave Jeremiah two encouraging visions for what would prove to be an exceedingly difficult forty-year ministry.

First, the Lord showed Jeremiah an almond tree branch (v. 11). Because the Hebrew words for almond tree and watching are quite similar, the Lord used a play on words to assure Jeremiah that He would be watching over his prophetic ministry. Second, the Lord showed Jeremiah a pot to reveal that northern forces were “boiling up” and were about to explode upon Jerusalem. This early vision (vv. 14–16) foreshadowed the horrors Jeremiah eventually endured. How he must have clung to the assurance that God had strengthened him and would protect him (vv. 18--19).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Although Jeremiah spoke hard words against sin, he wept openly for his people and his nation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jeremiah 52:1-23; 2 Kings 25
If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me. - Jeremiah 15:19a
TODAY IN THE WORD
Sometimes ancient history can feel . . . well, ancient. In our fast-paced world, looking at centuries-old events seems like a luxury. Yet as philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So jump on board for a quick journey back a few thousand years.

We’ll start three hundred years prior to Jeremiah with Solomon’s son. Rehoboam’s forced labor policy led to a devastating revolt. In 930 B.C., the rebel leader, Jeroboam, broke away and formed the northern kingdom of Israel. Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem, ruling over the southern kingdom Judah.

Jeroboam was the first in a series of evil kings who caused the people to sin. In 722 B.C., God judged Israel’s idolatry and wickedness through the cruel Assyrians, who destroyed Israel and took the people into captivity--never to return.

About one hundred years later (627 B.C.), God raised up Jeremiah, who prophesied to the last five kings of Judah. The first of these kings, Josiah, did what was right in God’s sight and instituted great spiritual reform. Sadly, Judah’s four remaining kings did great evil.

By 604 B.C., Assyria had fallen to a new power, Babylon. The fierce king Nebuchadnezzar conquered all of Judah excluding Jerusalem and returned home with hostages, including a youth named Daniel. Six years later, Judah’s unwise alliance with Egypt provoked Nebuchadnezzar to attack Jerusalem and to carry off more exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel.

Ten years later, Judah’s last king arrogantly rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. When the Babylonian king had to deal with Judah once again, he made sure it would be the last time and laid siege to Jerusalem, starving the people to submission. Eighteen months later, in 586 B.C., Jerusalem fell and was destroyed (Jer. 52:1–23).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When someone is grieving or experiencing personal difficulty, it’s often helpful to know the circumstances behind the grief and pain. In a similar way, the historical background of Lamentations is key to understand Jeremiah’s lament.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 79
Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. - Psalm 31:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Washington Irving observed the following about tears: “There is sacredness in tears. . . . They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.”

The author of today’s psalm would have agreed. His “overwhelming grief” is obvious in this lament psalm poetically grieving the destruction of Jerusalem (vv. 1–4). Speaking for the nation, the psalm petitions the Lord God to remember His people and to avenge their enemies (vv. 5–7)--a plea based on God’s mercy and forgiveness (v. . The honor of God’s holy name motivates further appeals for divine action (vv. 9–12). Finally, the people collectively vow to praise God (v. 13).

Psalm 79 provides a good introduction to Lamentations, which comprises five lament poems. The Hebrew name of this book is “Alas!”--a heart-rending indication of the consequences of Judah’s sin. Second Kings 24–25 and Jeremiah 52 give the facts of the siege and exile of Jerusalem; Lamentations gives the emotions.

Tradition says that Jeremiah wrote these five poems in a cave west of Jerusalem while Nebuchadnezzar marched the people into exile. These poems are acrostic, meaning each line (or group of lines in chapter 3) of the poem begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This creative feature probably intended to stress the complete--or A to Z--nature of the nation’s sin and to set boundaries on the nation’s grieving.

The first four chapters of Lamentations portray Jerusalem from different voices: a princess forced into harsh labor with no comfort (chapter 1); the object of God’s wrath (chapter 2); the solitary cry of an individual (chapter 3); and the former treasures of the city (chapter 4). In chapter 5, the exiles cry out.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One Bible scholar commented that Lamentations was written “to encourage completeness in the expression of grief, the confession of sin, and the instilling of hope.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Lamentations 1:1-7
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. - Proverbs 14:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
In a powerful scene in the movie Gone with the Wind,Scarlett O’Hara makes her way through wounded Confederate soldiers. As the camera draws back, the destruction of the once-beautiful Atlanta confronts the viewer. As far as the eye can see, wounded and dying soldiers lie surrounded by burnt buildings.

No doubt this only approximates what Jeremiah saw as he surveyed fallen Jerusalem. Prior to this catastrophe, Jerusalem bustled with commercial prosperity and religious activity. Its residents proudly basked in the glory of Solomon’s Temple--the dwelling place of Yahweh Himself.

A different scenario confronted Jeremiah. No wonder he pictured Jerusalem as a lonely widow (v. 1). Along with orphans, widows were the most vulnerable people in the ancient world and often endured loneliness and rejection.

Seeing the despoiled palace, Jeremiah lamented that Jerusalem, once “queen among the provinces has now become a slave” (v. 1). The queen’s lovers (false gods that violated the nation’s covenantal vows) had deserted her; her friends (political alliances that undermined the nation’s trust in Yahweh) had betrayed her--she wept bitterly with no comfort. Her princes were like deer unable to outrun their pursuers (v. 6; see Jer. 39:4).

Even her roads and gates mourned, longing for the joyous pilgrims that once thronged to her festivals (v. 4). While she sadly recalled her former splendor, her enemies laughed.

What a complete reversal from glory to ruin, from power to servitude, from luxury to barrenness! Why would the Lord bring about such grief (v. 5)? One thing compels our gracious Father to such wrath--prolonged, willful rebellion. Carefree Jerusalem with its shameless sin and gross idolatry ignored repeated warnings from God’s prophets. The severe judgment revealed the depths of Jerusalem’s sin.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” The world teaches just the opposite and urges us to “play today” --conveniently forgetting the “pay tomorrow” part.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Lamentations 1:8-11
As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. - Job 4:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his book, Down to Earth,John Lawrence writes, “Many believers are sowing wild oats during the week, then going to church on Sunday and praying for a crop failure.” A faulty view of grace leads some Christians to treat sin casually. While it’s certainly true that God forgives sins, He is not mocked, and the “laws of harvest” abide. This is the main theme of Lamentations: we can never disobey God without consequences.

Using the graphic imagery of a fallen woman, today’s passage vividly portrays the gross ways in which the nation--both men and women--had “sinned greatly” (v. . The defiling worship of foreign gods--especially Baal--involved sensuous and depraved practices, including child sacrifice. Archaeological evidence suggests that social disease was rampant in Jerusalem. Jerusalem had become unclean (v. and filthy (v. 9).

Public nakedness signaled disgrace and the nation’s exposed impurity repulsed those around her (v. --even Jerusalem couldn’t bear to look at what she had become (v. . The “future” that Jerusalem had failed to consider (v. 9) was now upon her. Yet in verse 9 we find a small glimmer of hope--the chastised Jerusalem calls out to the Lord for the first time.

Unfortunately, the horrifying reality of pagan conquerors carrying off her treasures (a reference both to temple riches and to people) and entering the temple snapped the personified Jerusalem back to despair. Only Jews from the priestly tribe of Aaron were allowed to enter the temple--and only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. Foreigners were forbidden ever to enter the temple; thus, Jewish abhorrence at the sight of pagans in the Temple was intense.

In addition to being defiled, Jerusalem had become destitute. Any treasure not carried off was used for survival. The Anchor Bible poignantly captured this dire situation in its translation of verse 11: “They gave their darlings for food.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jerusalem dismissed numerous prophets’ warnings, probably believing its transgressions weren’t all that bad. Similar thinking can lead us to ignore our own sin.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Lamentations 1:12-17
I, even I, am he who comforts you. - Isaiah 51:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
Half way through Handel’s oratorio Messiahis the short piece, “Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow,” describing the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. This verse from today’s passage (v. 12) originally expressed Jerusalem’s anguish following its ruin. It is not surprising, however, that Handel applied this verse to Christ. When Christ bore our sins on the cross, He bore the full brunt of sin’s shame, isolation, and scorn, although He was sinless (cf. Isa. 52:13–53:12).

As we have seen, however, Jerusalem was far from sinless. Today’s passage reveals another sad reality about sin: despite promises to the contrary, the path of sin leads to isolation (v. 16). So-called friends become foes (v. 17) when deception underlies the friendship.

The passage opens with Jerusalem’s pathetic appeal to onlookers--perhaps even her enemies. The rhetorical question, “Is it nothing to you?” is really a plea to learn from Jeru-salem. It’s as if the destroyed city were crying out: “Look at what happens when the Lord’s fierce anger is provoked! Learn from this calamity!”

Verses 13 through 15 contain terrifying images of the fierce wrath of God’s righteous judgment. Fire often symbolizes God’s judgment--such as the burning sulfur rained down upon Sodom and Gomorrah for their unspeakable sin. Fire also figuratively portrayed the fever of sin that burned within the people. Similarly, the image of a net was used to describe Yahweh capturing His enemies. How terrifying it must have been for Jerusalem to realize that it had become the enemy of Yahweh!

In His judgment, God formed a yoke from Jerusalem’s sin. The yoke, a wooden frame for beasts of burden, represented the weighty accumulation of Jerusalem’s sin (v. 14). The winepress of the Lord (v. 15), used elsewhere to trample pagan nations, was now used to crush Jerusalem.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Although God’s justice demands judgment, His mercy provides comfort. As God’s children we can find much comfort from Him when we face temptation.