Lamentations 4

I know everyone’s schedules are really busy and there’s a lot going on in the city this weekend, but thank you for being here, and hopefully, this time spent in Lamentations will be very fruitful for all of us. I know it has been for me.

We’ve been going through the Book of Lamentations now for a few weeks, spread out over a few months. Just five chapters in the Book of Lamentations, as we all know. It is poetry, basically five poems right after each other. Most of the chapters are about 22 verses, very methodically written, with one chapter, 66 verses, I believe that’s chapter three. We have had the privilege of talking about very deep, very heavy topics, more so than we’re typically used to, I think.

Lamentations is exactly that, right? It’s a book of lamenting, a book of mourning, and it is very, very depressing for the average reader. It’s poetic and it’s written kind of like a poem. There was a reference a couple of messages ago to this being chiastic in how it’s written, for those poetry people out there, and so you have chapter three being kind of the zenith or the high point of the Book of Lamentations, and it’s surrounded by very heavy chapters about the anger and the wrath of God, which is exactly what we’re going to cover this evening in chapter four of Lamentations.

In my experience going through the Book of Lamentations, it’s always been just a quick in and out, going to chapter three, reading quickly about the faithfulness of God and His mercies, and then coming right back out, because the rest of Lamentations is pretty disturbing, to say it lightly. So, just like Levi grabbing a cookie from the pantry and running out of there, I would do the same with Lamentations—maybe for an end-of-the-year service or something—real quick for a verse, go in there, come back out, and I never refer to any other part of Lamentations because of how disturbing and how sad it is if you really read through all of it.

So, I’m going to do select readings of Lamentations chapter four. Some of it, be forewarned, is very hard to hear, but very, I think, instructive about the time period that we’re in. So, Lamentations chapter four, there isn’t really much of a PowerPoint, so this is a fantastic opportunity to open your Bibles or to use your pew Bibles to go through the chapter.

Lamentations chapter four, select readings:

“In reference to the nation of Israel, Judah.  

How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull.  

The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street.  

How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold,  

are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands.  

Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young,  

but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.  

Because of thirst, the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth.  

The children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.  

Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets.  

Those nurtured in purple now lie on ash heaps.  

The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom,  

which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.  

Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk,  

their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.  

But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets.  

Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.  

Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine;  

racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.  

With their own hands, compassionate women have cooked their own children,  

who became their food when my people were destroyed.”  

And pay special attention here:

“The Lord has given full vent to His wrath;  

He has poured out His fierce anger.  

He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.  

The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the world’s people,  

that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.  

But it happened, because of the sins of her prophets  

and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.”  

The rest of chapter four continues in the same vein, referring to different aspects of the nation of Israel, different points of destitution, suffering, and various outpourings of God’s wrath on the nation. Again, I gave you the warning—this is hard because it’s the same God then as it is now. It’s the same God that we worship, the same God that we know is filled with loving-kindness and goodness and grace and mercy. Yet, we read such disturbing passages like this about the wrath of God being poured out on the nation of Israel.

I wanted to highlight those couple of verses because that’s mostly what I’ll focus on and kind of branch out from there: “The Lord has given full vent to His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.” God’s fiery wrath.

Now, God’s wrath isn’t something that we routinely talk about, right? It’s not the most pleasant thing, and when we do confront it, it’s one of those things that we just very briefly talk about or sing about, and then kind of just slowly step away and go to more pleasant topics, right? But I imagine for a lot of us, we do actually routinely think about God’s wrath and the fact that we’re saved from it. Don’t a lot of us have the joy in our worship? Isn’t that informed a lot of times by the contrition in our prayer? Isn’t that informed a lot of the times because of the avoidance of God’s wrath, the fact that we’ve escaped from it, that we’ve been, you know, enter Jesus, right? This perfect sacrifice that atoned for our sins, that took the propitiation, took the wrath away that was destined for us, took it away from us. His righteousness was applied to us, and therefore, we are saved from God’s wrath. Spoiler alert, right? God’s wrath is no longer on those who accept His grace and His mercy.

And yet, God’s wrath is still as relevant today as it was in the Old Testament, and that’s a major mistake that we make in our reading of Scripture, and in the way that we present the gospel perhaps to our friends and neighbors—we avoid the displeasure and the awkwardness of talking about God’s wrath, and we go straight to God’s mercy, straight to His love, straight to His grace. But what we’ll learn as we go through the message is that these things are intertwined with each other. There is no love, there is no holiness, there is no grace without an understanding of God’s wrath.

There are denominations out there that have selectively tried to take out any reference to God’s wrath. One notable example of that was the Presbyterian Church about 10 or 12 years ago, a faction that tends to be a little bit more liberal—the Presbyterian Church, PCUSA—when faced with the song “In Christ Alone,” they actually changed the words of the song and put it in their hymnal. And it wasn’t for a while that anyone figured out…let me pull the lyrics here for a second…oh, I lost it. They were worried about the wrath of Christ, or the wrath of God being applied to Christ, and Presbyterians took that out, and they said, “The love of Christ was applied to us,” with no mention of wrath, no mention of God’s wrath being applied on Christ, and Christ being a receiver of that wrath because wrath is not very pleasant. Wrath isn’t really a big selling point in your churches. So if you take out wrath, and you just apply love, and grace, and mercy, then I think their attempt of trying to diminish God’s wrath and elevate God’s love was just totally destroyed in the articles, social media, whatever at the time because of what the church was trying to do to wrath.

Why? Because it’s unpleasant.

If you look at what’s trending on social media—Instagram, YouTube, or wherever—it’s unlikely you’ll find much mention of God’s wrath, sin, atonement, propitiation, or any of these themes being widely discussed or centered in ministries. Instead, you’ll probably see a focus on healing, prosperity, and messages about being the best version of yourself. These topics tend to skyrocket in popularity, while the heavier themes of wrath and judgment are pushed to the periphery.

I remember when YouTube first came out, I must have been in seventh or eighth grade, there was a message that went viral by a preacher named Paul Washer, a Baptist missionary. Some of you might have seen it; it’s titled something like “Pastor Talks to and Shocks Students at a Youth Ministry Meeting.” In this message, Paul Washer starts by talking about the love of Christ, and the audience—mostly students—responds with clapping and affirmation. But after one loud applause, Washer stops and says, “I don’t know why y’all are clapping. It’s great and all, but I don’t know why y’all are clapping because I’m talking about you all. You are the sinners. You are the ones under God’s judgment.” The place went completely silent, and for the next 30 minutes, he delivered a hellfire and brimstone message. I remember being genuinely scared listening to it. It’s just not a popular topic.

But if I could smooth things over after all this talk of wrath, there’s an example from Steve Lawson that really hit me hard. He was talking about when he was getting a diamond ring for his wife before they got married. He went to a jeweler, picked out a diamond, and was satisfied with it, but not stunned. Then, as all jewelers do, the jeweler placed the diamond on a piece of black velvet. Suddenly, the diamond, which had just been okay, became brilliant. The lights in the store seemed to shine down on that diamond, bringing out all of its brilliance and majesty. The black velvet made the diamond’s brilliance stand out.

Lawson likened this to how we view the wrath of God. When you confront and face God’s wrath, judgment, and justice, it serves as the black velvet against which the love, grace, peace, and joy we have in Christ shine the brightest. Without the backdrop of wrath and judgment, these attributes don’t make as much sense and lose their significance. Perhaps if we thought about wrath in those terms, we would have a different appreciation for it.

Just like grace, love, mercy, peace, wisdom, and holiness, wrath is an attribute of God. Most theology books will tell you that. Wrath is just as much an attribute of God as His holiness, love, grace, mercy, and all the other things we love to sing about. But here’s something interesting—unlike those other attributes, wrath isn’t necessarily eternal. Everything else is eternal; these attributes last forever and are unchangeable, immutable aspects of God. Wrath, however, only exists as long as there is evil and sin. Once there’s no more evil or sin, there’s no need for wrath anymore. But as long as sin exists, wrath is a critical attribute of God.

All these attributes—holiness, love, justice, mercy—are intertwined. Remove one, and the whole picture falls apart. If you remove wrath, holiness can’t exist. If you remove wrath, then love can’t exist. If you remove wrath, justice can’t exist. God can’t be loving if He allows people to live in sin. He can’t be holy if He tolerates sin. And He can’t be just if He doesn’t judge evil. The method and vehicle by which He administers justice is through wrath.

If you’re a student of Scripture or have even casually read it, you’ll notice that the Old Testament has a lot of references to wrath and a lot of wrathful, vengeful things that God does. Then it seems like in the New Testament, God softens up a bit—it’s not as bad. Sure, there are a few instances, like Ananias and Sapphira, but overall, the New Testament presents a “chill” God. There’s a lot of heretical teaching out there that suggests there’s an angry God in the Old Testament and a nice, loving God in the New Testament. This was something taught by Marcion, an early church heretic, and it’s known as Marcionism. Marcionites believed that the God of the Old Testament was different from the God of the New Testament, but this is a complete heresy.

The idea that God was wrathful in the Old Testament and then became gentle in the New Testament is one of the biggest disservices you can do to yourself or anyone you’re sharing the Gospel with. It’s the same God, and just as vengeful, wrathful, and just as He was in the Old Testament, He administers the same judgment in the New.

But the problem is, we probably don’t read Revelation enough. If you skip all the way to Revelation, you’ll see that this kind, mild-mannered, gentle Savior who comes as the Lamb of the world becomes the rider on the white horse, whose eyes are like lightning, coming with a sword in His mouth, bringing sweeping judgment on the whole world. Revelation is filled with images of bleeding and dead things, and all sorts of cataclysmic events. So, the idea that the Old Testament and the New Testament present completely different versions of God is a total joke. Sometimes, I think we fall into believing that ourselves.

Now, let’s talk about God’s wrath and break down what it really is. God’s wrath is not like our wrath. It’s even, it’s consistent, it’s not capricious, and it’s not motivated by moodiness or a need to appease His own wishes and desires. God’s wrath is methodical and strategic; He applies it in certain instances and withholds it in others. It’s meant for teaching, for reproof, and ultimately for our benefit. When God administers His wrath, it’s not like human anger where we lash out to satisfy our own desire for vengeance. God’s wrath is His revulsion against evil and His settled displeasure with sin and sinners.

Human anger tends to satisfy self and is self-motivated, but God’s wrath is not arbitrary, random, or erratic. It’s sweeping and absolute, yet measured, swift, and fiery. It is also indiscriminate—Jewish person, Gentile person, individual, nation, even globally, everyone was under the wrath of God and the judgment of God in the Old Testament. It wasn’t applied selectively but was a consistent aspect of His dealings with humanity throughout history.

There are two attributes of God’s wrath that speak to His love for us, and His love for His people: First, God’s wrath is slow. Scripture repeatedly tells us that He is “slow to anger and abounding in mercy.” This is the one attribute of God that is described as being slow. Nothing else about God is described in this way. Second, Isaiah 28:21 refers to God’s judgment as a “strange work” and an “alien task.” This verse blew my mind when I first read it. God’s will for His people isn’t their destruction or death. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Administering judgment and wrath is an alien thing for God—it’s unusual and something He seemingly does reluctantly. It’s not like His love, grace, or mercy; it’s a task He undertakes out of necessity, not desire.

This understanding of God’s wrath as something He does not relish, but rather administers out of a sense of justice and holiness, can reshape how we view some of the difficult passages in Scripture. For instance, consider the story of Uzzah from the Old Testament, a story that has perturbed many, myself included. In the book of Numbers and 1 Chronicles, there’s a reference to a man named Uzzah who was accompanying the Ark of the Covenant as it was being transported. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark, and he was struck down by God, killed on the spot. At first glance, this seems harsh—after all, he was just trying to help, right?

Jonathan Edwards provides a profound insight into this event. He suggests that Uzzah’s act, though seemingly noble, assumed that the dirt the Ark might have fallen into was worse than the touch of sinful human hands. Uzzah, and perhaps the nation of Israel and King David, could not perceive that the most profane thing that could happen to the Ark of the Covenant—the representation of God’s throne—was not it touching the ground, but it being touched by sinful man. No matter how righteous a person might seem, the hand of a human touching the Ark was more offensive than the Ark falling on the dirt. This story illustrates the intensity with which God preserves and protects His glory from sin.

This might help you rationalize the story, or maybe you’re still upset about what happened to Uzzah—and that’s okay because David was too. Scripture tells us that David was angry at God for striking Uzzah down so suddenly. The guy was just trying to help, as any of us probably would. But this story shows how fiercely God protects His holiness and how seriously He takes sin.

These examples and reflections remind us that God’s wrath is an integral part of His character, deeply intertwined with His holiness, love, and justice. We may not always understand it, and it may not always sit well with us, but it’s crucial for us to acknowledge it as part of the full picture of who God is. Without understanding His wrath, we cannot fully appreciate His grace.

He wouldn’t allow His glory to be defamed, even by a simple hand helping the Ark of the Covenant down. And then there’s Nadab and Abihu, right? The sons of Aaron, priests themselves, who, for whatever reason, offered a profane fire, a strange fire before the Lord, and they were struck down in an instant. We don’t know what the fire was; perhaps it was inspired by pagan worship or some form of idol worship that they introduced into the tabernacle. Whatever it was, God’s judgment and wrath were swift, sweeping, and immediate. There was no question that Nadab and Abihu had profaned the holy name of the Lord, defiling His glory. 

Aaron was probably mad, and Moses might have been mad as well. These were his nephews, after all, but God was clear—He instructed Moses specifically, “Do not mourn for these two. Don’t allow a single tear to be shed in all of Israel for them.” God’s glory cannot be profaned, and that is the extent, the breadth, and the depth of the glory of God. That is why His wrath must be sweeping, total, and ultimate. There’s no room for negotiation, no ifs, ands, or buts. That’s the nature of God’s wrath—absolute and unyielding.

Why? Because God’s wrath is a function of His glory. Without wrath, His glory cannot be protected or perpetuated. If His glory suffers, then God cannot be God. Some people struggle with this, viewing God as some kind of egotistical maniac, and this idea has led many to deconstruct their faith and leave the church. They find it unsettling to think of God as being all about His own glory. But we’ve heard countless messages that remind us that God’s glory is ultimate, and His glory must be protected at all costs. This is not only for God’s sake but also for our joy and benefit. There is no higher high, no greater good, no deeper joy than being in the presence of God’s glory, worshiping Him and serving Him.

Isaiah 48:9-11 says, “For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it. For how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” God’s wrath is a function of His glory. If we take it one step further, it’s even a form of His grace towards us. As mind-boggling as that might sound, sometimes God’s wrath, even when directed at us individually, can be an act of grace and love. But ultimately, it is about His glory being protected. He does not share His glory with anyone, and though He may delay His wrath, restraining it for a time, He will not allow His glory to be profaned. His wrath is the vehicle through which His glory is preserved.

Secondly, God’s wrath is His love in action against sin. God is love, and God does all things for His glory. He loves His glory above all. Therefore, God rules the world in such a way that brings Himself maximum glory. This means that God must act justly and judge sin; otherwise, God would not be God. God’s love for His glory motivates His wrath against sin. When Jesus died for us on the cross, He took our sin upon Himself, and His righteousness was applied to us. The wrath that we deserved—all of God’s fury and fiery judgment—was directed at Christ. He served as an atonement for us so that the wrath of God would be satisfied.

God’s wrath, as I’ve said, is His love in action against sin. That’s a far cry from how I started this evening, where God’s wrath seemed to be this really sad, super depressing, unnerving part of His character. But what if God’s wrath is an act of love and grace towards us? What if Jesus Christ, being the embodiment of that wrath directed towards us, bore the wrath so that we wouldn’t have to?

Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.'” Christ redeemed us by becoming a curse for us. 1 Peter 2:21-24 tells us, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. ‘He Himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed.'” He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly because He knew what was on the other side. He bore our sins and served as the object of wrath so that we wouldn’t have to. Without wrath, there is no salvation from sins, no healing, no righteousness—nothing.

So, what if God’s wrath, in a roundabout way, is for our own good? What if His warnings to us are for our own good? In the same way that Jeremiah went from being the prophet who warns to the prophet who mourns, the warnings in Scripture are there to push us, to nudge us towards God’s love and grace so that we avoid His wrath. But sometimes God allows the consequences of sin. Sometimes He allows His wrath to accomplish what His warnings could not.

R.C. Sproul used to give an example when teaching an Old Testament class to freshmen. At the beginning of the semester, he would explain that the students would have three major assignments: three short essays due throughout the course of the class. The first paper was due at the end of August, the second at the end of October, and the third at the end of November. On the first deadline, 25 students came to class without their papers finished, giving all sorts of excuses. In his generosity, Sproul gave them an extension of three days. 

A month later, on the second deadline, 50 students came without their papers, and again, Sproul granted an extension. By the third deadline, 100 students failed to complete their papers, and this time Sproul wasn’t as lenient. The students had grown to expect grace; they assumed it would always be there, and that expectation led to indifference.

Sproul’s example is a stark reminder of how we, too, can fall into a similar trap regarding God’s grace. As Christians, especially those who have been in the faith for a long time, we can become indifferent to God’s grace, mistaking His patience for tolerance and forgetting the reality of His wrath. We’ve moved from amazement at His grace to a tacit acceptance, and then to indifference. I worry that our generation, perhaps more than any other, is at risk of taking God’s grace for granted, and I fear that the consequence could be the wrath of God.

You don’t need statistics to see that our generation is likely one of the least prayerful, least devotionally minded, and least engaged with the things of God in a long time. I think it’s because our amazement at God’s grace has turned into an expectation, and now into indifference. My prayer is that we don’t become the recipients of God’s wrath because of this indifference.

I’ll leave you with this verse that I didn’t even realize existed in the Bible, but it’s one that I think we all should meditate on. It’s from Romans 11:22: “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you.” Another translation puts it this way: “Consider therefore the kindness and the severity of God.” The kindness and the severity of God.

Church, we worship a good, loving, and kind Father who will leave the 99 to find us, who will embrace us with loving arms as we run back to Him like the prodigal son. But at the same time, we are also in the hands of a consuming fire. God is just as holy and perfect as He is loving. We can’t elevate one aspect of His character over another. Some people elevate wrath over love, which isn’t good either, but I fear that our mistake, the mistake of our generation, is elevating God’s love and mistaking it for tolerance while forgetting that He is a consuming fire.

So, let’s behold the mercy of God as much as we do His wrath. Let’s look at the tenderness of God and the toughness of God. Let’s appreciate the salvation He offers while also remembering His judgment. Let’s hold onto the help He gives and not forget the hostility He has against sin. Let’s rejoice in the friendship of God without losing sight of His fierceness.

Perhaps you’ve come here tonight, as we all do at times, with unrepentant sin, living a life that is outwardly good but hiding something in the background. Maybe you’ve assumed that God’s wrath is an Old Testament concept, something that doesn’t apply anymore in 2024. But if we’ve made that mistake, if we’ve flipped this on its head and think that the sin we harbor is overlooked by God, we need to be reminded of the sweeping, total, methodical, and strategic nature of His wrath. It will always be there until there is no more sin or evil to deal with.

As we stand and pray, let’s not live in a fantasy world where God is some scarecrow, oblivious to

 the hidden sins in our lives. Many of us, I’m sure, are pursuing lives of holiness, running towards the throne of grace when we fall, striving towards sanctification. But if there is unrepentant sin, let’s remember to fall before the throne of grace while we still can, knowing that the wrath of God can still apply to us if we live in unrepentant sin.

God, we thank You for this time You’ve given us, this precious time meditating on difficult passages, on things that make our hearts heavy—hearing about how Israel and Judah were punished for their centuries of unrepentant sin. We know, God, that we are no different, that we have no special ability that mitigates Your wrath or judgment. But we thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son to apply His righteousness to us, to die the death we deserved, and to take our place as the sacrificial Lamb.

Let us not come week after week pretending that the sin in our lives doesn’t matter, pretending that no one is watching, that it doesn’t exist if it’s hidden from the public eye. We pray for forgiveness, Lord. We pray for hearts that are contrite and broken before You. We pray that we would run to Your throne of grace when we fall, seeking transformation and restoration.

Even though we have been in church for so many years, Lord, help us not to become numb to the excellencies of Your grace. We thank You that we can stand unashamed before You because of what You’ve done for us on the cross. Though we are weak, burdened, and attacked from all sides, Your grace and mercy upon our lives are sweeping, perfect, total, and ultimate.

Help us, renew us, transform us, Lord. And above all, let Your glory be manifested in our lives. Let nothing we do take away from Your perfect glory, Lord Jesus. Instead, let us worship You and, in doing so, experience the fullness of joy that comes from glorifying You.

God, we thank You again for this time. We pray as we continue to worship Your name, that You would convict us, remind us of Your goodness, of Your grace. We ask all these things in Your mighty and precious name. Amen.