Forgotten Happiness and Perished Hope

I am the man who has seen affliction
Because of the rod of His wrath.
He has driven me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
Surely against me He has turned His hand
Repeatedly all the day.
He has caused my flesh 

and my skin to waste away,
He has broken my bones.
He has besieged and encompassed me with

bitterness and hardship.
In dark places He has made me dwell,
Like those who have long been dead.
He has walled me in so that I cannot go out;
He has made my chain heavy.
Even when I cry out and call for help,
He shuts out my prayer.
He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.
He is to me like a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in secret places.
He has turned aside my ways 

and torn me to pieces;
He has made me desolate.
He bent His bow
And set me as a target for the arrow.
He made the arrows of His quiver
To enter into my inward parts.
I have become a laughingstock 

to all my people,
Their mocking song all the day.
He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drunk with wormwood.
He has broken my teeth with gravel;
He has made me cower in the dust.
My soul has been rejected from peace;
I have forgotten happiness.
So I say, “My strength has perished,
And so has my hope from the Lord.”

Jeremiah the Prophet, La 3:1-18

Get Wisdom -- Post 6

Proverbs -- Chapter 6

This chapter contains many warnings and instructions leading to deliverance and safety. It is meant, among other things, to protect us from debt (v1-5), laziness (v6-11), perversity (v12-15), arrogance (v16-19), and adultery (v20-35). Let's take a few moments to think about verses 16-19 in particular, which is a list of seven things God hates. They are: "haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers".

In the New Testament (See Mt 5 for example), Jesus and the Apostles give us the full meaning of the Law, showing that it includes not only the prohibition (the "do not"), but also the commandment (be like this instead). In other words, it's not enough not to steal, we should actually be givers, be those who share, be generous (Mt 5:42 & 6:1-4; 2 Co 8-9; Ep 4:28; 1 Jn 3:17-18, etc). 

Applying that to the text in view, if we are to be those whose ways are valued and not hated by God, it is not enough that we are not arrogant, not liars, not murderers, not schemers, not rushing into evil, not deceptive and not sowing discord. In addition, to please Father by keeping the Law as Jesus taught it (which has everything to do with loving people as we are loved by God -- See Ga 5:14; Jn 13:34, 15:12), we must, with the help of God the Holy Spirit, cultivate and practice humility, truthfulness, protection of others, good deeds, sin fighting, accurate speech, and the promotion of biblical unity (which is unity rooted in truth, not unity at all costs). This is so like what is often called "The Golden Rule" -- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. For this is the Law and the Prophets" (Mt 7:12). Not having wrong attitudes and not committing wrong acts is not all there is to the ways of Jesus. His ways include active obedience to the Law of Love. Not only "Don't do wrong", but "Do right" (Ro 12:9), and so image your Heavenly Father (See Mt 5:43-48).

By the way, some of those things God hates are people ("a false witness" and "one who sows discord"). We could argue that all of these hatreds in Proverbs 6 have to do with a righteous hatred for sinners (people), but for today let's just go with the most obvious -- the last two items on the list. I was recently privy to a conversation in which someone was asking how it is that God, who is so loving, would, or even could, condemn unbelievers to hell. I think the answer to this is quite simple, He doesn't damn those He loves. He damns those He hates, i.e., the unregenerate, non-elect who continually "trample the Son of God underfoot" by their unbelief, treating their own Maker and Sustainer as if He is of no consequence (Ps 5:4-6; He 10:28-30; etc). God loves His Son, and will eternally punish all those who do not take refuge in Him.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet.

He 10:12-13