People want the Hand of God. Exodus 14:15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." God's Word parted the Red Sea. Solomon says the Hand of God is Blessing and Woe. All of the Disciples of Jesus and Paul tell us to give thanks - this is God's Will.
Lamentations 5
You, O Lord, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
21 Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
Renew our days as of old—
From time to time, we are uninspired in Life. Jammed up. We want the winds of God to change. And really Jesus sailed back and forth on the Sea of Galilee where He could be found. And in the back and forth, God is vastly Working.
Lamentations is considered to be written by Jeremiah. And the truth is it's during the Second Exodus, The Babylonian Captivity and this is a dire matter for Judah as there are 3 slave roundups to just cart people to walk 1,000 miles to slavery if they live during the burning, looting and war.
The Word of God is placed in a very interesting manner. Just as
Lamentations 5 and Lamentations, itself, ends like this:
Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
Renew our days as of old—
22 unless you have utterly rejected us,
and you remain exceedingly angry with us.
And with this doubt and hopelessness, the Prophet bringing God's Word forth - ceases.
The Very, Very, Very Next Word of God is Ezekiel with a Renewed Spirit of God to Proclaim:
Rembrandt
Ezekiel 1
1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin),
3The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.
4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
After reading Lamentations 5, it is no wonder, no amazement, Ezekiel is seeing wheels. Get away from despair. Roll. Get away from despair. Exactly what our Good Father wants for His children. A Hope and a Future.
we attribute Lamentations to Jeremiah. How can we? This makes zero logical faith sense. War is upheaval. This records war. The author is never overtly appearing to be Jeremiah. The despair could have been anyone including the faithless and deposed Kings of Judah the exile to Babylon, Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel.
How can we say this with Biblical Certainty?
1 John 5:10
The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
OR
Jeremiah 8:8
How can you say, 'We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has made it into a lie.
Just continue with me in this thought. Jeremiah told the People of Israel 70 years and this was true. However, Jeremiah himself had specific promises of God to Jeremiah:
Jeremiah had a promise from God.
Jeremiah 1
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”
We just can't ignore God's Promises to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 32:14
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.
Other Words of God specifically include all of us.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 31:31
"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."
Jeremiah 33:3
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'"
Jeremiah 17:5
5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those who trust in mortals, who depend on flesh for their strength and whose hearts turn away from the LORD."
We simply know the fate of Jeremiah. Historically we find the Children of Israel in the Babylonian Captivity received encouraging letters from Jeremiah. By faith, we understand Jeremiah was part of the DNA remnant left in Jerusalem after Babylon and the flight to Egypt - merely threatened to Jeremiah.
Abba,
We know You daily provide Your Willing Blessings.
Psalm 34:17
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 107:6
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Psalm 50:15
And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.
We thank You for Your Steadfast Word to Generations. To our Families. To our Children and their generations.
You have called Your Creation Good. Your Word is for Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. You comfort us in all stages of our Lives. You bring Life.
Healing for our friend with healing from all cancer. The prayers we all lift up to You. Our summer travels.
More Heaven on earth. For ourselves, our cares, the People We Love, the People You give us. Our Nation and the Nations in Your Love. All of the Children of God surrounding Your Good Creation in Prayer.
In Jesus. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †