PASTOR’S NOTES
How the gold has become dim”
In chapter 4 of lamentations, Jeremiah is seeing how quickly things can change. In the part of Jerusalem where Jeremiah was, stood the temple. The temple that King Solomon had dedicated as the center of worship for God’s people in 1 Kings. If there was ever a place that would not fall to ungodliness, it would be the place in which he stood. That is at least what anyone would think during that time.
However, not only did the temple and people fall, but it fell harder than Sodom and Gomorrah scripture tells us! “How the gold has become dim.” How quickly things can change. Like a slow drip, the people of Jerusalem rebuilt their foundation away from God, which quickly changed their ability to weather the storm. The people traded their rock for sand and fell with a mighty bang!
What can we learn from this message today? Have we become blinded to changing foundations? Have we traded the goodness of God for worldly desires which has invited more damage than blessings? What we need to see is that in 1 kings and Jeremiah (300 year difference), the people went into temple through the same doors. During the time of Solomon, they entered to worship God, during Jeremiah to check the box of doing what they felt they needed to do. One invited peace and blessings and one invited doom.
Chapter 4 is a picture of devastation, a picture of broken people walking through a graveyard. Unlike the people during this time, I pray we all see the call to repentance. Worship; don’t check boxes. We look for rock to build on, not settle for sand.
SCRIPTURE TO GO ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE
Read 1 Kings 8 & Jeremiah 7:1-11. These are wonderful verses in the background of the temple and the place where Lamentations takes place.
HIGHLIGHT IN YOUR BIBLES
Highlight verses1, 7-8 in Lamentations 4.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1.) When in your life have you ever seen the strong turn weak by the changing of foundations, priorities?
2.) Did you hear or see the warning much like Jeremiah tried to give?
3.) Where in your life right now is being called to repentance? Where are you inviting doom not peace?