Lamentations chapter 3

vs 12

God's attack has really been relentless.

vs 13

Obviously, someone only attacks their enemies, and so God here has made Jeremiah an enemy for his purposes.

vs 14

Who's laughing now?

vs 15

No doubt that means something. It sounds rather awful. Does it mean he's being dressed up as if to be cooked? Or buried? Or just that he feels ill? Can't say.

vs 16

Ouch. A picture of quite malicious destruction if you ask me.

vs 17

What an awful position to be in. How can you have hope when you can't even remember what to hope for? This is where God put him! To suffer this, for the sake of being a picture for the people.

vs 18

What did I say about hope? There it is, exactly so. That's the picture God wanted from Jeremiah. He got such the ass end of prophecy. I'm surprised he stuck to his guns. He must have doubted so often that what he had was from God. It was so awful.

vs 19

No doubt he remembers it, now that he sees what it was meant to represent.

vs 20

Not just because they were depressing, but they were a preparation for the reality, which he now sees.

vs 21

There is something that calls forth hope! Gosh. It's almost surprising to hear.

vs 22

It hurts, it hurts like a bitch, they are down... but they are not out. And that shows that God still cares. An army marched through their land. It could have just wiped them off the face of the earth. But no, God has kept his people, even through punishment.