Lamentations chapter 3

vs 45

Bam. Needed a bit of a reality check, it seems. From the apple of God's eye to the scum of the nations.

vs 46

I assume that means they laugh at you, rather than, you know, trying to eat you. But it could equally be a symbol of mockery or destruction in the context.

vs 47

All those things that Proverbs tells us happen to those who take the wrong path, interestingly. They certainly have suffered from it.

vs 48

The nation is such an important concept to them. At a time when most people really only had loyalty to their own city-state, this is quite a big difference. The understanding of the position of the community before God, and so your place in the community, and the suffering that comes on you when they suffer, is quite incredible. God made his promises to a people, so to see that people destroyed, even while you live, is heart-rending.

vs 49

Quite heart-rending.

vs 50

So wait, are you tears only there to get God's attention? Or is the suggestion that God will wipe the tears away, once he deigns to see it? I'm going for the second one.

vs 51

And I feel grief at that too, when I think about it. Women so often get punished unnecessarily in the ravages of war. Men at least die with a weapon in their hands. But there is something so often about war that brings out the beast in people, and rape and looting are way too common.

vs 52

Well, without cause except that they were invading, God was using them as a rod to punish his people, and he is one of the people. Still, scary stuff, no doubt, and I'd say Jeremiah feels he hasn't really done anything to make the Babylonians his enemies personally.

vs 53

Pit might even mean well, considering the next verse. They caught him, obviously, and throwing someone in a pit and throwing rocks at them is really quite awful. I wonder if they did this because he's a prophet?

vs 54

Much like Jonah, really. Or, I guess they could have been dunking his head in a trough or something.

vs 55

Very much like Jonah! Damn us humans, always waiting till we're in the depth of a pit or the bottom of the sea before we call out to God. Now, Jeremiah no doubt called to God many times before the seige, and probably during. And he knew nothing would save him. But I'm just talking about us generally.