After seeing the after
affects of the first chapter of Lamentations, we might wonder if
there could be more that Jeremiah looked upon as he looked over the
city of Jerusalem. We find that there is more, much more which he
writes about as he continues his discourse in chapter two verse one
where we read:
How has the Lord
covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and
cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and
remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!
The
verse begins, “How has the Lord covered the daughter of Zion
with a cloud in his anger,” Jeremiah reveals the source of the
troubles with “Zion” which we learned earlier is another
name for Jerusalem. He said, “the Lord covered” which
means “to wrap around or cover in darkness” “the daughter of
Zion”, and he likens this covering to a cloud of God's anger.
God had warned Judah and Jerusalem that if they continued in their
rebellion, they would suffer grave consequences, and they were
experiencing this promise of God which became a demonstration of His
anger.
The
verse goes on to say, “and cast down from heaven
unto the earth the beauty of Israel,” Where at one time there
was a declaration of the “beauty of Israel” or “splendor,
glory and renown” which symbolized the temple of Israel, God
discarded it from its “prosperity to its lowest misery”. While at
one time the city of Jerusalem and the country of Judah prospered
before the Lord, they were now cut down and made as servants.
Finally
the verse says, “and remembered not his footstool in the day of
his anger!” The “footstool” was a symbol of the “ark
of the covenant”, and the Bible speaks of Jesus making his enemies
“His footstool”. The enemies were to be put under the feet
of Jesus, but Jeremiah claimed that God “remembered not”
or “did not recall, did not think about, and basically forgot”
about His ark of the covenant. In other words the anger of God was so
heated against them that He put aside even the temple and the ark of
the covenant to bring judgment upon them.
Have we
ever wondered if God is angry with us? Have there been times where we
have wondered if God has completely forgotten the spiritual things in
which we are involved? As we consider the words of this verse,
perhaps our minds will be led to the cross upon which Jesus bore all
the anger of God against mankind. Since Jesus bore the price for our
sins, if we receive Him as our Lord and Savior, the wrath of God does
not abide upon us. We should be warned and encouraged by the word of
Jesus as recorded in the gospel of John in chapter three and verse
thirty six:
He that believes on the
Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not
see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Let
those who read these words be led to Jesus and away from the anger of
God.
Next
time we will see how God manifested His anger against Judah, so read
ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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