Offscouring and Refuse Lamentations 3:45

Jeremiah assessed the way God looked at the people of Jerusalem and Judah. His evaluation was that God was angry, persecuting, slaying and without pity toward them. He also felt as though the Lord had covered Himself with a cloud so that He could not hear the people's prayers. In chapter three and verse forty-five Jeremiah adds more to their blight-filled evaluation where we read:

You have made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.

The verse begins, “You have made us as the offscouring...” Jeremiah uses two metaphors to describe the way God has “made” the people including himself. The first is “as the offscouring” which is basically anything vile such “trash, rubbish, scrap, sweepings or dung”. In other words Jeremiah and the people of Jerusalem were made to feel like discarded trash or the excrement from animals or humans.

The verse continues, “...and refuse in the midst of the people.” Jeremiah's second metaphor was “refuse” which is “trash or garbage”. Like discarded “debris, detritus, filth and junk” the people in Jerusalem and Judah were removed and of no value in their current state.

As we think about these summations of Jeremiah, we should keep in mind how often God called the people of Jerusalem and Judah to repentance. Over and over again in the prophetical books of the Bible did the prophets plead with them to change, but they would not alter their paths. Like a beckoning father who pleads with his children not to continue down a path that leads to their demise, the Lord beckoned the people to do differently. However, the people did not heed, and they continued down their path until they became as offscourings and refuse. Perhaps as we ponder these words we would benefit from examining our own lives. Are we on a path where the Lord is pleading for us to alter our ways? Are there practices about us that are leading us to be like rubbish or garbage? May the Lord help us to discern if there is any course about us that is in opposition to Him, and before it is too late, may we amend our ways when we find them outside of His will.

Next time we see what Jeremiah says about their enemies, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

 

Until tomorrow...there is more...

 

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