Water and Wood Lamentations 5:4

As Jeremiah continued his prayer to the Lord concerning the conditions which lie in Jerusalem, he asked that God remember, consider and behold their losses of inheritances and homes to strangers. He also desired the Lord see their widows and orphans who were roaming the streets and were now more prevalent among them. In verse four of chapter five of Lamentations Jeremiah turns his attention toward their basic necessities such as water and wood where we read:

We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

The verse begins, “We have drunken our water for money;” Let us notice the use of the pronouns chosen by Jeremiah to describe this agony - “We” and “our”. He draws attention first to their action - “We have drunken” which is a normal activity, however we notice the cost for doing so - “our water for money”. In other words, the people of Jerusalem were having to pay for their own water. Water that used to flow freely among the people was being taxed, priced or levied upon by those who were in control of them.

The verse goes on to say, “our wood is sold unto us.” Not only was their own water levied, but Jeremiah said “our wood” which implies they owned it, “is sold unto us”. Though they at one time owned their own wood and there was ample supply for the people of Jerusalem, the conquerers were making them pay for it.

As though conditions could not get any worse, what was it like to have water and wood that was owned by the people of Jerusalem sold and levied by the Babylonians? Can we imagine having to pay for our own basic needs for sustenance? Water which helps to sustain life and quenching the thirst, and wood which was a means for cooking and warmth were now sold to those who desired them. The worse part is that they owned the very things they were having to buy. As we ponder these conditions, how would we respond if this occurred to us? We must remember that it was the Lord who through Jeremiah and the other prophets was warning the people of Jerusalem and Judah to turn from their wicked ways. He knew they would suffer in ways such as this. They didn't listen, and the prophecies were fulfilled just as the Lord had said. The question is, “Will we listen to the Lord in areas He points out in our lives, or shall we in effect be purchasing water and wood that is our own?”

Next time Jeremiah shares about laboring without rest, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

 

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