How the Lord has covered the Daughter of Zion with the cloud of His anger! He has cast the glory of Israel from heaven to earth. He has abandoned His footstool in the day of His anger. Sermons
I. THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN GOD IS ANGRY WITH EVEN THE OBJECTS OF HIS SPECIAL FAVOUR. Jerusalem was the "daughter of Zion;" the temple was "the beauty of Israel;" the ark was God's "footstool." But as even human love is not necessarily or justly blind to the faults of those beloved, so the Lord is displeased with those whom he has endowed with peculiar privileges and blessings, when they are unmindful of his mercies and disobedient to his laws. "As many as I love," says the Divine Head of the Church, "I rebuke and chasten." II. FROM THE HEARTS OF THE DISOBEDIENT GOD HIDES HIMSELF AS IN A CLOUD. When the sun is concealed behind a cloud, nature is chill, dull, and gloomy. The Lord is the Sun in whose light his. people find joy and peace; when he hides his face they are troubled, for no longer is it the case that they look unto him and are lightened. The heart and conscience of those who have offended God are overcast with spiritual gloom and unhappiness. So Israel found it; and there are none who have known the blessedness of God's fellowship and favour who can bear without distress the withdrawal of the heavenly light. III. UPON THE HEADS OF THE REBELLIOUS GOD HURLS THE BOLT OF HIS DISPLEASURE. The tempest long lowered over the doomed city; at last it broke in fury, and Jerusalem became a prey to the spoiler and was cast down to the ground. The prophet clearly saw, what in an age of ease and luxury men are prone to forget, that there is a righteous Ruler from whose authority and retributive power no state and no soul can escape. "God is angry with the wicked every day" Yet in the midst of wrath he remembers mercy, and the penalties he inflicts answer their purpose if they lead to submission and to sincere repentance. - T.
How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger. 1. It is our duty to strive with ourselves to be affected with the miseries of God's people.2. The chastisements and corrections that God layeth upon His Church are most wonderful.(1) The Lord will in His own servants declare His anger against sin.(2) He seeth afflictions the best means to frame them to His obedience.(3) His ways are beyond the reach of flesh and blood. 3. God spareth not to smite His dearest children when they sin against Him.(1) That He may declare Himself an adversary to sin in all men without partiality.(2) That He may reduce His servants from running on headlong to hell with the wicked. 4. The higher God advanceth any, the greater is their punishment in the day of their visitation for their sins.(1) To whom much is given, of them must much be required.(2) According to the privileges abused, so is the sin of those that have them greater and more in number. 5. The most beautiful thing in this world is base in respect of the majesty and glory of the Lord. 6. God's anger against sin moveth Him to destroy the things that He commanded for His own service, when they are abused by men. (J. Udall.) The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob 1. It is the hand of God that taketh away the flourishing estate of a kingdom (Daniel 4:29).2. As God is full of mercy in His long-suffering, so is His anger unappeasable when it breaketh out against the sons of men for their sins (Jeremiah 4:4). 3. God depriveth us of a great blessing when He taketh from us our dwelling places. 4. There is no assurance of worldly possessions and peace, but in the favour of God. 5. God overthroweth the greatest strength that man can erect, even at His pleasure. 6. It is a mark of God's wrath, to be deprived of strength, courage, or any other necessary gift, when we stand in need of them. 7. It is the sin of the Church that causeth the Lord to spoil the same of any blessing that she hath heretofore enjoyed. 8. These being taken away in God's anger, teacheth us that it is the good blessing of God to have a kingdom, to have strongholds, munitions, etc., for a defence against their enemies. 9. The more God honoureth us with His blessings, the greater shall be our dishonour if we abuse them, when He entereth "into judgment" with us for the same. (J. Udall.) He hath cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel 1. Strength and honour are in the Lord's disposition, to be given, continued, or taken away at His pleasure.2. When God's favour is towards us, it is our shield against our enemies; but when He meaneth to punish us, He leaveth us unto ourselves. 3. Though God's justice be severe against sin in all men, yet is it most manifest in His Church, having sinned against Him. (1) (2) (J. Udall.) People Jacob, JeremiahPlaces Jerusalem, ZionTopics Anger, Beauty, Cast, Cloud, Covered, Daughter, Footstool, Glory, Hasn't, Heaven, Heavens, Hurled, Kept, Memory, Remembered, Resting-place, Splendor, Wrath, ZionOutline 1. Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem20. He complains thereof to God Dictionary of Bible Themes Lamentations 2:1 6109 alienation 1025 God, anger of Library Watch-Night Service"Ye virgin souls, arise! With all the dead awake; Unto salvation wise; Oil in your vessels take: Upstarting at the MIDNIGHT CRY, Behold Your heavenly bridegroom nigh." Two brethren then offered prayer for the Church and the World, that the new year might be clothed with glory by the spread of the knowledge of Jesus.--Then followed the EXPOSITION Psalm 90:1-22 "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Yea Jehovah, WE, they children, can say that thou hast been our home, our safe … Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856 Chel. The Court of the Women. Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied in Ancient Rabbinic Writings Departure from Ireland. Death and Burial at Clairvaux. That the Ruler Should be Discreet in Keeping Silence, Profitable in Speech. Lii. Concerning Hypocrisy, Worldly Anxiety, Watchfulness, and his Approaching Passion. Lamentations Links Lamentations 2:1 NIVLamentations 2:1 NLT Lamentations 2:1 ESV Lamentations 2:1 NASB Lamentations 2:1 KJV Lamentations 2:1 Bible Apps Lamentations 2:1 Parallel Lamentations 2:1 Biblia Paralela Lamentations 2:1 Chinese Bible Lamentations 2:1 French Bible Lamentations 2:1 German Bible Lamentations 2:1 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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