The Desolation of the Heart: A Cry for Justice
"¶ Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?" - Lamentations 2:20
The book of Lamentations presents a heartfelt outpouring of grief, mourning, and despair in the wake of Jerusalem's destruction. Chapter 2, verse 20 captures a poignant moment of turmoil within the soul of the people, as they beseech God to observe their plight: "Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?" This verse is a haunting reflection raising profound questions about suffering, injustice, and the seeming silence of God in the face of human calamity.
To understand this verse fully, we must set it against the backdrop of the entire book. The Israelites had experienced untold suffering, witnessing the city they loved torn apart by invading armies, their loved ones killed or taken captive, and their spirits crushed. This intense anguish leads them to cry out to God, not only to reveal their pain but also to confront the reality of what they are experiencing. In poetic fashion, they present God with a visceral depiction of their suffering—a mother reduced to the unimaginable horror of eating her own children due to famine, and the sacred roles of priests and prophets rendered utterly meaningless as they, too, fall victim to violence.
The people’s anguish raises a question that resonates through the ages: Why do the innocent suffer? The mothers weep for their children; the spiritual leaders are extinguished in the sanctuary of God. Where is justice in such calamity? The juxtaposition of the sanctity of the temple against the chaos of death evokes a deep conflict within the narrative. As worshippers, the Israelites expected the sanctuary, a symbol of God's presence and protection, to be a refuge. Instead, it becomes a site of sorrow and loss.
In our lives today, this ancient cry can mirror our own feelings of confusion and despair amid trials. How often do we feel God has turned away when we are confronted with injustice? How frequently do we witness suffering that defies understanding? It is essential in these moments to remember that the Lamentations give voice to grief. The ability to express anguish before God is a deeply significant aspect of faith.
God is not seeking our perfection but our authenticity. He desires us to bring our sorrow, our questions, and our struggles before Him. In the act of pouring out our feelings, like the Israelites, we are given the space to confront our emotions honestly. This transparency is pivotal to a genuine relationship with God. He serves as a listening ear in our moments of pain.
Additionally, at the heart of this lament is the acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty—even in devastation. The cry, "Behold, O LORD, and consider..." reminds us that God sees our suffering. It invites Him to keep watch over our circumstances while pleading for His mercy. In our suffering, there is an opportunity to recognize a higher purpose, albeit unfathomable at times.
Moreover, this lamentation urges us toward action, prompting questions that demand answers. For instance, how can we, as a faith community, ensure that the vulnerable are cared for, especially in times of crisis? God calls us to be advocates for justice, to ensure that the plight of the innocent—the very ones the Israelites mourn for—does not go unnoticed in our world.
In conclusion, as we reflect on Lamentations 2:20, we’re encouraged to embrace our vulnerability, to seek justice, and to remember that God is intimately aware of our pain. Even in the depths of despair, He invites us not only to lament but also to trust in His ultimate plans for restoration. Despite the devastation, hope can emerge from the rubble when we allow our cries to be a bridge toward faith and action.
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Lamentations 2:20 Artwork
Lamentations 2:20 - "¶ Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?"
"¶ Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?" - Lamentations 2:20
Lamentations 3:20 - "My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me."
Lamentations 5:20 - "Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?"
Lamentations 2:1
Lamentations 2:1
Lamentations 2:1
2 Chronicles 35:25 - "¶ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations."
"My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me." - Lamentations 3:20
Lamentations 4:20 - "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen."
Lamentations 5:2 - "Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens."
Lamentations 3:2 - "He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light."
Lamentations 1:20 - "Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death."
"Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?" - Lamentations 5:20
Ezekiel 2:10 - "And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."
Lamentations 2:5 - "The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation."
Ezekiel 27:2 - "Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;"
"He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor." Lamentations 2:2
Lamentations 4:2 - "The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!"
"He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor." Lamentations 2:2
Jeremiah 9:20 - "Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation."
2 Samuel 1:17 - "¶ And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:"
Acts 8:2 - "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him."
"Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens." - Lamentations 5:2
Lamentations 2:12 - "They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom."
"He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light." - Lamentations 3:2
"¶ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations." - 2 Chronicles 35:25
Lamentations 2:1 He has hurled down the splendor of Israel from heaven to earth;
Matthew 2:18 - "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
Lamentations 2:15 - "All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?"