20240324 Lamentations 4 – Lament unearths our Idols.

A young doctor got her first job as a surgeon in a large hospital. To outsiders, she was beautiful, intelligent, and successful. She began to experience unbearable panic at work so she sought counseling. Being a surgeon, we assume that she was in a high-stress working environment. She interacts with life-threatening critical conditions. However, this was not her problem.

In counseling, she explored the source of the panic. After a few weeks of meeting, the pattern that emerged was that the panic arose from tiny things. For example, one day, she had recorded a detail of a patient’s medical history incorrectly. There was no harm done. She realized her mistake that same day and corrected it immediately. She did not get in trouble. Even if the error had gone uncorrected, no harm would have come to the patient. It was inconsequential. Her colleagues would all have agreed. Yet, this is not how this young doctor experienced it. She panicked over it for several hours that day, and it had not been easy for her to shake that feeling. These were some of the conclusions drawn from her counseling sessions.

She was crippled under the weight of her unrealistic expectations. Her problem was spiritual. She expected perfection from a limited creature. Her security and sense of worth and happiness depended on her performance. When the object of her hope failed her, she was crushed! This is idolatry. She is an idolater. Her ability to become flawless was her idol.

Experiencing hard emotions led this young doctor to a Christian counselor. Her anxiety led her to unearth an idol. This message is an invitation to be curious about our emotions. Our emotions of anger, sadness, despair, and anxiety are wonderful tools. They have the power to control us. When we recognize their hold on us, we can explore them and see what they teach us about the state of our hearts. They can teach us what is truly controlling our lives.

The study of idolatry is so important for Christians. At conversion, faith in Christ is in contrast to faith in idols. Becoming a Christian is turning from idolatry to the living God (1 Thess 1:9-10). Turning from idols is also a lifestyle. We need to continue to identify idols and turn to God.

We all long for more than the material world has to offer. If we don’t focus, our hearts will pursue fulfillment elsewhere than in Christ. We need to internalize, know, believe, and cherish the good news that Jesus paid for our sins. The gospel frees us from our idols and our desires become satisfied in a relationship with Jesus.

As we diligently pursue Christ, we remember that there are no two categories of Christians. It is not that some Christians have perfectly been transformed by the gospel and others have not. We all struggle with idolatry to some degree. We all still look elsewhere than Christ for the satisfaction of our desires. Whenever Jesus is no longer enough and we need something more, we have an idol. This idol will eventually fail us! This is where Lament comes in.

Much of our misery comes from our idolatrous hearts and so lament reveals our idols. When we worship an idol, and we will; when our idol disappoints us, and it will; God gives us the tool of Lament. Lament is worship. It is choosing to turn to God when we hit rock bottom. It is speaking to God sometimes with imperfect faith. It is seeking God in suffering and remaining God-centered. The focus of our lament may reveal what matters most to us. Lament can show us whether idols led us to our place of suffering. Lament allows us to use our suffering, repent from our sins, and turn to God.

Here is a concrete example of how lament can reveal an idol. If the stock market takes a nosedive and one feels completely down and they learn about lament and use it to turn to God they can realize that while wanting to be wise with money is a good thing, money makes a poor God to satisfy us. In this way turning to God with Lament in suffering revealed the idol of money. Lament and turning to God can reveal whether we have made an idol of romance, a sports team, politics, a country, a status, etc.

Lamentations 4 has two main themes. First, we will see that suffering can reveal the failure of our idols to satisfy us. Second, we see God's wrath against sin and idolatry. We will also see that the poem ends with the brief reminder of God’s Grace to Sinners in Lam 4:22.

First, we look at how lament can reveal our idols.

Lamentations 4 shows what the good life was like before judgment. The poet lists different good things that are taken away. These are good things that can become ultimate things. This is the bottom line. If anything can be taken away from us, it cannot satisfy us eternally.

Lam 4:1-8 mentions the gold that grows dim (v.1), the delicacies of feasts that have perished (v.5), and physical beauty that disappeared (v.7-8). Lam 4:12 highlights the false sense of security of living in a “safe part of the world.” No one imagined that enemy forces could penetrate the gates of Jerusalem. Lam 4:13-20 turns to failed leaders. It mentions the failure of the priests, the elders, and even God’s anointed, the living king of the line of David. The bigger something is, the less we expect it to fail. According to Lam 4:17, the nation could not save. Nations seem to be the most stable things yet, the nation could not save. Fun fact, since 1990, 30 countries have been formed. This teaches us how unstable geopolitical entities are. They can be helpful but not eternal.

How are these elements idols for us?

Judy Cha, a Christian therapist in New York puts all idols in 4 helpful categories. These are power (influence over others), control (wanting predictability), comfort (avoiding distress), and approval. Our text highlights these four categories. Gold relates to all four power, comfort, control, and approval. Feasts relate to comfort. Physical beauty could be approval but also control. Our politics or looking to strong leaders could be connected with power but also control. None of these things are bad. Feeling good about the way we look, having leaders we trust, feasting, and making money are not bad. They are good and have their place. The question is, do we hold them with an open hand?

Money matters. Without money, you cannot survive. If our basic needs are not met, it will affect our quality of life. Necessities are food, clothing, and shelter (John Mark Comer). If you have those things and no phone, internet, or car, you can still be happy. Right? If we made less money and lived in a smaller home, we can still be happy. Beyond necessities, any conditions for our happiness could be an idol.

What about comfort or security? I want comfort and security and I want everyone to enjoy those as well. If we are Christians, we have eternal security. Our biggest problem is by far our sin. The consequences of sin are by far the worst. They are death and eternal destruction. In Christ, we know the comfort of knowing our sins are forgiven and the security that nothing can take that away. If we keep Christ central, trials can come our way, we may be shaken but never crushed. What about leaders? Good leaders are great, and they cannot save you. I hope it is obvious for political leaders. But within the church, church leaders will fail. They will fail you. They will make mistakes. We need Christ to be the ruler of the church.

When a leader becomes too central to a church, if they fail, the church closes. We want leaders and teachers to be healthy. We also know that the leader’s health does not magically transfer to the members' health. Only Christ can save.

Even for growth in Christ, it is only by abiding in Christ by faith strengthened through Bible reading, prayer, the sacraments and Christian fellowship that Christians bear fruit. Growth does not occur through not church leaders, even if they are helpful!

To end this point on idolatry, this is an illustration Tim Keller shared once. A young woman who went from one abusive relationship to another. When she became a Christian she realized that in the past, relationships were her idol. She needed to be in a relationship to feel like she had worth. She had sought some counseling because of the trauma from the relationships. The counselor had told her that to feel better she had to realize that men were not the answer for fulfillment. Rather, she had to focus on her career. She answered, "So, my problem was that I was looking to men to give me my identity, and now you are telling me to my job my new source of identity?" She knew the problem was with her heart and where she was seeking worth. She is now married but made it clear to her husband that the number one love of her life will always be Jesus! Idols are everywhere and can be anything. When we experience heartache, anger, or despair turn to God and Lament. He may reveal what truly has a hold on our lives.

Second, we look at God’s Wrath Against Sin and Idolatry

Lamentations 4 presents the consequences of God's Wrath against sin and idolatry. Lam 4:3-4 portrays vividly hungry infants and children. According to Lam 4:9, the situation was so hard, that “happier were the victims of the sword.” Lam 4:10 uses extreme language to express the situation saying it was the compassionate women who “boiled their own children.” The author explicitly connects misery with the work of the LORD. In Lam 4:11 “The Lord gave full vent to his wrath, he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations.” In Lam 4:21-22, the focus changes but the theme of judgment remains. The Lord uses the nations to bring about Jerusalem’s destruction. Edom, Israel’s neighbor, rejoiced at Israel’s demise. If God is just, Edom will also see her time come and face judgment.

We have three applications.

The First is the Wrath of Final Judgment. The anger, sadness, and anxiety that leads us to pray and Lament can often unearth idols in our lives. We can feel that the intensity of the judgment of Lamentations 4 is not something we will ever have to worry about. Lamentations 4 refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, the exile of many to Babylon, the destruction of homes, and brutal deaths. This is more than what we expect for hoping in the wrong things. Whenever judgment appears in the Bible, whether Adam and Eve are cast out of the presence of God, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and exile in Babylon, these events remind all people of a future greater judgment to come. A text that connects the sin of idolatry, misery, and the wrath of God also reminds us of God's final judgment.

If we look elsewhere than God for worth, joy, and fulfillment, we are separate from him. If we live separately from the Lord in this life, the final judgment makes the separation permanent. While the judgment of Jerusalem was temporary and local, the Final Judgement will be final and complete.

Judgment is a hard topic. If you believe in Jesus and believe the Bible reveals Jesus, know that judgment is also a central theme of Christianity. The Christian good news is that Jesus came to forgive sins to save us from the judgment to come. This text warns us to take our sins seriously and turn to Jesus.

A second application concerns imprecatory prayers Imprecatory prayers ask God to judge our enemies. It is how Lamentations 4 ends. These are hard prayers. They are prayers that are consistent with God’s character. The Lord is compassionate to all who turn to him and he will judge the unrepentant. When we pray and lament, we confess our sins. We recognize that we deserve God’s displeasure for our sins. We hate our sin and if we are consistent, we also must hate the sin of others. We can pray for mercy that people turn to God in repentance and that God will judge the wicked fairly. Knowing that God is just, we know he will judge fairly.

A third application concerns the Remedy to Idolatry which is Faith in Christ and Biblical Worship

Idols cannot withstand the wait we try to place on them. Idols will eventually fail. When we desire above all to have comfort, control, approval, or power when we don't, we will experience anger, despair, or anxiety. Even more importantly, these hard emotions, idolatry makes us liable to judgment.

The remedy to idolatry is faith in Christ and Biblical worship. When we trust in Christ we are happy to submit to his authority. We learn to trust in God's sovereignty so we do not need to try to control everything. We do not need to be driven by approval because God has accepted us. We learn to find comfort not in temporary earthly things but in God’s sure promises. God satisfies better the longings of our idolatrous hearts. Our confidence in Christ grows through Biblical worship.

Biblical worship is the appropriate response to the ways God reveals himself. Biblical worship is done according to the ways God promises to meet his people: these means of Grace are prayer, the scriptures, the sacraments, and a healthy Christian community. As a church, we try to use these means of Grace. These are ways we combat idolatry. They stir up our faith in Christ for our full enjoyment of God!

I want to end with the text's invitation.

This poem is in the book of Lamentations. It offers an honest voice of pain even when we suffer because of misplaced trust and idolatry. Lament is one of God’s gifts to us. Even in our pain and suffering, God meets us.

Lamentations 4 concludes with the end of judgment. Lam 4:22, “The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished; he will keep you in exile no longer.” This is good news. We may experience the consequences of misplaced trust. We may be angry, anxious, or sad. We may be experiencing God's displeasure. We see in Lam 4:22, that the Lord is compassionate to his people and so he is compassionate with us.

We all have an idol problem. Lamentations 4 warns us of judgment but also offers good news. God wants to be our God. A first step to turning back to God can be lament. We turn to God. We can complain about our misery acknowledging our sin and God's justice. We can make requests. We can trust him either for the first time or anew.

We may have to continue to deal with the consequences of past actions. God promised Israel’s exile would end. And so with us, no matter what happens, God has already dealt bountifully with us in Christ. Our hardship will end, maybe not on this side of glory, but the time will come. We have a living hope of being with Christ forever which no one can take away.