Lamentations 4-541 How the gold has become dim! The most pure gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how they are esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 3 Even the jackals offer their breast. They nurse their young ones. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask bread, and no one breaks it for them. 5 Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace dunghills. 6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment. No hands were laid on her. 7 Her nobles were purer than snow. They were whiter than milk. They were more ruddy in body than rubies. Their polishing was like sapphire. 8 Their appearance is blacker than a coal. They are not known in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones. It is withered. It has become like a stick. 9 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for lack of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children. They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11 Yahweh has accomplished his wrath. He has poured out his fierce anger. He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations. 12 The kings of the earth didn’t believe, neither did all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem. 13 It is because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the middle of her. 14 They wander as blind men in the streets. They are polluted with blood, So that men can’t touch their garments. 15 “Go away!” they cried to them. “Unclean! Go away! Go away! Don’t touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, “They can’t live here any more.” 16 Yahweh’s anger has scattered them. He will not pay attention to them any more. They didn’t respect the persons of the priests. They didn’t favor the elders. 17 Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save. 18 They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets. Our end is near. Our days are fulfilled, for our end has come. 19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky. They chased us on the mountains. They set an ambush for us in the wilderness. 20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, under his shadow we will live among the nations. 21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwells in the land of Uz. The cup will pass through to you also. You will be drunken, and will make yourself naked. 22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion. He will no more carry you away into captivity. He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom. He will uncover your sins. 51 Remember, Yahweh, what has come on us. Look, and see our reproach. 2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3 We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are as widows. 4 We have drunken our water for money. Our wood is sold to us. 5 Our pursuers are on our necks. We are weary, and have no rest. 6 We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. 7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more. We have borne their iniquities. 8 Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand. 9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness. 10 Our skin is black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine. 11 They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah. 12 Princes were hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honored. 13 The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood. 14 The elders have ceased from the gate, and the young men from their music. 15 The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is turned into mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! 17 For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim. 18 For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it. 19 You, Yahweh, remain forever. Your throne is from generation to generation. 20 Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time? 21 Turn us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old. 22 But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.
Song of Solomon 8:8-1488 We have a little sister. She has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she is to be spoken for? 9 If she is a wall, we will build on her a turret of silver. If she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. 10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers, then I was in his eyes like one who found peace. 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He leased out the vineyard to keepers. Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit. 12 My own vineyard is before me. The thousand are for you, Solomon, two hundred for those who tend its fruit. 13 You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice! 14 Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!
John 7:25-36725 Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he whom they seek to kill? 26 Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ? 27 However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you don’t know. 29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”30 They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 But of the multitude, many believed in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, he won’t do more signs than those which this man has done, will he?” 32 The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you a little while longer, then I go to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me, and won’t find me. You can’t come where I am.”35 The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What is this word that he said, ‘You will seek me, and won’t find me;’ and ‘Where I am, you can’t come’?”
1 Peter 5:12-19512 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Proud vs. Broken
Proud
Proud people want to be sure that no one finds out when they have sinned; their instinct is to cover up.
Broken
Broken people, once broken, don’t care who knows or who finds out; they are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose.
Meditate on this
Colossians 3:17 NKJV
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.