Morning Bible Study: Lamentations 3:37-54

37 Who can speak and have it happen

    if the Lord has not decreed it?

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

    that both calamities and good things come?

39 Why should the living complain

    when punished for their sins?

40 Let us examine our ways and test them,

    and let us return to the Lord.

41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands

    to God in heaven, and say: 

42 “We have sinned and rebelled

    and you have not forgiven.

43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;

    you have slain without pity.

44 You have covered yourself with a cloud

    so that no prayer can get through.

45 You have made us scum and refuse

    among the nations.

46 “All our enemies have opened their mouths

    wide against us.

47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,

    ruin and destruction.”

48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes

    because my people are destroyed.

49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,

    without relief,

50 until the Lord looks down

    from heaven and sees.

51 What I see brings grief to my soul

    because of all the women of my city.

52 Those who were my enemies without cause

    hunted me like a bird.

53 They tried to end my life in a pit

    and threw stones at me;

54 the waters closed over my head,

    and I thought I was about to perish.

Commentary

(the following is from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary -- www.christianity.com)

"While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. We are sinful men, and what we complain of, is far less than our sins deserve. We should complain to God, and not of him. We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn from evil to God. Our hearts must go with our prayers. If inward impressions do not answer to outward expressions, we mock God, and deceive ourselves.

The more the prophet looked on the desolations, the more he was grieved. Here is one word of comfort. While they continued weeping, they continued waiting; and neither did nor would expect relief and succour from any but the Lord."