"How gold has lost its lustre". When disaster strikes all the things which previously added joy and brightness to life suddenly seem worthless. This is another 22 verse acrostic.
The siege had become so bad that people stopped caring for their children, personal survival became the overriding concern for everyone. Even those who were once rich and lived a life of ease have been reduced to abject poverty. Women even ate their own children. Things were such that it was considered a mercy to be killed quickly by the sword than to have to endure the ongoing agony.
All this has happened as a result of the Lord's wrath being vented on Jerusalem. In verse 13 the false prophets and priests are assigned particular blame for this. Priests and prophets are meant to work on God's behalf, but instead they started operating on their own behalf. Sadly, we see this today as well.
So the people, including the priests and elders, are scattered among the nations. They looked for help, but in vain.
The poem ends on a ray of hope. The punishment would not go on forever, and her enemies would in the end be judged themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment