Lamentations 3-5
There is always hope for those of us who walk with God. And Jeremiah knows that very well.
Throughout this book we have seen Jeremiah pour out his heart to the Lord. He has recounted the devastation which has come to his nation, enumerating every abominable action which has taken place.
Yet right in the middle of the book, there is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible.
“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, therefore I have hope in Him.” (3:22-24)
Imagine Jeremiah remembering those facts in the middle of his despair. If he can say that while the nation of Israel is being totally destroyed, we can certainly say that also.
We all have times when things get tough. Illness, family turbulence, financial problems, and natural disasters are just a few of the circumstances which can come our way, often at no fault of our own. At those times our emotions may be raw, but when we do as Jeremiah did and “remember” (3:20), our thoughts and actions will turn around.
There is always a new day; a better day. Every morning when we arise, we have the opportunity to receive our Father’s mercy. If we just remember how good He is, we will lift our eyes to heaven and receive.
Whatever is happening today, tomorrow can be better. His lovingkindnesses (notice it’s plural) indeed never cease!
Great is His faithfulness.
Hebrews 9
Remember how we keep saying that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed? Probably no chapter in the Bible shines a light on this truth better than Hebrews 9.
All of those centuries when the Jewish high priests were carrying out their sacrifices, they were doing them according to the law which was given to Moses. Everything was done exactly according to the plan. No variations.
Over those years they were going through rituals much more significant even than they realized. They were performing demonstrations of God’s perfect plan which would eventually be carried out through Jesus.
The lambs were slain and the high priests would sprinkle the blood on the altar. (Which we know was behind the curtain, a place unavailable to anyone but the high priest). Now we see that these were only copies of the real event. (V.21).
The real lamb was Jesus, and the real altar was the one in heaven. The day came when the final, perfect sacrifice was made, and just as Jesus said, “It is finished.”
No longer do we need blood of bulls and goats. No longer does the priest go behind the curtain and sprinkle blood on the altar. The real has come, and we are free from those sacrifices. In fact, the curtain is no longer there, because it was ripped from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross.
Now we are set free from dead works, and we are free to go into our Father’s throne room at any time.
The types and shadows, as they are called, are hints which lead us to the truth about our Lord and about our Father’s plan of salvation.
It’s here now. All we have to do is receive it!
