Lamentation An acceptable response to life’s difficulties? (The book of Job and selected verses)

Dictionary. com defines lament as “an expression of grief or sorrow Dictionary.com defines lament as “an expression of grief or sorrow. A formal expression of sorrow or mourning, especially in verse or song; an elegy or dirge.” Lament is a Biblical concept often ignored by Christians…and looked upon as a negative in our spiritual walk. I wonder why?

Mostly we avoid it, given a choice. At best we might sometimes pluck out of its context Lamentations 2: 22- 23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Jesus: Hebrews 5:7-9 (NIV) During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9  and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

He quoted from Psalm 22, showing His aloneness from God: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2  O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

Psalm 13:1-6 (NIV) How long, O LORD. Will you forget me forever Psalm 13:1-6 (NIV) How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3  Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4  my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5  But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6  I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

What are we told about Job? Job's Prosperity: 1:1-5 The heavenly ‘discussion:’ 1:6-12 Job’s first adversity: 1:13-19

Job’s response: 1:20 First, he looked back to his birth. Then he looked ahead to his death. Finally, Job looked up and uttered a magnificent statement of faith “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.“ (vs. 21). “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (vs. 22).

Job’s second adversity: The voice of the accuser (2:1-8). Vs. 4-5: "Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

The voice of the quitter: Job 2:9 (NIV) His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" This was exactly what Satan wanted Job to do, and Job's wife put the temptation before her husband.

Job 2:10 (NIV) “He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman Job 2:10 (NIV) “He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. “

In this marvelous book, we see Job in a variety of postures with very specific words being said. Listen as I read them…(the lesson will be posted at https://garydavenport.org/)

Some closing thoughts: have we in our relative comfort concentrated our worship too much on the language of praise and thanksgiving? Is that because we are influenced by the language of success and the cultural pursuit of happiness?

Laments use pain, anguish, anger and confusion in a passionate search for some answering comfort or sense of hope. We have to learn to lament and to do it in community, whether that is on our own behalf or as a way of speaking for others in much worse situations.

It isn’t about how things ought to be. It’s about how things are.

Let’s allow Lamentations 3: 31-33 to have the last word: “For the Lord will not reject forever. Although he causes [allows] grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.”