Liberty according to Jeremiah in his lamentations

Lamentations 3:21-33

    When I was a seminary student in 1976 , I had the marvelous opportunity to work down town Philadelphia as a volunteer in the American Bible Society ( for my seminary was in downtown Philadelphia).  There I operated an old printing press and printed off Bible verses during our nation’s bicentennial for people that stopped in.  I would often take the subway or walk over to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall to go through the halls to see our nation’s origin.  Here I saw the actual place where our founders signed the Declaration of Independence and the crack in the liberty bell with the inscription from Leviticus 25:10, “ Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants therof..”  I was in awe of these places.  I am still in awe of our nation and its principles and its founders who through rough times hoped in God and did not give up despite the force arrayed against them.  They were of the spirit of Patrick Henry who in response to the unfair taxes of the colonial British empire said, “ Give me liberty or give me death!”

   I saw a picture yesterday of the American Bald Eagle in front of the American flag with his head down .  Someone put it on facebook.  I do not think he was praying so much as crying.  That is what I thought.  Why was he crying?  He was crying just as Jeremiah did in Lamentations which we take a look at today because the true nation of Israel was in exile.  Jerusalem and Judah were destroyed.  The beautiful structures of the people’s places of worship were torn down.  The Chaldean army had down their work.  How could this all happen ?  “ How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!  How is she become as a widow!  She that was great among the nations.” Lamen 1:1

   The rabbis called this book, “ Dirges” .  It is a book of laments about what has happened and a self examination of the people which caused it.  Here  is the reason, “ Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity because of the enemy.” 1:5  Her transgressions against the law and love of God are the reason.  God does not act without reason. “ The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts..” 1:4

    We do not get it.  Neither did the people of the old Covenant.  “ Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed…” 1:8  For this the prophet does not shout.  He does not pout.  He mourns and He crys and He prays!  “ O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.” 1:9  He takes it personally.  Imagine going to Philadelphia and not seeing the Liberty bell and Independence Hall because they have been removed.  Liberty is no longer among us.  We today fighting such a battle for the soul of our  nation and the liberty of its people.  We are fighting for the unborn who are slaughtered every day in our nation.  We are fighting to worship God as we believe and in the extension of our worship to not have the interference of the government in works of charity in dictating what religion should look like.  This problem sounds a lot like what we started with when the settlers left England because of this very problem. We believe in the 1^st amendment to the Constitution.

   What does it say? “The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.” Wickipedia. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  Is there hope?  What should we do?  What did Jeremiah say and do?

  Yes, there is hope.  In our reading today we heard it.  “The LORD’s compassions fail not.” 3:22   “ They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”  Jeremiah could hope because he had hope in God.  He knew “ The LORD is my portion…I hope in him.”  “ Though He cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.” 3:32  We should not lightly read over these verses.  Even if the situation in our country does not change we have hope.  We have life.  We have liberty.  For our liberty is found in God and His faithfulness.  It does not come from men.  Our portion is Him.  Therefore I hope.  And if we can lovingly persuade those of the opposing view that their liberty too does not start with themselves or their pleasures, but in God, we will see our country and our churches prosper.  It is not in fireworks that burn for a moment but do not last.  Even if we are the last to say it, it will not matter.  God’s Word and His truth march on.  He will sweep this generation away if it does not turn back to His laws and His love.  We may have to experience His judgment in disaster if we do not turn to our true liberty.

    So now is the time and the time is short .  The time for liberty is upon us.  I do not want to walk thru Philadelphia and see a hollow display .  In  that display of liberty of the bell and the Hall are true heroes of our nation who fought and died for liberty.  Can we do less?