Ugly Scenes of Utter Humiliation, Part 2

Imagine the scene when Jeremiah, commonly known as the weeping prophet, strolled through the rubble of his city. Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonian invasion.

Its citizens, the Israelites, were marched off into exile, and their beloved Jerusalem lay in ruins. This is the tearful backdrop for today's edition of Insight for Living, on which Chuck Swindoll continues a message started on Friday. This study in Lamentations, chapter 4, has striking similarities to some of our urban centers today.

Chuck titled this message, Ugly Scenes of Utter Humiliation, and he begins with prayer. We're so burdened, our Father, for our country. This great land into which we were born, many of us and others have become citizens here, and the place we call home, in some parts of us don't even resemble what we once looked like.

Or hardly sound like the way we used to sound. Many leaders have fallen away, whom we once respected. Some who once spoke your truth have now drifted from even that, and one wonders for a turn to find direction. We need you every day, every hour, every moment. We need you. We need you to protect us. We need you to direct us.

We need you to warn us. Give us ears to hear and hearts willing to obey, and minds that remember and will not soon forget why hard times come. We thank you for the young today, those just beginning their lives, and we are grateful for the privilege we have of shaping their thinking, providing protection, instruction, divine guidance from your Word. Give mothers and dads, parents and grandparents alike, the discipline, the reminder to take time to be with them, to remind them of the value that righteousness, when it leads the nation, bears great benefits. But when the wicked rule, the people groan. Remind us as well, our Father, that it is vain for the watchman to watch the city if the Lord is not in charge.

If Jerusalem could fall, any city could fall. Guide us, we pray, as we come before you today on this holiday weekend, trusting in you to get us through this time of coronavirus. We pray for those suffering from it, those very ill because of it, and those ill for other reasons, and we pray that you would give restoration and hope, renewal, give extra strength to those who courageously serve them and minister to them and their medical needs, their physical needs. We do thank you for our Savior who loved us and gave himself for us, and on this day we realize he is the same yesterday and today and forever. He cares for us. He died for us. May we live for him. We are so grateful for Christ. And now, our Father, we pray that you will endear yourself to us as we worship you. May we see you in the pages of your word. May we feel the sting of those warnings.

May we understand the reproof. It's not meant simply for ancient people who lived 2,500 and more years ago, but for us on this very day. And may it make a difference, we pray, in the way we live, the way we think, in the kindness we show to one another, and the message we carry of everlasting hope. Watch over those who protect us from harm, those wearing the uniform as well as those representing the cross in difficult and dark places.

Encourage them. Encourage their families who await their return. Minister to us through the memory of those who passed on in combat defending our freedom. And give us a deep sense of gratitude for those who lie beneath white crosses today. We commit our worship to you now, our Father, in the name of Christ, our Savior and Lord.

And everyone said, Amen. I wonder at times if Jeremiah didn't really lose heart. When you're a prophet and you are forever carrying out what you're called to do, it's a rough road.

I made a quick list. He was misunderstood by his own family and friends, so they wrote him off. He was opposed by other prophets and priests who were false prophets and false priests. He was mistreated and persecuted by the citizens of the city where he lived, kings and princes as well. He was mocked and shunned by those who took time to listen for a while and then turned their back on him and laughed at him. He was tormented by thoughts of being abandoned and forgotten by God.

He was haunted by his own warnings. And on top of everything, behold, the Babylonians came in just like Jeremiah said they would. In fact, we just read about it here in this fourth chapter where verse 12 tells us, Not a king in all the earth, no one in all the world would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem, right through the gates. They couldn't necessarily scale the wall or tear it down. But when you get a weak gatekeeper, you get in.

It's part of the way they got into Jerusalem. And by the way, that's what we are as people of God. We're gatekeepers. We declare the truth.

Ideally, we model it and we understand that even though we do that, it may not go well with us. We don't have the promise of an easy life or popularity. It's easy to be spoiled in this wonderful country of ours until we happen upon the times in which we live.

And suddenly we realize just how vulnerable we are. We've come to the day in which many circles in our country where the gold has lost its luster. Verse one, and the finest gold has become dull. You know what that's describing? Those that have great bank accounts, but an enemy has stolen it all.

What good is a great bank account if you're not the owner of it anymore? And there was once a time when the Temple of Solomon was marked by these beautiful gemstones, rare, and some of them virtually priceless. Now look at the gemstones.

End of verse one. They're sacred gemstones, but they now lie scattered in the streets. But it isn't the gold and the gemstones that concern the prophet the most. It's the children. See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in gold, are now treated like pots of clay by a common potter. You can always tell a lot about a nation by the way it treats its children. It stops training them well. It stops teaching them virtue.

It allows them to run free and wild, to make up their own mind about life. He says, even jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. We don't feed our young.

The parched tongue of their little ones stick to the roof of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any bread to give them. The people who once ate their richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest of clothing now search the garbage dumps for food.

Listen to this. This is Jerusalem. This is Jerusalem. The pride of the Jews. The place of honor. The star of David flew over this city.

Not now. It doesn't even look like Jerusalem. I thought of that this week as I looked at a part of our country that doesn't look like our country. It doesn't seem like the city by the sea where we once enjoyed leisure walks down to a beautiful fish market or over to a lovely restaurant where we would enjoy seafood through the evening. Now you wouldn't walk there.

You'd be afraid of being mugged. What's happened? Listen to me. There's violence about us.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There's nothing right about the violence. There's nothing good about arsonists. These are treacherous times in which whole areas are given over to the lawless as those in leadership look the other way. Doesn't even sound like the nation into which you were born. I'm not an old crotchety man trying to find a reason to complain.

I just happen to be alert and aware of the news like you are until I can stand to listen to it no longer. Cynthia's and my heart broke as we watched a father whose 19-year-old had been murdered in this lawless part of that city. Mr. Horace Anderson sat there and wept, had a picture of his son on his t-shirt. He said, that's my boy.

That's my boy. He's gone now. They killed him.

I don't know who did it. No one was there when I went to find him. I wasn't even allowed in, of all things. A murder had taken place and there weren't even police there to take note.

They weren't allowed in. He goes on and begins to weep and his companion with him puts his arms around Mr. Anderson and weeps with him and Cynthia and I break into tears. You can't watch that interview without tears. And the man groans and we groaned. And we had hearts that went out to this dear man. And we said to each other, could this be the same city? It isn't the same city. We read Lamentations Chapter 4 about a Jerusalem.

I could insert other names there and you could too. Cities out of control. Cities where people who worked hard to build their shops now walk back to ruins. There's no racial issue there. That's lawlessness.

That's breaking the law and getting away with it. This is what he saw there. He saw the results of people that just released controls. We trusted in those days it was the prophets and the priests who were the leaders. And he says, verse 13, it happened because of the sins of these false prophets and these phony priests who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.

And then he pictures them as lepers. Look at this. Look at the words of this. They wandered blindly through the streets so defiled by blood that none dared touch them. Get away, they say. Get away, they shout. The people shouted at them, you're defiled.

Don't touch us. And there's anarchy right here in the city that was once the jewel of the Jews. And he walks in the midst of it, never doubted without protection no city is safe.

Without providing for the protection, there is no way to sleep comfortably through the night. That isn't simply the words of a preacher. Listen to Proverbs 21, 31. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. Listen to Psalm 127, verse 1. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with centuries will do no good. The Lord must be in charge.

He must be the preeminent one. What has happened? This is why it fell. Those who were given responsibilities of leadership let the people down. They lied to them. They misrepresented the truth.

And they called a lie truth. By the way, this is a good time to show you a passage of scripture. Turn to Romans 13, will you?

Just for a few moments. Just the first few verses of Romans 13. I would imagine it's been a while since many of us have read this passage, so allow me to do that for you from the New Living Translation. Listen and reflect. Put your mind in gear. Don't wander. Remember the news of recent weeks.

And listen to this. Everyone must submit to governing authorities, for all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong.

Would you like to live without fear? Fear the authorities? Well then do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God's servants.

Look at this. God's servants sent for your good, but if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have power to punish you. They are God's servants. Sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Am I saying all in authority are right?

Are you kidding? Do you remember Nero, who was emperor toward the end of Paul's life? Nothing right about Nero.

Paul still wrote Romans 13. Because there are a few wrong doesn't mean all are wrong. May we please remember that when it comes to those who watch over our safety? There are bad teachers. Do we get rid of all teachers? Because there are a few bad ones. There are a few bad ministers.

Do we get rid of all ministers? Because there are a few phonies? Charlatans who were in it for the money?

The money. What a joke. There are some bad physicians. Are we tossing out all the physicians? Because there are a few bad ones. There are a few bad police. What's with this getting rid of all the police? Because a few are wrong. Some even murderers. They are to be punished. But all of them? I don't sleep well knowing my street is not patrolled.

I don't do well even though I set the alarm every night. Nor do you. We need those who minister protection.

Otherwise, the city builds itself in vain, says Psalm 27.1. Think! Think!

This is an era of group think where someone else tells us how to think. I'll never forget when I was interviewed to consider being the chaplain of the Senate. Can you believe that? Somebody put my name in there. And I got a call. I forget the man's name. He was very courteous.

Very kind. And he said, are you the Reverend Swindle? And I said, almost.

And then we had a little laugh and he said, I apologize. I'm not familiar with your name. I said, no. Most people aren't.

That's understandable. He said, but I'm calling about considering the role of chaplain of the Senate. I said, me? He said, yes. I said, actually I'm awfully busy with the church and I've got plenty to do helping at a seminary and a little radio ministry we have going called Insight for Living.

You want to know about that? And then I said, I really am not the man. I said, I thought you'd like to hear about what's involved. I said, well, I would.

In fact, I have a couple of questions for you after we talked a while. He was, again, very gracious. And I said, I just want to know if I'm able to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And he said, oh, oh, no, no, no. We're a pluralistic society now and there are many people who have a broader understanding of the God. The God. And I said, that's a good definite article.

I believe in the God. He said, I don't think we're saying the same thing. And then we began to talk further and I said, if I'm not able to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm not your guy.

And he was very nice and I went on a little further and I heard click. It was all over. So I'm here for the long haul, folks. I'm not going to the Senate, you know. No, no, please. No, don't.

There's a big rush for it anyway, let me assure you. Can you imagine being in a place where you can't pray? To the living God, the one and only God?

There is only one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. You say, well, that sounds pretty exclusive. Yeah, so is American Airlines. When they say, you want to fly to Chicago? It'll be Gate 9, it leaves at 9.15 a.m. and you'll need to be here an hour or two early.

They don't say, you have a choice, you can go to Gate 10, 11, 12, 9 might be one of them, or 8. We don't want to be too specific, we're pluralistic here. And by the way, you might want to go to Delta and check them out. It'd be hard to find American Airlines flight there, but no, no, no, none of that. We're very exclusive.

American Airlines, Gate 9, 9.09, or you don't get the flight. We like that, until it comes to our God. And then you're seen as arrogant, bigoted, no more than the word of God.

It's very specific. That's how people get saved. They found out they are sinners because they have never believed in the one true God through Jesus Christ, the one true Savior, who died on the one true cross and paid the penalty for our sins through the one true sacrifice. And when you understand that, it's very clear, you go right to the right gate at just the right time, and you step in and you're saved. You're rescued.

How great is that? You're listening to Insight for Living and a message from Chuck Swindoll. We're in the final stretch of our study in Lamentations, and he summarized this fourth chapter of Lamentations in the title of his message, Ugly Scenes of Utter Humiliation. To learn more about this ministry, be sure to visit us online at insightworld.org. Let me suggest that you make it a point to join us for the upcoming program because Jeremiah's discouragement turns a corner in the final chapter of Lamentations.

Unlike the first four chapters that are poetic in nature, the fifth chapter of Lamentations contains his prayer. Insight for Living offers a variety of options for keeping current with Chuck's teaching and for staying on top of the latest resources we have to offer. And so we invite you to go to our website and explore what's available today. You'll find links to articles, devotions, and updates from Chuck Swindoll when you go to insight.org.

These resources are made possible in part through voluntary donations from friends and our monthly companions. And God is using our partnership to touch lives. Very recently we received a voicemail from a young lady who said, Dear Pastor Chuck, thank you for being an instrument of our Lord. And another who said, I found the love of Christ through your messages on the airwaves.

It literally changed the course of my life and the lives of my children. So if you're one of our monthly companions, I have the honor of saying thank you from the countless listeners from around the world, like the two I just quoted. To become a monthly companion right now or to give a one-time donation, call us. If you're listening in the United States, dial 1-800-772-8888. That's 1-800-772-8888. Or give a donation online at insight.org. Join us again tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll continues to present this time-sensitive study in Lamentations, right here on Insight for Living.