Lam 4:14 | KingComments | STEP | In these verses we hear a detailed confession of the cause of the affliction. All this befalls Zion because the LORD has accomplished His wrath ( ). “Accomplished” means ‘completed’, ‘fully expressed’. Hence this dire fate. The LORD has destroyed Zion with the fire of His anger. Not Nebuchadnezzar, but He has kindled the fire that has consumed the foundations of the city, so that there is no foundation left to be called a city. Everyone knows that Jerusalem was a strong, impregnable city ( ). It was unthinkable that it would be taken. Yet that is what happened now, because God’s holiness was not reckoned with. He cannot let sin go unpunished, even among His chosen city and people. The cause of the city’s condition is the sins and iniquities of the spiritual leaders of the people, the false prophets and priests ( ). God has had to cancel His protection of the city. On her sticks the blood of the righteous who have perished with the unrighteous. The prophets are the false prophets, who instead of showing God’s will to the people have prophesied what has arisen in their own hearts and is pleasing to men. The priests have had to explain God’s law, but have become the grossest lawbreakers and have gone ahead the people on a path of sin that has caused this judgment. This select company of prophets and priests have blood on their hands. They have killed those who warned them of the coming judgment (cf. ). And not only that. They have silenced the warning voices so that judgment has become inevitable. These deceivers wander in the streets like blind men ( ). They look terrible in their blood-stained garment. It is the outward sign of their conduct in which they have shed the blood of righteous people. They bear the mark of Cain and must be treated as lepers ( ). The prestige they had among the people is completely gone. The people who are themselves unclean because of their sins are now driving out these false prophets and priests. The misguided people cry out in anger to them that they must go away. They shout what lepers are obliged to shout of themselves ( ). As if they were lepers, they are driven out by all. They are not granted a place to stay among the nations in exile. In the second confession of sin ends, which is at the same time a confession of faith. In fact, the false confessors are scattered not by the people, but by the LORD, so that they can no longer exercise their evil influence. It is because they have not been honoring the true priests and did not favor the elders.

‏ Lamentations 4:14

Confession of the Cause of Affliction

In these verses we hear a detailed confession of the cause of the affliction. All this befalls Zion because the LORD has accomplished His wrath (Lam 4:11). “Accomplished” means ‘completed’, ‘fully expressed’. Hence this dire fate. The LORD has destroyed Zion with the fire of His anger. Not Nebuchadnezzar, but He has kindled the fire that has consumed the foundations of the city, so that there is no foundation left to be called a city.

Everyone knows that Jerusalem was a strong, impregnable city (Lam 4:12). It was unthinkable that it would be taken. Yet that is what happened now, because God’s holiness was not reckoned with. He cannot let sin go unpunished, even among His chosen city and people.

The cause of the city’s condition is the sins and iniquities of the spiritual leaders of the people, the false prophets and priests (Lam 4:13). God has had to cancel His protection of the city. On her sticks the blood of the righteous who have perished with the unrighteous.

The prophets are the false prophets, who instead of showing God’s will to the people have prophesied what has arisen in their own hearts and is pleasing to men. The priests have had to explain God’s law, but have become the grossest lawbreakers and have gone ahead the people on a path of sin that has caused this judgment.

This select company of prophets and priests have blood on their hands. They have killed those who warned them of the coming judgment (cf. Mt 23:35). And not only that. They have silenced the warning voices so that judgment has become inevitable.

These deceivers wander in the streets like blind men (Lam 4:14). They look terrible in their blood-stained garment. It is the outward sign of their conduct in which they have shed the blood of righteous people. They bear the mark of Cain and must be treated as lepers (Lam 4:15).

The prestige they had among the people is completely gone. The people who are themselves unclean because of their sins are now driving out these false prophets and priests. The misguided people cry out in anger to them that they must go away. They shout what lepers are obliged to shout of themselves (Lev 13:45). As if they were lepers, they are driven out by all. They are not granted a place to stay among the nations in exile.

In Lam 4:16 the second confession of sin ends, which is at the same time a confession of faith. In fact, the false confessors are scattered not by the people, but by the LORD, so that they can no longer exercise their evil influence. It is because they have not been honoring the true priests and did not favor the elders.