Lamentations 1:4 continues the narrative on the suffering of Israel at its enslavement by the Babylonians. Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, the home of King David, and the center of Israeli life, has been left as a ghost town. There are no more neighborhoods, the Temple has been destroyed, and the walls have been torn down. Except for a few stragglers, the city is empty of all life. The city that once buzzed with commerce, celebrations, and social activity is now left desolate. The passage says, “The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly.” The phrase in this passage that says “her virgins have been afflicted” is rendered by the Septuagint (The Greek Translation of the Old Testament) as “her maidens have been dragged away.” The New Revised Standard Version has this translation. It seems to complement the rest of the verse in that all signs of life are gone. The “virgins” or young maidens represent the hope for future generations. All hope is gone. Gingrich writes, “The roads to Jerusalem, formerly crowded with pilgrims, were empty, for the feasts were no longer kept. The open places inside the city’s gates (where the merchants had sold their wares, where the judges had settled disputes, and where the people had gathered to converse) were deserted. The city’s priests sighed for they offered no sacrifices and so had no income. Her virgins were afflicted with sorrows, for they had no prospects for a husband and children. All of these things caused Jerusalem to dwell in bitterness.”[1]
I’m reminded of our stay at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem several years ago. We arrived at the Hotel after a long day of walking to several places in the city. Jerusalem is divided into four quarters: Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. In a video presentation on the city, a young girl of each religion explains what it’s like to live in her quarter of Jerusalem.” Although they all have distinct characteristics, the business, the activity, the commerce, and the crowds make the walk very interesting. When we arrived at the Hotel, we enjoyed a great meal in a restaurant that overlooked a modern swimming pool with a large pavilion where a band was set up. We watched a young Jewish couple perform their routines in a traditional wedding ceremony. It was very Jewish and very somber. When the ceremony was over, men cleared away the tables, and the band began their opening set of music for the newlyweds and their guests. I was rather surprised that the first song the band played was one we all know from KC and the Sunshine Band, “Get Down Tonight.” The wedding was in Hebrew. The music was English.
There is no longer any reason to celebrate. There are no more weddings in Jerusalem. The city itself is in mourning. There is no more commerce, and there are no more celebrations of any kind. The city lies desolate. Yet, as the Psalmist sings, there is coming a great day of restoration. Psalm 65:11-13 says, “You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.” The outcasts in Jeremiah’s day could not even imagine what God had in store for them. In the midst of their great “lamentation” God did not totally desert them and had great plans for their future. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” This is God’s plan for us as well. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” That will be a great time of celebration.
[1] Gingrich, Roy E. 1998. The Book of Lamentations. Memphis, TN: Riverside Printing.