Spurgeon Morning and Evening March 30 PM

Biblical Context

The Book of Lamentations is a collection of five poetic laments, or sorrowful songs, written after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC by the Babylonians. Jeremiah, often called the “weeping prophet,” is widely believed to be the author. He was an eyewitness to the horrific events: the city’s fall, the temple’s destruction, and the exile of his people. The book isn’t just a record of sorrow; it’s a raw outpouring of grief, despair, and confusion, yet it also holds moments of hope and a call for God’s people to remember His character. Lamentations 3, where our verse comes from, begins with the prophet sharing his personal suffering, making the call to “search and try our ways” even more personal and urgent. It’s a plea for reflection and turning back to God even in the deepest pain and consequence of national sin.

Key Word Study

Let’s look at the word “search” from Lamentations 3:40. In the original Hebrew, this word is chaqar (חָקַר). It means more than just a quick look. It means to dig into something, to explore it thoroughly, to investigate it with great care. Think of it like a miner looking for precious gems, or a detective solving a mystery. It implies a deep and careful examination, not just of what’s on the surface, but what’s hidden beneath. When the prophet says “Let us search our ways,” he’s calling us to a serious, honest self-examination of our actions, our motives, and our hearts, to truly understand where we stand before God.

The Soul’s Deep Longing

Think about a spouse who really loves her husband, but he’s far away. She just lives for his return; she craves it. That long, drawn-out time apart from him feels like a partial death to her spirit. It’s the same with souls that truly love the Saviour. They just have to see His face. They can’t stand for Him to be away, even upon the mountains of Bether, where they can’t connect with Him. Just like a loving child who fears making their kind father upset and only feels happy when he smiles, a disapproving look or a raised finger can really hurt them.

The original text says, “they cannot bear that He should be away upon the mountains of Bether”. This phrase comes from the Song of Solomon 2:17, which says, “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.” It paints a picture of craving for the beloved’s return, even if they are only just over the hills. For us, it paints the desire for constant closeness with Christ; we don’t want Him to be even a little bit out of reach.

When We Knew Better

Beloved, you know, it was like this for you once. Maybe a line from Scripture, or a strong warning, or even a touch from trouble and pain, and you’d run straight to your Father’s feet. You’d be crying out, “Show me wherefore Thou contendest with me?” This cry, found in Job 10:2, is a humble plea to God, asking Him to reveal the reason for His actions or discipline. It’s an honest question from a heart wanting to set things right, ready to understand and change whatever had gone wrong.

The Danger of Drifting

But is it that way now? Are you fine with just following Jesus from a distance? Can you even think about your connection with Christ being cut off and not feel worried? Can you really stand it if your Beloved walks differently from you, just because you’re walking differently from Him? Have your sins made a space between you and your God, and is your heart at peace with that? This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. When our actions create distance between us and the One who loves us most, a heart at peace is a troubling sign, not a good one. It means we’ve lost our sensitivity to His Spirit.

A Grievous Contentment

Oh, let me tell you with all my heart, it’s a really bad thing when we can just live contentedly without feeling the joy of the Saviour’s presence right now. We’ve got to work hard to truly feel how bad this is—having only a little love for our Saviour who died for us, feeling only a little joy in our precious Jesus, having only a small connection with our Beloved! This spiritual lukewarmness isn’t a small problem; it’s a sign that our love has grown cold, and our spiritual sight has dimmed. We’re missing out on the very life and comfort that comes from a real, active bond with Christ.

A True Lent for the Soul

Let’s hold a real time of reflection and self-examination in our souls. Let’s really sorrow over how hard our hearts have become. But don’t you dare stop at just feeling sad! Remember the place where you first found salvation. Don’t wait. Go right now to the cross. That place, and that place alone, is where your spirit can come alive again. It doesn’t matter how hard, how numb, or how dead we might feel. Let’s go again, just as we are, in all the torn clothes, the emptiness, and the dirtiness of our natural state, holding nothing back.

Back to the Cross

Let’s hold onto that cross tightly. Let’s look into those tired, loving eyes of Jesus. Let’s wash ourselves in that fountain filled with blood—the blood that washes away every sin and makes us new. Doing this will bring back to us that first, fresh love we had for Him. It will bring back the simple trust of our faith, and the soft, kind feeling of our heart. It’s at the cross where everything broken gets mended, where cold hearts warm up, and where lost joy is found again. It’s where we remember the depth of His sacrifice and the truth of His unconditional love. It’s the only way we can shake off the spiritual apathy and reconnect with the source of life itself.