Lament and Declaration

Humanitarian aid through NCM in Armenia will
be distributed to the new refugees. 

Scripture:

Rom. 9:1    I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. ⁴ They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; ⁵ to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Observation:

As Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he was in anguish over God’s people. His words echo those of Jeremiah:

Jer. 4:19    My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!

Oh, the walls of my heart!

My heart is beating wildly;

I cannot keep silent;

for I hear the sound of the trumpet,

the alarm of war.

²⁰ Disaster overtakes disaster,

the whole land is laid waste.

Suddenly my tents are destroyed,

my curtains in a moment.

²¹ How long must I see the standard,

and hear the sound of the trumpet?

²² “For my people are foolish,

they do not know me;

they are stupid children,

they have no understanding.

They are skilled in doing evil,

but do not know how to do good.”

Paul’s desperation for people to know Christ is evident. Just as he was zealous before, when it came to persecuting Christians, he is now desirous for all, both Jew and Gentile to come to Christ. 

Paul moves from lament to declaration, with his final sentence. This is a powerful Christologic statement regarding the Messiah — “who is over all, God blessed forever.” Jesus is the Messiah, the One who was to come from Israel, and ultimately, he has all power and authority, he is God, and blessed forever. He ends with an “Amen.” 

Application:

How quickly Paul moves from lament to to declaration. There is so much in this world that we can lament today. There is war — seemingly, everywhere. The Middle-East is ablaze with humanity struggling against humanity. And we wonder, along with Jeremiah, whether the people no longer know God — on all sides of the conflict! And just maybe that’s the issue everywhere — we lament that God’s children do not know the Father, or the Son. 

We are all God’s children, and our Father is reaching out to us all, across borders and war zones, wanting to draw us back into his loving embrace. As brothers and sisters, we are to love one another, sharing what we have to help in our times of trouble. 

So, what does a declaration have to do with this? It’s a powerful reminder that Paul doesn’t end with lament, but with a profound understanding that Jesus is the Messiah, and he is God! Therefore, when we look at the rumblings around the world, from Ukraine, to Armenia, to the Middle-East — we must be reminded that God is still on the throne. We shift our gaze from the earthly to the heavenly, and begin to participate in holy prayers, moaning and groaning for the pain of humanity, seeking to know the mind of Christ in the midst of such agony. We declare that the powers of this world do not have the ultimate victory, nor are they the saviors of this world. Jesus, alone, is our Savior — and we join with the Apostle Paul in the declaration that the Messiah “is over all, God blessed forever.” Amen!

Prayer:

Lord, our hearts are broken by what is happening in our world. We cry out in lament over the pain and suffering, and yet, we declare that you are our Lord! Help us, Lord, as Christians, to be your instruments of peace in this world — for your glory. Amen.