What is it about?
Jeremiah continues his poetic remembrance of the demise of Jerusalem. In each verse he reminds readers that the people of Jerusalem are in exile. This takes it to a more personal level by talking about the nation’s children in exile.
What did it mean to the original readers?
I’m certain that the emotional realities were the same then as they are today. It’s one thing to be punished for something you’ve done… it’s another thing for your children to be punished for your actions.
What does it mean to me?
The first part reminds me of the fear of competition. You don’t want to lose a competition (business, fun, sports) because if you lose, your foe becomes your master. Sure, there is always “next time” but when you lose that first match, you are always put into the less dominant position.
The second part is actually quite factual today. Maybe not on a national level as much as on a personal level. When we make decisions, as parents, those decisions effect our kids. Often times I make decisions that have negative impact on my kids that I couldn’t have conceived of beforehand. Such as, when I work too much my kids have disciplinary problems… especially Paul. In my eyes I’m doing something good for the family by investing in their future… in his eyes I am ignoring him and he’ll express his disappointment the only way he knows how… misbehaving. Of course, it gets worse with sin issues. But the same principle applies. If I sin terribly, my kids would experience this verse to a T.
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