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Lamentations 3:40-47 (JDV)

Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine and probe our ways, and turn back to Yahveh.
Lamentations 3:41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in the sky:
Lamentations 3:42 “We have sinned and rebelled; you have not forgiven.
Lamentations 3:43 “You have covered yourself in anger and pursued us; you have killed without compassion.
Lamentations 3:44 You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.
Lamentations 3:45 You have made us disgusting filth among the peoples.
Lamentations 3:46 “All our enemies open their mouths against us.
Lamentations 3:47 We have experienced panic and pitfall, devastation and destruction.”

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I am going through the Bible and commenting on the text, so I do not plan a special text for holidays. This passage depicts the terrible state of Judah and Jerusalem during the exile. It speaks of God covering himself in a warrior’s mantle of homicidal anger, and with a cloud so that no prayer can get through to bring reconciliation. Access denied.

If God had chosen to continue covering himself thus, we would all be hopelessly lost. But the good news of the gospel (and Christmas) is that he uncovered himself, and visited us in the form of a little child. Wise men and shepherds — and everyone in-between — benefit from God’s choice to come down from the sky, giving us access to himself again.

Lord, thank you for your grace, wrapped up in a little baby.