The Weeping Prophet

Study method

In Bible study on Thursday, we talked about the Hebrew word, Pardes. It is used by rabbis as an acronym for how to understand scripture. The four parts of Pardes are P’shat, Remez, Dirash, and Sod.

P’shat—the meaning of the story on a surface level.

Remez— the symbolic meaning, the bigger idea behind the surface meaning.

Dirash—the deeper meaning. The similarities to other stories in the Bible.

Sod—this is the understanding given by the spirit of God while studying the scriptures. This is the deeply personal side where God shows you how a scripture or story applies to you and your life and what it all means on a personal and deep level.

Today I want to look at a couple verses the Lord laid on my heart and use the Pardes method to dissect it and see what God wants to say to us. The verse is Lamentations (3:31-40). One of the key themes of Lamentations is how God draws near to his people in their pain.

To start I want to give you some background to Lamentations to hopefully make things clearer. First off, Lamentation is a book of poetry. That means it is less about what God says to us and more about our response to God and what it should be. As you read these verses remember this, it’s not about what God says to us but instead, it is about the experience Jeremiah, the author has met with God. It speaks to the heart God wants us to have especially in response to sin.

 P’shat- the face value meaning.

 “The Lord won’t always reject us! He causes a lot of suffering, but he also has pity because of his great love…Good and bad each happen at the command of God Most High.” (Lam 3:31-32,38)

These verses show us that nothing, good or bad, goes unseen by God. He allows things to take place in our lives, but even amidst our suffering God is with us. He has compassion for us, even when we cause our own misery with sin.

Remez- the symbolic meaning.

The story of Lamentations is that the city of Jerusalem has been destroyed and people have been carried off into slavery to Babylon. Jeremiah is looking at the ruins of his home and lamenting the people’s turning from God and the destruction of his city.

Sometimes we can stand in the middle of our own pain and cry out to God, as Jeremiah did. When we are crying out to our God, we get real. We wonder why He has let this happen, or how He will save us from the destruction around us. In those times we can know that even if God is quiet, He still hears our pain and sees our tears and He isn’t far from us.

Dirash—connection

Not all bad things come into our lives because of sin. One good example of this I can think of is in the New Testament Book of John. Jesus’ disciples asked him why a man was born blind and Jesus responded “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ”(John 9:1).

God uses things that were brought into this world by sin, (original sin in the garden of Eden) such as disease, death, and pain, so people can see God work, like he did for the blind man.

However, even when suffering is brought into this world by our personal sin God will always use it for our good, to grow us and mold us into reflections of Himself. “We’re still alive! We shouldn’t complain when we are being punished for our sins. Instead, we should think about the way we are living, and turn back to the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:39-40) 

“He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. (Joh 15:2) God removes things from our lives that keep us from walking close to Him. This process isn’t always pleasant and personally, I have found that more often than not God uses the hard times to accomplish His pruning.

Sod—God’s revelation in my life.

One thing I have seen Him use in my life is chronic illness. I was born with a disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). EDS is a rare connective tissue disorder. It causes a lot of chronic health issues, one such issue being chronic and at times debilitating pain.

It is in times of great pain that God has shown up in a big and personal way. Through these times I have learned to depend solely on God. To cry out to Him in my deepest pain. It is in these times I have grown the most as a person, especially as the king’s daughter.

Pain had taught me how to endure pain while still singing His praise. It has taught me to keep praying even when it feels like God is not listening. Because of the lessons I have learned in these times of pain, I have been able to grow in joy in times of plenty as well as pain. I have become a faithful follower, instead of an on-again off-again Christian. I along with others in my life have seen the blessings that have come from this change.

In my own life, I have seen God transform my heart from one that was full of sorrow and hopelessness to one that is overflowing with joy and I know He can do the same for you. We must keep our focus on God and what He is doing in our lives instead of focusing only on the circumstances around us.

Conclusion

When we think of pain, suffering, and sickness our minds do not automatically think of joy or peace. Today we used the Pardes method of studying scripture. We looked at a few verses in the Book of Lamentations. God’s word revealed several truths that we can cling to when we are in our seasons of struggle. God’s word revealed that even in our pain He is not far from us and that all things in our life can be used for God’s glory and for shaping us into better reflections of Christ.

I would love to hear from you! Comment your stories and experience with God in seasons of pain and struggle down below or send me an email at Emilyb@moreofjesusplease.com.

As you go through your week here are some thoughts you can ponder and prayerful seek out God for the answers to:

• Write a poem, song, or letter to God expressing your thoughts and feelings about any pain or struggles you may be facing. It’s important to be honest and not sugarcoat your emotions. Though God already knows what you’re going through, He wants you to talk to Him about it. You may be surprised at how this will change your prayer life.

• Are there things in your life that God is trying to “prune” out?

• What are some ways you can praise God even in the struggle? (memorize verses, hymns, or worship music, breathe prayers)?