Skeptics point to disasters, sickness, and all instances of human suffering as evidence that God does not exist. They reason that if God did exist and was truly good, He would not allow such things to happen. Theologians use the word “theodicy” to describe arguments that defend God’s goodness despite the presence of evil in the world.

Jeremiah helps us understand how God works through suffering in Lamentations 1:12–16. Speaking in Judah’s voice, the prophet not only asserts that God exists despite the evils they have experienced, but he also sees God’s hand in these hardships. Jeremiah points to God’s part in their trials, describing the things inflicted upon Judah as suffering “that the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger” (v. 12). Even though human agents administered the blows, they ultimately came from “on high” (v. 13). Jeremiah blends imagery that speaks of entrapment (“a net for my feet”) with a verb that frequently speaks of penitence (“turned me back”) to hint at the divine purpose for such extremity.

The hard lesson was that their suffering was the combined result of Judah’s guilt and God’s discipline. Exile was a “yoke” fashioned by God out of Judah’s sins. The Lord “gave” Judah “into the hands” of those they were unable to withstand (v. 14). Judah’s defeat was a sign of the Lord’s rejection. Instead of defending the city, He “summoned an army” against it and “trampled” Judah “in his winepress” (v. 15). These verses lay the blame at Judah’s feet, while at the same time acknowledging the Lord’s ultimate control over their circumstances. Judah had been set aside, but only for a time. The knowledge that God was ultimately behind these things was proof of His loving interest, not a sign of hatred.

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