Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
The waters flowing over his head is a common figure in Scripture for despair, yet the Prophet speaks here according to the judgment of the flesh alone. Faith held firm in his heart even as fear overwhelmed his senses; he did not cease to pray, though he believed himself lost. The faithful are divided between the flesh that trembles at death and the spirit that clings to God through the terror.
AI summary
It is easier to chide ourselves for complaining than to chide ourselves out of it. The Prophet owns his sin and calls it rebellion, laying the load upon himself; yet the wound bleeds afresh when he considers that his sins are confessed but not pardoned, his case pitiable but unpitied. In sharp trials we must think and speak kindly of God even when our souls are cast down.
AI summary
Commenting on Lamentations 3:42-54
The petitioner appeals to God's omniscience, begging Him to see the wrongs done against him, not sins of his own, but the perverse injuries inflicted by his enemies. He asks the Lord to judge his cause and manifest his innocence before all; this is not merely a private complaint but a demand for public vindication and deliverance from those who have wronged him.
AI summary