Lamentations 3:52-66; ; Lamentations 4:1-6
We remember the terrible pit into which Jeremiah was thrown by those who were his "enemies . . . without cause". It inspired the verses from v. 52 onwards and it illustrates the terrors of death into which the Saviour, for His part, actually entered (Jonah 2:3).
However, vv. 55-58 could be the experience of anyone groaning under the burden of their sins and coming to a realisation of what the Lord has done for them.
Ch. 4 contrasts the present state of Jerusalem with the condition she had been in before. In the times of her prosperity everything looked beautiful. The sons of Zion were "comparable to fine gold". Notice it is only comparable, for when the testing is over, as with the refiner’s fire, everything has been consumed, whereas genuine gold remains there inviolate. Yes, it was sadly just a deceptive glitter. Let us remember that; it is always the testing which does away with external appearances and reveals the true state of the heart. The cruelty (v. 3), the absence of all compassion (v. 4), the disgusting selfishness which results in the most abominable acts (v. 10), are now what appear as the bare facts about the inhabitants of Jerusalem. God reveals what was in the depth of their hearts and His judgment fire left nothing of their false devotion.