Loss
Loss in Scripture takes many forms — death, exile, displacement, failed harvests, betrayal, the loss of God's sensed presence. The Bible lets each loss speak (Job, Naomi, David, the exilic community) rather than rushing to silence the lament. Habakkuk's closing hymn (3:17–18) is the characteristic biblical posture: the fig tree fails, the harvest fails, and yet I will rejoice.
Key verses (13)
- Ruth 1:20Call me not Naomi, call me Mara
“And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly w...”
- Ruth 1:21I went out full, the LORD hath brought me home again empty
“I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing th...”
- 2 Samuel 12:23I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me
“But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he s...”
- Job 1:21The LORD gave, the LORD hath taken away
“And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and...”
- Psalms 42:11Why art thou cast down, O my soul
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I sh...”
- Psalms 126:5They that sow in tears shall reap in joy
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
- Psalms 126:6Bringing his sheaves — returning with joy
“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, b...”
- Jeremiah 31:15Rachel weeping for her children
“Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for ...”
- Lamentations 3:19Remembering mine affliction, the wormwood and gall
“Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.”
- Habakkuk 3:17Although the fig tree shall not blossom
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the oliv...”
- Habakkuk 3:18Yet I will rejoice in the LORD
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:8Troubled on every side, yet not distressed
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;”
- Philippians 3:7What things were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”
Relevant characters (5)
Job
Lost property, ten children, and health
Naomi
Lost husband and both sons in Moab (Ruth 1)
David
The son of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:15-23)
Jeremiah
Watched Jerusalem fall
Hannah
Barrenness endured for years before Samuel
Further reading
- Nicholas Wolterstorff — Lament for a Son, Eerdmans (1987)
- Jerry Sittser — A Grace Disguised, Zondervan (1996)
- Gerald Sittser — A Grace Revealed, Zondervan (2012)
Pastoral commentary
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