Bible

Here in the Bible room today, we’re reading a summary of the five chapters of the book of Lamentations.

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Lamentations

Introduction to Lamentations:

Writer: Unknown, however common traditions credit these poems to the prophet, Jeremiah.

Scope: In Hebrew, the title of the book is “How”, with later translations using the title we now have. This is an eyewitness, poetic account of the fall of Jerusalem to the Chaldean army in 586 b.c., and the subsequent taking of several thousand captives to exile in Babylon. Probably written very soon after the conflict, this series of laments describes in detail the destruction of the city and its people. The broken heart, and the utter devastation in the soul of the writer is displayed vividly in these poems.  

Chapter 1. Lonely

Jerusalem appears very lonely after the captives have been taken:

• Judah is now in exile, away from her home;
• Because of her sins, the Lord has punished her;
• Jerusalem is remembered in her former glory days;
• Now, her eyes are filled with tears;
• Judah has been rebellious, and deserves punishment.

Chapter 2. Cloud

The Lord has descended in wrath on Judah, like a cloud of anger:

• In His fury, the Lord has appeared as a burning fire;
• All the previous acts of worship are now forgotten;
• He has destroyed His own sacred temple;
• He has thrown out Judah’s king and priest;
• False prophets have told only delusion and deception;
• The enemies of Judah are rejoicing at the fall of Jerusalem.

Chapter 3. Hope

But in the Lord, there is still hope:

• His mercies will always continue;
• They are new every morning;
• The Lord’s faithfulness is great;
• So, I will have hope in Him;
• We should turn back to the Lord;
• And wait patiently and quietly with hope.

Chapter 4. Accomplished

The fury of the Lord has been accomplished:

• The people are hungry, the children starving;
• The have asked for bread but there is none;
• The punishment of Israel is greater than that of Sodom;
• At least that city was destroyed very quickly;
• Jerusalem’s punishment has been inflicted for too long;
• Young people have been reduced to skin and bones;
• The Lord has completed His punishment;
• There will be no more captivity of Judah.

Chapter 5. Enough

Judah has suffered enough:

• The Lord’s people have been forced into famine;
• The young have been punished for the sins of the elderly;
• There is no more joy in Jerusalem;
• Forgive our sins, O Lord, and take us back.

End of the book of Lamentations