Lamentations Sunday School

Author

Possibly Jeremiah

Date:

586 b.c.

Historical Background

587 b.c. fall of Jerusalem

written one year after the fall of Jerusalem

represented the home of israel, the nations headquarters, and the connection between God’s covenant with his people

Outline

5 Poems Lamenting the fall of Israel

I. God’s Wrath upon Jerusalem (1:1–22)

A. Stanza 1: Jerusalem’s Desolation: Fall and Exile (1:1–6)

II. God’s Relationship with Jerusalem (2:1–22)

III. God’s Faithfulness toward His People (3:1–66)

IV. God’s Justice for His People (4:1–22)

V. God’s Remembrance of Jerusalem (5:1–22)1

1 Abner Chou, Lamentations, Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

Selected Passages:

Lam 1:1-10

Lam 2:1-10

Lam 3:19-33

Themes:

Sin of Israel

Judgement of God

Faithfulness of God

MP: Lamentations warns us of the severity of sin, the importance of lamenting during suffering, and the steadfast love of God that we can trust

Lam 1:1-10

v.1 Jerusalem is the city who betrayed God in exchange for whoredom

v.2 who are her lovers? Egypt, Assyria, Babylon

Israel has trusted in these nations, their goods, their women and men, their gods over Yahweh, and now they are reaping the punishment

v.3 Israel has been into exile because the fall of Jerusalem = now their consequence is slavery to Babylon

v.4 streets mourn for noone is there to worship

Jersulaem was the capital, center of the world

Israel was to worship 3xs a year -

Feast of unleavened Bread (Passover)

April to commemorate God saving Israel from Egypt

Yet Israel went back to Israel

Feast of the Harvest (Pentecost)

June

feast celebrating God for harvest

Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles)

Sept/Oct

remembering when Israel was in the wilderness, soujourning in tents, praising God for his provision

Jerusalem is where God dwelt in the tabernacle

Now Jersualem is gone = they have ended as a nation (white house - zombie movies)

v.5 israel’s sins caused their enemies to prosper

v.6 there is no elegance left (queen in sweatpants)

princes, the ones to keep the nation safe, they are scared and without the ability to fight

v.7 Israel will forever remember her suffering by the chaldeans, her power, glory, and majesty is all gone - they mock her downfall

v.8 This is due to Israel’s sin - not just a single sin but grievously

Israel didnt just make a mistake but they purposely and knowingly sought after other gods and broke the 10 commandments - covenant with God

married those from a different religion and worshiped their gods

sold goods on the sabbath (sunday)

sacrificed their kids to Baal

v. 9 “in her skirts” her sin is not just on the outside but on the inside

she whored after other gods - in marriage with god and broke it

author is crying to God because of what happened to the majestic city

v.10 the enemy has been allowed to pilage and steal everything from Israel

nations have entered the most holy place, place only for the priests

Israel has sinned mightly against their God, and whether it is now or later there is always consequences. Sin leads to death, which is separation from God, hell. But there is hope.

Lam 2:1-10

v.1 Israel’s whoring to other nations is not without consequence

they have been cast down, they are no longer the pinnacle of God’s creaiton but lower than the gentiles

v.2 Israel has been swallowed up due to their sin

God’s wrath against sin is not something that can be forgotten or ignored - it must be satisfied

v.3

God has taken away the might of Israel - no army or faith will save them

right hand = God is the one who bestows all the victories yet he will no longer

it is God’s burning wrath that comes upon Jacob

v.4

God has poured out fire and wrath through their enemies

the one who promised that those who curse them will now be cursed, is the curse for Israel

v.5

it is not just Israel’s people up its signs of wealth

palaces, homes, armies and barracks, all has been dedicated to destruction

the mourning of Judah has only increased and it will only increase until their sin has been repayed

v.6

God has destroyed and dismantled the temple = it is no longer a resting place for Yahweh’s presence but a sign of its judgement

Gods promises and festivals, all aspects of his covenant have now been forsaken = Israel cannot return until the Lord decides , he cannot be swayed

v. 7

the altar that was used as a sacrifice for the sins of the people has now been thrown away

it will no longer be accepted by God

there is no forgiveness but only destruction

v.8

It was not God’s lack of care that caused Israel to fall, but he willed it happen

jacket whipping iwth fate

God willed this destruction because of their sin

he mesaured it out, from the entrance to the walls he planned its destruction

v.9

the economic and social systems have been overthrown = there are no jobs, no market, no currency

kings and princes are scattered no longer ruling

there is no law to be followed and God no longer speaks to his people

v.10

the elders have sunk their heads and began to officially mourn = those in the judicial committee who would make the decisions have given up

they have no authority or counsel to give so they lead the people to mourn

they are throwing dust on their heads to signify their beginning and origin - from dust we came and dust we shall return

sackcloth = itchy burlap sack they wear to cause themselves pain for their sin

the young or virgin women have now been brought down

they are face down in shame

they no longer lead in worship but are brought to nothing

All of Israel’s safety and society have been turned upside down, Gods wrath is being poured out on Israel for their sin. God takes sin seriously, and will punish everyone for unrepentant sin. Yet God keeps his promises, if we believe that Jesus is fully God and Fully man who died adn resurrected for our sin, repent of our sin, turn from it and worship him, he will forgive us and establish us as children of God.

Lam 3:19-33

chp 3 the author turns from Israel to looking

v.19-21

Jeremiah is overwhelmed with grief and pain for what has happened to Israel

wormwood = plant known for bitterness

gall = liver or bile secreted in the liver

both represent the bitterness and weight of suffering

Jeremiah is bowed to the ground in grief yet he actively calls this to mind

As christians we will go through times of suffering and pain, but our hope remains and we must actively choose hope - what is that hope?

v.22-23

known verse but not among all the suffering actually happening in Lamentations

despite Israel being ransacked, left for dead and taken captive, they can have hope if they remember that God’s steadfast love never ceases

every morning they are new = there is no sin or disgrace that God will not forgive with a repentant heart

Jeremiah spends the next verses telling Israel and us how we should mourn in times of suffering

v.24 Choose hope

in times of suffering and sadness we must choose hope

faith and hope are given to us by God if we pray and actively pursue it

v.25-26 Wait on the Lord

The lord wants us to fully trust him with our heart and our mind

we do this by waiting on him, trusting and obeying that what he calls us to do is best for us

dog waiting for master to get home

v.27 Bearing the burden

everything that happens to us was decided by God and for a reason

the suffering and pain we go through is to mold us

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 5:3–5.

V.28-29 Sit in Silence

when suffering occurs God wants us to reflect, pray, and trust in him not to complain about whats happening

mourning in ashes and repentance shows trust in God

V.30 Give his cheek

in and out of suffering God calls us to turn the other cheek

God calls us to trust in his plan for us, even in times of pain and shame -

v.31-33

God will not let Israel suffer forever for God’s steadfast love and promise to Israel will not end

God does not enjoy putting his children through suffering but wants Israel to follow his commands for that is what is best for them

every suffering and pain that exists in our life is not for fun but to grow us and mold us into the image of his son

11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 12:11.

Lamentations warns us the severity of sin, the importance of lamenting during suffering, and the steadfast love of God that we can trust