Lamenting in a Strange Land
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Introduction
Introduction
Probably written by Jeremiah from Babylon.
Consists of 5 sad poems.
Jerusalem’s Desolation (in mourning)
God’s Judgement (Jerusalem in ruin)
Jeremiah’s response (Call for renewal)
The Lord’s anger (Restitution to come)
Remnant’s response (Relief cry)
A visual flow chart outline:
A visual flow chart outline:
Lamentations Sad State
Lamentations Sad State
The Teacher’s Commentary 63: Lam.—Mourning in a Strange Land
Suddenly the material things that had tempted Judah seemed meaningless to many. In setting their hearts on wealth, they had seemed for a time to gain the whole world. But they had lost themselves.
How does it feel to be disciplined by God?
How does it feel to be disciplined by God?
The Teacher’s Commentary 63: Lam.—Mourning in a Strange Land
Think of a time when you were aware of being disciplined by God. How did you feel during this time?
Can anyone recall a time they were unaware God was disciplining them?
How did you feel during this time?
Please complete: When I am being disciplined by God I feel _________ and ___________.
Now scan Lamentation for passages that reflect those feelings.
The Teacher’s Commentary 63: Lam.—Mourning in a Strange Land
Lamentations 1:1–3, 5–6
, ;
1 How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave.
2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers
she has none to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
they have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into exile because of affliction
and hard servitude;
she dwells now among the nations,
but finds no resting place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.
5 Her foes have become the head;
her enemies prosper,
because the Lord has afflicted her
for the multitude of her transgressions;
her children have gone away,
captives before the foe.
6 From the daughter of Zion
all her majesty has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
before the pursuer.
9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;
he has ruined and broken her bars;
her king and princes are among the nations;
the law is no more,
and her prophets find
no vision from the Lord.
10 The elders of the daughter of Zion
sit on the ground in silence;
they have thrown dust on their heads
and put on sackcloth;
the young women of Jerusalem
have bowed their heads to the ground.
11 My eyes are spent with weeping;
my stomach churns;
my bile is poured out to the ground
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because infants and babies faint
in the streets of the city.
1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill!
Of David.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Guess why ’s writer has these feelings ...
Guess why ’s writer has these feelings ...
Consists of 5 sad poems.
Jerusalem’s Desolation (in mourning)
God’s Judgement (Jerusalem in ruin)
Jeremiah’s response (Call for renewal)
The Lord’s anger (Restitution to come)
Remnant’s response (Relief cry)
Lamentations Sad State
Lamentations Sad State
The Teacher’s Commentary 63: Lam.—Mourning in a Strange Land
Suddenly the material things that had tempted Judah seemed meaningless to many. In setting their hearts on wealth, they had seemed for a time to gain the whole world. But they had lost themselves.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
While being disciplined by God believers have many different feelings
While being disciplined by God believers have many different feelings
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
From , ; can you sense the depth of their guilt and suffering?
From , ; can you sense the depth of their guilt and suffering?
1 How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave.
2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers
she has none to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
they have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into exile because of affliction
and hard servitude;
she dwells now among the nations,
but finds no resting place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.
5 Her foes have become the head;
her enemies prosper,
because the Lord has afflicted her
for the multitude of her transgressions;
her children have gone away,
captives before the foe.
6 From the daughter of Zion
all her majesty has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
before the pursuer.
9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;
he has ruined and broken her bars;
her king and princes are among the nations;
the law is no more,
and her prophets find
no vision from the Lord.
10 The elders of the daughter of Zion
sit on the ground in silence;
they have thrown dust on their heads
and put on sackcloth;
the young women of Jerusalem
have bowed their heads to the ground.
11 My eyes are spent with weeping;
my stomach churns;
my bile is poured out to the ground
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because infants and babies faint
in the streets of the city.
How much do you think they miss Jerusalem?
How much do you think they miss Jerusalem?
1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill!
Judah’s situation in Babylon
Judah’s situation in Babylon
Arriving from Egypt, Jeremiah found the Jews in a much better state that imagined.
No concentration camps or slave labor.
They were settled in South Mesopotamia near the river Chebar
Southeast of Babylon.
They enjoyed self-government and royal protection.
They married, talked about Jerusalem () and kept the Sabbath.
Some were used in building projects.
They could own homes and produce (,).
Some even entered into the “land of merchants” — Babylon.
They even had money to send home.
When they were allowed to return they did not want to leave their “possessions” (Antiquities XI.i3).
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 1: How Cyrus, King of the Persians, Delivered the Jews out of Babylon, and Suffered Them to Return to Their Own Country, and to Build Their Temple; for Which Work He Gave Them Money
3. (8) When Cyrus had said this to the Israelites, the rulers of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites and priests, went in haste to Jerusalem, yet did many of them stay at Babylon, as not willing to leave their possessions;
At this point many wanted to return. They realized what they had lost. Their identity was gone.
They remembered just how much God had provided for them.
ered just how much God had provided for them.
The wealth had cost! They had lost themselves.
Next week: The Impact of the Exile
Next week: The Impact of the Exile
A remnant
The written law
The synagogue system
Demonstration of Principle
Demonstration of Principle
Review
What would happen to the Jews if the nation sinned?
How might God’s faithfulness to His Word of warning bring comfort to those undergoing discipline.
Application
Application
God’s discipline led to many, many blessings in my life.