Lamentations

Introduction

The book of Lamentations is not an easy book to approach.

It’s very title warns us off.

But it is a book that will teach us how to lament as we find ourselves moving every closer to the scenes depicted therein.

We need this book.

The Horrors Witnessed

The city is lies abandoned in smoking ruins (Lam. 1:1; 5:18).

The Faithful Sufferer

Jeremiah has had to watch all of this as a faithful servant (Lam. 3:1-2).

He is faithful as he recounts the reasons behind what is happening (Lam. 2:18; 4:6).

He is faithful to God’s faithfulness (Lam. 3:17-24).

He was a silent sufferer (Lam. 3:26-31).

Carefully Crafted Sorrow

You may know that this book is crafted of several acrostics.

It is also a slightly different pattern of couplet than normal (Psa. 147:1; Lam. 1:1).

Additionally, there are section break based on pronouns

Zion is destroyed (Lam. 1:1-11).

Zion is betrayed (Lam. 1:12-22).

This is God’s wrath (Lam. 2:1-8).

All suffer great and small (Lam. 2:9-12).

Zion should cry to God (Lam. 2:13-22).

God has afflicted (Lam. 3:1-20).

His compassions never fail (Lam. 3:21-32).

God afflicts men (Lam. 3:33-39).

Jeremiah cries to God (Lam. 3:40-66).

All suffer great and small (Lam. 4:1-10).

This is God’s wrath (Lam. 4:11-16).

Zion is betrayed (Lam. 4:17-22).

Zion is destroyed (Lam. 5:1-22).

But notice rays of hope after the climax.

Wrath vs. compassion (Lam. 3:22; 4:11, 22).

Calling on the Lord (Lam. 5:1, 19-22).

Even as we are overwhelmed with emotion, there is a place for carefully collecting our thoughts.

Conclusion

Jerusalem was not the first and not the last city to suffer such a fate.

But there suffering shows that none are exempt from the wrath of God.

While we live in a world headed to that same destruction as fast as they can manage, we have a pattern of faithfulness available to us here.

We can find hope where none can be seen on this plane. And we can continue to point others in that direction.