Sermon - AudioLamentations 1-3:36 - Audio
Lamentations 1-3:36 - Reading
Daily Insights - Please Comment
Lamentations is a book that touches the heart by showing the suffering that comes from falling under the judgment that sin deserves. Although Lamentations does not contain any specifically messianic prophecies, it eloquently anticipates the rejection and derision that Jesus suffered for his people. It also finds an echo in the lament that Jesus offered for the very same city of Jerusalem (and for essentially the same reason) on the eve of his crucifixion (see Matt. 23:37-38). -ESVLB-
Theological Themes:
1. Sin: Lamentations makes it clear that Jerusalem is suffering for its sins, many of which are described in dramatic images.
2. Judgment: the sufferings of the book are all occasioned by the fact that God has condemned his people for their sins.
3. Mercy: the book at least hints at the consolation that weary sufferers may find in the tender mercies of a faithful God, which are new every morning.
Opening Thoughts:
First the prophet (vv. 1–11) and then the city itself (vv. 12–22) lament the destruction that Jerusalem has suffered. There is a strong sense that they are eyewitnesses of the suffering they describe. Although the occasion of the city’s suffering is not mentioned explicitly, it can only be the fall of Jerusalem after its long siege by the Babylonians. The main literary device is *personification: the poet portrays the city as a weeping woman—a royal princess—who has lost her children and become a slave. The *images all convey a sense of abandonment, loss, isolation, and grief. There are clear indications of what has happened to Jerusalem: siege, famine, invasion, death, defeat, looting, destruction, and deportation. -ESVLB-
Salvation History:
a. The divine judgment on Jerusalem and the resulting exile.
Themes/Progression:
a. God’s loving compassion and faithfulness are present even during the cataclysmic destruction of Jerusalem.
b. The entire book is poetic.
c. The wrath of God is not pretty.
d. Lament.
Key Text:
Lamentations 3:22–23
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
History:
a. Author – Jeremiah?
Date – 6th century B.C.
Lamentations 1
v1 - A reversal of the fortune of Jerusalem (lays empty, humbled, slave)
v2 - Friends have become enemies
v3 - This makes us remember the time of God's people being in bondage in Egypt.
v4 - All places of prestige and influence (Temple, gate, roads) lay empty. Judah has no influence in the world.
v5-6 - Jerusalem's enemies have taken over and their leaders were left vulnerable.
v7 - Only now that things are bad do the people remember back to when things were good.
v8-9 - Jerusalem sinned grievously. See v. 5. filthy (lit., “impurity”; cf. v. 17). This may refer to menstrual discharge (Lev. 12:2, 5) but could refer to a willing display of her nakedness. By becoming naked for her lovers (Lam. 1:2) she has become impure to her covenant husband (see Jer. 31:32). -ESVSB-
v10-11 - The enemy has won, the Temple is plundered and burnt...The people starved during the takeover.
v12 - no one helped, and just turned their eyes from the destruction of Jerusalem. The author wants sympathy, but knows that it is God who allowed this.
v13 - From on high he sent fire. Fire is a common metaphor for judgment (Amos 1:3–2:5). The phrase reminds readers of Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. Gen. 19:23–29; Lam. 4:6). -ESVSB-
v14 - It is sin that led to this.
v16-17 - The mourning of the people will not subside without God coming as a comforter. The author is crying for one.
18 - Amidst the pain, agony, destruction, the author admits that the city deserves everything...why???
THEY DIDN'T LISTEN TO HIS WORD! THEY REBELLED BY NOT DOING WHAT GOD TOLD THEM TO DO.
v18-19 - Even though the author says this for the city, they still cry out against nobody coming to aid Jerusalem.
v20-22 - God's Word came true. The people didn't turn and destruction has come. The author wants the same destruction to now come upon Babylon for their injustice.
Lamentations 2
v1 - "under a cloud" - a picture of God blocking His people from His sight - creating darkness over them. God's people are now something that the author feels is shunned.
v2 - God showed mercy, after mercy, after mercy...The people continued to take it for granted and rejected Him.
Q. Are we taking the mercy of God for granted? How are we rejecting His mercy by our actions?
v3 - God has removed his mighty right hand from protecting Israel.
v4 - The author feels that God is fighting against them, unlike the past.
v6-9 - Temple-Destroyed, Sabbath-No Rest, Festivals-No Celebration
v10 - The leaders have no direction and just mourn all day long.
v11 - even the seemingly innocent (babies) have to put up with the implications of their parents/elders.
v14 - Their sins were the ultimate source of their problems, but the prophets avoided this subject (cf. Jer. 5:30–31). to restore your fortunes. Repentance would have led to renewal, but the prophets offered only false and misleading sermons of peace (Jer. 6:14) and safety. -ESVSB-
Q. Is their something in our lives that we know is leading us to destruction (Because The Text tells us so), but we only find people who will encourage us down that path?
Q. What do we need to do in order to have people in our lives who will speak truth? What good is it if we're surrounded/justified by people headed for destruction (People who are not actively struggling with/living/studying the text)?
v15 - Jerusalem's enemies mock them as they pass by.
v17 - God carried out his word, which he delivered through Moses and the prophets (2 Kings 17:7–23). thrown down without pity. Once judgment began, it proceeded without interruption. Jerusalem had so often rejected the mercy of forgiveness received through repentance that only punishment remained as an option. -ESVSB-
v20 - In Judaism to "see" is to look upon and act. The author is asking God to do something.
v20 - "should women eat..." - Without question, the answer to this question is “No! Such things should not occur.” But such things did occur in wartime (see 2 Kgs 6:24–31), and Lev 26:29, Deut 28:52–57, Jer 19:1–9, and Ezek 5:10 warn that such will occur when the covenant people rebel against God for a sufficient number of years (see Renkema, 321). -WBC-
21-22 - Jerusalem is seen as "neglected" by God.
Lamentations 3
v1 - I am the man: The male voice may represent a survivor, perhaps one going into exile. He may also be thought of as the collective voice of the people. -JSB-
v2 - From Gen 1 we see that light was called "good" by God. Light is used in many instances as a representation of God & Jesus, and of good things. The opposite is seen here.
Feelings of the man:
4 - judged/broken
5&6 - forgotten
7-9 - imprisoned
10-11 - vulnerable
12-13 - targeted
14 - mockery
15 - sorrowful
16 - scared/fearful/anxious
17 - depressed
18 - hopeless/no trust
19-21 - However, the man will not give up, he will choose to remember...
22-36 - This is who God is, and the man being afflicted knows these things to be true:
*Steadfast love
*Merciful
*Renews
*Faithful
*Trustworthy
*Good
*Patient
*Savior
*Teacher
*True to Covenant
*Compassionate
*Does not Desire Evil
This section ends with, "Do you not think that the Lord sees the injustice done to the people of the earth?"
Thought - Injustice has many faces, For instance, doing nothing in the midst of terrible injustice is injustice itself.
Thought - Everything you take for yourself is taking from the community. Taking without regard for the community is injustice. God calls us to love, to join in people's chaos, to do justice, love mercy, and to walk (to do good works by integrating these things) each day and in every area of our lives.
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