Today’s passage: Lamentations 1
Helpful thoughts:
- Jeremiah wrote these Lamentations in the wake of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple of God.
- The whole book is written in Hebrew poetry and flows together as a single unit. Chapter 3 is the climax of the book.
- Most of the poetry is written as an acrostic, following the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet (Somewhat like Psalm 119).
- The Lord likened Israel’s desire to worship false gods and trust in the strength of man for their protection to spiritual adultery. Verses 18 and 19 give a good summary of the whole chapter in explaining the sin and the justice served.
- We read in this book a man’s broken heart expressing honest remorse, sadness, and crying out to the Lord. Our prayers in times of despair won’t always look pretty or polished, but the Spirit is also praying on our behalf, God already knows our hearts, and He has already committed to use all things for our good.
Questions to consider:
- What did the “lovers” of Israel do when she cried out for help (Verse 21)? Why would those who have rejected God be the rescuers or lovers of God’s people? Why do you think we tend to fear man or desire their approval when our identity is to be rooted entirely in Jesus Christ, whom they reject? If we gain the world’s complete approval, what would we have forfeited?
- How is Jeremiah’s despair revealed in the final verses (21-22)? How does he interact with the reality of God’s judgment on the world in the midst of God’s judgment against Israel/Jerusalem? Do you think seeing other nations suffer would have truly cheered Jeremiah’s heart?
- Even in His pain, Jeremiah acknowledges the justice of God for the nation. How does God use consequences for our sin for our benefit? How was God’s perfect justice served? (Hebrews 12:11, Romans 3:21-26)