Questions for thought:
1. Judah had to be brought completely down by God in order for the people to repent. How does this compare to some people today?
2. When Judah had been brought down by God, Jeremiah’s recommendation was to pray to God and cry for help. What should one do today when she feels she has hit the bottom?
3. In studying the Old Testament prophets, we get a better understanding of God and what He expects of His people. How should the book of Lamentations help us to be better servants of God?
Although the book of Lamentations does not include the author’s name, the writing style is similar to that of Jeremiah and it is obvious the author was an eyewitness of the final captivity of Judah. The book is a lament or expression of sorrow concerning the destruction of the city. The book was written shortly after the destruction of Jeremiah which took place by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. As noted when we studied the book of Jeremiah, this destruction had been prophesied by the prophets for many years and the people had been given much time to turn back to God, but they refused.
Bible scholars say the book of Lamentation was written as a type of poetry called an acrostic. The first two chapters are composed of 22 verses each with the first word of each verse beginning in Hebrew alphabetic order. In chapter three, there are 66 verses. In Hebrew, the first word in each of the 22 sets of verses begins with the same letter. So, verses 1-3 each begin with the Hebrew letter aleph. The fourth chapter goes back to each verse beginning in Hebrew alphabetical order. The fifth chapter also has 22 verses but they are not in alphabetical order.
In chapter 1 of Lamentations, Jerusalem was compared to a widow. She had gone from being so blessed to being so miserable. Jeremiah describes Judah’s afflictions as coming from the Lord in verse 5. Beginning in verse 8, he went back to remembering why Judah is desolate. It was because of her sins. Through the rest of chapter 1 Jeremiah showed God as righteous and Jerusalem confessing her unrighteousness.
The anger of the Lord was continued in chapter 2 with Jeremiah telling how the Lord had punished Judah and brought her down just as He had promised. He noted in verse 9 how the people no longer had followed the law and the prophets had no vision from the Lord. In verses 10-17 Jeremiah told of the mourning of the elders and the mocking from those about who saw what had happened to Judah. The recommendation in verse 19 for God’s children was to pray to the Lord and in verses 20-22 there is a cry to God for help. All too often today, many cry to the Lord but they are not God’s children. He listens to the cry of the righteous but His face is against those who do evil according to 1 Peter 3:12. We want to be sure we are His child when we cry to Him.
As noted earlier, there is no mention of the author’s name anywhere in the book of Lamentations, but chapter 3 is excellent evidence that it was Jeremiah. This chapter is a cry of the writer and it is the cry Jeremiah would have uttered based upon what we have read of his life in the book of Jeremiah. He says in verse 1 he is the man that has seen the afflictions of His wrath. Jeremiah’s anguish in these verses reminds us of Job’s anguish in the book that bears his name. Yet, here, Jeremiah is speaking for himself and for the people of Israel. Even though he felt forsaken in verses 1-18, just as Job always did, Jeremiah put his trust in God in verses 19-39. Beginning in verse 40, he issues a call to return to God and on behalf of Israel, he admits their downtrodden state. In the end of the chapter, it is as if Jeremiah knows God has heard his appeal.
The lament of Jeremiah continues in chapter 4 where he was very specific as to what happened during the siege. He talked about how it was better to die by the sword than to be left alive and suffering. He recalled how the women ate their own children in verse 10. Once more Jeremiah went back to the reason for this terrible suffering of the people of God and it was their own sins for which they would not repent. Thus, in verse 22 he said the punishment was accomplished.
Finally in chapter 5 Jeremiah again asked God to look at the people and consider their reproach. He said their inheritance was given to strangers. They were orphans and widows. They were under persecution and had no rest. The fathers had sinned and those living were bearing the punishment. In verse 21 he begged God to turn back to the people, but in verse 22, the book ends on a very sad note with Jeremiah saying God was very angry against Judah.
From the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations, we can surely realize it would not be good to have God angry with His people. His people today make up the church for which His Son gave His life. If those in His church choose to be like Israel and refuse to keep His laws and His ways, can we expect any different treatment than those of old? It is so important to remember the Old Testament was written for our learning and from it we should take heed and realize we answer to God for our choices.
Next time we will begin to look at prophecies during the time of captivity.
Christian Women's Responsibility in Sharing God's Word 