* Lamentations
Words to look for:
Lament - express beep sorrow or grief. Widow- a woman whose husband has either died or otherwise is gone. Tributary - obtain protection. Treacherously - cannot be trusted. Strait - narrow strip of water between two larger bodies of water. Zion - ideal nation. Solemn - serious or formal (like when we sustain a new prophet at a. Solemn assembly) Hart - a male deer. Grevously - serious. Magnify - become larger. Vile - immoral. Wreathe - surround. Abhor - immense dislike. Thy prophets - False prophets. Banishment - force to leave. Chain mail - Protective clothing (armor). Derision - objective mocking. Subvert - secretly try to ruin. Off-scouring - Rejected of society.
Lamentations reveals Judah's pathetic condition following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. It resulted from the people sinning and disregarding the prophet's warnings. We can gain insight into the sorrow, remorse, and consequences that can accompany sin. We will learn about the compassion and mercy the Lord shows to those who turn to HIm in their sorrows. Lamentations was written by Jeremiah sometime after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. It contains sorrowful reactions to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. We know where Jeremiah was in Jerusalem or Egypt when he wrote it and that these took place during his lifetime. It is written in carefully constructed poetry, called acrostic. This means in the first four chapters the first letters of each line or verse form a meaningful sequence. These are based on the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 each contain 22 verses, each beginning with a different Hebrew letter-n alphabetical order. Chapter 3 has 66 verses, the first three verses each begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the next three verses each begin with the second letter and so on. Chapter 5 has 22 verses but is not acrostic. Acrostic poetry gives structure and sequence to express the overwhelming grief that was felt because the events, which probably seemed chaotic, senseless, and devoid of any order. It resembles the books of Job and slams, but does not have responses from the Lors. It only has suffereing and longing for mercy by the people.
1:1-5
Jeremiah describes Jerusalem as solitary. He compares it a widow - abandoned and alone needing protection. Her freinds have become her enemies. Jerusalme is in captivity because of affliction, great servitude, and becaue of dwelling with heathens. Persecutors overtook her.
Zion is mourning and no one comes. Adversaries are in charge, enemies prosper and are afflicted because of transgression.
1:6-11
Some of the ing that happen because they choose not to listen to the Lord are:
beauty is taken from the girls, prince become homeless and weak and like harts, none help her, adversaries mock her, because of sins, honour is taken away, there is no comfort, the enemy is larger, poeople look for food so they trade pleasant things for meat. Jerusalem became a very vile place.
1:16
Increased sorrow. Lord afflicts then because of sins.
1:18
"My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity". A loss of the rising generation.
1:19
"Mine elders gave up the ghost" they died while hunting.
1:20
"My bowels are troubled" "mine heart is turned within me" mental and spiritual anguish when we commit sin.
President Ezra Taft Benson:
"You cannot do wrong and feel right. It is impossible! Years of happiness can be lost in the foolish gratification of a momentary desire for pleasure. Satan would have you believe that happiness comes only as you surrender to his enticements, but one only needs to look at the shattered lives of those who violate God's laws to know why Satan is called the "Father of lies"
GEM When we sin, we will feel troubled
2:2-7
The habitations of Jacob were swallowed up and the Lord had no pity. He threw down his wrath on the daughters of Judah, they were brought to the ground, they polluted the kingdom, they were cut off in anger and He drew back his right hand, He burned against Jacob, bent His bow like an enemy and destroyed the strongholds, He increased the mourning an d lamenting of the daughter of Judah, they were violently taken away his tabernacle, cast off and abhorred his sanctuary.
2:11
The eyes do fall with tears, his bowels are troubled.
2:14
There are fals prophets so He banishes them.
GEM- Becuse the Lord is compassionate, we can find hope knowing He will help us if we seek Him
3
Jeremiah describes himself as having seen afflictions by the rod of His wrath. He describes his view of his relationship it's the Lord as: He led him, brought him into darkness-not into light, turned against him, made him old with broken bones, bulked against him, surrounded him with gall and travail in dark places, hedged him about, made his chain heavy (as chain mail for battle), shutters out his prayer, made his paths crooked, changed him, made him desolate, set him as a mark for his bow, and he was mocked by his people.
GEM - Sinful afflictions can help motivate us to urn again to the Lord
GEM - If we search the commandments and test them, they will help us know how and when to turn to the Lord
4:1-2
Jeremiah compares the people to gold and the precious sons to fine gold. ( we compared shiny pennies to older dirty pennies and how that represents sin in our lives.
4:3-6
The daughter became cruel, their children were thirsting and starving, who feed little are desolate and who raised in scarlet embrace dunghills, punishment greater thatn sodom. ( we will tend to teach our children what we know - they need to be able to learn good ways even though we may not be able to teach them good ways. Where we grow up helps determine choices we make sometimes. WE need to look for God no matter our circumstances.
4:7-8
Nazarites description:
Purer than snow, whiter than milk, rudder than rubies and looked blue when shined. Their faces were blacker than coal and their skin lung to their bones.
GEM - When we live righteously, our lives will be better than if we choose sin
GEM - When we sin our spirits become dim, but repentance can make us shiny again
5
Their inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. Orphans and fatherless, with their mothers as widows . They buy our water and wood. They work without rest. They have given to the Egyptians and Assyrians but have no bread for ourselves. Paying for the sins of our fathers. Their lives are in constant peril. Their children are being killed and they are dying. Why has God forsaken theme or so long> They are ready ready for their hearts to be turned to HIm.
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