Lam. 5, Israel’s Weeping Prophet (2)

In the Septuagint version of the OT (common abbreviation LXX), the book of Lamentations is introduced by the words:

And it came to pass, after Israel had been carried away captive, and Jerusalem had become desolate that Jeremiah sat weeping, and lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem and said …

Tradition has it that Jeremiah penned these words under the knoll that is now called “Golgotha” (or “Gordon’s Calvary”).  One can feel the infinite sorrow and compassion of Israel’s Messiah and our Savior throbbing through the words of His prophet.  Cf. Matt. 23:37.

Here is a simple outline of Lamentations along with a short description of the contents of each chapter.  Remember that each chapter is an “acrostic” poem built around the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet.

1.    Desolation, Ch. 1

(Jerusalem is personified and describes her ruined condition and declares her woe.)

a.     Description of ruin, 1:1-11.

b.    Confession of the City, 1:12-22.

2.    Explanation, Ch. 2

(The devastation of Jerusalem is explained as part of God’s chastening for His people’s ultimate good.)

a.     What the LORD did to Zion, 2:1-10.

b.    Why the LORD destroyed Zion, 2:11-22.

3.    Identification, Ch. 3

(Jeremiah identifies with his people, and in agony and duress pours out his soul to the LORD.)

a.     Identification in calamity and consolation, 3:1-39.

b.    Identification in Confession and Confidence, 3:40-66.

4.    Contemplation, Ch. 4

(Once again the prophet poetically recalls the calamity that befell his beloved city and the reasons which prompted such judgment.)

a.     The disaster described, 4:1-10.

b.    The disaster explained, 4:11-20.

c.     The doom of Edom predicted, 4:21-22.

5.    Supplication, Ch. 5

(This represents an appeal of Zion to Jehovah.)

a.     Her case stated, 5:1-18.

b.    Her cause pleaded, 5:19-22.

Here is a concluding thought as you read Lamentations: “The LORD is afflicted when His people die, He suffers when they suffer” (Ex. 3:7).  I highly recommend this book.  How we grieve in this life says a lot about our philosophy of life, if you will.  Remember how Paul addressed this in 1 Thess. 4, wanting to be sure the saints did not grieve as the people of the world.  In Lamentations you learn a lot from Jeremiah.  He both recognizes that God brought about the calamity and that Israel was at fault for the calamity.  In the middle of the book is the famous passage of comfort (3:19-39).  We need to grieve for the glory of God!