Lamentations

Lamentations

Lament means....to feel or express sorrow, remorse,

Lamentations was written by Jeremiah...it catches his heart for the city of Jerusalem and the country of Judah.

He morns and weeps for the people and that's what this book is all about....lament....but more than one...is called lamentations

So, we are going to look at some of these today and do a jet tour through this little book

I think chapter 1 and verse 18 says a lot about how the sorrow Jeremiah felt.

The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow:

Even though the county realizes that God is judging them for their sin....they still say God is just in His judgment and righteous in His decisions.

Why..because we need to rely on God's love for us...faith and trust that God allows things in our life to make us spiritually a better person....the seed for the fruit is planted and learning Gods way for our life it begins to grow.

What is the our fruit?

Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Ga 5:23 Meekness, temperance:

I know I keep stressing this from time to time but, God is working on one or all of those when trials come our way.

Lamentations 3:19-20 (KJV)

19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

Praying that God will give peace and understanding to us when things happen is the most important thing we can do

We may never have the understanding but, only God can give peace to live with it and make us a better person to help others that maybe go through the same thing

But, the pain of Gods people was like eating a bitter plant or getting bit by a poisonous snake but, yet not die.

Because of the LORD‘s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.

Judah was down, but not out. God was punishing Judah for her sin, but did not reject her as His covenant people.

It seemed hopeless to Gods people and to Jeremiah...remember Jeremiah was the spokes person for God and he still loved Judea...so he was weeping over it...you might remember when Jesus stood upon the hill and looked over Jerusalem and weep because He saw the destruction of it again in the future.

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Lamentations 3:21-26 (KJV)

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

If I were to give a title to these last three chapters of Lamentations, it would be, “When Tomorrows Become Yesterdays.”

Jeremiah is now looking back upon the past. He had predicted the judgment that came upon Jerusalem, and Jeremiah sits in the rubble and ruin of Jerusalem weeping as he writes this sorrow or lamentation.....he is really depressed..

These verses are the only bright spot in all of the five lamentations.

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

In spite of the severe judgment of God—

—Jeremiah can see the hand of God’s mercy.

They would have been consumed had it not been for the mercy of God.

If they had received what they deserved ... they would have been destroyed—they would have disappeared from the earth.

Was Judah’s deliverance due to something in them?

No, it was all due to the faithfulness of God.

He had promised Abraham that He would make a nation come from him—and this was the nation.

He had promised Moses that He would put them into the land. He had promised Joshua that He would establish them there.

He promised David that there would come One in his line to reign on the throne forever.

The prophets all said that God would not utterly destroy this people but that He would judge them for their sin.

God is faithful. He has judged them, but He will not utterly destroy them.

A faithful remnant has always remained, and ultimately they will become a great nation again.

********************Recognize the Lord purpose

Lamentations 3:27-33 (KJV)

27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.