From white to black

The white-as-snow promised land (Lamentations 4:7-8) turned to coal-black like an oven (Lamentations 5:10) in punishment for its sins.

Lamentations 4

• Fine gold turned to common clay (v. 1-2).
• Sumptuous delicacies and colorful finery exchanged for dunghills (v. 4-5).
• Reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 6).
• Famine’s toll on its victims (v. 7-10).
• Who would have believed such could happen to this people? (v. 11-12).
• Sinful prophets and sinful priests have contributed to national blindness (v. 13-16).
• What a pitiful state is the former land of glory (v. 17-20).
• Edom, too, will suffer; but God will deliver his people from captivity (v. 21-22)

Lamentations 5

• What better end to these laments than a prayer.
• Oh Lord, take notice of our condition (v. 1).
• We have lost everything (v. 2-6).
• Those who lived before us have given us this legacy of shame (v. 7).
• Famine (v. 8-10)
• Rape (v. 11)
• Humiliation (v. 12)
• Forced labor (v. 13)
• Sadness and depression (v. 14-18)
• Lord, You are eternal (v. 19).
• Will your wrath be eternal also? (v. 20).
• Revival must come from God (v. 21-22)

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Multiplied Sadness

As in the previous two chapters, this also follows the order of the Hebrew alphabet, 3 verses for each of the 22 letters.

Lamentations 3

• The prophet expresses his own personal sadness (v. 1-20).
• Reminded of God’s faithful mercy, the prophet has hope (v. 21-27).
• God is good (v. 28-39).
• God’s chastisement if not pleasurable (v. 40-54).
• God has delivered me, and I can hope that He shall do so again (v. 55-66).

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Agonizing Acrostic

Did you notice that there are 22 verses in this chapter (as there were in chapter 1)?

The verses follow 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Lamentations 2

• What God has done (v. 1-9).
• Starving children because of faithless parents (v. 10-13).
• False prophets, false hope (v. 14).
• Laughing-stock of their neighbors (v. 15-17).
• Crying to the Lord for mercy (v. 18-22)

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Memories

Living in the midst of a city destroyed by war will trigger memories of previous beauty and glory, sad memories that make one cry. This is the book of Lamentations.

Lamentations 1

• Once surrounded by multitudes of friends and lovers, Jerusalem in trouble sits miserably alone (v. 1-2).
• This trouble she brought upon herself (v. 3).
• Oh, what has become of the worship of Jehovah? (v. 4-11)
• The LORD has done this (v. 12-17).
• And He is just to have done so (v. 18-22).

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