Introduction to Lamentations

LAMENTATIONS

A funeral poem

It is a common practice for people to look at some things like a boat, vehicle, house, city or country with a sense of personhood. So, the pronouns, “she” or “he,” can refer to a thing occasionally. That seems to be the way the writer of Lamentations views the destroyed city of Jerusalem after everything that was familiar and important to him was destroyed and nothing was left but ruins. In this group of five poems/prayers; grief over the horrible outcome of the fall of Jerusalem, expressed his personal sense of loss. The temple was destroyed; the major buildings were nothing but ruins and even the walls, were just piles of stones. It would have been very personal to him as he watched all that was familiar broken to pieces and burned.

Many people he knew and had lived among, were killed. Others were taken away in chains as slaves, and the few survivors were poor and in despair. The emotions of one’s heart are sometimes best expressed in poetic form, rather than in the dispassionate way of an essay. In groups of twenty-two verses, each one a letter of the Hebrew alphabet beginning with the first and going to the last, these poems took a special form. This indicates that a lot of thought went into expressing his grief. That, in turn, means that his grief had a purpose behind it, rather than being the loud wailings of purposelessness.

Often when grief is an uncontrollable outpouring of emotion, it is self-centered and without control of one’s mind, words, and actions. Deep, thoughtful grief considers the cause, the persons involved, the memories, and the possible purpose behind the loss. That sensible approach to a terrible loss does not minimize in any way the grief, but it can make the whole experience to be of some value. The grieving person and those who share the grief of those who look on with sympathy and empathy, may all learn some very important lessons at the place of mourning. When grief is not without purpose, there will be an opportunity to pass on truth and lessons to generations to come, when the history behind the event is explained.

To disobey God, to turn to ancient or modern idols as a way to find meaning and satisfaction in life, is to invite disaster to fall on any person or nation. It is an insult against God to ignore Him and reject Him and His sovereign right to direct our lives. To deny His existence when evidence of divine intelligence, power, and authority are all around us, is the mind of a foolish person who is making himself or herself out to be their own supreme authority. God is grieved when His people are grieved, but His holy character and righteousness cannot be compromised. If God ignored sin and did not carry out just judgments against sin, He would not even be God. To overlook evil and compromise truth is a characteristic of failing mankind. That compromising attitude of man toward sin, justice, and righteousness has led to lawlessness and chaos in the world. Consequently, the whole world is in a state of suffering and grief.

The deliberate expressions of grief in this book, give form to the serious consequences of sin, and in that way teach us that there can be hope in spite of tragedy. In mercy, the Lord did not totally annihilate every person in the nation of Judah in spite of their national rejection of Him. Poor, overlooked people were some of the survivors because they had nowhere else to look for help, but to God. In the depths of despair and affliction, God is near us. We can put our hope in Him even when everything around us is gone. His compassions fail not. His faithfulness is great. He does not change. “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

Laments are not uncommon in literature or even in the scriptures. In historical writings, especially in the ancient times in the Middle East, much of secular writing was a lament over what was lost to wars, poverty, and supposed injustice. Even God knows what it is to grieve over the failings and troubles of those He loves and cares for. God was grieved that He had made man when he saw that the intent of the heart of mankind was to do evil continually. The fact of the flood happening wasn’t to make God happy. In His grief, He showed grace to Noah, and through him and his family, allowed mankind to survive just judgment. For one hundred and twenty years, God lived with His grief until the ark was ready for Noah and his family to have a place of safety. That whole worldwide event gives us a little insight into how the sin of mankind grieves the Lord.

Uncontrollable grief is of no real value. However, in the process of repentance and learning; we learn from the Book of Lamentations, that repeated disobedience and rejection of God and His word, lead to suffering and agony. To defy God, and to ignore His faithfulness and love, is to bring the consequences of our own sin down upon us. To disrespect, dishonor and act in defiance toward the Lord, should make us stop and consider our ways, attitudes, and actions. Lamentations is not a quick unthought, outpouring of grief and loss. It is a carefully scripted expression of what grief is, its cause, and its effect. It is a lesson to us as to what we can and should do when times of grief come.

Times of loss and horrible disaster, deserve serious and thoughtful times of contemplation and consideration. “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.” In times of lamentation, we learn what is really important, and hopefully will take to heart, and keep; what is learned. We know that judgment is coming on this world, and this nation, and it will come on individuals because of sin. In reading through the book of Lamentations, we affirm our need for God and reaffirm our commitment to Him and His word. There are glimpses of light in the darkness of this book, to remind us that in the same way, prophecies of judgment were true, the words relating to restoration and the new covenant also are true. Those are written assurances that can give us hope for the future, as we endure these dark times.