Graphics of Lamentations






Vital statistics



 Propose: To teach people that to disobey God is to invite disaster, and to show that God suffers when his people suffer.
 Author:  Jeremiah
 Original audience: The exiled people of Judah
  Dare written: Soon after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
 Setting: Jerusalem had been destroyed by Babylon, and her people killed, tortured, or taken captive. 
 Key verse: "I have cried until the tears no longer come, my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony as I see the desperate plight of my people. Little children and  tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets" (2:11). 
 Key people: Jeremiah, the people of Jerusalem
 Key place: Jerusalem
 Special features: Three strands of Hebrew thought meet in Lamentations-prophecy, ritual, and wisdom. Lamentations is written in the rhythm and style of ancient Jewish funeral song or chants. It contains five poems corresponding to the five chapters.  


A Study and Teaching Outline


I.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
1:1–22
A.     The Lament of the Prophet Jeremiah
1:1–11
B.     The Lament of the City of Jerusalem
1:12–22
II.
The Anger of God
2:1–22
A.     The Anger of God
2:1–9
B.     The Agony of Jerusalem
2:10–17
C.     The Appeal of Jerusalem
2:18–22
III.
The Prayer for Mercy
3:1–66
A.     Jeremiah’s Cry of Despair
3:1–18
B.     Jeremiah’s Confession of Faith
3:19–39
C.     Jeremiah’s Condition of Need
3:40–54
D.     Jeremiah’s Confidence in God
3:55–66
IV.
The Siege of Jerusalem
4:1–22
A.     The Conditions During the Siege
4:1–10
B.     The Cause of the Siege
4:11–20
C.     The Consequences of the Siege
4:21–22
V.
The Prayer for Restoration
5:1–22
A.     The Review of the Need for Restoration
5:1–15
B.     The Repentance from Sin
5:16–18
C.     The Request for Restoration
5:19–22
Nelson's Teaching Outlines of the Bible . 1997, c1986 (electronic ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.




The Tears of Men


2:11 Some men today rarely if ever cry. But is that healthy? Tears can be a genuine and appropriate way to express feelings. An inability to ever shed tears may be symptomatic of a problem.
Unlike many men in certain cultures today, the men portrayed in the Bible seem to have had little if any shame about weeping. They apparently felt free to express pain and grief, as well as joy and gladness, through their tears. For example, Jeremiah wept bitterly over the terrible plight of his people after Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians (Lam. 2:11; compare Jer. 9:1).
The table below lists other men in Scripture who came to tears and the occasions that brought them to it. As you consider these men, ask yourself: What moves you tears? If you never cry, why not?
Abraham
Wept and mourned when his wife Sarah died (Gen. 23:2).
Jacob
Cried tears of joy when he met his cousin Rachel (Gen. 29:11).
Joseph
Sought out a private place to cry when he finally met his younger brother Benjamin after years of involuntary separation (Gen. 43:29–30).
David and Jonathan
Cried together as they parted company after Saul’s vicious attacks (1 Sam. 20:41–42).
Elisha
Wept as he foresaw the cruel evils that Hazael’s troops would commit against Israel’s women and children (2 Kin. 8:11–12).
Hezekiah
Wept bitterly when he was told he would not recover from a sickness (2 Kin. 20:3).
Israelite elders in the time of Ezra
Broke down in tears when the foundation for a new temple was laid (Ezra 3:12).
Ezra
Wept over the disobedience of the Jewish men who had married pagan wives (Ezra 10:1).
Nehemiah
Was moved to tears on hearing a report of conditions at Jerusalem (Neh. 1:4).
Job
Poured out his tears to God after the painful loss of his goods, family, and health (Job 16:20).
Isaiah
Grieved with tears over the troubles that were coming upon his people (Is. 22:4).
Jesus
Was moved to tears at the tomb of His friend Lazarus (John 11:33–36).
Peter
Wept with bitter shame after he realized that he had betrayed his Lord (Matt. 26:75).
Paul
Acknowledged that he was sometimes moved to tears in his work (Acts 20:18–19).
John
Wept as he realized that no one was worthy to read a scroll in heaven (Rev. 5:4).
Word in life study Bible . 1997, c1996 (electronic ed.) (Lm 2.11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.





The Time of Lamentations


 

 

 

Jeremiah

627                                             574

Lamentations

574                      538?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ezekiel

593                        559

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel

605                                                       536

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

70 Year Jewish Captivity

605                                                       536

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Stage of Captivity

 

 

Zerubbabel

538                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

605 Daniel and friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

597 Ezekiel and 10.000

538 Decree of Cyrus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

586 Destruction Jerusalem

536 Temple started

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

534 temple stopped

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

520 temple resumed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

516 Temple finished

660

650

640

630

620

610

600

590

580

570

560

550

540

530

520

510

500

490

480



The Blueprint

 

   
   1. Jeremiah mourns for Jerusalem (1:1-22)

   2. God's anger at sin (2:1-22)

   3. Hope in the midst of affliction (3:1-66) 

   4. God's anger is satisfied (4:1-22)

   5. Jeremiah pleads for restoration (5:1-22)
  
   Jeremiah grieves deeply because of the destruction of Jerusalem and the devastation of his nation. But in the middle of the book, in the depths of his grief, there shines a ray of hope. God's compassion is ever present. His faithfulness is great. Jeremiah realizes that it is only the Lord's mercy that has prevented total annihilation. This book shows us the serious consequences of sin and now we can still have hope in the midst of tragedy because God is able to turn it around for Good. We see the timeless importance of prayer and confession of sin. We will face tragedy in our life. But in the midst of our afflictions, there is hope in God.   




Lamentations Overview