The book of Lamentations

Confidence in God's unfailing love in time of disaster

The historical background and purpose of this book

Lamentations are songs where the author is full of sorrow and despair. The songs are traditionally supposed to be written by the prophet Jeremiah in 587 BC – that’s about 1 year after the fall of Jerusalem.

It was in depriving circumstances Jeremiah wrote Lamentations. Jerusalem was destroyed and left in ruins. Enemies had destroyed and looted the city. Jeremiah poured out his despair before God as the absolute bottom was reached. People were on the wrong track - they broke the law and were into suspect, seedy and evil deeds:
“The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.  I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss”. (3:19-20)

The book is written as Hebrew poetry full of parallelism, comparisons and figurative language. In Hebrew the verses in the first 4 chapters are following the pattern of the Alphabet – it would probably make it mush more easy to remember and requoted (NB.p.215-6) The book is today traditionally recited on the fast day of Tisha B'Av ("Ninth of Av"), mourning the destruction of both the First Temple and the Second, and the exile

It goes better with the people at the end, and the song ends with the hope of better times. They realize that they have suffered the pain of being away from God, and returned again to God’s open and forgiving arms.

I mean to have heard that the Jews to this day read Lamentations at the day of remembering the deportation.

What does this book show about the character and nature of God?

2.17 God does as He plans

3:22 – God’s faithful love

3:22/23 God’s mercy

3:23 God’s faithfulness.

3:25 God is good.

3.56 he hears the cry

3.57  - He encourage Jeremiah " Do not fear"

5.19 God is unchangeable -the same always

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him”. 3.22

What does this book show about God’s redemptive plan for mankind?

I think the book shows how God leads His people back to Him along the path of sorrow, repentance, hope and faith:

"Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!” (5:21)