Lamentations 1:2 “She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her”.

This book is a compilation of five poems which correspond to its five chapter divisions.
We do not know which of the five poems was the first to be written, but chapter 1 is, perhaps, the most striking,

This book is the “Lamentations of Jeremiah” as he wept over the city of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted.
She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow.

Among all her lovers, there is no one left to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed her and become her enemies

Jerusalem has sinned greatly.
So the nation of Judah had been utterly defeated, the Temple destroyed, and the people taken away as captives to Babylon.

Jeremiah’s tears were for the suffering and humiliation of the people.

The warning was loud and clear:
… If Judah played with fire, its people would get burned.

The ultimate consequence of sin is punishment (Romans 6:23).

Let us learn from the mistakes of the Israelites.
Do not run after the wealth and vanity of this world.
Do not put anyone above the Lord.

We can choose to ignore God’s warnings.
*But surely judgment will soon be upon us.

Are you listening and obeying God’s Word?
Pursue the Lord.
Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength.

Thank the Lord for our blessings each day and be a blessing to others.

Jooley Mathew Z
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Lamentations 1

This chapter records the various judgments poured out by God upon his people on account of their rebellion to his repeated warnings over many years that were given to them before the judgment actually came! It included experiencing widowhood, vs 1; weeping, vs 2; being exiled, vs 3; mourning, left deserted and experiencing bitter anguish, vs 4, on account of their rebellion.

They faced subjugation, captivity and affliction, vs 5; their splendor departed, they were left with no pasture and experienced exhaustion, vs 6! Their treasures departed and they were left poor and homeless while their enemies sneered and gloated at them, vs 7. They became objects of scorn, were despised, naked and shamed, vs 8, and left comfortless, vs 9!

Their temple was desecrated by the Gentiles vs 10. They suffered hunger, and felt worthless, vs 11, while experiencing pain on account of the Lord’s anger, vs 12. Their bones burned, and they were left feeling faint and their feet felt trapped at the experience of their desolation, vs 13. Their strength snapped on being yoked by the enemy, vs 14, and their young men were shattered and their people were stomped like grapes, vs 15!

In all this, they experienced no encouragement or comfort, but only weeping and desolation, vs 16. They had become like filthy garbage in their neighbour’s midst, who had now become their enemies, vs 17! Yes, they now realised that the Lord was right concerning his judgments on account of their rebellion against Him, vs 18, and on account of which even the priests and elders perished, and lover’s deceived them, even as they helplessly searched for food, vs 19.

They also experienced distress and fear on account of the sword that killed, vs 20, while their enemies rejoiced, vs 21, and they groaned on account of their hearts being sick with sorrow, vs 22! All these woes and hardships befell them, just like the Lord said it would, because they refused to heed His Word and stop rebelling against His commandments! Was all this evil that came upon them worth it in the end? These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall, 1 Corinthians 10:11,12. Let us no longer allow ourselves to be deceived by satan into thinking that we can sin and still get away with it!

Let him who has an ear, hear and repent while we still have the time!
Amen.

Rowena Thomas
Mumbai, India.