Lamentations Introduction

Introduction

The book of Lamentations is a collection of songs. These songs were written after the people of Judah had been taken as prisoners. They were taken away from Jerusalem to the nation of Babylon. The city of Jerusalem and the temple had been completely destroyed. The sign of God’s presence among his chosen people was gone. All this happened because God’s people had disobeyed his commands.

A lament is a crying out or complaining. In the book of Lamentations we read about the cries and complaints of God’s people. They struggle to understand what’s happened to them. Their city is gone. Their temple is destroyed. Their religious feasts and practices are taken away. So these people wrote songs to tell about their shame and sadness. They wrote about the suffering they experienced. They cry out to God. How could he allow this to happen?

Lamentations has five of these songs. Each song has 22 sections. In the first four songs each section begins with a different Hebrew letter. And they follow the order of the Hebrew alphabet.

There are only a few words of hope in these songs. These words are placed right in the middle of the book. That gives these words a sense of importance. And these words of hope are truly needed!

This collection of laments reminds us that it is right to express sorrow for a broken world. It reminds us that sorrow should bring us to repentance and hope. God is faithful. He will not give up his saving plan for the world.

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Lamentations Introduction: NIrV

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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®

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