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DAY 5 – LAMENTATIONS

When the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and deported much of its population, some of the people were left behind, living in terrible conditions in and around the shattered city. To express their sorrow, shame, and grief over the destruction of their beloved home, they wrote songs about its desolation and about the sufferings they were witnessing and experiencing. Five of these songs have been preserved in the book of Lamentations. The authors’ names aren’t given, although tradition ascribes them to Jeremiah. Through these songs, we witness people of faith putting into words their struggle to understand how God could allow such suffering and devastation. 

These songs follow a particular pattern. Each has 22 stanzas. In the first, second, and fourth songs, the stanzas begin with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in consecutive order. The third song is structured almost identically, except that every line in each stanza begins with the same letter. In the fifth song, the stanzas don’t start with letters in alphabetical order, but there are still 22 of them.

In some of the songs the city of Jerusalem, often referred to as “Zion” or the “daughter of Zion,” breaks into the description of its destruction and speaks on its own behalf. And in some of the songs the poet looks up from the city to heaven and cries out to God for mercy. There are only a few expressions of hope, but they’re placed in the center of the book to give them extra weight and importance in a situation where they’re badly needed.

PRAYER: Have mercy on me, Lord. Thank You for the forgiveness and hope You have provided in Jesus.