Jeremiah, in the book of his name, predicted the downfall of Judah and Jerusalem and then lived through the fulfilment of his prophecy. Even his prophetic thoughts of what would happen were enough to make him wish that his head was a spring of water and his eyes a fountain of tears (Jeremiah 9). People were unkind to reject him and, although the final calamity proved Jeremiah to be the true prophet, his heart was still broken over the fate of his people and country. Lamentations is like a mournful poem at the funeral of Jerusalem. Very often, Jeremiah’s voice seems to become the voice of Jerusalem itself, such is his identification with the people of God. The structure of the poem is interesting; 22 verses in chapters 1, 2, 4 & 5, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Verse one begins with the first letter Aleph, the second Beth and so on. Chapter 3 has 66 verses; three beginning with Aleph, 3 with Beth and so to the end of the chapter.

JERUSALEM, THE WEEPING WIDOW
The poem continues the husband-wife imagery of Jeremiah. Jerusalem was now like a lonely widow (v1) because her husband, the Lord, had to leave her. When God’s presence was with her she was “great among the nations”, “a princess among the provinces” (v1). Now she was a weeping widow (v2), none of all her other lovers could comfort her and, of course, she had abandoned the Lord. Most of her people had suffered death or exile (v3) and now she had no resting place. Remember, God had led them out of Egypt to a land where they could find peace with him and rest from their enemies. Now she had no resting place and no protection from all her pursuers. Jerusalem was meant to be the joy of the whole earth and a place where pilgrims went to rejoice and be thankful. There was a time when the house of God had had teams of people worshipping and praising Him but now (v4) there was mourning, desolation, groaning, grieving and bitterness. Because of her transgressions (v5), her prosperity and children had gone, her majesty and leadership had departed (v6) even though she was meant to be the daughter of the king of kings. Her enemies were her masters (v5), she (v7) had lost precious things and now, those enemies mocked her. Even those who once honoured her, now, despised her (v8) and she was ashamed of what she had become for “Her downfall was appalling” (v9). She had, even, seen the nations invade her sanctuary (v10), the forbidden place of God’s presence, and treasures were traded for bread, just to survive (v11). Then the poem changes its tone and the prophet so identifies with Jerusalem that he is talking as if he was the city itself (v9) “O Lord, look at my affliction.” “Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow (v12)” “The Lord has rejected all my warriors in the midst of me.”(v15) Judah had been trodden as in a winepress (v15) and she was weeping uncontrollably (v16) with no-one to comfort. It is a declaration of shame for being so rebellious but can you also see the first encouraging signs of repentance (v20).

GOD HAD DISOWNED HIS CITY
Chapter 2v1 tells us that daughter Zion was intended to be a picture of heaven, a place which was meant to be the footstool for God’s presence. He had disowned everything to do with his city, his house (v6), his festivals, his priests, his kings, his altar, his sanctuary and her prophets no longer had visions (v9). Jeremiah weeps, as if with the heart of the city (v11), because of the destruction and suffering of her people. Enemies scoff as they say “is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth” (v15). Jeremiah encourages Jerusalem to cry out to the Lord (v18) and keep crying out in his presence (v19). We are then told how desperate the city had become with women eating offspring (v20) and priests and prophets killed while taking sanctuary in God’s house. Bodies were lying unburied on the streets (v21). The poem in chapter 3 vividly portrays the effects of God’s affliction and wrath (v1). For Jeremiah, It was a time of complete darkness (v2), his body suffered, he had many troubles and there seemed no way out (v7). Prayers did not seem to get through (v8) and his path was blocked (v9) and crooked. It seems as if God had torn him to pieces like a wild animal (v10). He had become a laughing-stock and taunted all day long (v14). His soul was not at peace and he had forgotten what happiness was. He felt that his glory had gone along with all that he had hoped for from the Lord (v18). He was homeless and broken (v19).

THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER CEASES
Jeremiah knew though that, even after the darkness of night, the sun always shone in the morning, for the “steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end” (v22). He knew that the Lord was his portion and, He is good to those who wait quietly for Him and seek Him (v24, 26). It is good to go through tough times when young (27-30) for the Lord will never reject for ever (v31) and the grief He causes is always followed by His loving compassion. He allows grief even though, heart of hearts, he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone (v33) and when there is suffering and injustice the Lord “sees”(34-39).

TEST AND EXAMINE OUR WAYS
What can we do when we find ourselves in these situations? First, we need to test and examine our ways and return to the Lord (v40). Our hearts and hands need to stretch out to the Lord in repentance (v41). If God seems to have wrapped himself in a cloud and not answered prayer (v44) then we need to cry out to the Lord until he looks down through the cloud and “sees” us (48- 50). Jeremiah remembered the time when he was sinking fast in a muddy pit, he thought he was lost (52-54) and called on the Lord in his desperation. The Lord came near, said “do not fear” (v57) and saved his life for He had “seen” all the wrong done to him (58, 59).

COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR SOCIETY
Chapter 4 gives us a description of how bad life had become in Jerusalem, even the gold had grown dim. Life was cheap, the infant died of thirst (v4), children begged unsuccessfully for food and even the rich had been humbled (v5). Former princes now had shrivelled skin on their bones (v8), the hunger was worse than the sword (v9) and even compassionate women boiled their own children for food (v10). The whole foundation of Zion was consumed by God’s fire (v11). Nobody believed that Jerusalem could fall but it did because, in the midst of her were dreadful sins, even of the priests and prophets (v13) who everyone treated them as unclean (v15). The drawn out punishment of Jerusalem was worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah (v6) and nobody came to her help. Chapter 5 continues in the same vein for the destruction of their society was complete. They had lost their homes and inheritance to strangers (v2), families were broken by losing husbands and fathers (v3), women were raped (v11), princes hung up by their hands (v12), slaves ruled and the government was in disorder. The old men had left the city gate and the young men their music for the joy of their hearts had ceased and their dancing has been turned to mourning (v15).

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
But in the midst of this desolation there is hope. This is because we find them asking God to turn His face towards them (5v1). There is confession of sin (v7) and a new understanding that the Lord was an eternal king (v19). People cry to Him for restoration and renewal (v21) but feared that the Lord had utterly rejected them and was angry beyond measure (v22). We know that this was not the case because God had plans to take a remnant of those exiles and bring them back to the land (see Nehemiah and Ezra). Eventually, from that land would come the messiah who would be the Saviour of the world. Sometimes we may feel like Jerusalem, isolated, destroyed and alone. We should cry out to our Lord, we should examine our ways and confess our sins. We should ask him to bring his new kingdom, restore us and renew us. Remember the grief he brings is really out of His heart of compassion.