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Why was the book of Lamentations given that title? In what way does this express a realistic view of life?
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It was given this name because God lamented over what He had to do to punish Israel for their sin against Him. Just like a mother who laments over having to punish her child who disobeyed her. She may not want to do it, but she knows she has to because not doing it doesn’t help her child but instead hurts her child in the long run.
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Lament: to express sorrow, mourning or regret often demonstrably; mourn; wail.
Dr. Buzzell’s commentary on the book of Lamentations states that Jeremiah’s “lament” over his people’s disobedience and its consequences are recorded in the book of Lamentations. A city that was never supposed to fall, Jerusalem, was destroyed by the Babylonians. Just days before the fall of Jerusalem the words of Jeremiah were fulfilled about a coming famine of food and water, pestilence and not enough housing. The city was beyond capacity. There was not enough food for those in captivity while those who were outside guarding the gates had an abundance of fresh food and water. Health, malnutrition sanitation, not enough housing, cleanliness is a recipe for the rapid spread of disease. Anxiety was at an all-time high and bodies were piling up. If ever there was a time to lament demonstrably it was now. And the nation of Israel lamented for seventy years.
Fast forward to 2020-2021. Our nation is going through our own version of captivity. With the pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands. Our time spent sheltering in place without the ability to leave our homes except to go to work (if you were deemed an essential worker), food and paper shortages at the grocery store, loss of jobs and income, families moving in together due to loss of income and businesses being forced to close are updated versions of the captivity of the nation of Israel. If you pair these things with the current political and racial climate…we have reason to lament.
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Lamentations was given this title because Jeremiah was lamenting over his people’s disobedience and the consequences that followed.
This is a realistic view of life because humans are sinful by nature and are disobedient to God. Even though we lament about this, we fortunately have a Savior, and through God’s grace, forgiveness. -
Jeremiah lament over Israel’s disobedience and destruction
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After Jerusalem destroyed, Jeremiah laments over his people’s disobedience and consequence
