Why the Old Testament Matters: Lessons from Lamentations

Why the Old Testament Matters: Lessons from Lamentations

One of the things that makes the Bible so vibrant is the fact that it contains so many different types of literature, covering the full spectrum of human experience and emotions. In fact, the book we are looking at today is, at least by namesake, entirely dedicated to lament. It is called Lamentations, and although it is small, it has a lot to say to its readers.

Before we get to what it has to say, there are a few important things to keep in mind in the background. Firstly, each chapter of Lamentations is a separate poem. Understanding that matters because it influences how we understand the book. Because each part of it is poetry, we expect the text to use heightened language and figurative images to communicate its points. If it were not poetic, we would naturally expect to read the text differently. The content is overall very similar to the content of the book of Jeremiah, so most scholars attribute Lamentations to the prophet Jeremiah as well. This is why it appears after Jeremiah in the order of Old Testament books. If you ever hear anyone talking about the “Weeping Prophet,” they are talking about Jeremiah. He got that nickname because much of the book of Jeremiah displays his sorrow over the condition of his people, the Israelites, and the messages of destruction the Lord was leading him to share. Having the book of Lamentations in his list of credits only goes to solidify that sorrowful reputation.

Having all that in the background, we can turn our attention to the point of this book and what it has to say. The opening lines of the book point to its purpose: “How she sits alone, the city once crowded with people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has been put to forced labor” (Lamentations 1:1). The city being referenced is Jerusalem, the place that contained the temple of God. By the time this was written, Jerusalem had been conquered. This is the motivation of Jeremiah’s lament. Who wouldn’t be lamenting over the loss of their home and way of life? If we were in his position, we would be grieving, too. And God knew it would be important, not only for Jeremiah to write this, but also for us to read it. It was important for the people of the time to process their grief, and through this example, we are able to learn how to process our own grief. None of us will endure this life without sorrow, so it is to our benefit that the Bible presents us with help to know how to approach sorrow.

None of us will endure this life without sorrow, so it is to our benefit that the Bible presents us with help to know how to approach sorrow.

Even though “lament” is in the title, however, we should not actually assume that the entirety of this book is grief and sorrow. Yes, it is true that Israel had not been faithful to God, that they were now experiencing the consequences of their actions, and that there was great reason for weeping. But in the middle of the grief, there was still reason for hope, and Jeremiah shows us glimpses of that hope in a few places in the book. The first comes like a breath of fresh air in the middle of Chapter 3. Verses 22–23 say, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” Although their home and way of life had been destroyed, the people were still alive, and God was still merciful. When they looked to the Lord, despite all they had done, they would be met with compassion. And this is why Jeremiah later says, “Lord, bring us back to yourself, so we may return” (Lamentations 5:21a). Jeremiah knew what the Bible says elsewhere, that “what is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27; 1:37; Genesis 18:14), and that the future of the Israelites could be different than it was in that moment.

The same is also true for us. We have much reason for sorrow. We suffer in our bodies and minds, people betray us, those we love are sometimes tragically taken away from us, and our sin separates us from God. But the Lord is our hope, and our hope is alive. When we turn to God, we are always met with compassion. Reading Lamentations helps remind us of that. At the beginning of the book, we may be crying along with the “Weeping Prophet,” but by the end, we should have in mind all the reasons we have to rejoice and feel renewed encouragement to keep living without letting our grief defeat us.

If you are feeling defeated by your grief, or would like to learn more about what hope can be found in Scripture, check out past articles in our Experience Commentary series or reach out to us through our website. Our Prayer Team would love to pray with you, and we also have a team of pastoral counselors who can meet with you one-on-one. For more information, visit experiencecc.com.