LIFE BIBLE STUDY JEREMIAH'S LAMENT OVER JERUSALEM

Transcription

1 LIFE BIBLE STUDY JEREMIAH'S LAMENT OVER JERUSALEM Lesson 01 Lamentations 1:1 to 5:22 (The New International Version Bible Translation was used to prepare this lesson.) INTRODUCTION: Adult Study in LAMENTATIONS The Book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah the prophet, after Judah's fall and Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians (586 B.C.). The five chapters of this book are divided into five distinct laments. Three of them can be classified as funeral dirges. The title of the book comes from the Greek word, threnoi, as found in the Greek LXX (Septuagint). The word means a lamentation. The Greek verb threomai, means cry aloud, which is a more fitting title for Lamentations. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary states that these words were added to introduce the Book of Lamentations in the Greek Septuagint: And it came to pass, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem made desolate, that Jeremiah sat weeping, and lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said... For over forty years, God had made Jeremiah a prophet to the tiny nation of Judah. He was a despised man, because he called the officials and the people to account for their sin. Yet, the wicked kings of Judah and the leaders did not turn from their sin. The Bible said of each king Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his fathers had done (II Kings 23:32). Jeremiah saw the kingdom of Judah die right before his eyes. He had the answer that could have saved the nation, but the people refused to listen. The inspired writer of II Kings tells about one of the many tragic outcomes of the fall of the city of Jerusalem. He said,... Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem... They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon... He set fire to the temple of the LORD, to the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem... So Judah went into captivity, away from her land (II Kings 25:1, 7, 9, 21b). After the fall of Zion, the City of David (II Samuel 5:6-7), broken hearts and weeping followed. The Book of Lamentations records Jeremiah's grief expressed in words for the city, the temple, the nation and the people he loved; a people and a nation that did not have to die. Before the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel the prophet, who was already a captive in Babylon, cried out to the Jews, Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new Spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and live (Ezekiel 18:30b-31). Yet, just as they refused to listen to Jeremiah, they closed their ears to the message of Ezekiel. Why did Jeremiah write this Book of Lamentations? The Spirit of God led him to write it so that the Jews, and we who love the Bible, would not forget that sin is destructive. Charles R. Swindol says in his Introduction to the Book of Lamentations: It is a mute reminder that sin, in spite of all its allurement and excitement, carries with it heavy weights of sorrow, grief and pain. It is the other side of the eat, drink, and be merry coin. This study in Lamentations should remind us that our sin will find us out (Numbers 32:23). LAM 01-1

2 Jeremiah used the phrases: daughter of Zion, virgin daughter of Judah, and daughter of Jerusalem, throughout his recorded laments. Jerusalem was the only city in the world of that day that had God's presence dwelling in a temple made by human hands. But the glory of God left the temple before the fall of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10:18-19). However, God did not desert His people. He was in Babylon with Ezekiel, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Esther, and the Jewish remnant who would preserve the righteous line of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. The remnant would return to Jerusalem, and rebuild the temple and the city in God's perfect time. In the Book of Lamentations, Jeremiah reveals the great suffering of the people and his brokenness over the sins of the people. It is a book that will remind us to find out where we are as a people of God, and where we are as one nation under God. May the Spirit of God lead you to search your heart and see if there is any wicked way in you (Psalm 139:24). May He open your spiritual eyes to your need of a safe haven in Christ. Will you trust the Lord Jesus and serve Him in these days of sin? In Christ, we are unshakable, even though everything around us crumbles because of sin. MEMORY VERSE: Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). PERSONAL STUDY QUESTIONS: (* Denotes personal application) Show the verse where you find your answer. A. GOD'S ANGER AGAINST JERUSALEM (Lamentations 1:1 to 2:22) 1. God warned Jerusalem that they would experience judgment for their wickedness. From verses 1-3, briefly tell how Jeremiah describes Jerusalem before its destruction. Then tell how he describes Jerusalem as she begins to experience God's judgment. a. Jerusalem before: b. Jerusalem after: NOTE: Ezekiel prophesied to the Jews from Babylon. He may have been exiled to Babylon in the first of three dispersions (II Chronicles 36:9-10), about eleven years before the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.). The LORD God again spoke through Ezekiel to Judah and said, Because they had not obeyed My laws but had rejected My decrees and desecrated My Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their fathers' idols. I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws that they could not live by; I let them become defiled through their gifts the sacrifice of every firstborn that I might fill them with horror so that they would know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 20:24-26). Jeremiah's statement, After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile... probably means that before Judah's fall she was a slave to sin that afflicted her. Jesus teaches us this truth,... everyone who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). LAM 01-2

3 2. Verse 2 ends with, All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. Who was one of her friends, and what was the significance of their betrayal of Judah (Jeremiah 37:7, 17; Lamentations 1:17b)? NOTE: The Daughter of Zion (verse 6), which symbolized the people of Israel (Isaiah 40:9; Jeremiah 31:12), had no place to lay her head (verse 7). She was despised by those who had once honored her, she was filthy, and she took no thought for her future (verse 9). Do you know anyone today who claims to love God, but has the symptoms of sin that Judah had? James wrote to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (James 2:1), and indicated that some have moral filth (James 1:21, are disobedient to God's word (1:22), are profane (3:9-12), killers, covetous, fighters, pleasure seekers, and friends of the world (4:1-4). What does James advise for these wayward children of God? He says to them, Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded (James 4:8). James also spoke of their need to obey the royal law (James 2:8). The royal law in its entirety states, Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ; and, Love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). Will you come near to God, let Him purify your heart by faith, and begin obeying the royal law? 3. Jeremiah said of Jerusalem, The enemy laid hands on all her treasures (Lamentations 1:10). Why was this so shameful for the Israelites, and what did it express about their relationship with the LORD (Isaiah 64:11-12; Jeremiah 51:51)? 4. To what extent did God give the Israelites over to judgment for their sinful ways (Ezekiel 7:15-16)? 5. In Lamentations 1:11 to 2:5, Jeremiah spoke for the virgin daughter of Judah, and discussed the punishment of God on the people of Judah. How did Jeremiah further describe the changes Jerusalem experienced at this time (Lamentations 2:6-7)? NOTE: It was as if the LORD had poured His wrath out only on Jeremiah. Judah's punishment was so very personal to the great prophet. He had given forty years of his life for those he loved, and all that resulted was their punishment. Yet, he had done the will of God by being faithful and speaking for Him. LAM 01-3

4 6. The consequences of sin have a far-reaching effect, even on the righteous. Who specifically suffered according to Lamentations 2:10-12? 7. Sin slowly and subtlety creeps into the lives of people even upon religious leaders until they are deceived and begin living a lie. a. Why were the Israelites so ill-prepared and blind to what befell them (Lamentations 2:14)? b. What can we do to be prepared for such a disaster (II Timothy 2:15)? 8. The LORD has done what He has planned; He has fulfilled His word, which He decreed long ago (Lamentations 2:17a). What did the LORD decree for the disobedient Israelites (Deuteronomy 28:15-20)? B. JEREMIAH WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM (Lamentations 3:1-66) 9. Jeremiah spoke of his own suffering at the hands of the LORD (verses 1-21). He was the laughingstock of his people, and they mocked him in song (verse 14), he had no peace (verse 17), and he remembered the bitterness he experienced (verse 19). What did Jeremiah conclude when he remembered all his suffering (verses 20-21)? 10. Although Jeremiah's soul was downcast, he still expressed hope in God, even after the fall of Jerusalem. a. Tell what promise Jeremiah had that gave him hope (Jeremiah 29:1-3, 10-11). LAM 01-4

5 b. Share what Jeremiah discovered after the fall of Zion (Lamentations 3:21-24). *11. Do you have the hope that Jeremiah speaks of in verses 25-26? Will you encourage someone in your small group, by telling them how the LORD has brought you through trials by giving you hope? 12. Jeremiah continued, It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young (3:27). a. What four factors are involved in submitting to God's yoke of discipline (Lamentations 3:28-30)? b. Does the LORD delight in bringing affliction on us? Please explain (verses 31-33). 13. Jeremiah tells the fallen Jews that their sin has earned the punishment they have received (Lamentations 3:34-39). The prophet then gives wise advice to the dispersed Jews in verses What is the next step for one who understands that God has punished them for their sin? NOTE: Our God delights in forgiving those who come to Him with a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:16-17). The LORD of the universes said through Isaiah,... This is the one I esteem; he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2b). The Apostle John reminds followers of Jesus who have strayed into sin, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). 14. Jeremiah interceded for his people, for himself, and against his enemies (Lamentations 3:43-66). a. How did God respond to him in his hope and patience (3:57-58)? LAM 01-5

6 b. Summarize Jeremiah's prayer to God for his enemies (Lamentations 3:59-63). c. Read 3:64-66 and II Corinthians 3:13-14; 4:3-4. Define Jeremiah's words, Put a veil over their hearts... NOTE: In the Old Testament, the prophets acted on behalf of God and often announced curses on the wicked. This was part of their responsibility of calling a wicked people to repentance (see Psalms 10:15; 55:15). However, the canon of Scripture is complete and it carries the authority of God today. The New Testament not only speaks to the disobedient child of God, but to unbelievers. To those who do not have Christ in their hearts the Bible says,... whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him (John 3:36b). To the disobedient Christian the Bible says,... the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as sons (Hebrews 12:6). Our Lord Jesus Christ has commanded that His body, the church, administer discipline in redemptive love using the Scripture as their authority (Matthew 18:15-20). C. THE SIEGE AGAINST JERUSALEM (Lamentations 4:1-22) 15. Again Jeremiah reflects on the desperate and pathetic plight of Jerusalem; a people who were once as valuable as gold and fine jewels, but now considered as pots of clay (verses 1-2). What example of their affliction did Jeremiah reveal in verse 10? 16. The kings of the earth did not believe... that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem (4:12). Why were these enemies and foes able to come against Jerusalem? NOTE: History reveals that much of the blood of the righteous, from Abel to this present day, was shed by religious people. Millions who loved the Lord Jesus died by the hands of leaders in the corrupted church, during the Dark Ages. Jesus tells His disciples, and us, They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or Me (John 16:2-3). LAM 01-6

7 17. Edom (descendants of Esau), who lived in the land of Uz, had rejoiced over the tragedy of her brother, Jacob (Obadiah 1a,12). What warning is given to Edom for her hatred of Judah (verses 21-22)? D. JEREMIAH PRAYS FOR RESTORATION (Lamentations 5:1-22) 18. Jeremiah said, Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us; look and see our disgrace (verse 1). In the prophet's account of what happened to the Israelites (verses 2-19), what are his final analysis and petition of the LORD? *19. Jeremiah ends his lamentations with a statement, unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure. As a believer in Christ, has sin in your life broke your fellowship with God? Will you confess your sin and turn back to the Lord? Share with your small group how the LORD has cleansed you. APPLICATION: The death of the daughter of Zion was indeed sad. Her light for God had gone out in Jerusalem. What about your church? Has its light for Christ dimmed? If you are a disciple of Christ, you are part of the body. Has your light dimmed? Have you lost your luster? Are you unclean? Have you abandoned truth? Are you enslaved by lies? Has joy gone from your heart? Will you confess your sins and the sins of your fellow believers, as Jeremiah did for Judah in Lamentations 5:16-18? THE CROWN HAS FALLEN FROM OUR HEAD. WOE TO US, FOR WE HAVE SINNED! BECAUSE OF THIS OUR HEARTS ARE FAINT, BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS OUR EYES GROW DIM FOR MOUNT ZION, WHICH LIES DESOLATE... You see, God will never forsake you, nor any of His children (Hebrew 13:5). He protected the remnant and brought them back to Zion. It is His people that forsake Him, as the people of Judah did, and as we Christians sometimes do. Will you pray this prayer of Jeremiah for yourself, for your family and for your church? RESTORE US TO YOURSELF, O LORD, THAT WE MAY RETURN; RENEW OUR DAYS AS OF OLD. (Lamentations 5:21) LBS LAM 01-7