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What ar you Crying About? Lamentations 3. (an overview of Lamentatiions ). Overview. Author : Jeremiah Background : sacking of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple in 587 by the Babylonians
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What ar you Crying About?Lamentations 3 (an overview of Lamentatiions)
Overview • Author: Jeremiah • Background: sacking of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple in 587 by the Babylonians • Contribution to the Bible: It provides a voice for working through grief from "A" to "Z," and instruction on how and what to pray.
Structure • Five chapters = five poems • Chapter 3 is the midpoint and climax • Alphabetic acrostic with the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet.
Outline • The City (an outside view; Lam 1) • The Wrath of God (an inside view; Lam 2) • The Compassions of God (an upward view; Lam 3:1-66) • The Sins of All Classes (an overall view; Lam 4) • The Prayer (a future view; Lam 5)
Words of Affirmation about Our God: 3: 22-24 • Love • Mercy (compassion) • Faithfulness • 22 Because of the Lord ’s faithful loved we do not perish, for His mercies never end. • 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
Words of Instruction: Getting Thru Times of Suffering (25-30) • Good • God can create good out of our suffering • 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. • 26 It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord . • 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
But what do we do in the mean time? • 28 Let him sit alone and be silent, for God has disciplined him. • 29 Let him put his mouth in the dust— perhaps there is still hope. • 30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with shame.
How a person is to suffer patiently: • (1) “sit alone and be silent” Allow reflection with God, • (2) “put your mouth in the dust” Don’t speak in anger • (3) “offer your cheek to the striker” have an attitude of humility
Affliction should can be good if it turns God’s people back to Him • 39 Why should any living person complain, any man, because of the punishment for his sins? • 40 Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord . • 41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven: