Saturday 15th February 2025 – Lindsay Wilson
Introduction: Lament has been neglected in the Christian church
What is lament?
– widespread in the Old Testament
– a form of petitionary prayer
– addressed to God, and moves towards him
– includes complaint, strong emotion, protest and even accusation
– can include repentance but need not do soWhat is the value of lament?
– expressing raw honesty before God
– talking to God rather than taking timeout
– believing that God is big enough to take our pain
– an alternative to ‘false repentance’Lament is not overridden by the death and resurrection of Jesus
– it is not sub-Christian
– lament in the New TestamentLament is still pastorally useful in the church and world today
Conclusion
Church camp 2025 – Session 1: Judgement (Lamentations 1 [& 2])
Saturday 15th February 2025 – Lindsay Wilson
Read: Lamentations 1-2
An introduction to the book of Lamentations
– 5 mainly alphabetic acrostics
– an interpretation of the exile, trying to make sense of 587
– purposes of the book:
1. Explain to God’s people why the fall Jerusalem occurred.
2. Instruct God’s people how to handle this disaster and move beyond it.
3. Provide a way for the people to complain to God and express their pain.
A look at chapter 1
1:1-6 – Jerusalem’s tragic reversal
1:7-11 – Jerusalem’s sin and humiliation
1:12-17 – Zion accuses God
1:18-22 – Zion concedes her rebellion
A quick look at chapter 2
2:1-10 – What God has done to Jerusalem
2:11-19 – The children; the religious leaders; and a call to return
2:20-22 – Calling on God
The nature of their suffering – 5 aspects:
1. The scorn of the enemy (1:7-9, 21)
2. the anguish of the people of God (1:6, 17)
3. the scope of the destruction (1:1, 4, 10)
4. famine and starvation (1:11)
5. ‘there is none to comfort her’ (1:2, 7, 9, 16, 17, 21)
Two theological keys
a. God is the enemy (1:5, 12)
b. Those living in Jerusalem were sinners (1:5, 8, 18, 20, 22), and God judges sin