Title: The Sorrow of Judah/Lamentations 1
Content: Judas' Sorrow
Lamentations 1
1. The Prophet's Sorrow for the Fall of Judah (1-11)
① God's people should feel the greatest sorrow when they do not live according to the Word (1-4)
Jeremiah is experiencing extreme sorrow because the people of Israel have left the Word of God. This prophetic sorrow does not apply only to the prophet, but to all of God's people. Since the identity of God's people is established when they live according to the Word of God, disastrous results arise when they do not obey the Word of God. Therefore, when we deviate from the Word, we must feel pain and fear and be able to turn back.
② When God's people do not live according to the Word, all former glory disappears (5-7)
God takes away all the glory that the people of Israel had previously enjoyed in order to confirm how serious it was for the Israelites to depart from God's Word. The nations ravage and dominate Israel, going one step further and ridiculing Israel's situation. The saddest thing about this fact is that the glory of God has left Israel. When we do not live according to the Word of God, destruction and destruction are inevitably accompanied.
③ The reason God's people did not live according to God's word was because of sin.(8-11)
It was because of their sinful nature that the Israelites suffered extreme sorrow and lost their former glory. This diagnosis is the most accurate interpretation of the present situation of the people of Israel. Sin interferes with true fellowship between God and the people of Israel, and further destroys interpersonal and nature relationships. Thus, all areas of human beings become distorted and corrupted. Therefore, Jesus died on the cross to break down the wall of sin between God and man.
2. Lamentations on the City of Jerusalem (12-22)
① Current situation in Jerusalem (12-15)
The prophet, who figuratively describes the present situation in Jerusalem, makes it clear that the disastrous result was the wrath of God. Also, by expressing the current situation as a ‘yoke’, it shows that Jerusalem is now being held captive by Babylon. In the end, the city of God, Jerusalem, loses all its former glory and is reduced to a pitiful city that is conquered by the nations.
② Sorrow about the present situation in Jerusalem (16-19)
The prophet who personifies Jerusalem to describe sorrow uses the expression “weep” to further maximize the breadth of his emotions. This sorrow is even more evident when we consider the close relationship between God and the people of Israel in the past. The sorrow of the people of Israel at the time due to the appearance of Jerusalem was not just human compassion, but a religious sorrow that came from a broken relationship with God. It is the saddest situation in life to wander away from God.
③ Appeal to Jerusalem's current situation (20-22)
The author appeals to God's mercy because the current situation in Israel stems from relationship with God, not external factors. This appeal is based on the fact that God is the One who can fundamentally forgive the sins of the people of Israel and restore the covenant, no matter what their circumstances. Therefore, the supreme appeal must be a plea for God's mercy. God is the one who bestows love and grace regardless of human worth or abilities.