Bible 101: Lesson 23

Lamentations

The book of Lamentations is a series of five poems which record the heartbreak its author suffered over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of the inhabitants. Chapters 1, 2 and 4 are acrostics, made of 22 verses which begin with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet consecutively. Chapter 3 is also an acrostic but has three verses for each Hebrew letter, for a total of 66 verses. Only the last chapter is not an acrostic, although it also contains 22 verses.

The book is historically thought to have been written by Jeremiah. The author was certainly an eyewitness to the destruction of the city at the hands of the Babylonians. He alternates between descriptions of the destruction, repentance over the sins that brought judgment down, appeals for God’s help, and hope for the future because of God’s great mercy.

Contains no Messianic prophecies.

Bible 101: Lesson 22

Jeremiah

Jeremiah was the son of a priest, and had a mild-mannered, shy temperament. He was called by God to be a prophet at an early age, but did not want the appointment. He tried to avoid speaking the hard truths that God wanted him to deliver to his time. In Chapter 20, Jeremiah let us in on the struggle to avoid his responsibility and answer the call of God. “But if I say, “I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name; then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.” (Jer 20:9)

So we have in Jeremiah a reluctant prophet who would rather grieve privately about the state of the nation, but is pushed front and center by the Holy Spirit. In fact, he is known as the Weeping Prophet because of his deep grief over the sin he saw all around him and the judgment of God that he knew was coming. And because of his obedience to God, he suffered all kinds of persecution, including imprisonment. His ministry spanned forty years, through the downfall of the Southern kingdom of Judah and into the period of exile.

Messianic Prophecies in Jeremiah

The Lord our righteousness
OT References: Jer 23:5-6; 33:16
NT Fulfillment: Luke 24:47

Born a King
OT References: Jer 30:9
NT Fulfillment: Matt 13:14-15; John 12:39-40; Acts 2825-27

Massacre of infants
OT References: Jer 31:15
NT Fulfillment: Matt 1:22-23; Luke 1:27-35

A new covenant
OT References: Jer 31:31-34
NT Fulfillment: Rom 9:33; 1 Pet 2:8