Lamentations chapter 5

Feels good to get back t Lamentations, even if only for a day, before I start stressing about my next sermon. Good might not be the right word for Lamentations, obviously.

vs 1

I doubt the Lord will have trouble remembering, since he was the one that caused it. But I suppose that if God remembers what happened to them, he is also remembering them.

vs 2

Not just their homes, but their inheritance. And not just what they would pass to their own children, but what they indeed were provided with by God himself. The land promised to Israel is now in the hands of non-Israel.

vs 3

Often happens in times of war. Especially to the losing side.

vs 4

We might say, "Wood, what?" They mean for cooking fires. So they can't even draw from wells or chop down trees - everything has been taken from them and is now sold back at a price.

vs 5

When you are fleeing for your life, and being pursued, you can't really afford to stop, no matter how tired you get. Why are they fleeing? It could be the group that Jeremiah got caught up in that are fleeing to Egypt, or it could just be that people want to kill themselves an Israeli every now and again.

vs 6

Oh, well, dog my cats if I didn't just mention that!

vs 7

Well, come now Jeremiah. I mean, in a sense we know what you say is true - and certainly God has held back his judgment for some time, even though the previous generations were still sinful. This is quite a painful truth, isn't it?

But the fact is that every generation's sin deserves this punishment. So it's not like they didn't cop something they deserved. Still, why one and not the other? Obviously God feels that we are in some way responsible for the sins of our parents, Mr Howard.

vs 8

Now that has got to suck. I mean, if you are under the control of a slave, how low are you? "Yeah, I'm a slave." "Oh, who is your master?" "That slave." Wow.

vs 9

That sounds like arabic marauders, if you'll pardon my saying so. I suppose they fled into the desert to escape the attacking army, only to find that the desert really isn't all that safe.

vs 10

Fleeing into the desert must suck.

vs 11

An unfortunate but ever-present, it seems, mark of war. I really can't stand the thought of it. Glad my reading ends here.