Call to worship:
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.Psalm 34:19-22
Gathering Video
Questions for reflection:
How do you see sin impacting Israel’s society then? How about for us now?
In what ways had their leadership failed? Do you see correlations and similar tendencies today?
How can you trace these laments to the sacrificial love of Jesus?
Corporate Prayer:
Our Father in Heaven,
We thank you for being the God who sees all and knows all. You are the One who meets us in our joy and grief, our celebrations and sorrows, our victories and our losses. In every season, please help us to stay centered on Christ. By the power of your Spirit, would you let our perspective be shaped by Your gospel.
In the name of Christ we pray,
Amen
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Notes//Quotes//Slides:
Lamentations 4:11-22 - Larry and Jorgen Reading
Lamentations 4 breakdown:
4:1-11 - Sin and Society
4:12-16 - Sin and Leadership
4:17-22 - Sin and Hope
“No English word quite captures it, though the older ‘Alas!’ came close. ‘Oh!’ and ‘Ah!’ are too trivial. The common rendering, ‘How …!’ treats it as an exclamation, but the word also contains an element of questioning: ‘How? Why?’ It stands at the head of the three darkest chapters in the book (1, 2 and 4), and it carries a sense of ‘How come? How can this possibly have happened?’ This is baffled pain, astonished suffering, lament mingled with protest, disbelief and questions.” - Chris Wright
Jeremiah 2:1-3
Jeremiah 2:11-13
"On this rock we can be destroyed: but it is rock, not quicksand. There is the chance to build.” - Derek Kidner
Jeremiah 6:13-15
Rejoice and be glad! That’s the first surprise. Could there be any human being capable of rejoicing in the midst of the horrors described in this whole chapter? The words shock us, until we see to whom they are addressed—Lady Edom. And then we perceive their sharp irony. From the prophet Obadiah and others we know that Edom not only refused to help Judah when Nebuchadnezzar invaded, but rejoiced in the downfall of Jerusalem, took advantage of it to seize some of Judah’s wealth, and assisted in the capture of the fleeing population. ‘Go ahead then,’ says the Poet. ‘Enjoy your treachery while you can, but know that God’s judgment is coming your way soon.’ The cup was a standard metaphor for the wrath of God—metaphorically filled with a wine that would lead to drunkenness and exposure. And then, out of the blue, a single line of assurance to Lady Zion herself. While Edom’s judgment is yet to come, Judah’s is ‘completed’. - Chris Wright
“At their best, the prophets, priests, and kings of the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ’s coming. At their worst, they showed why his coming was so necessary.” - Philip Ryken
“Out of the miry clay
We will rise up someday
Sorrow won't always last
The dark will surely pass
Woe to the wicked ones
For what their hands have done
God is our righteous judge
And He will raise us up”
The Porter’s Gate - Daughters of Zion