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Bible Commentaries
Lamentations 5

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-22

  1. Intro: Chapter 5
    1. Not alphabetical!
      1. Now the people pray to God to describe their reproach.
      2. Maybe this is why the poetic value isn’t as important here, instead we have just a poured out heart.
  2. A PRAYER IN DESPAIR! (1-22)
    1. ​​​​​​​Vs.16 – They didn’t try to wiggle out of personal responsibility!
      1. Even thought heir fathers sinned(7)…”we had also”!
      2. “If the seeds of disaster were sown in the past, the present generation had actively cultivated them.”
      3. 2 extremes: You can’t claim to live in “isolation” from the past; nor claim we are “victims” of our past!
        1. Q: Do you stay in between those 2?
        2. Q: What are some good things we can do w/our past sins or mistakes? {we can learn from it so as not to repeat it. - Help others by those lessons we’ve learned.}
        3. Q: What’s wrong with claiming “victim” status? {feel sorry for self, not productive}
    2. Vs.19-22 – Though no Judean king was sitting on the throne – “Thy Throne” endures to all generations.
      1. There is a kingship not of this world (Jn.18:36 “"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.")
      2. A kingship which nothing that happens in this world can ever destroy(not even Y2K).
      3. This is the great certainty to which Lamentations clings!
        1. On it you can build for the future.
      4. This doesn’t stop the questions (20).
      5. (22) Jewish Rabbis insisted rereading 21 after 22 to end on a more positive & hopeful note.
    3. I’ll end with one last note regarding when Isaiah dealt with this very question about being forsaken(20).
      1. Is.49:14-16!
      2. (15) Gods love, which is in distinction from the highest of human love, in that His will never fail!
      3. (15b) He cannot forsake us!
      4. (16) The walls are continually standing before Him…as a memorial!
      5. “Inscribed” - “to cut into or engrave”. The name Zion is engraved on His hand! Your name is engraved on His hand.
        1. Maybe this means in Jesus hands…in the form of a spike?
    4. “Mercy is God’s ministry to the miserable!” Dwight Pentecost
Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Lamentations 5". "Bell's Commentary". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/lamentations-5.html. 2017.
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