Day 220 Reading Schedule: Lamentations 1-2

Lamentations of Jeremiah Chapter 1: Sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem

[Content Overview]

This book poignantly expressed in poetic form the pain felt while painfully observing the horrors of Jerusalem's current destruction and the yearning for national repentance. In this chapter, Judah's existential situation is described in a lamenting tone, and it provides interpretive clues on how to understand the entire book. In other words, by revealing Israel's status in the covenant relationship and describing the current negative situation, it is possible to present the religious reasons why this situation cannot but occur. This chapter consists of Jeremiah's own lament (verses 1-11), in which he feels overwhelming sorrow as a member of the people, and a part in which he sings of sorrow by personifying the city of Jerusalem (verses 12-22).

Lamentations 2: The horrors of Judgment Day

[Content Overview]

This chapter presents the specific causes of Israel's judgment in poetic form. God's punishment of Israel was ostensibly revealed as a military invasion of Babylon, but the true cause of this fact was religious in nature. Ultimately, it is the result of God's wrath. Therefore, expressions that emphasize the thoroughness of God's wrath often appear in this chapter. This chapter consists of the first half (verses 1-12) describing God's wrath against Israel and the second half (verses 13-22) depicting Jerusalem's petition.​