1 Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace! 2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. 3 We have become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows. 4 We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought. 5 Our pursuers are at our necks; we are weary; we are given no rest. 6 We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough. 7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities. 8 Slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand. 9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness. 10 Our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine. 11 Women are raped in Zion, young women in the towns of Judah. 12 Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders. 13 Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood. 14 The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music. 15 The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has been turned to mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned! 17 For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim, 18 for Mount Zion which lies desolate; jackals prowl over it. 19 But you, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. 20 Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days? 21 Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old– 22 unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us. —Lamentations 5

Intro: Lamentations ends with Jeremiah’s cry of desperation for the Lord to bring relief and renewal to the broken people of Israel. This prayer models a raw and honest emotional state that roots itself in the reminders of God’s promises.

Big Idea: God ministers to us through

1. Bring your honest pain to The Lord. (5:1-18)

• a. Jeremiah asks God to remember their pain (v.1)
• b. The imperative verbs (Remember, Look, See) express deep urgency and dependence on God.

• c. Honest lament echoes throughout the Psalms (Ps. 13:1-2)

  1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? —Psalm 13:1-2

• d. Jesus cried out to the Father, modeling human transparency before God. (Mark 14:36)

  And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” —Mark 14:36

Do I

2. Seek God’s Mercy and acknowledge His Sovereignty (5:19-21a)

• a. God’s rule reigns forever and endures all generations (v.19)
• b. The shift from despair to declaration shows the interplay of lament and trust.
• c. The affirmation of God’s eternal rule contrasts with the temporary state of Jerusalem’s destruction.
• d. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” Job 1:21

Embracing God’s

3. Trust in God for Renewal and Restoration (5:21b-22)

• a. The prayer concludes with a plea of personal renewal: “Restore us to YOURSELF” (v.21a)

• b. Jeremiah’s covenant language recalls God’s promise of restoration for a repentant people (Deut. 30:3)

  then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. —Deuteronomy 30:3
  

• c. Lamentations ends on a note of hope tied to God’s mercy and restoration, setting the stage for our Advent season.

• d. This prayer is fulfilled in Christ. (2 Cor 5:17)
  

  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. —2 Corinthians 5:17
  

Because of

As we move into Advent, let Lamentations guide your heart to

Small Group Questions

1. What did God teach you through this passage and message? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.

2. What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?

3. What burdens or pain are you reluctant to bring to God?

4. How does acknowledging God’s rule change your perspective on suffering?

5. What steps of repentance and faith might God be calling you to take toward renewal? Can you share an example of a restored relationship or community that began with heartfelt prayer and repentance?