LAMENTATIONS LESSON 3


     We will begin this lesson in Lamentations 3:1 "I [am] the man
[that] hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath."

     In this Jeremiah, is speaking as if he were the man upon whom
this calamity has come. He is, possibly, showing the plight of all,
through the feelings of this one man. The rod of correction has turned
to wrath.  He feels the affliction caused from that rod of correction.

     Lamentations 3:2 "He hath led me, and brought [me into] darkness,
but not [into] light."

     God is the Light. This darkness is away from God.

     Lamentations 3:3 "Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his
hand [against me] all the day."

     God has turned away, because of their terrible sin of worshipping
false gods.

     Lamentations 3:4 "My flesh and my skin hath he made old: he hath
broken my bones."

     The flesh and bones grow old as a natural thing. Perhaps this is
speaking of the length of the punishment {70 years}.

     Lamentations 3:5 "He hath builded against me, and compassed [me]
with gall and travail."

     This just speaks of the troubles, as being bitter in his mouth.
Travail has to do with pain.

     Lamentations 3:6 "He hath set me in dark places, as [they that
be] dead of old."

     The dark places, here, are speaking of Hades. This is just
saying, that Jerusalem is like Hades.

     Lamentations 3:7 "He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out:
he hath made my chain heavy."

     Just as there was no way of escape during the battle, there is no
way of escape from this trouble now. "Chain" speaks of captivity. The
captivity was hard.

     Lamentations 3:8 "Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my
prayer."

     God's wrath was so great, He shut His ears to the prayers of
these people. All of the shouting and crying would be of no help. God
is not listening.

     Lamentations 3:9 "He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he
hath made my paths crooked."

     The straight and narrow path leads to God. This person has chosen
the crooked path. He cannot blame God for what he did himself. The
stone speaks of the strength of his enclosure.

     Lamentations 3:10 "He [was] unto me [as] a bear lying in wait,
[and as] a lion in secret places."

     The bear and the lion tear their prey apart, before they eat
them.

     Lamentations 3:11 "He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in
pieces: he hath made me desolate."

     God will not stop someone who is determined to live in sin. The
ways, in the verse above, belong to the person Jeremiah is speaking
for. They are not God's ways. This way leads to total destruction.

     Lamentations 3:12 "He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for
the arrow."

     The target is the one who has sinned over and over. Once God has
targeted, you there is no getting away.

     Lamentations 3:13 "He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to
enter into my reins."

     "Reins" have to do with the heart of man. This, then, is speaking
of the arrow going into the heart.

     Lamentations 3:14 "I was a derision to all my people; [and] their
song all the day."

     "Derision" means a pond for swimming. God certainly had been a
song to His people. Now, they are drowned in sorrow.

     Lamentations 3:15 "He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath
made me drunken with wormwood."

     The "bitterness" is from punishment for their unrepented sin.
"Wormwood" means bad water. Bad water could cause more than
drunkenness.  It could cause death.

     Lamentations 3:16 "He hath also broken my teeth with gravel
stones, he hath covered me with ashes."

     It appears, this has to be connected to the scripture that says
Matthew 7:9 "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread,
will he give him a stone?"  God has given him up as a son. He has
broken his teeth with gravel. "Ashes" have to do with repentance and
humiliation. It appears, He has disowned him.

     Lamentations 3:17 "And thou hast removed my soul far off from
peace: I forgat prosperity."

     Obedience brought peace and prosperity. Disobedience brought a
curse.

     Lamentations 3:18 "And I said, My strength and my hope is
perished from the LORD:"

     God will not give strength, or hope, to those who rebel against
Him.

     Lamentations 3:19 "Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the
wormwood and the gall." Lamentations 3:20 "My soul hath [them] still
in remembrance, and is humbled in me." Lamentations 3:21 "This I
recall to my mind, therefore have I hope."

     We see, in this, a reflective prayer. This is looking back with
repentance knowing that God will receive his prayer. This is the only
hope he has.

     Lamentations 3:22  "[It is of] the LORD'S mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not."

     Reflecting back has reminded him of the loving care of the LORD.
He realizes the only reason he is not dead, is because of the mercies
of God. God never stops loving. He just wants us to love Him in
return.

     Lamentations 3:23 "[They are] new every morning: great [is] thy
faithfulness."

     This is still speaking of the mercies of the LORD being
sufficient for each day.

     Lamentations 3:24 "The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in him."

     Times may be terrible on the earth, but the LORD is the blessed
hope of the believer. He is life eternal.

     Lamentations 3:25 "The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for
him, to the soul [that] seeketh him."

     Seek, and you shall find. Of course, this is speaking of seeking
God. To wait for the LORD shows that we belive He is, and that He
rewards those who wait for Him.

     Lamentations 3:26 "[It is] good that [a man] should both hope and
quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."

     Jesus is the hoped for Saviour, of all those who wait for Him.

     Lamentations 3:27 "[It is] good for a man that he bear the yoke
in his youth."

     Youth seem to bear up to troubles better, than those who are
older.

     Lamentations 3:28 "He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because
he hath borne [it] upon him."

     This is speaking of not fighting the troubles that come. The best
thing to do, is sit quietly, and soon it will pass. In this particular
case, the troubles came because of sin. The best thing to do, is take
the punishment, and wait for better times.

     Lamentations 3:29 "He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be
there may be hope."

     This is expressing the same thing, as the slang statement we hear
today of eating dirt. This is a way of submitting to the punishment.
There is hope of forgiveness, if he submits to the punishment.

     Lamentations 3:30 "He giveth [his] cheek to him that smiteth him:
he is filled full with reproach."

     To smite the cheek was a way of showing vent up anger. Jesus
said, if someone smite you on the one cheek, turn the other to him,
also.  This is showing meekness to extreme.

     Lamentations 3:31 "For the Lord will not cast off for ever:"
Lamentations 3:32 "But though he cause grief, yet will he have
compassion according to the multitude of his mercies."

     Verse 31 is a glorious promise to those who have grieved God. God
will forgive, if they continue to seek forgiveness. We do know, that
after 70 years, God does just that.

     Lamentations 3:33 "For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve
the children of men."

     God loves His children. He has no desire to punish them. He gave
them every opportunity to repent, and turn from their sin. It was only
after years of warning, that this trouble came upon them. II Peter 3:9
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance."










                       Lamentations 3 Questions


1.  Whose plight is Jeremiah showing in this chapter?
2.  _____ is the Light.
3.  Why had God turned away?
4.  Verse 5 is speaking of troubles, as being ________ in his mouth.
5.  What are the dark places of verse 6?
6.  The captivity was _______.
7.  Why would all the shouting, crying, and praying not help?
8.  The _______ and ______ path leads to God.
9.  What is verse 10 saying about the bear and lion?
10. Whose ways are spoken of in verse 11?
11. Who is the target of God's arrow?
12. "Reins" have to do with the _________ of man.
13. What does "derision" mean?
14. What is the "bitterness" of verse 15?
15. What does "wormwood" mean?
16. Quote Matthew chapter 7 verse 9.
17. What do the "ashes" mean?
18. Obedience brought ________ and ________.
19. What brings him hope?
20. Why were they not consumed?
21. The _______ is my portion.
22. What does it show, when we wait for the LORD?
23. _______ is the hoped for Saviour.
24. What does "putting his mouth in the dust" mean?
25. What promise is spoken in verse 31?
26. Quote 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 9.