Lamentations 5: A Plea for Remembrance and Renewal
Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.
Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.
We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.
Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.
Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.
They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.
The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
Lamentations 5, the final chapter of this heart-wrenching book, is a powerful and poignant prayer arising from the depths of Judah's despair. It represents a crucial turning point: the people, having endured unimaginable suffering, finally begin to acknowledge the root cause of their calamity – their own sin and the sins of their ancestors. This chapter serves as a desperate plea for God's mercy, a confession of their wrongdoing, and a glimmer of hope for future restoration.
Acknowledging Sin and Its Consequences (5:1-8)
The opening verses of Lamentations 5 reveal a people humbled by their circumstances. They are no longer defiant but are now looking upward, recognizing that their current state is a direct consequence of their disobedience and their forefathers' lack of trust in God. The depth of their misery is evident in the simple necessities of life, like water and firewood, now requiring payment (5:4). This highlights the utter disruption of their society and the economic hardship they face.
The tragedy of their foreign alliances is also brought to the forefront. In seeking help from nations like Egypt and Assyria, their ancestors disobeyed God's commands, placing themselves at the mercy of ungodly powers (5:6-8). This act of turning away from God had devastating repercussions, leaving them vulnerable and exposed to the whims of their oppressors. The reliance on foreign powers, rather than on God, resulted in enslavement and further compounded their suffering.
The Devastation of Society (5:9-18)
Lamentations 5 paints a grim picture of a society utterly ravaged by sin and divine judgment. Every segment of the population has been affected. Jeremiah had already described the horrific suffering endured by the children of Judah (4:4), and this chapter expands on that, detailing the fates of women, princes, elders, and young men (5:11-13). No one is spared from the consequences of their collective sin.
The weight of their suffering eventually leads to a crucial moment: the people finally utter the confession God had been waiting to hear: "Woe to us, for we have sinned!" (5:16). This acknowledgment of their transgression is a vital step toward repentance and potential restoration. It signifies a shift in their perspective, a willingness to take responsibility for their actions and to seek forgiveness.
A Plea for God's Covenant and Hope for Renewal (5:19-22)
The people's confession opens the door for God to act on their behalf. It is the first step toward healing and restoration. The plea in verse 20, "Why do you continually forget us, abandon us for our entire lives?", is a desperate cry for God to remember His covenant with them. It is a reminder of His promises and a yearning for His unwavering faithfulness.
The chapter concludes with a glimmer of hope. The only way God would completely turn away from them forever is if He were to reject them entirely (5:22). However, such an action would require God to be unfaithful to His own promises. As Lamentations 3:23 reminds us, God's mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great. Therefore, the book ends with the hope that God will bring them back, renew their days, and restore them to their former glory (5:21). Even in the depths of despair, the seeds of hope remain, rooted in God's enduring character and His unwavering commitment to His covenant.
Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.
Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.
We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.
Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.
Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.
They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.
The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
Lamentations 5, the final chapter of this heart-wrenching book, is a powerful and poignant prayer arising from the depths of Judah's despair. It represents a crucial turning point: the people, having endured unimaginable suffering, finally begin to acknowledge the root cause of their calamity – their own sin and the sins of their ancestors. This chapter serves as a desperate plea for God's mercy, a confession of their wrongdoing, and a glimmer of hope for future restoration.
Acknowledging Sin and Its Consequences (5:1-8)
The opening verses of Lamentations 5 reveal a people humbled by their circumstances. They are no longer defiant but are now looking upward, recognizing that their current state is a direct consequence of their disobedience and their forefathers' lack of trust in God. The depth of their misery is evident in the simple necessities of life, like water and firewood, now requiring payment (5:4). This highlights the utter disruption of their society and the economic hardship they face.
The tragedy of their foreign alliances is also brought to the forefront. In seeking help from nations like Egypt and Assyria, their ancestors disobeyed God's commands, placing themselves at the mercy of ungodly powers (5:6-8). This act of turning away from God had devastating repercussions, leaving them vulnerable and exposed to the whims of their oppressors. The reliance on foreign powers, rather than on God, resulted in enslavement and further compounded their suffering.
The Devastation of Society (5:9-18)
Lamentations 5 paints a grim picture of a society utterly ravaged by sin and divine judgment. Every segment of the population has been affected. Jeremiah had already described the horrific suffering endured by the children of Judah (4:4), and this chapter expands on that, detailing the fates of women, princes, elders, and young men (5:11-13). No one is spared from the consequences of their collective sin.
The weight of their suffering eventually leads to a crucial moment: the people finally utter the confession God had been waiting to hear: "Woe to us, for we have sinned!" (5:16). This acknowledgment of their transgression is a vital step toward repentance and potential restoration. It signifies a shift in their perspective, a willingness to take responsibility for their actions and to seek forgiveness.
A Plea for God's Covenant and Hope for Renewal (5:19-22)
The people's confession opens the door for God to act on their behalf. It is the first step toward healing and restoration. The plea in verse 20, "Why do you continually forget us, abandon us for our entire lives?", is a desperate cry for God to remember His covenant with them. It is a reminder of His promises and a yearning for His unwavering faithfulness.
The chapter concludes with a glimmer of hope. The only way God would completely turn away from them forever is if He were to reject them entirely (5:22). However, such an action would require God to be unfaithful to His own promises. As Lamentations 3:23 reminds us, God's mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great. Therefore, the book ends with the hope that God will bring them back, renew their days, and restore them to their former glory (5:21). Even in the depths of despair, the seeds of hope remain, rooted in God's enduring character and His unwavering commitment to His covenant.