Bible study 11th May 2022 “Lamenations” courtesy of the BibleProject™ @ 19:30 on Zoom

Topic: Bible Study 11th May "Lamentations"
Time: May 11, 2022 07:30 PM London
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Bible Study 11th May 2022 “Lamentations”

Lamentations is a collection of Hebrew poems that focuses on the grief, pain, and suffering that came out of living in Jerusalem when it was besieged by the armies of Babylon and eventually captured, plundered, and destroyed. The poet acknowledges that Jerusalem’s fall was an act of Yahweh’s justice, but he still laments, and even protests, the suffering that took place. He draws attention to how terrible the situation was and then calls for God to hear the suffering of his people and respond.

These laments give a sacred dignity to the emotion we feel when we see injustice and suffering. Through studying Lamentations, we can learn to see lament as an important spiritual exercise that brings our anger, pain, and confusion to God, trusting that he cares about it too. In this week’s study, we will practice lamentation as we focus on the poem at the book’s centre, Lamentations chapter 3.

Listen
Listen to a short message from Tim on the book of Lamentations. You can listen to this on your own or with a group. You can listen to the podcast by clicking the link Lamentations
 
Watch
You can watch this week video by clicking this link Lamentations

Read and Discuss
1 Video Question: How did your understanding of Lamentations expand as you watched the video?

2 Read: Lamentations 3
Learning to lament is an uncomfortable yet important part of our spiritual growth, and since there’s so much worth lamenting in the world right now, this is an appropriate time to practice. May God give us hearts big enough to take up the pain of the world and bring it to him in prayer.

Reflection 1:
What is one broken reality that comes to mind as you allow Lamentations 3 to shift your mood?

Reflection 2:
What about this broken reality would be wrong in God’s eyes? How does this circumstance go against God’s plan for his world? Take time to protest, process your emotion, and voice any confusion in a heartfelt prayer.

Reflection 3:
Consider Jesus’ cross and empty tomb as you lament this broken reality. How did Jesus enter into the sufferings of the world? How does Jesus’ resurrection change your perspective on the state of the world?

Reflection 4:
Notice how the poet does not place his hope in improved circumstances; rather, he places his hope in Yahweh (vs. 24). What do you think it looks like to place our hope in Yahweh instead of in our desired outcomes?

Reflection 5:
How do the truths in verses 21-26 help us hope in Yahweh while we grieve?