SESSION 5: Sorrow Answered
Lamentations 5 seems to repeat the main themes developed throughout the book.
❖ Reversal
❖ World being upside down
❖ Hunger and thirst of the people
❖ Siege of the city
❖ Exile
❖ Acknowledgment of sin
❖ And the initial question
Lamentations 5:19-22:
❖ “But you, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. Why have you
forgotten us completely? Why have you forsaken us these many days? Restore us to yourself, O
LORD, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old— unless you have utterly rejected us,
and are angry with us beyond measure***…***”
The QUESTION:
❖ The question that was asked at the beginning and is being asked again is: God, do you _______
❖ At no point in Lamentations does God speak.?
The ANSWER:
❖ The text does not provide an answer to the question, but ____________ does.
❖ Israel will be returned to Jerusalem ____________ year later.
❖ More importantly, God will answer this question of sorrow now with a word, but with the coming of the ____________
❖ The solution to ____________ is redemptive ____________
❖ Let us therefore let lament have its day – for we know that ____________ will get the final say.
Discussion Questions for Reflection:
- How does recognizing God's actions through history, especially in the sending of Jesus, help us
understand his character and care for us?
Can you think of a time when walking through sorrow allowed your faith to grow deeper in God?
How might God be transforming your view of him or yourself as we see him not as “Santa Claus”
but as the incarnate Word of God?
- In what ways can the modern church better incorporate lament as a part of its worship and
community life?
- How can we support each other in times of sorrow, ensuring that we don't bypass the process of
lamentation but rather see it as a pathway to deeper unity with God and each other?
