Lamentations

Date Written: Soon after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

Author: Jeremiah

Setting: Jerusalem had been destroyed by Babylon & her people killed, tortured or taken captive.

Key People: Jeremiah, the people of Jerusalem

Purpose: To teach people that to disobey God is to invite disaster & to show that God suffers when His people suffer.

Key Verses: My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children & infants faint in the streets of the city. 2:11

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 3:22-23

Chapter Outline:

1 Jeremiah Mourns for Jerusalem

2 God’s Anger at Sin

3 Hope & Mercy

4 Punishment

5 Restoration

Importance of reading Lamentations:

What we read: Jeremiah grieves deeply because of the destruction of Jerusalem & the devastation of his nation. But in the middle of this book, in the depths of his grief, there shines a ray of hope. God’s compassion is there. His faithfulness is great. Jeremiah realizes that it is only the Lord’s mercy that has prevented total annihilation. What we can learn: This book shows us the serious consequences of human sin & how we can still have hope in the midst of tragedy because God is able to turn it around for good. We see the importance of prayer & confession of sin. We will all face tragedy in our lives, but in the midst of our afflictions there is hope in God.

What we read: Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. His grief ran very deep. His heart is broken because the people had rejected God – the One who had created them, loved them & wanted to bless them. He wept because he knew that their sinfulness would bring them much suffering. What we can learn: Do you weep over self-centered things or do you weep because the people around you sin against God & reject Him? Do you grieve with God over the lost?

What we read: The temple has been destroyed, the king is gone & the people are in exile. God had warned them that He would destroy them if they abandoned Him. He gave them warning after warning & plenty of time to repent. What we can learn: God will do what He says He will do. His punishment for sin is certain.

What we read: Despite their sinful past, God would restore them if they returned to Him. What we can learn: God wants to forgive us & restore us into right relationship with Him. All we have to do is repent.

Things to think about as you read Lamentations:

• What would happen if you thought about your future & how you are living now could affect your future?
• Why do you think God deals with sin as he does? How should you respond?
• Think about what you learn about God, His character, His judgments, & why He acts as He does.

Ezekiel

Date Written: 593 B.C. – 571 B.C.

Author: Ezekiel

Setting: The 10 tribes of Israel had been carried off to Assyria a century before. They ignored the warnings of the prophets Amos & Hosea & had been deported from their own country. Every prophet’s warning had been ignored. Ezekiel is concerned with the 2 tribes in the south. He was born & raised in the land of Judah, was preparing to become a priest in God’s temple when the Babylonians attacked in 597 B.C. & carried him away along with 10,000 other captives. The nation was on the brink of complete destruction. Four to five years later, God called him to be a prophet. During the first six years as a prophet, Ezekiel ministered in Babylonia while Jeremiah ministered to the people still in Judah & Daniel was serving in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. This book begins by describing the holiness of God that Israel had despised & ignored. As a result, God’s presence departed from the temple, the city & the people. The book ends with a detailed vision of the new temple, the new city & the new people – all showing God’s holiness.

Key People: Ezekiel, Ezekiel’s wife, Israel’s leaders, Nebuchadnezzar, the prince

Purpose: To confront people about their sin, announce God’s judgment on Israel & other nations & to foretell the eventual salvation of God’s people.

Key Verses: For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries & bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you & you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities & from all your idols. I will give you a new heart & put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone & give you a heart of flesh. 36:24-26

Chapter Outline:

1-3 Ezekiel

4-24 Judgment of Judah

25-32 Judgment of the Nations

33-39 The End of the Age

40-48 Restoration of the Temple

Importance of reading Ezekiel:

What we read: While Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem that the city would soon fall to the Babylonians, Ezekiel was giving the same message to the captives who were already in Babylon. Like those in Jerusalem, the captives stubbornly believed that Jerusalem wouldn’t fall & that they would return to their land soon. Ezekiel warned them that punishment was certain because of their sins & that God was purifying His people. What we can learn: God will always punish sin, whether we believe it or not. He is holy & He is just.

What we read: Ezekiel was giving the warning to the people, but they didn’t want to hear it or believe it. The biggest problem was that the people didn’t have an accurate understanding of themselves & their relationship with God. Ezekiel repeatedly held up a mirror to Israel so they could see their idolatry, their pride, their misplaced hopes, their self-righteousness & their unfaithfulness. He doesn’t let them look away or minimize their sins or give flimsy excuses. In graphic & sometimes shocking language, he tries to help Israel see the painful truth of their condition before the Lord. And because they don’t want to listen, they don’t want to look into the mirror of God’s Word, God has him act out the message with dramatic object lessons such as lying on his side for 390 days. During this time he only ate one 8oz meal a day. What we can learn: None of us like to look in the mirror & see that there is something wrong, something we need to change or let go of. We would rather study God’s Word for messages of how much He loves us & what great plans He has for us. But if we don’t see what’s wrong & really look at the truth, we won’t address the sin in our lives. If we don’t look at our lives honestly, we won’t repent & turn to God for His forgiveness & mercy.

What we read: Chapter 2:6-10, three times God told Ezekiel not to be afraid.  What we can learn: God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He is with us, so whom should we fear?

What we read: God gave Ezekiel visions. In one of them Ezekiel ate God’s message & found this spiritual food was good for him & was also as sweet as honey. What we can learn: We have to do more than just read God’s Word, we have to digest it. We have to take it in & let it nourish us. Just like we wouldn’t go long without eating food, we shouldn’t go long without having spiritual food.

What we read: There were many false prophets who spoke lies, saying whatever they thought would make the people happy. They gave the people a false sense of security. What we can learn: Beware of false prophets, teachers & preachers who bend the truth & tell lies. Seek truth.

What we read: Chapter 17:22-23, Ezekiel’s prophecy of judgment ends in hope. Only God could give them true hope. God said He would plant a tender sprig, the Messiah, whose kingdom would grow & become a shelter for all who come to Him. What we can learn: God never leaves us hopeless. If we will turn to Him, we will find hope. This prophecy was fulfilled at the coming of Jesus Christ. Put your hope in Him.

What we read: Chapters 36-37 & 40-48 give both us & the exiles a vision of the future. There is a promise of a new covenant where individuals are given a new heart & new spirit to live after God’s commandments. This came to pass when Jesus established the New Covenant in His blood when He died on the Cross. The promise of a New Jerusalem with the River of Life flowing from its sanctuary has yet to be fulfilled. What we can learn: Since we know how this all will end, we must remain strong in our faith through all the trials & tribulations of life. It will be worth it in the end.

What we read: There are 735 separate events predicted in the Bible. Of those 735 events, 593 (81%) have already happened. Around ¾ of the predictions in Ezekiel have already come true to the letter. What we can learn: God’s Word is true. Every single word is true.

Things to think about as you read Ezekiel:

• As you think about God’s call upon Ezekiel’s life, what do you see about his responsibility as a watchman that you could apply to your own life? If the people wouldn’t listen, was Ezekiel still to speak? Remember that the things in the OT were written for our example, encouragement & perseverance.
• Before Ezekiel ever shared God’s message he was told to eat it, take it to heart & listen closely to the Lord. What lessons can you learn from his example?
• What have you learned about God & His ways from studying Ezekiel? God took Israel as His wife. Christians are espoused to Jesus Christ, their heavenly Bridegroom. Have you, like Israel, played the harlot spiritually & hurt God’s heart? If so, what do you need to do?
• What have you observed every time you saw the word “covenant”? What have you learned about the heart of stone & the Spirit dwelling within? Read II Corinthians 3 & see how this parallels what Ezekiel says. Do you have a heart of stone or flesh? Where is the Spirit of God in relationship to you? 
• As you read, examine your own heart & ask if you are receptive to God’s truth or rebellious like Israel. This book gives you the opportunity to learn about the consequences of sin & rebellion & learn why our holy God must respond with judgment. It tells us what God expects from His people. How does your life line up with His expectations? 

Link to video: https://youtu.be/DbHj-GD8aKw?si=ZN7l-PbGV1tk7R0n

Blessings,

Nichole Henson

Fullness of Joy Ministry