THE BIBLE-TEACHING MINISTRY OF CHARLES R. SWINDOLL
About Us | Contact Us | Change Location
A small book that few have stopped to read hides in the folds of the Old Testament: Lamentations. This book is the prophet Jeremiah's heartbroken lament after God judged the Jews for their unrepentant Sin. On pages stained with tears, the weeping prophet described in graphic detail the devastation after Jerusalem's fall to the Babylonians.
Jeremiah's journal of woes stands as a sober testimonial that sin, despite its allurement, carries with it the heavy weight of sorrow, grief, misery, barrenness, and pain. It is Jeremiah's grim, bold declaration that a holy God will not remain silent forever when His people disobey Him.
Lamentations is also a book of hope. From the rubble of Jerusalem's Judgement, the promise of restoration rises like the morning sun over the eastern hills. God's mercies shine new every morning. Great is His faithfulness toward those who cry out to Him in their lament and seek Him through their sorrows.
1) As the Prophet Laments, We Reflect 2) The Influence of One Devoted Parent 3) Jeremiah's Journal of Woes 4) None but the Lonely Heart 5) Coming to Terms With God's Wrath 6) What to Remember When You Hit Bottom 7) Ugly Scenes of Utter Humiliation 8) Jeremiah's Mournful Swan Song
1) As the Prophet Laments, We Reflect
Selections from Jeremiah 1
In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah recorded his mournful lament after the destruction of Jerusalem. This composition of sorrow is a divinely inspired chronicle of pain which speaks to the heart of all sufferers. Who is Jeremiah? How did he receive his calling from God? What were the times in which he lived? Pastor Chuck Swindoll answers these questions in this message as he exhorts us to be Jeremiahs in our world—people of courage, faith, and a lifelong commitment to obey God regardless the cost.
2) The Influence of One Devoted Parent
Selections from 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 33-35
Sometimes we may wonder whether we have much power to do any good in our culture which, like Jeremiah’s world, seems destined to crumble. The truth is just the opposite. The time we invest in the lives of younger people, particularly children, makes a significant impact. At age 20, young King Josiah spiritually reformed his nation when it was teetering on the brink of ruin. Whom do you think had the most influence on his life when he took the throne at age 8? His godly mother, Jedidah. Never underestimate the influence of a devoted parent or the influence you have on young people in their formative years.
3) Jeremiah's Journal of Woes
Survey of Lamentations
The Lord inspired Jeremiah to pour out his heart in sorrow in the book of Lamentations for our benefit. His journal of woes warns us that sin inevitably brings consequences. This survey of Lamentations takes us on a sobering tour through the rubble of Jerusalem and the broken lives of the city’s citizens who learned too late the high cost of rebellion. These are shocking descriptions to read and hard lessons to learn . . . but lessons that lead to life when we heed their warnings.
4) None but the Lonely Heart
Selections from Lamentations 1
Imagine the trauma of surviving a crushing military defeat that reduced your beloved city to rubble and killed almost everyone you knew. This was the experience of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet who had warned his people of the coming judgment for their idolatry. If only they had paid attention to his prophecies, they might have been spared! Loneliness and grief gripped his heart as he wandered the ravaged city. If you identify with Jeremiah’s heartache, take flight to the Savior who comforts the grieving and lonely-hearted.
5) Coming to Terms With God's Wrath
Selections from Lamentations 2
Much confusion exists regarding the subject of God’s wrath. God’s wrath does not imply that God is cruel, malicious, or subject to bursts of rage. Rather, as Pastor Chuck Swindoll shows from Lamentations 2, God is a righteous judge who is just and fair. He is rightly angry toward evil. Would we want Him to be unmoved and indifferent? We long for God to set things right in our world gone wrong. Jeremiah’s tears invite us to cry out to God, who desires that no one perishes. His arms are strong enough to save anyone who calls on Him.
6) What to Remember When You Hit Bottom
Selections from Lamentations 3
When the weight of sorrow drags us deep into despair, how do we rise from the pit? At the midpoint of Jeremiah’s Lamentations and the heart of his message is a lifeline of truth about God to which we can cling when we hit bottom. God is infinitely good and loving, and He will never forsake us. Our heavenly Father may discipline His rebellious children with one hand, but He will redeem us with the other. How can we be certain? Lamentations 3:22–24 gives the guarantee:
The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
7) Ugly Scenes of Utter Humiliation
Selections from Lamentations 4
To lament is to cry out with a pain so deep we cannot express it with words, only with a wail from the depth of our souls. Jeremiah groaned with sadness as he stumbled through the ruins of Jerusalem. He saw corpses in the streets and orphaned children begging for food. This was his nation’s darkest hour . . . the shadow of which stretches across the years to our own day. We sometimes witness ugly scenes in our nation, and we must have Jeremiah’s courage to face the truth of what we see and cry out to God, our hope of restoration.
8) Jeremiah's Mournful Swan Song
Selections from Lamentations 5
The prophet Jeremiah concludes his lament with a priestly prayer of confession as he recounts the sins of the nation. His prayer is a model for penitent sinners today. It is a deeply emotional prayer that lists the national treasures lost in the shipwreck of sin. One of the healthiest marks of maturity is to take responsibility for our wrongs. Jeremiah’s lesson is this: confess your sins with confidence. Stand firm on the ground of God’s immutable character, knowing that He will pardon the penitent sinner.