If I were to sum up this book in one sentence,
“Life is miserable when you realize that God was true to His word when He said, ‘If you embrace sin and reject me your life will be miserable.'”
This applies both corporately and personally. As we see in the book of Lamentations Jeremiah applies the punishment of sin both to himself and to the people corporately. In doing this I believe Jeremiah shows great humility, in as much as he was the prophet that was calling the people to repent and because they did not repent they are now suffering. It was less about his personal sin and more about the corporate sin of the people and yet he is so intrinsically tied to them that he joins in their shame, suffering, and sorrow.
In the midst of this mighty lament by the weeping prophet Jeremiah there are some of the most quoted hope passages in all the Bible,
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.” -Lamentation 3:21-26
To me if folk who recite texts new the context in which they were spoken not only would they bring hope, but they would also bring resolve. These texts are easy to speak in Spiritual peace, but Jeremiah speaks them in the midst of great spiritual sorrow and struggle.
In my darkest spiritual moment have I been able to say and believe with assurance,
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Wow! To me this scripture which I know by heart is so much more dramatic when I realize it is the centerpiece of a lament.
Next Reading: Luke 9 & 10