Heritage Baptist Church of Frankfort IL Unknown

This chapter sounds like it is given by two people, one who is in despair and one who has hope. The middle section is the key for this transition. It is a series of truths that Jeremiah rehearses. He recalls these truths to mind that he has spoken of for years. This chapter is the center and the climax of the book of Lamentations.

How does a person change-- How does one progress in their sanctification-- Paul gives a series of steps in the process of being changed more and more like the glory of Christ.

John records the first of several conversations that Jesus has with unsaved individuals. In this first instance Jesus speaks with the best person in society, one who everyone would judge as okay with God. However, this Pharisee Nicodemus needed something he could not do for himself. He needed to be born from above. All he could do is believe on the Son who would be lifted up. This belief would bring new birth and change from perishing to life ever-lasting.

Lament psalms display a pattern for believers to follow in dealing with agony. The book of Lamentations can teach believers how to lament, but it is given for people to learn from. The first two chapters lay out that the destruction of Jerusalem did not happen by accident. God was the one who did it. He did it for a reason. The people had sin and God in His righteousness had to judge. Sin leads to a broken world that suffers judgment.217

Satan often gets us to sin by tempting us to do sins that do not seem all that bad. The devil gets us to wander in pride and independence from God. The target of this attack is our will. The defense that a believer has is the Holy Spirit.

The ultimate goal of lament is for a person to trust God. This trust in God is active because a believer will have to come back to trust time and time again. To fail to get to trust is to be incomplete in the work that God is trying to accomplish. Trust will express itself in multiple ways.