I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Lamentations1-2.

    I struggle with the meaning of Lamentations, but here is what I see today. Jerusalem was once the chosen City of God (and may be so again, but that is a discussion for another day). However, the people of Jerusalem failed to remain faithful to God. The result was that despite being God’s chosen city, Jerusalem was destroyed. The writer of these Lamentations tells us that Jerusalem stands as an example to all cities and nations of what happens to those who reject God’s laws. In addition to the example which Jerusalem provided for cities and nations the writer provides an example for us as individuals who seek to serve God. The writer did not rejoice that destruction came upon Jerusalem because they had failed to head his warnings (the tradition is that Lamentations was written by Jeremiah, but even if it was not it reads as if written by someone who had prophesied Jerusalem’s fall). Instead of rejoicing, he mourned deeply for the destruction of Jerusalem. We, too, should not rejoice when people suffer because they did not listen to God’s warnings.