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

Today, I am reading and commenting on Lamentations 1-2.

Here the prophet, generally thought to be Jeremiah, laments the destruction of Jerusalem.  The prophet writes of how beautiful Jerusalem had been and how it has been devastated.  However, he warns everyone that Jerusalem’s devastation resulted from the sins of her people.  They had given no thought to the consequences of their action and lived for the moment; sinning without fear of what would happen later.  They listened to prophets who told them what they wanted to hear rather than those who spoke God’s word.  The people thought that because the Temple was there that God would never allow the city to fall.  They turned from God to make friends with other nations (Note: this does not necessarily mean that it was wrong for them to make friends with those nations.  The wrong was in turning from God to do so).  However, when God brought home the consequences of their sins, none of those nations were willing, or able, to come to their aid.  In all of this Jerusalem, and the Kingdom of Judah, are object lessons for all nations and peoples.  If you turn from God and sin against Him when His judgement comes none will stand by you to offer you aid.