LAMENTATIONS
THE LEGACY BIBLE OUTLINE SERIES
8 Harvestime International Institute
THE LEGACY BIBLE OUTLINE SERIES
The Legacy Bible Outline Series is a study of the Bible using the text of the Bible itself. The series outlines books of the Bible in simple format, providing commentary only as needed to enhance understanding. Text-based questions are also included for every chapter.
We suggest you create a notebook for each book of the Bible. Insert the outlines in your notebooks and add your own study notes. Each time you study a book, you can easily append the outlines to continuously expand the materials.
The Legacy Bible Outline Series is designed so you can easily personalize it. The files for the series are in MS Word format to enable you to revise, input your own notes, change page numbers, and alter the layout as needed. You can also create your own outlines for other books of the Bible using this format
The text of the King James Version is included in The Legacy Bible Outline Series to enable you to underline and make notes in the actual text as part of your study. Unlike a Bible which will eventually wear out, you can photocopy worn pages if they need to be replaced--which means you won’t lose your notes and underlining. Be sure to read the text in other versions of the Bible also, as different translations will greatly enhance your study.
You can print copies of the outlines for your students or--a more cost-effective method--copy the files to a CD ROM and let each student print out their own outlines. If you want students to have only the study questions and not the outlines, then copy the questions to a separate file and print them out for distribution.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line…
(Isaiah 28:10, KJV)
...His word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones!...
(Jeremiah 20:9, NLT)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Number
Introduction To The Book Of Lamentations 1
Outline Of The Book Of Lamentations
Lamentations 1 2
Lamentations 2 6
Lamentations 3 10
Lamentations 4 14
Lamentations 5 17
Supplemental Studies 20
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS
AUTHOR: Jeremiah.
TO WHOM: Jews who were captive in Babylon.
PURPOSES: To produce repentance necessary for spiritual restoration. What Jeremiah learned in these dark times can help us in our own difficult times.
KEY VERSES: It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
LIFE AND MINISTRY PRINCIPLE: God is faithful in both judgment and mercy.
MAIN CHARACTER: Jeremiah.
A BRIEF OUTLINE: Lamentations means Aalas@. It is said that Jeremiah sat weeping
outside the north wall of Jerusalem under a hill called Golgotha where Christ would later die.
Lamentations 5:16 summarizes the reasons for God's judgment upon the city of Jerusalem about
which the Prophet Jeremiah is lamenting in this book. Around 1000 B.C. David established
his capital in Jerusalem. God blessed this city for nearly 400 years and spared it even after He
allowed the northern kingdom to be carried away by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. His mercy was
in vain, however, for the people of Judah continued to sin. Judgment had now come.
The book uses an acrostic pattern: Lines start with different letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Chapter 1: The city speaks: The results of sin.
Chapter 2: The Lord speaks: The consuming judgment.
Chapter 3: The prophet speaks: Perspectives from the pit.
Chapter 4: Possessions speak: Their luster has perished.
Chapter 5: Captives speak: They are hungry and hurting.
QUESTIONS ON THE INTRODUCTION:
1. Who was the author?
2. To whom was the book written?
3. What were the purposes of the book?
4. What are the key verses?
5. What is the life and ministry principle?
6. Who is the main character?
7. What does the word ALamentations@ mean?
8. Give a brief outline for the book.
Outline Of Lamentations
Lamentations 1
1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people how is she become as a widow she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary
2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.
4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.
6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.
7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.
8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.
9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O Lord, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.
10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.
11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O Lord, and consider; for I am become vile.
12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
13 From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.
14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.
15 The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.
16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
18 The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.
20 Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
21 They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.
22 Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.
Outline 1:
I. The condition of Jerusalem. (1-2)
A. The city, once full of people, is now solitary.
B. Once great among the nations, she is now as a widow.
C. Once as a princess among the provinces, she is become a tributary (in servitude).
D. She weeps in the night.
E. There is no comfort from her lovers (her allies).
F. Her friends have dealt treacherously with her and become her enemies.
II. The people of Judah. (3)
A. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction and great servitude.
B. She dwells among the heathen.
C. She finds no rest.
D. All her persecutors overtook her between the straits (in the midst of her distress).
III. Zion mourns because: (4-6)
A. None come to the solemn feasts.
B, All her gates are desolate.
C. Her priests sigh.
D. Her virgins are afflicted.
E. She is in bitterness.
F. Her adversaries are the chief (in charge).
G. Her enemies prosper.
H. The Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.
I. Her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.
J. The beauty of the daughter of Zion is departed.
K. Her princes are become like harts (deer) that find no pasture and are gone
without strength before the pursuer.
IV. In the days of her affliction, Jerusalem remembered the pleasant things she had in the days of old before: (7)\
A. Her people fell into the hand of the enemy.
B. No one helped her.
C. The adversaries saw her and mocked at her Sabbaths.
V. Jerusalem has grievously sinned, therefore: (8-9)
A. She is removed.
B. All that honored her now despise her because they have seen her nakedness.
C. She sighs and turns backward.
D. Her filthiness is in her skirts.
E. She does not remember her last end (did not seriously consider her end).
F. She came down wonderfully (astonishingly).
G. She had no comforter.
VI. The city and its people speak: Oh Lord, behold my affliction. (9-11)
A. The enemy has magnified himself.
B. The adversary has spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things.
C. She has seen the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom You commanded should not enter the congregation.
D. All her people sigh, they seek bread, and have given their pleasant things for meat
to relieve the soul.
VII. See, oh Lord, and consider: For I am become vile. (11-15)
A. Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by?
B. Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto
me, wherewith the Lord has afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger.
C. From above He has sent fire into my bones and it prevails against them.
D. He has spread a net for my feet.
E. He has turned me back.
F. He has made me desolate and faint all the day.
G. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck. (Their sins became a yoke upon their necks.)
H. He has made my strength to fall.
I. The Lord has delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.
J. The Lord has trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me.
K. He has called an assembly against me to crush my young men.
L. The Lord has trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.
VIII. For these things I weep and my eye runs with water because: (16-17)
A. The comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me.
B. My children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
C. Zion spreads forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her:
1. The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be
round about him.
2. Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them. (In Bible days, a woman who was menstruating was considered unclean.)
IX. The reason for God’s judgment: He is righteous and I have rebelled against His
commandment. (18)
X. Hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow. (18-19)
A. My virgins and young men are gone into captivity.
B. I called for my lovers, but they deceived me.
C. My priests and elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.
XI. Behold, Oh Lord. (20-22)
A. I am in distress.
B. My bowels are troubled.
C. My heart is turned within me.
D. I have grievously rebelled.
E. Abroad the sword bereaves.
F. At home there is as death.
G. They have heard that I sigh and there is none to comfort me.
H. My enemies have heard of my trouble and are glad that You have done it.
1. You will bring the day that You have called and they shall be like unto
me.
2. Let all their wickedness come before You.
3. Do unto them as You have done unto me for all my transgressions.
I. My sighs are many and my heart is faint.