Lamentations – (Un)silent Suffering

In this lesson, we are looking at Lamentations chapter 1. This poem grapples with the gracious presence of God in the midst of hardship. The writer personifies the city of Jerusalem as a grieving widow, desperate for someone to notice her suffering and comfort her. But whether she looks to allies or enemies, no one is available for her. And so she turns to God (v. 9,11,20) to hear her cries. But because of sin, God shouldn’t listen to our cries (Psalm 66:18). It’s only because Jesus was forsaken and his cries went unanswered that we can take comfort in God’s presence and attention in our hardships.