LAMENTATIONS
READING PLAN + STUDY QUESTIONS
READING PLAN
THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH MOURN FOR JERUSALEM
DISTRESS IN THE PRESENT + HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
HOW TO USE
READ THE CHAPTERS IN THE BIBLE FOR EACH SESSION
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS + REFLECT ON THE READING
This study encourages going at your own pace, allowing each session to be a day, a week, or however long you need. Each session contains questions to be used for individual reflection or small group discussion.
This study was made to be used alongside Bible reading. Although we have created chapter summaries, there is no substitute for reading God's Word.
SESSION ONE: LAMENTATIONS 1-2
THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH MOURN FOR JERUSALEM
How does the image of Jerusalem as a grieving widow express the intensity and depth of the city’s suffering (Lamentations 1:1-2)?
Why do you think the people of Jerusalem focused on the treasures they had lost rather than trusting in God’s provision for the future (Lamentations 1:7-9)?
In Lamentations 1:18, the Israelites admitted that their suffering was a result of their rebellion. How does this acknowledgment prove the validity of the prophets’ warnings?
How does this chapter show both God’s justice and His patience? Why is it important to acknowledge both aspects of His character (Lamentations 2:1-4)?
What do you think the intense language used in this chapter tells us about how God views sin?
Read Lamentations 2:17. How could the destruction of Jerusalem be redeemed for God’s purposes?
SESSION TWO: LAMENTATIONS 3-5
DISTRESS IN THE PRESENT + HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Read Lamentations 3:22-26. In the midst of his suffering, what caused Jeremiah to shift from despair to hope? How can you remember God’s goodness in times of hardship?
What does Lamentations 3:31-33 reveal about God’s character and His plans for Judah?
Read Lamentations 3:40. What do you think it means to “test and examine your ways”?
How did the physical realities of Judah mirror their spiritual condition (Lamentations 4:4-8)?
Read Lamentations 4:12. Who were the kings who did not believe? Who did God send to warn them?
How can remembering the severity of Judah’s downfall help us continually turn to God?
How do the images of orphans, refugees, and a lost inheritance help us understand the sense of loss and displacement experienced by the Israelites (Lamentations 5:2-3)?
Read Lamentations 5:21-22. How did the Israelites sound both hopeful for and afraid of what God planned to do?
Way to go! You finished the book of Lamentations!
Thank you for reading through the Bible with Everyday Scripture.
Keep going — the next book of Old Testament Prophecy is Ezekiel!