Lamentations 2

Chapter two shifts the focus slightly from the enemies who attacked Judah to God himself. In a series of bold statements, God’s wrath against Judah made him act almost like an enemy rather than her protector. It was Jehovah who threw

“down the splendor of Israel…destroyed mercilessly all the homes…tore down the fortified cities…destroyed the whole army of Israel…withdrew his right hand…prepared his bow…killed everyone…destroyed Israel…destroyed his temple…rejected his altar…handed over to the enemy her palace walls.” (Lamentations 2:1-8)

He also ceased communicating with the prophets, leaving the elders sitting in silence (Lamentations 2:9-10). Because of this Jeremiah could not stop weeping, to the point of making himself sick, as he watched infants and children die in the streets and in their mothers’ arms (Lamentations 2:11-12). As the surrounding nations sneered, Jeremiah begged Judah to repent of her sin and cry out to God for mercy (Lamentations 2:15-19). Jerusalem responded with a cry for mercy, but not full repentance (Lamentations 2:20-22). Verse 20 reveals just how bad it was in Jerusalem at that time: mothers were eating their own children for lack of food.