Mini Sermon #2
Sermon Lesson: Lamentations 1:1-6
Today we start off at a very specific point in history, specifically 586 BC when the Babylonians had devastated Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a “widow” when once she was a loved wife who had a husband. She is a “vassal”, or a servant, when once she was once a “princess.”
These are extremely evoking images and they are meant to evoke our pity and our sorrow—our lamenting.
In v. 2, Jerusalem’s “lovers” and “friends” are Israel’s former allies who have not come to her defense. They are thus fickle lovers and fair-weather friends.
In. v. 3, the poet turns from the city of Jerusalem to Judah, also personified as a woman. In the NRSV, compared to earlier translations, Judah “goes into exile” as opposed to “being deported.” This translation is easier because it shows a people who were scattered and left the Southern Kingdom of Israel to go into diaspora to now “live among the nations” but “find no resting place.”
The rest of the passage is equally as grim. “Zion” is strictly the hill on which the Temple is built in Jerusalem. V.4 shows how there is no one to partake in the state religion or partake in the festivals—because everyone has gone into exile. There is absolutely no one left.
The God of Abraham, in v.5, though not explicitly named until the second half of the verse, uses foreign people to punish Judah. For example, “foes” become her “masters.” This is an Act of God. God has willed it this way. Whatever Judah’s “multitude of transgressions” that have brought this about, they must be great indeed for God to destroy Judah so completely and scatter her people to the wind.
“Daughter of Zion,” as found in v. 6, is a very common phrase in Hebrew, meaning the children of Israel as a personified entity. Her “majesty” is stripped from her, her place in the world gone, and we have the haunting image of stags being unable to find pasture—stags being majestic and royal creatures that are featured throughout the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible.
What we find in these six verses is, undoubtedly, pain, but also beautiful poetry and imagery. The Israelites were always poets, we have scores and scores of poems in our Old Testament which attest to their creative prowess.
In Modern 21st-century America, when we’re upset, we write a Facebook post and put a sad face :’( or complain over the phone to our best friend or maybe our spouse. There’s no music, no poetry in it. The Israelites, instead, sat down and wrote a poem, and in all of it still managed to acknowledge the majesty of their creator, the LORD God. We should admire that about these people who lived 2500 years ago. There is something to be learnt from them. And, at the very least, we can read their lamentations in times of joy and sorrow, perhaps empathize with it, but enjoy the sheer beauty of it.
Yours Faithfully,
Reverend Averill Elizabeth Blackburn
Archdeacon’s Corner
The Archdeacon will be making an appearance at Center Congregational Church on Sunday, October 9th at 2pm for the Blessing of the Pets. He’s not overly fond of his cat carrier and can get a little meow-y about it at times, but he will be going to his first ever blessing—and he hopes to see your pets there!
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