Jerusalem has fallen. The city has been burned down. The temple has been destroyed. The kingdom of Judah has no king, no people, and no land. All the Israelites, except for the poorest, have been carried into exile in Babylonia.

Life as they knew it no longer existed for the Israelites. They were devastated and in despair. What could they hope for now?

Jeremiah was God’s prophet in Jerusalem at the time of the destruction. He knew the tragedy and grief firsthand. The Lord used him to express personal and national lament, and to declare the only way to have hope.

His testimony of suffering and hoping in the Lord was the model for the Israelites, and is the model for us as well.

In my lecture, I will briefly comment on the book of Lamentations, and then consider the reason for our hope. Our God has made promises on which we can depend. Our God is a God of real hope.

I will refer to my mother’s illness with ALS in my video… her lovely, blessed life is celebrated on this page: Susan Crow Bagwell Obituary