Question 1

What does “Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us” mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When the people say, “Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us; consider, and behold our reproach,” they are not thinking that God has truly forgotten them, like He lost track of them. They are speaking out of pain, asking God to pay attention to their suffering and shame. Their land is gone, enemies live in their homes, and they feel exposed and disgraced. So they cry out, “Look at what has happened to us.” It is a way of bringing their misery before God and asking Him to care and to act.

Question 2

Why do they say, “Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens”?

Accepted Answer

The people are talking about the land and homes God once gave them. This “inheritance” was not just property; it was part of God’s promise to their ancestors. Now, after war and conquest, foreigners live in their land and rule over them. Saying “our inheritance is turned to strangers” shows how deep their loss is. They feel as if their identity, security, and God-given place have been taken away. It is one of the main reasons they are so grieved and cry out to God.

Question 3

What does it mean that “our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities”?

Accepted Answer

This line shows how they see their suffering connected to both past and present sin. Their ancestors turned from God, and now those ancestors are dead, “and are not.” Yet the present generation is still living with the results of that long history of disobedience, and they themselves are not innocent either. “We have borne their iniquities” means they feel the weight and consequences of sins that have built up over time. They are not blaming God, but admitting that their pain is tied to sin and asking for mercy.

Question 4

Why do they describe themselves like orphans, widows, and slaves in this lament?

Accepted Answer

They say, “We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows,” and speak of servants ruling over them and harsh labor without rest. These pictures show how helpless and unprotected they feel. Orphans and widows in that culture were the ones with the least power and least defense. Now the whole nation feels that way, even though they were once a free people in their own land. By using these images, they show how low they have been brought and how much they need God to look on their misery and help them.

Question 5

What does this chapter teach about God when it says, “Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever”?

Accepted Answer

After listing their many losses, the people suddenly look up and say, “Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.” This tells us that, even when everything on earth has fallen apart, God has not changed and He has not lost control. Kings, cities, and nations can be destroyed, but God still reigns. Remembering this gives them a small but real hope. If God still sits on His throne and keeps His promises, then He can still show mercy, listen to their prayer, and restore what has been broken.

Question 6

What does “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned” mean?

Accepted Answer

Here the people admit that they cannot fix their hearts by themselves. When they pray, “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old,” they are asking God to be the one who brings them back to Him. It means real repentance is not just trying harder, but God working inside them so they truly return. They believe that if He turns them, they really will turn, and then He may renew their life and worship like it was before their sin and ruin.

Question 7

Why does the prayer end with “But thou hast utterly rejected us” and “thou art very wroth against us”?

Accepted Answer

The ending feels very heavy. After asking God to turn them and renew their days, they say, “But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.” This shows how deep their sense of God’s anger is. They know their sin is real and that their suffering is not random. At the same time, their very words are a prayer, which shows they have not fully given up hope. Some readers see this as the raw honesty of faith in pain, holding together both God’s anger at sin and the desire for His mercy.

Question 8

How does this passage describe everyday suffering under foreign rule?

Accepted Answer

The passage lists many concrete hardships: they must pay for their own water and wood, they labor with no rest, and servants rule over them. People risk their lives just to get bread because of danger in the countryside. Famine has darkened their skin, women are violated, leaders are hanged, and elders and young men lose their normal roles, work, and joy. Their music has stopped, and their dancing has turned into mourning. This shows that their suffering is not only spiritual but also very physical, social, and emotional.

Question 9

How can a believer today pray this kind of lament in times of suffering?

Accepted Answer

This chapter shows that it is right to bring honest pain to God. A believer today can follow this pattern by telling God plainly what has been lost, how heavy the shame and grief feel, and how sin has played a part, both in the past and now. It also shows the importance of remembering who God is: the Lord who remains forever and still reigns. So a prayer like this will both confess sin and ask for mercy, asking God to turn the heart back to Him and to restore what has been broken in His time.

Lamentations 5:1

Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

A Prayer for Restoration

A Prayer for Restoration

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Lamentations 5:1

Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

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A Prayer for Restoration

A Prayer for Restoration

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