Unlike the first four chapters, Lamentations 5 is not written in the form of an acrostic. The poem is divided into 22 verses, but they do not begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Most likely, this is the author’s way of portraying the disordered, chaotic state of his life and of his city. This fifth and final lament is a prayer of last desperation when suffering is unbearable. It’s easy for us to skim the chapter, or read it at a rapid pace. We live in an era when so much information is available to us that we value writing which is lean and precise, not rambling. Having read through Isaiah, Jeremiah, and now Lamentations, we have circled around the same themes again and again: God’s people have sinned, judgment is threatened, then judgment is enacted, first for the northern ten tribes of Israel, then for the southern two tribes of Judah. We are now well-acquainted with the history and theology of the exile. Perhaps our patience has been tested. We know this is the Word of God and therefore important, but are we eager to move on to happier themes? This reaction probably says more about us than it says about the Bible, right? We are so caught up in the spirit of our age that we don’t want to linger in a spirit of repentance. We seldom meditate long and deep on the sovereignty and justice of God. We rarely mourn over our sin or pray for our nation as Jeremiah prayed for his. Our passion for spiritual revival and restoration is minimal. We are content to cram more information into our minds and move on, with little concern for our growth in true wisdom and godliness. Jeremiah’s last recorded prayer begins with an appeal for God to remember what His people have suffered (v 1). It goes on to recite all their hardships — the occupation, abandonment, bereavement, thirst, poverty, inflation, invasion, famine, dependency, slavery, exposure, rape, humiliation, and exhaustion (v 2-13). The emotional impact was devastating. Joy was gone from their hearts; music and dancing were gone from their city (v 14-18). But the fall of Jerusalem did not mean the end of God’s kingdom. Babylon’s dominance posed no threat to His sovereign reign. If anything, it showed that God still ruled the nations and was working out His purposes in history (v 19). Still, Jeremiah had questions about the future. He knew God could restore Israel, but he wondered if He would. After a hopeful prayer for renewal, the last verse raises more doubts (v 20-22). Thankfully, God’s revelation does not end with the weeping prophet. There is a Savior for this troubled world! For further meditation: