What is the message of the book of Lamentations? If we respond too quickly, our answer is liable to be superficial. We might conclude that its major lesson is: “Sin is bad” or “Sin will make you unhappy.” And while both these things are true, they are not the primary message of this book. Nor do they accurately express the primary message of the Bible itself.

The chief lesson in Jeremiah’s Lamentations is about God. We find it in the affirmation of verse 19: “You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” This could serve as a kind of epigraph for the entire book. It is the moral of the story. Even when every earthly kingdom crumbles, including those personal kingdoms we foolishly try to build for ourselves, the Lord still reigns.

Even though the prophet concludes with a final complaint in verse 20, he is not going backward in his thinking. The very fact that he complains is itself evidence of hope. As a rule, those who despair do not complain because despair exhausts hope. In a way, Jeremiah demands God’s attention. The two questions of verse 20 are like a claim check presented to God on the basis of promises made long ago (v. 21). Yet, what are we to make of Jeremiah’s final words in verse 22? They unnerve us. The final hymn of Jeremiah’s book finishes on a discordant note with two implied questions that seem wholly out of step with the overall theme of hope. Have you completely rejected us? Are you angry with us beyond measure? The tone fits the situation. We have come to the end of the book but not of Judah’s story. Jeremiah speaks to those who are still in deep pain. They have every reason to claim God’s promises but no right to make demands. It is the Lord who reigns.

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