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As the book of Lamentations vividly paints for us the agony of the people’s suffering under exile, it closes with a desperate cry for help. They plead for the LORD to remember them in their suffering. Why? Has the LORD really forgotten about them? Has the LORD rejected them completely? Let us find out together.

当人碰到没有戏的时候，走投无路的时候，我们如果发现神居然还在这里的时候，这是一个何等宝贵的事实，在耶利米哀歌第五章的第一节和第五章的最后几节都让我们看见在苦难的尽头，在人无路可走的时候，他们居然发现神在这里。人在没有盼望的时候，没有信心的时候，发现神在这里，他们才会祷告，而这样的祷告是值得我们一起学习的。

在這一章中，讓我們學習先知耶利米如何在耶和華的管教中呼求祂。

As we get older, life gets tougher. Our bodies break down, sickness comes in, bones get brittle, our loved ones pass away. And yet in the midst of all these things, we can count on the mercies of God which are new every morning; He never fails.

哀歌，说明了犹大国虽然经历神严厉的管教，”我是因耶和华愤怒的杖”(3:1)，但先知也说明神管教百姓的目的，不单只是为着纠正，更是因为祂对以色列 百姓的爱，祂的怜悯慈爱不断绝，祂仍然记得这群立约的子民。

哀歌，­說明了猶大國雖然經歷 神嚴厲的管教，”我是因耶和華憤怒的杖”(3:1)，但先知也說明神管教百姓的目的，不單只是為著糾正，更是因為祂對以色列百姓的愛，祂的憐憫慈愛不斷絕，祂仍然記得這群立約的子民。

The book of Lamentations, although a part of OT prophetic books, is not actually a book that tells about prophecy. Instead, it is a compilation of poetic writings that serves as a reflection to a prophecy fulfilled - the destruction of Jerusalem, God’s Holy City. The very first chapter invites us to take a tour and see for ourselves the devastation of this once glorious city now turned into rubble. Let us dive into the book of Lamentations and together let us look & see with open eyes and open hearts.

《耶利米哀歌》是先知耶利米在耶路撒冷沦陷后不久写成的。他亲眼目睹了耶路撒冷被敌人围困，又被火焚烧。圣城被毁之后的荒凉促使耶利米以眼泪与真情写下了哀歌，为选民的惨痛经历发出深切的哀悼，也发出了得胜的呼喊，因为耶利米相信神的信实极其广大。

基督徒都喜歡馬太福音第5章的八福。但談到第二福時，「哀慟的人有福了！因為他們必得安慰」，我們就有所保留，因為我們都不喜歡哀慟，悲傷，哭泣。聖經卻讓我們看到有一種哀慟是神聖的，是我們應該有的。

The old covenant in Exodus was made between God and those who had not previously known him. In Jeremiah, the new (renewed) covenant was given to those who had already known God but sinned against him. Both the old covenant (in Exodus) and the renewed covenant (in Jeremiah) contain a promise of forgiveness to those who would live in obedience.