Scriptures for Today
Lamentations 1:1-7
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! 2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. 3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. 4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. 5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. 6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. 7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.
Introduction – When the Preacher Becomes the Mourner
Before we open to Lamentations, we need to remember how we got here.
Israel began with a promise — one man named Abraham walking by faith. From him came Isaac, then Jacob, whose twelve sons became the tribes of Israel. God delivered them out of Egypt through Moses, led them into the Promised Land under Joshua, and raised up judges to deliver them when they fell into sin.
Then came the kings — Saul, David, and Solomon. Under Solomon’s son, the kingdom split: ten tribes went north into idolatry, two remained in Judah. Prophets cried out for repentance, but the people hardened their hearts.
Assyria took the northern kingdom. Babylon came for the southern. The temple that once held God’s glory now lies in ruins. Jerusalem, once the city of praise, has become the city of pain.
Now, let’s be honest — Lamentations is not most people’s favorite book. It’s not the kind of book people quote for encouragement. There are no “coffee cup” verses here, no “feel-good” promises — it’s a book of heartbreak, ashes, and tears. But that’s exactly why it’s important.
Because the Bible doesn’t just show us the victories — it shows us the consequences. It doesn’t just tell us how to rise — it warns us what happens when we fall. God gives us both sides, blessing and cursing, joy and sorrow, so we’ll never forget that His Word is not just a comfort — it’s a compass.
Last time, we saw Jeremiah’s call — how God touched his mouth, gave him authority, and set him over nations. But that was decades ago. Since then, Jeremiah has lived through rebellion, rejection, and ruin. He’s been mocked by false prophets, beaten by priests, imprisoned by kings, and dropped into a muddy cistern for telling the truth.
He stood in the temple courts crying, “Repent!” until the guards dragged him away. He wrote God’s warnings on a scroll, only to watch King Jehoiakim slice it apart and burn it in the fire.
He begged the last king, Zedekiah, to surrender to Babylon and save the city — but pride shut the gates and opened the flood of destruction.
Then Jeremiah watched the unthinkable. The Babylonian armies broke through the walls.
The soldiers tore down the temple. They burned the palace, slaughtered the young, and carried the rest into captivity. He watched King Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes — and then saw Zedekiah blinded and taken away in chains.
Jeremiah himself was spared — released from prison by Nebuchadnezzar’s captain because the enemy knew his words had come true. But freedom didn’t feel like victory. He chose to stay with the broken remnant left behind. And now he walks the empty streets of Jerusalem, stepping over ashes where choirs once sang.
The same man who once thundered God’s warnings now whispers His grief. The preacher has become the mourner. Lamentations is Jeremiah’s funeral song for a fallen nation — a city once full of people, now desolate; a temple once filled with glory, now burned; a people once chosen, now chastened.
This is what happens when a nation ignores the Word of God. Worship turns into weeping. Joy turns into judgment. Once full of glory — now shattered and empty.
Verse 1 – When Greatness Becomes Grief
Lamentations 1:1
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!
This verse opens with shock — How?! It’s the sound of disbelief, not confusion. Jerusalem once overflowed with life; now she sits in silence. She’s described as a widow — once cherished, now abandoned. As a princess — once ruling, now enslaved.
The same city that carried the presence of God is now carrying regret. Sin always promises promotion and ends in demotion. When God’s people forsake holiness, they lose honor. When you won’t do what’s right, you’ll lose it all just like you see right here.
The question “How?” still echoes today. How did I lose it all? How did the church that once stood bold become silent? The same can happen with this church. Right now, we’re strong and loud with the word of God. We’re going out there BOLDLY preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But all of that could stop.
How did the family that once read the Bible and prayed together fall apart? How did the believer that once rejoiced end up dry and distant from Jesus Christ? What happened?
This is Jerusalem now — the seat is still there, but the presence is gone. She is become as a widow. She was great. She was as a princess among the provinces.
Now she is a tributary. The Ohio River is a tributary to the Mississippi River because it joins it and feeds it. The Mississippi is far greater. Now Jerusalem is paying tribute or becoming subject or dependent on another power. Jerusalem, once powerful and independent, is now under the control of her enemies — forced to serve and pay tribute.
Verse 2 – The Tears of Betrayal
Lamentations 1:2
She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
At night, when no one can pretend, she weeps. By day, Jerusalem played the harlot; by night, she paid the price. The same “lovers” — the nations and idols Judah courted — are gone.
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon — all the alliances she flirted with — have betrayed her.
God often describes idolatry as adultery because it’s the same sin in a different bed. It’s giving the love that belongs to God to someone or something else. Judah’s unfaithfulness wasn’t just political — it was spiritual fornication.
She worshipped Baal for rain, Molech for power, Egypt for safety — and in doing so, broke her covenant with the Lord who loved her. That’s why the tears fall “in the night.” Because sin always looks exciting in the daylight — but every affair ends in darkness.
What you turn to instead of God will always leave you crying in the dark. Every false comfort dries up. Every forbidden pleasure fades. The city that once laughed in the daylight now weeps alone at night. Every sin ends in isolation. Every false lover turns into an enemy.
When you leave your first love, you eventually run out of lovers. Jerusalem lost her comfort because she first lost her conviction.
Verse 3 – Captivity Without Rest
Lamentations 1:3
Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.
This is the fulfillment of everything Jeremiah preached for forty years. For example, I can stand up here and preach my entire life, you can sit there and listen, and not change anything. Jeremiah did this. No one cared. They heard the warnings. Hey, put away the alcohol, pain pills, drugs, and unhealthy food or you will die. No one hears it. Because they’re different.
Well, I need it. You don’t know my situation. I’m different. Hey, that’s called proud. You’ve got it worse than anyone else. “NO ONE HAS IT LIKE I DO.” Listen, put all those chemicals away. But no one hears the preaching. God can’t fix it. The pills will fix it. Do you hear what you’re thinking?
This is exactly what happened here. Jeremiah preached. No one listened. We’re different. Who cares what he says? Well, now God shows you what happens.
Put away the fornication and get married now. Not later. But I’ll lose this and I’ll lose that. Hey, you’ll lose God if you keep going. Do you care? STOP THE FORNICATION. STOP THE SEXUAL SINS. But no one hears it as if I know absolutely nothing. God told Moses to hang up the HEADS of the fornicators. Moses cut off their heads and hung them up so the FIERCE ANGER of the LORD would be turned away from Israel.
So, allow me to give you a warning, and let’s see if you ignore it or continue. If you have sexual relationships outside of marriage, GOD IS ANGRY. And if you’re still in this church without being married, God will turn His wrath against me and all of us. So, I am going to ask you once more to get it fixed. And, if not, you won’t be here any more. And you’ll lose the goodness of God, this church, and the people here. Don’t do us wrong. Do the right thing.
Judah wouldn’t serve God, so now she serves her enemies. If you won’t bow to God willingly, you’ll break under the world painfully. You will dwell among the heathen out there. And you’ll work and work and work and you won’t make any progress. God says so in His words.
“Between the straits” means trapped with no escape—like prey cornered by hunters. Sin narrows your options until it owns you.
Freedom without faith becomes slavery with sorrow. The world promises liberty, but it never comes without chains. This is what rebellion always becomes—a restraint. They thought Babylon took their freedom. The truth is, sin did. So, how many times do I have to preach something? How many times do you have to hear it? Over and over and over and over again.
When will you stop sinning willfully against the Lord? I am telling you right now that fornication is GREAT SIN. But you continue in it, and you act like you can’t hear me. CAN YOU HEAR ME???
Hebrews 10:26-28
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Hebrews 10:28-30
He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Do you really want to take your feet and step all over the Son of God as if He is nothing? Is that what you want to do? Do you want to spit in the face of the ONE who died for you? Do you want to treat Him like He’s an unholy thing? He saved you forever. Is that how you want to treat Him? If so, I am warning you right now just as Jeremiah warned the people before everything was ruined. God says, “Vengeance belongeth unto me. I will recompense.” He says, “I’ll pay you back for all the evil you’ve done.” Hey, watch out. God is coming for you. You better fix it right now.
And if you like to take a look around at others, you better get your eyes back on yourself. Don’t act like you’re better than someone else. You better get yourself right. Get the sin out of your life now.
Verse 4 – Empty Altars and Silent Streets
Lamentations 1:4
The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
The roads that once led to the temple now lead nowhere. No songs. No sacrifices. No joy. It’s absolutely desolate with no one there. That’s what this place will become. That’s what West Louisville will become.
What if God sent us here to proclaim the truth before he totally desolates West Louisville? Within the walls of the homes around here, we can’t even imagine what happens. Women being abused. Children being abused. Drugs being shared with children. Making children drink alcohol. SICK AND NASTY THINGS. Children being molested by their own family.
Hey, this won’t go on forever. God will DESTROY this place. The Bible came alive for me one night not too long ago. I asked Nathan over the phone, “Can we find one man in West Louisville that wants to do right? Where are the men?” Hey, you won’t see any men from West Louisville in here.
What’s going on? And then I thought of Genesis 18 with Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 18:23-24
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
Can we find 50 righteous men in West Louisville? 45? 40? 30? 20? 10? Can we find ONE man in West Louisville that wants to get into a good church, spread the Gospel, and do right? JUST ONE? I am going to keep trying. I am going to keep searching. I am going to pray for this city.
When the people stop coming to God’s house, even the streets feel it. The priests sigh because there’s nothing left to minister. The virgins weep because their future is gone. Bitterness replaces blessing. We’re here preaching God’s word and bringing the light. The people in West Louisville get the choice. The choice is now. We’re in the middle of Jeremiah. But we soon might be in the middle of Lamentations.
“These are the empty streets of Zion—where the songs stopped.” Maybe the songs stop here in the future. It’s up to the people out there.
America’s churches are filling with empty seats and empty hearts for the same reason: sin has stolen worship. It’s dangerous when we celebrate more than we consecrate. A Taylor Swift concert is more important than a church service—what an abomination and a slap in the face to our Creator.
Verse 5 – The Lord’s Righteous Judgment
Lamentations 1:5
Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.
This is hard truth — but it’s holy truth. “The LORD hath afflicted her.” Jeremiah doesn’t blame Babylon; he acknowledges God’s justice. Listen, when you have great problems, many times people blame them all on Satan. “Satan tried to kill me.” You should be careful with railing accusations. You don’t know who did it. Maybe God did it. He says that He will.
He says that He’ll come for you if you keep on. You should be afraid of God. Satan has nothing on God. If you want to fear someone, you should fear God. Make Him angry. Keep ignoring what I’m telling you. I’m warning you using God’s words. BE VERY CAREFUL with that sin you keep committing. Be very careful. It’s not a joke. Those drugs you want to continue in, be very careful.
“FOR THE LORD HATH AFFLICTED HER.” Who got rid of Israel? God did. Who got rid of Judah? God did. He made them desolate. You might wonder why you have absolutely nothing. Maybe God did it. Maybe when you wake up and start hearing Him, and start doing what He asked, maybe you won’t be desolate.
God’s discipline is not cruelty — it’s clarity. Understand who got you. God punished you. He got you good. Don’t make Him hit you with more. You better correct it now. God lets affliction do what comfort never could: bring repentance. Tough times will humble you.
God cuts not to kill, but to correct. He wants good for you, but do not mess with God. He’s real. He’s not imaginary. Understand that God is real.
When your sin prospers and your spirit doesn’t, God may be letting you taste your choices. Mercy sometimes disguises itself as misery. The worst thing God could do is let you sin successfully. He gives people time, but then His patience runs out. And He’ll put an end to it.
Verse 6 – When Beauty Departs
Lamentations 1:6
And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.
Sin drains beauty and courage from everything it touches. The princes — once strong — now stumble like starving deer. Visualize that. Once strong and powerful princes now wonder around like starving animals. You can see out here. And that’s a warning to all of us in here. Sin will destroy you.
Sin always makes royalty look weak. What once stood tall and vibrant now droops in defeat.
You can’t keep God’s glory and the world’s gain at the same time. When you trade holiness for happiness, beauty departs. You will lose the beauty you once had. The glory fades faster than the pleasure lasts. Pleasure is quick, fast, and then gone. It leaves you in ruins.
I was able to preach the Gospel to two teenage girls, sisters, 14 and 16 years old not too long ago. I could see the pain in their eyes. Later, thinking about them, brought tears to my eyes. What’s happened to them in their life? Probably things that I don’t want to think about. I could see the pain in their eyes. They received everlasting life that day and a little smile broke forth. I told them I care and another little smile.
And now I pray for those two sisters right now, Ashirah and Natalia. God has them now. I pray for their safety and for God to protect them. Sin takes our strength away. Beauty departs. No pasture to feed upon. Evil pursues and there’s no strength left. All because of sin. The warnings about sin continue. The results are seen clearly.
Verse 7 – Remembering What Was Lost
Lamentations 1:7
Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.
Now the memories hurt more than the ruins. The same Sabbaths that once brought joy are now mocked by enemies. THEY HAD GREAT JOY. But they turned from that source of joy. Memory becomes misery when you know what you lost with God.
Think about what could have been in your life and notice what sin did. I regret many, many things that I’ve done in my life, and I would go back and change those things. They stopped me from doing the work of God. My choices did that. My choice to sin did that.
Jerusalem remembers the joy, but she can’t reach it anymore. She’s gone. Israel gone. Judah gone. All because of sin. The United States is here but one day it will be gone. Why? Because of sin.
The sinner remembers the peace they used to have with God long after the pleasure fades. We had a great, great country here. But one day it will be gone because the people turned from the one true God. And they allowed Islam to come here and mock God. They allowed Hinduism to come here and mock God. All those people wanted a better life in the United States but yet they bring their trash religion here to destroy this country.
America gets to make a decision. What will it be? Turn back to God as Jeremiah warned Judah OR continue going after the false gods? You know what’s going to happen. The Bible tells us.
Judgment doesn’t erase the memory of mercy — it magnifies it. We had it all. But sin took us over. We lost it all. And now the memories hurt even more. Lamentations is a book about weeping and crying over what was lost and what could have been. It’s a warning.
The scariest part of backsliding is remembering what it felt like to be close to God. Don’t lose God.
Closing – The God Who Still Weeps
Jeremiah’s tears weren’t hopeless — they were holy. God sees our tears. When we cry for the children in West Louisville, God sees our tears. And it’s okay to cry for them. Maybe we need more people that will cry for them with us. I love the kids out here in West Louisville. Don’t forget them. Pray for them. They need it.
Here’s the good news about this book of Lamentations. This book isn’t the end of God’s story —thank God! It’s the middle of His mercy. He let Jerusalem fall so He could one day raise her again. But it’s not what you might think.
The same God who allows the fall still offers forgiveness. “These aren’t just tears of grief — they’re inked with grace.” You may feel abandoned, but God’s compassion hasn’t moved. Even in the ruins, He’s writing redemption.
Next time, we’ll meet the prophet Ezekiel who doesn’t just weep over a city—he sees the Savior behind it.
“Wheels Within Wheels: Ezekiel 1’s Vision of God’s Glory”
You’ve seen the city fall silent in Lamentations—Jeremiah wept as the walls crumbled and the temple burned. But next week, the heavens are going to open. God takes us from ruins to revelation. When everything on earth collapsed, Ezekiel looked up—and saw that the throne of God was still moving.
“Now it came to pass… that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”
In Babylon’s ashes, God’s glory rolled on wheels of fire. God is always there. While Judah thought the presence was lost, God was showing that His throne has never stopped moving.
Don’t miss the next message right here from this pulpit: “Wheels Within Wheels: Ezekiel 1’s Vision of God’s Glory.”
You’ll see how God rides above chaos, how His power never parks, and how His Spirit moves even in exile. When the world says it’s over, God says, Watch Me move.
Let’s pray.
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