1. What happened to the cherished gold and the precious sons of Zion?
The gold was dimmed and the precious sons diminished: “(1) How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. (2) The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter” (Lamentations 4:1-2)!
The point… Isaiah 1:21-31 and Jeremiah 6:30
They were once glorious (Psalms 87:1-3).
That quickly passed away (Hosea 4:18).
Should have and would in the future, be the city of truth (Zechariah 8:3).
2. What point was made in comparing the sea monsters to the women of Judah?
That even sea monsters feed their young, but the suffering of Judah had caused the women to even forsake feeding their young: “(3) Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. (4) The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. (5) They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills” (Lamentations 4:3-5).
You’re not even naturally caring for your young is the point (Isaiah 66:13 and I Thessalonians 2:7). They were without natural affection (Romans 1:31).
They became like ostriches in the wilderness making them like birds that leave their eggs (like unicorns did; cf. Job 39:10-17).
Remember, God had long foretold of this their wickedness (Deuteronomy 28:52-57).
The famine was a punishment from God (Jeremiah 24:1-10).
They were used to delicacies (Jeremiah 6:2-3), but that is gone (Isaiah 3:16-26).
3. What people was said to have had a lesser punishment than Judah?
Sodom: “For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her” (Lamentations 4:6).
Considering that God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom (Genesis 19:1-23, Luke 17:29, and II Peter 2:6), this is a great statement.
God’s severe unprecedented judgment (Ezekiel 5:1-9) is clearly noted (Daniel 9:12-14 and Amos 3:1-2).
Her punishment was not “in a moment” either (Jeremiah 25:11).
4. How bad was the famine in the land?
“(7) Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: (8) Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. (9) They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. (10) The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people” (Lamentations 4:7-10).
It was physically notable (Jeremiah 14:18 and Lamentations 5:10) and worse than death.
They should never have forgotten why (cf. Psalms 38:3).
They ate their children (Jeremiah 19:9).
Consider… Isaiah 49:15
5. Was the fury and anger of the Lord carried out so that world could see it?
Yes: “(11) The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. (12) The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. (13) For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, (14) They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. (15) They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. (16) The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders” (Lamentations 4:11-16).
His fury upon them (Ezekiel 22:17-22) and His “fierce anger” (Jeremiah 4:8, Jeremiah 25:37, and Zephaniah 3:8).
The world watched how God was for Zion and thus would have been amazed at His anger against them (Psalms 48:1-5).
For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests… (Jeremiah 5:31 and Jeremiah 6:13-19).
The wandering as blind men (Isaiah 29:9-12).
They had become unclean (Isaiah 64:6).
The Lord was not going to regard them (Numbers 14:18 and Nahum 1:3).
6. Did Judah find help from other nations or even the Lord to help against her persecutors?
No: “(17) As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. (18) They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. (19) Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. (20) The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen” (Lamentations 4:17-20).
All these nations that Judah had looked to are not there to help (Isaiah 30:1-5, Jeremiah 30:12-14, Jeremiah 37:5-10, and Lamentations 1:1-2).
7. Were the Edomites going to escape God’s judgment?
No: “(21) Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. (22) The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins” (Lamentations 4:21-22).
Edom’s joy at the ruin of Zion would be turned to their own destruction (Psalms 137:1-9 and Ezekiel 25:1-11). *Seir (Ezekiel 25:8) is a reference to Edom (Genesis 32:3).
The cup passing to them too (Jeremiah 25:15-38).
Zion would see the end of their punishment (Jeremiah 29:10, Jeremiah 30:11, and Jeremiah 32:43-44).
The sins of the Edomites discovered (Obadiah 1:1-21).