Read: Lamentations 5 (part 1)

The people of Israel were God’s special people. God had crowned them with his special love and grace. But here in verse 16 the people said that the crown had fallen from their heads. Things had gone very badly for them as a nation because they had turned away from the Lord. And even though they had repented of their sins, things were still bad. But the people knew that they had hope in the Lord. They knew that God would always be king and so he would hear their cry and restore their crown according to his promises.

In these verses, the people describe how bad things had become for them because of their sins. They had become poor and needed to turn to their enemies for food. There was no one to deliver them from their enemies. All their singing and dancing had stopped. The joy had gone out of their lives. Their crown had fallen. They had been God’s royal people, but now they were nothing.

But they could rejoice in knowing that God’s throne would be forever. Even though they didn’t amount to much on earth, God still ruled in heaven.

In those days many of the nations around them believed in gods. We know that there is only one God, but they believed that every nation had their own god. So, they thought that if there was a battle on earth, there was also one happening among the gods. And if a nation lost on earth, then the god of that nation lost in heaven. But the children of Israel knew that this wasn’t true. They knew that there was only one God. They knew that even though they had lost on earth and been taken by their enemies, God still ruled in heaven. He is the only God and he will be God forever and ever. “You, O Lord, remain forever,” they said. God would fulfil his promises and restore their crown!

Reflection with your child:

Why is it good that God is God forever?

Source: Rev. A. van Delden