Lamentations 5:10
Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.
Our skin is as hot as an oven
This phrase vividly describes the physical suffering and intense heat experienced by the people. In the context of Lamentations, this imagery reflects the dire conditions during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. The heat of an oven symbolizes extreme discomfort and distress, possibly indicating fever or inflammation due to malnutrition and dehydration. The metaphor of an oven is also used elsewhere in Scripture to describe intense heat or judgment, such as in Hosea 7:4-7, where it symbolizes the burning passion and corruption of Israel.

with fever from our hunger
The fever mentioned here is a result of severe hunger and starvation. During the Babylonian siege, the inhabitants of Jerusalem faced extreme scarcity of food, leading to malnutrition and disease. This condition is a fulfillment of the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28:48, where God warns of hunger and thirst as consequences of disobedience. The physical affliction described here also serves as a metaphor for spiritual desolation, highlighting the people's desperate need for God's intervention and sustenance. Hunger in the Bible often symbolizes a deeper spiritual longing, as seen in Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
- Traditionally attributed as the author of Lamentations, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet." He laments the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of its people.

2. Jerusalem
- The city that has been destroyed by the Babylonians, leading to the suffering and lamentation described in the book.

3. Babylonian Exile
- The event during which the people of Judah were taken captive by the Babylonians, resulting in the desolation and famine described in Lamentations.

4. Famine
- A severe lack of food that has caused extreme suffering and is metaphorically described as causing the skin to be "as hot as an oven."

5. The People of Judah
- The community experiencing the consequences of their disobedience to God, leading to their suffering and exile.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Disobedience
The suffering described in Lamentations 5:10 is a direct result of the people's disobedience to God. This serves as a reminder of the serious consequences that can follow when we turn away from God's commands.

The Reality of Suffering
The vivid imagery of skin as hot as an oven due to famine illustrates the intense suffering experienced by the people. It reminds us that suffering is a real and painful part of the human experience.

The Call to Repentance
The lamentations of Jeremiah call the people to recognize their sin and turn back to God. In our own lives, we are called to examine our hearts and repent of any disobedience.

Hope in God's Faithfulness
Despite the dire circumstances, the book of Lamentations ultimately points to the hope found in God's faithfulness and mercy. We are encouraged to trust in God's promises even in times of suffering.

Empathy and Compassion
Understanding the depth of suffering described in Lamentations can cultivate empathy and compassion in us for those who are experiencing similar hardships today.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of "skin as hot as an oven" help us understand the severity of the famine described in Lamentations 5:10?

2. In what ways does the suffering of the people in Lamentations reflect the consequences outlined in Deuteronomy 28?

3. How can we apply the call to repentance found in Lamentations to our own lives today?

4. What are some ways we can find hope in God's faithfulness during times of personal or communal suffering?

5. How can the empathy we gain from studying Lamentations influence our actions towards those who are suffering in our communities?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, including famine, which connects to the suffering described in Lamentations.

Jeremiah 14
This passage also describes a time of drought and famine, highlighting the ongoing consequences of the people's sin and rebellion against God.

Psalm 102
A psalm of lament that expresses personal and communal suffering, similar to the themes found in Lamentations.
An Appeal for God's CompassionW. F. Adeney, M. A.Lamentations 5:1-10
Comfortable Directions for Such as have BeenW. Bridge, M. A.Lamentations 5:1-10
Sin's GardenJ. Parker, D. D.Lamentations 5:1-10
Zion's SufferingsLamentations 5:1-10
People
Assyrians, Egyptians, Jeremiah
Places
Assyria, Egypt, Mount Zion, Zion
Topics
Black, Burning, Famine, Feverish, Gloweth, Heat, Heated, Hot, Hunger, Oven, Raging, Skin, Terrible
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Lamentations 5:10

     4829   heat
     5182   skin
     5321   furnace
     5435   ovens

Library
Whether an Angel Needs Grace in Order to Turn to God?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angel had no need of grace in order to turn to God. For, we have no need of grace for what we can accomplish naturally. But the angel naturally turns to God: because he loves God naturally, as is clear from what has been said ([543]Q[60], A[5]). Therefore an angel did not need grace in order to turn to God. Objection 2: Further, seemingly we need help only for difficult tasks. Now it was not a difficult task for the angel to turn to God; because there was no obstacle
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Man's Inability to Keep the Moral Law
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but does daily break them, in thought, word, and deed. In many things we offend all.' James 3: 2. Man in his primitive state of innocence, was endowed with ability to keep the whole moral law. He had rectitude of mind, sanctity of will, and perfection of power. He had the copy of God's law written on his heart; no sooner did God command but he obeyed.
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Lamentations
The book familiarly known as the Lamentations consists of four elegies[1] (i., ii., iii., iv.) and a prayer (v.). The general theme of the elegies is the sorrow and desolation created by the destruction of Jerusalem[2] in 586 B.C.: the last poem (v.) is a prayer for deliverance from the long continued distress. The elegies are all alphabetic, and like most alphabetic poems (cf. Ps. cxix.) are marked by little continuity of thought. The first poem is a lament over Jerusalem, bereft, by the siege,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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