如何与痛共处How Do I Live With My Pain
How Do I Live With My Pain?
如何与痛共处
Wonderful to be back at Central as we continue this year’s collective series, the Point of Your Thorns.
Author Alan Noble has written,
很高兴回到中区会堂，我们将继续今年的协作宣讲系列《你的荆棘之刺》。作者艾伦·诺贝尔写道，
Tremendous suffering is the normal experience of being in this world.
Beauty and love and joy are normal too, but so is suffering. Alan Noble
巨痛是活在这个世界上的常态。
美、爱和喜乐也是常态，但痛苦也是。 艾伦·诺布尔
We live in a world that tries to minimise suffering; to run from it, or pretend it doesn’t really happen.
But Noble is right – suffering, hardship, thorns, are very much part of life in a fallen world.
So the question I want us to think about today is, “How do I live with my pain?”
Last week, Reuben Munn asked and answered the question, “Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?”
So this week we want to think about, “How do I live with my pain?” What do I do with it? Where do I go? Who do I look to with these thorns? Whether that’s emotional thorns, or physical, or relational, or spiritual? In the passage where we’re anchoring this series, 2 Cor 12, apostle Paul wrote,
我们活在一个试图尽量减少痛苦的世界； 逃避它，或者假装它并没有真正发生。
但诺布尔是对的 - 苦难、困难、荆棘构成了堕落世界生活的重要组成部分。
所以我今天想让大家思考的问题是：“我如何与痛苦共处？”
上周，罗宾·穆恩提出并回答了这个问题：“为什么上帝不回应我的祷告？”
因此，本周我们要思考“我该如何痛苦共处？” 我怎么应对？ 我要去何处求索？ 带着这些荆棘我该向谁看？ 无论是情感上的刺，还是身体上的刺，或关系上的刺，还是精神上的刺？
在我们锁定的本系列经文《哥林多后书》第 12 章中，使徒保罗这样写道：
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me…
又恐怕我因所得的启示太高深，就过于高抬自己，所以有一根刺加在我身上，就是撒但的差役来折磨我，免得我过于高抬自己。 为了这事，我曾三次求主使这根刺离开我。2 Corinthians 12:7-8 哥林多后书 12:7-8
We’re not told what those prayers looked like or sounded like. What does it mean that he pleaded?
Want to suggest that as a trained Jewish rabbi, Paul would have been very familiar with a biblical concept found all over the OT – it’s called lament. So what is lament? 我们不知道这些祷告看起来像什么，听起来像什么。 他这样恳求是什么意思？我想说的是，作为一名受过训练的犹太拉比，保罗应该非常熟悉旧约中随处可见的一个圣经概念 - 这就是哀歌。 那么什么是哀歌呢？
Lamenting is clinging to God 哀歌就是以泪目靠紧 神
through the tears
Lament is very common in the OT. It’s found in the Book of Psalms (it’s actually the largest category of psalms); it’s found right through Job; but the most intense lament is found in the OT book that uses that word “lament” in its title – Lamentations. 哀歌在旧约中很常见。 它可以在《诗篇》中找到（它实际上是诗篇中最大的类别）； 它是通过约伯找到的； 但最强烈的哀歌是在旧约书的标题中使用“哀歌”这个词 -《哀歌》。
Lamentations is probably one of the most neglected books in OT. In fact, Rowland in his book, says he has never heard a sermon on Lamentations his whole life of attending church – apart from reference to a couple of special verses about God’s faithfulness. Never heard it preached. So that’s a challenge I like!
耶利米哀歌可能是旧约中最被忽视的书卷之一。 事实上，罗兰在他的书中说，除了提到几节关于上帝信实的特殊经文外，他一生去教堂从未听过有关哀歌的布道。 从来没有听人宣讲过。 所以今天宣讲这个部分是我所喜欢的挑战！
Lamentations was written after one of the worst moments in Israel’s history – the final destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The city had already been conquered twice by the Babylonians, and they had taken the best young people into captivity – Daniel, Ezekiel. But this time the city – including its beautiful temple – was completely destroyed.
Lamentations is a series of 5 poems or songs that lament this catastrophic moment in the history of God’s people. It’s actually anonymous, but traditionally it is ascribed to the prophet Jeremiah.
《哀歌》是在以色列历史上最糟糕的时刻之一 - 公元前 586 年犹大王国和耶路撒冷城最终被毁灭之后写成的。 这座城市已经被巴比伦人两次征服，他们俘虏了最优秀的年轻人 - 但以理、以西结。 但这一次，这座城市 - 包括它美丽的圣殿 – 也被彻底摧毁了。
《哀歌》是由 5 首诗歌或歌曲组成的系列，哀悼上帝子民历史上这一灾难性的时刻。 它实际上是匿名的，但传统上它被认为出自先知耶利米。
But it’s exquisite! It’s 5 poems, and the first 4 are acrostic poems, where each section beginning next letter Hebrew alphabet. So each poem has 22 verses, because the ancient Hebrew alphabet had 22 consonants. So each verse begins with the next letter of the alphabet.
但它精美绝伦！ 这是 5 首诗，前 4 首是离合诗，每节都从希伯来字母的下一个字母开始。 所以每首诗有 22 节经文，因为古希伯来字母有 22 个辅音。 因此，每节经文都以字母表中的下一个字母开头。
We don’t have time to dive deeply into the whole book, but I want to give a snapshot of each chapter today; look at just a sampling of verses.
我们没有时间深入研究整本书，但我今天想对每一章进行速览； 只看一小节经文。
And want to suggest that Lamentations models for us how to lament. It’s showing us how to live with our pain; how to cling to God through our tears. So each chapter has something slightly different to say, while having a lot of commonality. So let me suggest that the five chapters of Lamentations are like the 5 rings of the Olympic logo. They each represent one aspect of lament, but they overlap.
并想提出《哀歌》为我们展示了我们该如何发出哀叹的模式。 它向我们展示了如何与痛苦共处； 如何透过哭诉紧紧抓住上帝。 因此，每一章都有一些略有不同的内容，但也有很多共同点。 因此，我建议《哀歌》的五章就像奥林匹克标志的五环。 它们各自代表哀悼的一个方面，但它们是重叠的。
So what does it mean to lament?
How do we cling to God in our pain?
We’re going to look quickly at how each of the five poems teach us to lament and cling through our tears.
那么哀叹是什么意思呢？
我们如何在痛苦中紧靠 神？
我们将速览一下这五首诗中的每一首如何教会我们哀叹和透过眼泪紧紧抓住 神。
Well, Lamentations 1 teaches us to bring God our tears. 耶利米哀歌第一章教导我们要将哭诉带到 神面前。
Bring your TEARS (Lam 1) 呈上眼泪（哀歌1）
The first poem begins this way: 第一首诗这样开头：
How deserted lies the city,
once so full of people!
How like a widow is she,
who once was great among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
has now become a slave.
唉！先前人口稠密的城市，
现在为何独坐！
先前在列国中为大的，
现在竟如寡妇！
先前在各省中为王后的，
现在竟成为服苦役的人！
Bitterly she weeps at night,
tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers
there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
Lamentations 1:1-2
她夜间痛哭，泪流满颊，
在所有亲爱的人中，找不到一个安慰她的。
她的朋友都以诡诈待她，
成为她的仇敌。
耶利米哀歌 1:1-2
It begins with this powerful metaphor of Jerusalem being like a widow; she has lost her beloved; she is overcome with grief – but to make things worse, she is utterly alone. In the first half of chapter (v1-11), we hear the voice of narrator. And then in the second half from v.12, it’s the voice of Jerusalem herself:
它以耶路撒冷就像一个寡妇这个强有力的比喻开始； 她失去了心爱的人； 她悲痛欲绝，但更糟糕的是，她孤身一人。 在本章前半部分（第1-11节），我们听到了叙述者的声音。 然后在第 12 节的后半部分，是耶路撒冷她自己的声音：
This is why I weep
and my eyes overflow with tears.
No one is near to comfort me,
no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute
because the enemy has prevailed’
Lamentations 1:16
我因这些事哭泣，
眼泪汪汪；
因为那安慰我、使我重新得力的，
离我甚远。
我的儿女孤苦，
因为仇敌得胜了。
耶利米哀歌 1:16
Slide 10 See, Yahweh, how distressed I am!
I am in torment within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,
for I have been most rebellious.
Outside, the sword bereaves;
inside, there is only death.
Lamentations 1:20
耶和华啊，求你观看，
因为我在急难中；
我的心肠烦乱，
我心在我里面翻转，
因我大大背逆。
在外，刀剑使人丧亡；
在家，犹如死亡。
耶利米哀歌 1:20
Through ch.1 Jerusalem is confessing her sin towards God, but now she is just weeping. The grief is raw and real. And we need to see that and hear that.
See, we live in a culture where still, in many parts of society, we’re embarrassed by our tears. We try to hide ourselves away when we cry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat as a pastor with people in pain, people with deep and agonising thorns, and had people apologise for their tears. We need to stop apologising folks. Sometimes life is hard, and cruel, and painful. And grieving and weeping are the right response to our thorns.
I love the words of King David is Psalm 56 when he is being attacked by enemies:
通过第一章，耶路撒冷正在向上帝承认她的罪，但现在她只是在哭泣。 悲伤是本真的。 我们需要看到并听到这一点。
你看，我们生活在这样一种文化中，在社会的许多地方，我们仍然因为自己流泪而感到尴尬。 当我们哭泣时，我们会试图隐藏自己。 我无法告诉你有多少次，作为一名牧师，我曾与痛苦中的人们、那些带着深深的、令人痛苦的荆棘的人们坐在一起，人们都为他们的眼泪说抱歉。 我们需要停止道歉。 有时候，生活是艰难的、残酷的、痛苦的。 悲伤和哭泣就是对我们的荆棘的正确反应。我喜欢大卫王在诗篇第 56 篇中，当他受到敌人攻击时所说的话：
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
我几次流离，你都数算；
求你把我的眼泪装在你的皮袋里。
这一切不都记在你的册子上吗？
Psalm 56:8 (NLT) 诗篇 56：8（NLT）
Isn’t that profound? Your tears matter to God. He is with you in the pain. He is a God who ahs walked this world, has wept at the grave of a friend, has cried over the rebellion of His people. He is acquainted with suffering. He gets us. And he invites us in lament to bring Him our tears.
He also invites us to bring our questions.
是不是很深刻呢？ 上帝很在意你的眼泪。 祂在你的痛苦中与你同在。 祂是在这个世界上行走过的 神，曾在朋友的坟墓前哭泣，也曾为祂子民的叛逆而哭泣。 祂熟悉苦难。 祂明白我们。 祂要我们在哀痛中向祂哭诉。
他还让我们提出我们的难题。
Bring your QUESTIONS (Lam 2) 说出你的问题（哀歌2）
Lament in the Bible is full of unanswerable questions: 圣经中的哀歌充满了无法回答的问题：
Ps 10 诗篇10 – Why, Yahweh, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 耶和华啊，你为什么站在远处？在患难的时候为什么隐藏？
Ps 13 诗篇13 – How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 耶和华啊，你忘记我要到几时呢？要到永远吗？你转脸不顾我要到几时呢？
Ps 22诗篇22 –My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 我的 神，我的 神，为什么离弃我？
Ps 44 诗篇44 –Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? 主啊，求你睡醒，为何尽睡呢？
Ps 74 诗篇74 –How long will the enemy mock you, God? 神啊，敌人辱骂要到几时呢？
Lamentations 2 is the same. There’s a seroies of statements in the early verses, but you can imagine the questions marks looming behind them. Why God? What’s going on, God? How long, God?
Without pity the Lord has swallowed up
all the dwellings of Jacob;
in his wrath he has torn down
the strongholds of Daughter Judah.
He has brought her kingdom and its princes
down to the ground in dishonour.
主吞灭雅各一切的住处，并不顾惜。
他发怒倾覆犹大[a]的堡垒，
将它们夷为平地，
凌辱这国与她的领袖。
Lamentations 2:2 耶利米哀歌 2:2
The Lord is like an enemy;
he has swallowed up Israel.
He has swallowed up all her palaces
and destroyed her strongholds.
He has multiplied mourning and lamentation
for Daughter Judah.
主如仇敌吞灭以色列，
吞灭它一切的宫殿，
毁坏境内的堡垒；
在犹大加添悲伤和哭号。
Lamentations 2:5耶利米哀歌 2:5
The Lord has rejected his altar
and abandoned his sanctuary.
He has given the walls of her palaces
into the hands of the enemy;
they have raised a shout in the house of Yahweh
as on the day of an appointed festival.
耶和华撇弃自己的祭坛，
憎恶自己的圣所，
把宫殿的墙交给仇敌。
他们在耶和华的殿中喧嚷，
如在节庆之日一样。
Lamentations 2:7耶利米哀歌 2:7
However, towards the end of the chapter the questions become literal: 然而，到了本章末尾，问题就越发直白：
Look, Yahweh, and consider:
whom have you ever treated like this?
Should women eat their offspring,
the children they have cared for?
Should priest and prophet be killed
in the sanctuary of the Lord?
耶和华啊，求你观看，
留意你向谁这样行。
妇人岂可吃自己所生、所抚育的婴孩吗？
祭司和先知岂可在主的圣所中被杀吗？
Lamentations 2:20 耶利米哀歌 2:20
Biblical lament invites to bring our tough questions, our heartbreaking questions, our angry questions, to the God who already knows them. It invites us to ask the questions as we cling to God, without knowing all of the answers.
圣经中的哀歌引导我们把棘手的、令人心碎的、愤怒的问题都带到已经知道这些问题的 神面前。 它让我们在不知道所有答案的情况下，在紧紧抓住上帝的同时提出问题。
Mark Vroegop and his wife Sara lost a little daughter they named Sylvia. In their journey of grief, they discovered lament and what it meant to cling to God. In his book, “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy,” he says:
马克·弗罗戈普 (Mark Vroegop) 和他的妻子萨拉 (Sara) 失去了一个小女儿，名叫西尔维娅 (Sylvia)。 在悲伤的旅程中，他们发现了悲伤以及紧紧抓住上帝的意义。 他在他的著作《乌云密布，深切怜悯》中说道：
Life is full of vexing questions related to God’s purposes.
Pain often highlights perplexing paradoxes.
Lament is expressed even though the tension remains…
Lament doesn’t wait for resolution. It gives voice
to the tough questions before the final chapter is written.
Mark Vroegop
生活中充满了与 神的旨意相关的令人烦恼的问题。
痛苦常常凸显出令人费解的悖论。
尽管紧张情绪依然存在，但人们还是表达了哀叹……
哀叹不会等待解决。 它是发出声音
在写最后一章之前解决棘手的问题。
马克·弗罗格普
Lament is an invitation to come and cling to God – to bring our tears, to bring our questions. Thirdly, it’s an invitation to bring our fears. That’s what Lamentations 4 is all about. 哀叹是让我们来到上帝身边，带着我们的眼泪，带着我们的问题。 第三，它让我们呈递恐惧。 这就是耶利米哀歌第四章的主题。
Bring your FEARS (Lam 4) 呈递恐惧（哀歌4）
For the sake of time, we’re not going to read a bunch of verses from this poem. But essential it’s a laundry list of loss. The writer grieves over the specific things that Jerusalem has lost: 由于时间关系，我们不打算读这首诗那么多的诗句。 但最重要的是，这是一份损失盘点清单。 作者对耶路撒冷失去的具体事物感到悲痛：
· Financial security, as the conquering Babylonians pillage the city
· Family protection, as little children now wander the streets alone as orphans
· Spiritual leadership, as the writer grieves the failed leadership of the priests and prophets
· National security, as he describes broken walls, slaughtered soldiers, failed alliances
· 财务安全，因为来征服的巴比伦人掠夺了这座城市
· 家庭保护，小孩子现在像孤儿一样独自在街上流浪
· 精神领袖，作者对祭司和先知的失败带领感到悲痛
· 国家安全，正如他所描述的，破碎的城墙、被屠杀的士兵、失败的联盟
What this tells us is that part of lament is acknowledging and grieving what we have lost; honestly naming the pain, and facing the fears that we have. = my cancer story and grieving potential loss
So these three poems – Lamentations 1, 2, 4 – invite us to be real with God, and to bring Him our tears and grief, our unanswerable questions, and our specific fears.
这告诉我们，哀歌的一部分是承认并为我们所失去的东西哀痛； 诚实地说出痛苦，并面对我们的恐惧。 = 我也同样说出我癌症的痛苦以及我为可能的失去而哀痛的故事。因此，这三首诗 - 哀歌 1、2、4 – 让我们与 神真实相处，将我们的眼泪和悲伤、我们无法回答的问题和我们具体的恐惧都带给祂。
with the top line filled in? – full slide] 每个奥运环里面都填字
The other two chapters of Lamentations take us in a slightly different direction. These 3 poems invite us to look within, and acknowledge the pain and hardship and grief we feel.
But Lamentations 3 and 5 point us upward to God, the One we need to keep turning to if we are to genuinely lament. So rather than bring something, these poems invite us to choose something.
Lamentations 3 invites us to choose hope.
《耶利米哀歌》的另外两章将我们引向一个略有不同的方向。 这三首诗带着我们审视内心，去认知我们所感受到的痛苦、艰难和悲伤。但《哀歌》第 3 章和第 5 章将我们引向上帝，如果我们要真诚地哀痛，就需要不断转向祂。 因此，这些诗不是带来什么，而是带我们去选择一些东西。
耶利米哀歌第三章带领我们选择盼望。
Choose to HOPE (Lam 3) 选择盼望
Lamentations 3 is an acrostic poem just like chs 1, 2, and 4. It’s the same length as 1 & 2, but it has 66 verses instead of 22. That’s because in the earlier chaps, they have 3 double-lines in each verse. Now in ch.3 it has 1 double line in each verse, tripling the number of verses. So its intensifying, it’s building, it’s escalating.
There’s still tears, and anguish – listen to the opening lines:
耶利米哀歌 3 是一首离合诗，就像第一章、第二章和第四章一样。它的长度与第一章和第二章相同，但它有 66 节而不是 22 节。这是因为在前面的章节中，每节有 3 个双行 。 现在，在第 3 章中，每节经文有 1 个双行，使经文数量增加了三倍。 所以它正在加剧、正在堆积、正在升级。
仍然有泪水和痛苦——听听开场白：
I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the Yahweh’s wrath.
He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
因耶和华愤怒的杖，
我是遭遇困苦的人。
他驱赶我走入黑暗，
没有光明。
他反手攻击我，
终日不停。
Lamentations耶利米哀歌 3:1-3
He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
I became the laughing-stock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.
把箭袋中的箭
射入我的肺腑。
我成了全体百姓的笑柄，
成了他们终日的歌曲。
他使我受尽苦楚，
饱食茵陈；
Lamentations 耶利米哀歌3:13-15
But then midway through this central poem, there’s a change. Hope springs to life in the anguish:
但在这首中心诗的中间，发生了变化。 盼望在痛苦中涌现：
I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
求你记得我的困苦和流离，
它如茵陈和苦胆一般；
我心想念这些，
就在我里面忧闷[a]。
但我的心回转过来，
因此就有指望；
Lamentations耶利米哀歌 3:19-21
In other words, the problem hasn’t gone away. The city is still destroyed; the people are still exiled. The writer’s soul is still downcast and full of grief. And yet he finds hope. How? He tells us in the next stanza.
换句话说，问题并没有消失。 这座城市仍然被毁； 人们仍然被流放。 作家的心依然低落，充满悲痛。 但他还是找到了盼望。 怎么呢？ 他在下一节会告诉我们。
Because of Yahweh’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, ‘Yahweh is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.’
因耶和华的慈爱，我们不致灭绝[a]，
因他的怜悯永不断绝，
每早晨，这都是新的；
你的信实极其广大！
我心里说：“耶和华是我的福分，
因此，我要仰望祂。
Lamentations耶利米哀歌 3:22-24
These words are the best know verses in Lamentations. They’ve inspired great hymns; they’ve brought hope to millions of God’s people through the centuries. Notice two things about these faith-filled words:
1st, the context. These words are found in the context of despair and hopelessness. They’re not born out of mountain top experiences with God; they are birthed out of tragedy.
If you were to put these words on a poster, most of us would choose a picture for the background of a beautiful mountain vista or tranquil seas – “great is your faithfulness.” But actually, the poster should have the smouldering ruins of a city; or the epic waves of a massive storm; or a battle field strewn with bodies. And that’s where these words come, “great is your faithfulness.”
These are not words that come from peaceful pastures, but from troubled and tough times.
这些话是哀歌中最广为人知的经文。 它们激发了伟大的赞美诗； 几个世纪以来，它们给数百万上帝的子民带来了希望。 请注意这些充满信心的话语的两点：
第一，背景。 这些呼嚎是在陷入无望境地并且已经绝望的背景下发出的。 它们并不是从山顶与 神的经历中激发出来的； 而是出于悲惨的经历。
如果把这句话写在海报上，我们大多数人都会选择以美丽的山景或宁静的大海为背景的图片 -“你的信实真伟大。” 但实际上，海报上应该有一座城市的阴燃废墟； 或巨大风暴的史诗般的波浪； 或是布满尸体的战场。 这就是“你的信实何其大”这句话的出处。
这些话不是出自和平的牧场，而是出自动荡和艰难的时代。
So that leads us to the 2nd thing to notice – the focus. The writer here is choosing to focus on God – on His character, His attributes, His faithfulness. At the heart of this passage is a beautiful Hebrew word that I’ve mentioned before – chesed – His great love, His unfailing love.
See, the writer is clinging onto and choosing to believe that God is good, even when his life and the life of his beloved city, is in ruins. “God is good.”
When I came out of my surgery for cancer, and they successfully removed the tumour and told me I didn’t need chemo or further treatment, we were obviously delighted. And many of you who had prayed with us, rejoiced with us. But you know one of the most common phrases we heard? “God is good.” And the idea was that God was good because I was healed of my cancer.
But you know what? God would still be good if that hadn’t happened. If I’d needed chemo, we could still say God is good. If I wasn’t cancer-free, God would still be good. And if He had decided to call home to heaven, He’s still good, isn’t He?
And that’s the writer is clinging to, what he’s choosing to believe. He’s choosing to hope.
And then in light of that, in ch.5, he’s choosing to pray.
这就引出了我们要注意的第二点 - 焦点。 作者在这里选择关注上帝 – 祂的品格、祂的属性和祂的信实。这段经文的核心是我之前提到过的一个美丽的希伯来词 – chesed – 祂伟大的爱，祂永恒的爱。
看，作者坚持并选择相信上帝是良善的，即使他的生活和他心爱的城市的生活都已成为废墟。 “上帝是好的。”
当我完成癌症手术后，他们成功切除了肿瘤并告诉我不需要化疗或进一步治疗，我们显然很高兴。 你们中的许多人与我们一起祷告，与我们一起喜乐。 但你知道我们听到的最常见的短语之一吗？ “上帝是好的。” 这个想法是上帝是良善的，因为我的癌症被治愈了。
但你知道吗？ 如果那件事没有发生，上帝仍然会善良。 如果我需要化疗，我们仍然可以说上帝是良善的。 如果我没有摆脱癌症，上帝仍然会善良。 如果祂决定让我回天家，祂仍然是好的，不是吗？
这就是作家所坚持的、他选择相信的。 他选择希望。
鉴于此，在第五章中，他选择做祷告
。
Choose to PRAY (Lam 5) 选择做祷告（哀歌5）
The final chapter of Lamentations isn’t an acrostic like the others. It still has 22 verses, but it’s like the author has run of creative juice. The energy has been sapped; he’s starting to unravel.
The reality is that ch.5 is still full of ruin, pain, grief, tears. And yet, because he has chosen to hope, he also chooses to pray. 《耶利米哀歌》的最后一章不像其他章节那样是一首离合诗。 它仍然有 22 节经文，但作者似乎已经充满了创造力。 能量已被耗尽； 他开始解开谜团。
现实是第五章仍然充满了毁灭、痛苦、悲伤和泪水。 然而，因为他选择了盼望，他也选择了祷告。
Remember, Yahweh, what has happened to us;
look, and see our disgrace.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
We have become fatherless,
our mothers are widows.
耶和华啊，求你顾念我们所遭遇的，
留意看我们所受的凌辱。
我们的产业归陌生人，
我们的房屋归外邦人。
我们是无父的孤儿，
我们的母亲如同寡妇。
Lamentations耶利米哀歌 5:1-3
And then the entire book ends with this prayer: 然后，整篇章节都以祷告结束：
Slide 27 You, Yahweh, reign for ever;
your throne endures from generation to generation.
Why do you always forget us?
Why do you forsake us so long?
Restore us to yourself, Yahweh, that we may return;
renew our days as of old
unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us beyond measure.
耶和华啊，你治理直到永远，
你的宝座万代长存。
你为何全然忘记我们？
为何长久离弃我们？
耶和华啊，求你使我们回转归向你，
我们就得以回转。
求你更新我们的年日，像古时一样，
难道你全然弃绝了我们，
向我们大发烈怒？
Lamentations 耶利米哀歌5:19-22
This is a heartfelt prayer for God to make it right; to forgive His wayward people; to restore them again. And the rest of the biblical story tells us that’s exactly what God does, ultimately through sending Jesus.
This is the power of lament. In our pain, in our tears, in our questions, to keep coming to God, because only He ultimately has the answers.
Dr. Todd Billings is a theology professor who is living with incurable cancer. In a beautiful book on this idea of lamenting, he writes,
这是衷心祈求上帝纠正这一切； 宽恕他任性的子民； 再次使他们恢复。 圣经故事的其余部分告诉我们，这正是上帝所做的，最终是通过差遣耶稣基督完成的。这就是哀叹的力量。 在我们的痛苦中，在我们的眼泪中，在我们的问题中，不断地来到上帝面前，因为只有祂最终能给出答案。
托德·比林斯博士是一位神学教授，患有无法治愈的癌症。 在一本关于哀叹观念的精美书中，他写道：
It is precisely out of trust that God is sovereign
that the psalmist repeatedly brings laments and petitions to the Lord …
If the psalmist had already decided the verdict – that God is indeed unfaithful –
they would not continue to offer their complaint.
Todd Billings
This is the power of lament – clinging to God in the tears.
正是出于对上帝拥有主权的信心
诗篇作者不断地向主哀悼和祈求……
如果诗篇作者已经做出了判决 - 上帝确实是不信实的 -
他们不会不断苦诉。
托德·比林斯
Lamenting is clinging to God through the tears 哀歌即是透过流水紧靠 神
As you think about your thorns in the flesh – as you think about lamenting your pain and hardship and grief – which of these aspects of clinging to God do you need to grow in? 当你想到自己身上的刺时——当你想到哀叹自己的痛苦、艰难和悲痛时 - 在紧抓 神的这些方面，你需要在哪些方面成长？
On seats is prayer card. Want to invite you to write just short prayer to the Father. “Father, I bring my tears to you.”
“Father, I’m choosing to hope in your goodness.”
“Lord, I’m naming my grief and bringing you my fears.”
Invite you to write your prayer to the Father who passionately loves you enough to have sent His beloved Son to reveal His heart and to save us from our sins.
Lead into communion.
座位上有祷告卡。 想邀请你给天父写一篇简短的祷告文。 “天父，我把我的眼泪呈递给你。”
“父啊，我选择寄托盼望于你的善良。”
“主啊，我向你诉说我的悲伤，并把我的恐惧呈递到你面前。”
邀请你写下你的祷告给天父，祂非常爱你，甚至差遣祂的爱子来显明祂的心意，并将我们从罪中拯救出来。
引导进入圣餐环节。
