Before thinking about this “confession” we’ll first look at lament psalms briefly. Lament psalms often contain:
- an address (maybe simply “O God” or “O Lord”)
- a/some complaint(s)
- a request for help addressed to God
- the affirmation of trust in God, as thanks for past action or simply as praise and conviction God will act
- a vow to praise God when the crisis has passed (44:8; 80:18).
The first Confession of Jeremiah is a good illustration of both how these speeches are like, and that they are unlike Lament psalms. We will also notice how in Jeremiah the lament-like material works with its surrounding text. The condfessions are not a separate part of the book, they are parts of the book. (The next podcast will continue to look at this text, building on this material.)
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