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.)

Tags: complaint, confessions of Jeremiah, lament psalm