How the Gold Has Darkened

Lamentations 4
How the Gold Has Darkened
Sermon Outline for March 18, 2012, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, by Pastor Dennis Tuuri

Intro – Lam. 1:6 And from the daughter of Zion All her splendor has departed
The Fading Beauty of the Poetry of the Book of Lamentations (Dr. Kai Soltau, Robert Jones)
A. Acrostic - Knox Translation, Holman Bible - Fades Away in Chapter 5
B. Chiasm - Fades Away in Chapters 4 and 5
C. Concatenation (Chains) - Fades Away in Chapter 3
D.. 3-2 Chapters - Fading Away
E. Verses - 66-66-66-44-22 (Judgment and Beauty)

Chapter 1 to Chapter 2 to Chapter 3 to Chapter 4 - The Big Picture (Comfort)
1:1 How lonely sits the city
2:1 How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger!
3.1 I am the man
4:1 How the gold has darkened

Chapter 4's Arc - Judgment to Decreation and Recreation
I. Golden Children Not valued - vv. 1-5
Children, the valuable stones, are disregarded
People (mothers) are cruel
II. Greater than Sodom - Judgment and Sin - vv. 6-10
Sword vs. Starvation (Nazirite warriors fade by latter)
Color (beauty) fades
Self-centered mothers are monsters
III. Pursuers and Pursuer - The Hound of Heaven - vv. 11-19
God's city/people are shamed
Priests and prophets don't show the people their liability for punishment (iniquities)
Let your face shine and we are....punished
No political hope
Our pursuers were aided by the Lord
IV. The Death of the Anointed - Decreation - v. 20
V. Judgment Concluded - Recreation Begins - vv. 21,22