Evolution of Post-Exilic Representation of God in Lamentations.

Evolution of Post-Exilic Representation of God in Lamentations.

Post-Exilic is the period of the Jewish history between the end of exile in Babylon in 538 b.c. During this period, new prophets came up with a different representation of God from what was there previously. Some of the prophets include Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, who made spiritual development. They preceded the heights that were there during the Babylonian exile. This period is mainly built upon the work of these prophets who represented God and preserved the old testament. The image of God is different at times due to different interpretations. In the book of Lamentations as one of the post-exilic books, there is a unique representation of God. This paper is going to discuss how God has been portrayed in the book of Lamentations. This is from the language used, superiority, and the impact it has on theology or Christianity today.

In Lamentations, God is interpreted through the speech of others. God is spoken about and spoken to by other people. The text contains different personas who voice or say their experience about God. There is the narrator, the personified city, which includes the Daughter of Zion, the community, and the man. Each persona speaks to explain their suffering and pain encountered in Jerusalem.  The speakers also long for hope in Jerusalem after the destruction. The narrator talks about Zion, community, and specific groups that are within the community. Zion talks about herself and the city having distinct entities of groups like women, children, and the elderly. Another persona is the man who puts out his suffering, and the community talks of the pin the groups are undergoing.

Despite the different issues, both personae talk about God. God is the most dominant character in the book, although he doesn’t speak like the persona. He is represented differently from the other characters in the book. The voice of God is divine, but it is not heard in the text. God is the subject in the speech most of the time, but his silence is meant to communicate that no one description related to God is authoritative or has more authority than any other. The audience has different viewpoints when it comes to God, but due to the absence of a divine voice, it is not constrained in privileging each other. This means that they are all equal before God, and God is the most superior amongst them. Lamentations is also a poetic book that has a series of independent poems that are interrelated. It has a poetic form that means the characterization of God does not fall between being logical or sustained in development. In the poem, where God is the focus of the extended text, there is a rapid shift in focus and reference.

In the book, God is portrayed mainly in three different images. God is seen as a violent destroyer. In various circumstances, three personas describe God’s violence. These are the narrator, man, and daughter Zion. In 2:1-9, the narrator explains the actions of God against the city, mainly focusing on the destruction of physical city buildings, gates, and places.  Reference is made in comparison to the anger of God several times in the text when he was describing as acting without mercy when angry. There are different verbs attributed to God, such as he is above all humans and worldly things, he brings down, he cuts down, and God has thrown from heaven. All this was to discuss God’s anger in different degrees and how he can act when he is not happy with human beings. The man describes the Infliction of pain in his life by God. He says how he has toiled, and it feels like God’s anger is acting on him. Zion attributes her suffering to God and talks with a lot of bitterness. He is seen as a God of wrath and is represented to pour his anger on anyone who sins.

The persona also sees God as being absent. In chapter one, it opens with the city being lonely. The narrator references there being a lack of comforter. Zion seeks comfort from God despite other human being there. She looks unto God for support, which she does not find hence feels God is absent. She pleas to God to look and see. The requests are a clear indication that God is not looking and is absent. In the second chapter, the narrator explains how God destroyed the tabernacle, abolishing festive and sabbath and disowning the sanctuary. The actions indicate that God has withdrawn away from the temple and is no longer dwelling among the people.

God is also represented as a God of steadfast love and mercy. This view stands against the portrayal of God as violent and being absent.  It is explained that God’s violence was expressed in the light of sin among the persona.  Zion, in the book, says, “The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word” (1:18) She even asks God to deal with the enemy as he has done with her transgressions. The man talks about God’s action and mercy. He talks about God’s nature and the correct way to act before God in the face of suffering. This is evident that during one’s suffering, God can still be merciful and forgive one hence retracting the punishment. God loves his people and needs them to repent and do the right thing despite his wrath.

In conclusion, the book of lamentations talks about the new relationship of God to humanity, describing him differently. The personas have different expressions of God through their experiences. The primary representation of God is that God is a God of anger, absent, and has steadfast love and mercy. All this is justified but later turns out to have a reason as to why. Many people do not know how to act before God in times of pain. God is seen to forgive and love them again.  This has resulted in different changes during this period of post-exilic, as God can be related in different ways.