Jeremiah, Lamentations

NIV Application Commentary, Old Testament

by J. Andrew Dearman

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context.

To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three

Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context.Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible.Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved.This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Genres: Reference, Christian, Nonfiction, Biblical Studies

497 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

28 Oct 2015
Jeremiah and Lamentations are dark books .. a collection of dialogues between God and (primarily, but there may be other voices here) Jeremiah during some of the darkest hours of Judah. Dearman calls the prophesies a "collection" - that is, these prophesies, dialogues, prayers, and responses from God do not form a sequential historical record but are a record of numerous events, some of which cannot be dated. The situation is dire, and the words are uncomfortable to read. Dearman helps me walk through this section of the Bible and helps me find meaning for my life and my times as well as helps me understand the life and times of God's people during those days.

Here's a sample paragraph from the Contemporary Application section for Jeremiah 15:

"One of the marvelous gifts of Jeremiah’s book is the humanness of his prayers when wearied and depressed by the struggle with rejection and persecution. Zeal for the path of discipleship (in the case of Jeremiah, zeal to carry out his prophetic commission) is no guarantee of smooth sailing in life. God will hear the prayers of his disciples—unlike those prayers from the dark hour of Judah’s judgment — just as God heard Jeremiah’s cries."

15 Nov 2015
This was the first time I've read the entirety of Jeremiah and Lamentations through, though I have read parts on various occasions. With Dearman's help, I have a better feeling for the scene "on the ground" as Judah's demise came. It was as though Dearman helped me to become embedded with them at certain moments. I think of the people of Syria in current history, as well as of others who live in constant war and destruction. Terrifying.

Dearman makes many points about what Jeremiah and Lamentations mean to us, as Christians, in today's world, and he helped me think through current applications of this text.

This is the second or third NIV Application Commentary I have used in my study. I am impressed with the quality of the writings in these commentaries, in the professions of faith of the authors, and I look forward to more of the same in the next NIV Application commentary I use.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how to provide the best commentary on a commentary other than to say that this book definitely helped me get the most out of my time in the Book of Jeremiah and Lamentations. I can absolutely say that I have a much better understanding of Jeremiah and his life and times, and this book is a hugs part of that.

[Stephen Hiemstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting commentary and good read. I learned a lot.