1. Jeremiah 45:3 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Why does Baruch speak words of lament?

Jeremiah 45:3 (ESV)

3 You said, ‘Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’

The Lord’s word to Baruch begins with the Lord reminding Baruch of his own words. You said, Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest. These are words of lament very similar to those spoken many times by Jeremiah. Baruch utters these words as he writes the first scroll and, just like Jeremiah, Baruch is overcome with grief at the message of the Lord’s judgment against Judah. Living in a generation when the word of God is despised is never an easy experience for those who have a heart commitment to the Lord.1