Around this time, Jewish people have a special day recalling the destruction of two precious temples in their history.  In 2020, it is July 30. The first temple is the one Solomon dedicated in 959 B.C., destroyed on the 9th day of the Jewish month of Ab, which in our calendar was July 18, 587 B.C.  The other Temple is the one rebuilt after the Exile, which the Romans destroyed in 70 A.D.  When Jewish people go to the synagogue to recall these sad events, they read from what is perhaps the saddest book in the Bible, the Book of Lamentations..

The verses of the first four chapters of the book are what’s called an acrostic, similar to some psalms.  Each verse begins with letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order—every three verses, for chapter 3. 

Here’s an idea.  Take the five quarter-parts of the day when we are usually awake: 1) 6 to 9 am; 2) 9 am to 12 noon; 3) 12 noon to 3 pm; 4) 3 to 6 pm; 5) 6 to 9 pm.  Make a single word for what each part of the day was like for you, beginning with the letter A and ending with E.  You could also make an acrostic by having the first letters of each word make up another word.  Acrostics can be as pegs on your heart from which to hang the memory and meaning of each part of the day.  

 Lamentations 1

Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Mondays are dedicated to the reading of the Hebrew Prophets.

These Firestarters are for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.