Lamentations Quotes

“The narcissist never enters your life with evil intentions. Chances are, you truly impressed your narcissist—still impress them. They were probably hoping your mere presence would liberate them from their fear of exposure. In some sense, we’re all wounded and don’t know how to ask for help. This book provides the vocabulary to ensure both parties get that help.
Lamentations, pg Intro”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“The values within your church will trickle down to the families in it. God’s standards for congregational authority should reflect Jehovah’s documented standards—not the whims of leadership.
Lamentations, pg 4”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Analyze any failed relationship. Every estrangement had a solution. Maybe the couple lacked the tools to fix their problem, but whether they realized it or not, a solution was within reach. The luckiest partners marry a problem solver—someone empathetic, willing to lift the other side of our burden.
Lamentations, Intro pg”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“There must be a million different ways to ask, “Why don’t you love me anymore?” Is there any hope that a narcissistic partner will say: “I’m sorry. I want to do better, and, I will.”
Well, this is a story where Jehovah asks that heart-wrenching question to His narcissistic wife, Judah. “Why don’t you love me anymore?” Lamentations is a chronicle of a family gone bad, and all its gory details.
Lamentations, Intro pg”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Ironic that a narcissist would end up dominated by a narcissist. (Da 4:29-35) The most suffocating characteristic of a narcissist is, they don’t allow liberty, freedom, or imperfection. The narcissistic boss/spouse/parent, think others exist to shine their star.
Lamentations, pg 7”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Narcissists assume everyone thinks the way they do. If you are a narcissist, there is hope for you. Admit that you lack the personality for shepherding. Not all have the capacity for shepherding. (Eph 4:11-12)
Lamentations, pg 7”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Ancient Jerusalem had an unsettled heart. She not only poisoned her Husband’s good name, but the minds of her Husband’s children. What choice did Jehovah have, except revoke His name and distance Himself from such a toxic wife and mother? (Mt 23:37)
Lamentations, pg 7”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Poets have long warned against frivolous love vs principled love. Living a passion-driven life can corrode an otherwise healthy marriage.
Lamentations, pg 6”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Using the word “lovers” (from #H157 אֹהֲבֶ֑) is extremely generous. When we compare God’s definition of “love” at 1Cor 13:4-13, we have to wonder: what sick reality is Judah living in? What else should she expect? No matter. Unfulfilled expectations. Despite her youth and good looks, it didn’t turn out the way she imagined. On this night, she was frightened, in tears, enslaved by a former lover, Babylon. (Mt 23:37)
Lamentations, pg 5”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“2 Tears of terror came at night. (תִבְכֶּ֜ה בַּלַּ֗יְלָה) literally; “she-weeps at-night”.
The word “terror” was chosen to demonstrate she has no control over her surroundings. In the Hebrew—not in the English—the word “tears” was doubled, literally: “to-weep she-weeps”.
Note she is no longer in Israel. She is a slave in Babylon. Her day does not belong to her. She must slave for her new master by day, but the night is when she cries for her ex-Husband. In the night, she has time to tally her terrible losses.
Lamentations, pg 5”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“The Hebrew word for “divorce” is, garash (#H1644 גְרַשְׁ). It means: divorce, drive out, cast out. This same word appears at, Nu 30:9, Le 22:13, and other places in your Bible. The divorce unbundled what was once bundled: Judah gained her husband’s name at Mt. Sinai, but lost it when she made a covenant with Egypt.
Lamentations, pg 3”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“The comparison of Lam 1:1 and Re 18:7 cannot be ignored. If Babylon the Great is actually rejected mother-Judah, brought back to life by the United Nations, then Is 47:7-10 connects divorced-ancient Israel to modern-day Israel. Remember, Jehovah removed His name. (Is 50:1) Thus, we see why Jehovah’s ex-wife took on many names from her many husbands, such as “Babylon.” (Is 1:21)
Lamentations, pg 2”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“The Hebrew scroll sets this single word, “How?” on a line of its own. Hebrews do not call this book “Lamentations.” They call it “How?”
Lamentations, pg 1”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“When a righteous person lives in a sick household, everyone suffers—the innocent along with the guilty.
Lamentations, pg 1”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“It may take two people to say “I do,” but it only takes one to say “I don’t.”
Lamentations, pg Intro”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“God had splendid plans for His wife, Judah. Mother-Judah died without realizing, she had no need to prove herself to the world. Tragically, she had it all and didn’t realize it.
Lamentations, pg Intro”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Most of us acquire and shed fractions of narcissistic traits throughout our lives. The teachings of Jesus help us shed narcissistic traits. It’s part of a natural life cycle. Victims of true narcissists often leave a church, rather than stay to refute the defamatory whispers from overly defensive leadership. True narcissists comprise about 2% of the population. That percentage skyrockets when sampling corporate leaders.
Lamentations, pg Intro”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Does marriage reward love? Usually. Does marriage reward kindness? Maybe. Does marriage reward loyalty? Sometimes. Does marriage reward sacrifice? Not always. Did marriage reward Jehovah? No. His earthly wives, ancient Israel and ancient Judah, left him with prickly regrets. (Jer 3:8)
Lamentations, pg Intro”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Members of the flock who demand accountability from sick leaders are quietly pushed out the back door. Mother-Judah had become that kind of leader—a compassionless narcissist. Never burden a narcissist, or you will be quickly discarded.
Lamentations, pg Intro”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Once a church incorporates, they inadvertently introduce craving (not to be confused with ambition), leaders who covet power. “Incorporating” triggers an instinctive race to the top, an irrational fear of bad publicity, and the international sign of failure: loss of assets. Welcome to the world of sick power-circles, and inadvertent church-hurt.
Lamentations, pg Intro”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“By the time the book of Lamentations was finished, God had divided it’s pages into five different mindsets: 1) “Judah, Minus Jehovah”—within 22 verses. 2) “Her Faithless Offspring”—within 22 verses. 3) “Jesus Whispering Beneath the Text”—within 66 verses. 4) “This is How!”—within 22 verses. 5) “Why Go Back?”—within 22 verses. There are so many mathematical symmetries I don’t have enough pages to elaborate.
Lamentations, pg 2”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“Lots of “I” and “me” in this chapter. Mother-Judah has a very egocentric manner of speech. Maybe Judah hopes she can out-talk God. Maybe Judah hopes she can convince God that, all things considered, she ain’t as bad as the other nations. (De 18:9-14)
Narcissist partners rarely miss an opportunity to point fingers—and that’s how Judah decides to end chapter one.”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“I’m sick at heart. (וְלִבִּ֥י דַוָּֽי) literally; “and-my-heart faints.”
. . . she says, back-of-hand-glued-to-forehead pose, cutting her eyes toward Jehovah, to see if He will buy into her manipulative drama.
Again, it takes the gall of a narcissist to destroy a family and then pretend the real victim is their, poor sick heart. Even at a distance, it must have been a terrible thing for angels to watch—powerless to comfort the Father they loved and admired. But, no angel was capable of feeling God’s depth of anguish. And how well they knew Jehovah’s anguish.”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“A narcissistic parent, such as Judah, crush growth, create sycophants who side with her, even when it contradicts logic. A narcissistic parent is threatened by questions, individuality, and differing points of view.
pg 38”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“A narcissistic church leader will preemptively create under-educated, group-dependent followers. By contrast, Jesus admired independent thinkers, exampled at Mt 9:22, where the woman with an issue of blood bucked convention in favor of her Bible-trained faith.
pg 38”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“A properly Bible-trained conscience should be at odds with groups like unfaithful Judah. The faithful Jeremiah was proof of that. (Jer 38:6) The royals of Judah failed their children. The royals of Judah ignored the motto: My job is to raise independent, responsible adults.
pg 38”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“It would be a dire miscalculation to assume Jehovah doesn’t hate individuals. Paul made this clear at Ro 9:13. Hosea made this clear at Ho 9:15. Amos made this clear at Am 6:8. Jehovah hates anyone harming His sheep and loves those helping His sheep. Jesus advocated hatred for those who Jehovah hated.
pg 39”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“As discussed before, we know that Jehovah had two earthly wives, Israel and Judah. (Jer 5:11) So, who is this daughter of Judah? Any non-shepherding (or un-titled) citizen of Judah. This is a larger group than the previously discussed group, “daughters of Zion.”
This group would encompass most of the untitled in Israel. It could, however, include judges (Deborah was a Judge), prophets (Huldah was a Prophetess), and Nazirites (the wife of Manoah was a Nazirite).
pg 40”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“The Hebrew word, qeren (#H7161 קֶ֣רֶן), is a horn of a bull, or is sometimes used to describe the tusk of an elephant. The English translation here is, “might.” In either case, the business-end of either animal is the symbol of its strength.
pg 41”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

“withdrew His right hand that [once] blocked (הֵשִׁ֥יב אָחֹ֛ור יְמִינֹ֖ו) literally; “has-drawn back His-right-hand”.
The last Hebrew word, listed above, invokes one of the tribes of Judah: Benjamin (#H1144 nymynb), which literally means: son of my right hand.
David’s right hand was strengthened by his mighty men from the tribe of Benjamin: Ahiezer, Joash, Jeziel, Pelet, Beracah, Jehu, Ishmaiah, Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad, Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah, Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, Joelah, and Zebadiah. (1Ch 12:1-7)
pg 42”
― Michael Ben Zehabe, Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family