1. According to 2 Kings 17, why were the Israelites conquered by the Assyrians? List as many specific reasons as you can, based on the text.
2. 2 Kings 25 narrates the events when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, and the rest of Judah. The reason why this happened can be found in other texts, like 2 Chronicles 36 (and in 2 Kings 21).
a. According to 2 Kings 21, who was the specific king whose sins caused God to send the Jews into exile?
b. The exile was a traumatic event for the people of Judah, a theological crisis that called into question God's power, God's goodness, God's promises and God's way of relating to God's people. Read through the first three chapters of Lamentations, and identify at least two answers for why this happened to Judah).
3. In Lamentations 1-3, identify at least four metaphors or similes for God, noting chapter and verse. What do these chapters in Lamentations (and metaphors) reveal about God?