Quotessence
Home / Books / Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family

Book by Michael Ben Zehabe · 22 quotes · Benzehabe, Divorce, Lamentations

Filter quotes by topic

AllBenzehabeDivorceLamentationsMarriageNarcissismWord StudyBad LeadersBad RelationshipBenjaminBetrayalBiblical HebrewBlameCaptivityChoosing A LifemateChristian DivorceChristian LifeChristian LivingChristian RomanceChurchConsequences

Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family Quotes

“Many youths who come from loving families miscalculate the dangers of the outside world. Naïveté is condemned in holy text. You will only be naïve once. Use it wisely. Keep your heart far from the romantic snares of foreigners—marital covenants with foreigners. (Eph 5:6; Ps 19:7) pg 18”

DatingChristian LifeChoosing A Lifemate
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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.”

FamilyDramaNarcissismBenzehabe
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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”

RegretGuiltRepentance
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“and consider how despised I am! (וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה כִּ֥י הָיִ֖יתִי זֹולֵלָֽה׃) literally; “and-consider for I-am scorned!” Despised by who? Despised by her new husbandly owner, Babylon. Perhaps Judah should have considered Jeremiah’s warning. (Jer 2:20) Perhaps Judah should have considered her vows to Jehovah, and the natural consequences that come from such flagrant disregard. (Pr 14:18; Ezk 16:1-14) pg 18”

InfidelityConsequencesRemarrying
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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”

DivorceBetrayalNarcissism
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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.”

BlameExcusesBenzehabeFinger Pointing
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“Treat them as you’ve treated me (וְעֹולֵ֣ל לָ֔מֹו כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עֹולַ֛לְתָּ לִ֖י) literally; “and-do to-them to-them-as You-have-done to-me”. An odd request from an unfaithful wife—asking her ex-husband to beat up her new husband. Obviously, her mind is still on the kings of the earth, not King Jehovah.”

JehovahYahwehBenzehabe
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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”

Christian RomanceGodly RelationshipsChristian Divorce
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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”

Human ResourcesLawsuitPersonnel Statistics
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“This is a somewhat risky translation. It pivots on the Hebrew word for “great” gadal (#H1431 גְדִּ֖ל). This word can mean many things, including: horn, as in the horn of a powerful bull, the spike of a crown, the authority that a powerful king can wield to knock down an enemy, or gore them into bloody submission. This word also carries God-given authority to change history—as it was used in the book of Jonah. Jehovah made six things “great”: Nineveh (Jon 1:2); the storm (Jon 1:4); the fish (Jon 2:1); the plant (Jon 4:6); the worm (Jon 4:7); the wind (Jon 4:8). Each of these items were smaller tools being used by God to prod the bigger tool, like Assyria, into playing God’s weapon to punish unfaithful Israel. (Is 9:5-6) pg 15”

LamentationsWord StudyBiblical Hebrew
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“They” (her new husbands, Egypt and Babylon) heard of Jeremiah’s and Isaiah’s public declaration of divorce. (Jer 3:8; Is 50:1) Yet another oblique reference to divorced Hagar. Hagar had been properly dismissed—by her husband, Abraham. Hagar, however, was better than Judah. She may have created division in Abraham’s household, but at least Hagar maintained her relationship with Jehovah.”

LamentationsDismissedHagar
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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”

HebrewBenjaminWord Study
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“And her husband’s misery? Has that crossed her mind? Was Jehovah a God too elevated to feel pain? How does that work with a spirit person—and Jehovah is a person—with the praise of angels constantly in His ears? Maybe His hurt is the most profound of all, because of His purity and willingness to give. pg 15”

HurtLossLove Sick
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“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”

MarriageRelationshipPartnership
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image

“As cited in the previous verse, Judah had offspring from both, Jehovah and the kings of Assyria, and Egypt. That is, legitimate children and illegitimate children. (Ho 2:4) Mixing seed was a wide-ranging principal that Judah’s priests should have noted. “You must not sow your vineyard with two sorts of seed. Otherwise, everything produced from the seed you sow as well as the product of the vineyard will be forfeited to the sanctuary.” –De 22:9 pg 43”

MarriageMarrying In The LordMixing Seed
Book:Lamentations: how narcissistic leaders torment church and family
Create image