Jeremiah is sometimes referred to as the weeping
prophet. In verses 48-51 of this reading
you see why that is. "my eyes flow
with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. My
eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite, until the Lord from
heaven
looks down and sees; my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city." Even though Jeremiah knows that they have gotten what their sins deserve his grief is not lessened by that knowledge. It is too much for him to imagine or to bear as he shares in the grief of the people who remain in Jerusalem. At the end of the reading, the last seven verses, Jeremiah reflects on his own life and the enemies that fell on him, threw him into the pit (the cistern) and left him there to die. These enemies were the people of God, the people for whom Jeremiah now weeps. He knows, however, that there was a time when he was without hope in the world, a similar time to this, and the Lord was his rescuer and redeemer. He is comforted by that memory and he will comfort the people from that place of having been comforted and redeemed.
looks down and sees; my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city." Even though Jeremiah knows that they have gotten what their sins deserve his grief is not lessened by that knowledge. It is too much for him to imagine or to bear as he shares in the grief of the people who remain in Jerusalem. At the end of the reading, the last seven verses, Jeremiah reflects on his own life and the enemies that fell on him, threw him into the pit (the cistern) and left him there to die. These enemies were the people of God, the people for whom Jeremiah now weeps. He knows, however, that there was a time when he was without hope in the world, a similar time to this, and the Lord was his rescuer and redeemer. He is comforted by that memory and he will comfort the people from that place of having been comforted and redeemed.
On this, the Sabbath, God rested. I would imagine that none of those who had
believed in Jesus rested at all, they grieved, asked all the questions of why
and how that they could imagine, blamed themselves for failing Him in His hour
of need, recalled all that He had done, and wondered about the future. What would happen on the morrow? Would they be rounded up and summarily tried
as Jesus had been? Would they indeed
take up their crosses and follow Him out to Gethsemane? What do you do after you have believed
someone was Messiah and then seen that man executed on a cross? Is there any hope for the future? Questions, questions, questions. They can't have rested in their hearts and
minds this Sabbath. They would have
understood Lamentations quite well today.
Today was not the day for them to enter into His rest. Today was the day evil celebrated victory.
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