Let's turn together now to the prophecy of Jeremiah and to chapter 31, and we can read at verse 15.
! Jeremiah 31 at verse 15.
! Thus says the Lord, a voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children because they are no more.
Thus says the Lord, keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord.
And so on down to verse number 21.
I think it's fair to say in life in general that sometimes circumstances hide from us the true reality of our situation.
And that can make difficult times even more difficult to manage for us.
And it's always great to have the kind of insight that enables us to see things as they truly are.
And here in this chapter, that's what God is doing for the people of God, for his own covenant people.
He is kind of giving them an aerial view of where they are.
So they will understand where they are in the light of who he is and what he is doing.
And that was really necessary in the days of Jeremiah.
When we read the history of God's people at this time, we see that Jeremiah lived in a chaotic world.
There was chaos everywhere amongst the people of God.
And when we read through this book itself, we see that there was a kind of permanent trajectory of people turning away from God.
The people were in rebellion against God.
And we see that the king himself, the royal palace, that there the king was responsible in many ways for leading the people away from God.
And in the midst of all of that, we have the ministry of this man, Jeremiah.
And it should not surprise us that his ministry was, first of all, a ministry of judgment.
And if ever there was an unpopular prophet or preacher in the world, here is one who certainly was.
He was the enemy of the people because they did not like his message.
Unpopular preaching, unpopular messenger because of the rebellion of the people of God.
And remarkably, we see that from chapter 30 of this book and to chapter 32, 33, we see that there is a message of comfort.
In other words, take note of my judgment, but don't ignore my comfort to you in these chapters.
The promise that God will bring his people back to himself.
And through, from verse 15 onwards, against the background of his everlasting love at the beginning of the chapter,
he wants to encourage the people of God.
I want to think about that today.
This is not unlike where we are at ourselves.
A nation, a society, racing away from God.
A royal household and government that has little sense of trusting or turning to the word of God.
And any sense of alerting a people to that is not acceptable, is often rejected.
And to do so is often resisted, perhaps, by those who should be doing that very thing.
It's not unlike where we're at.
So today, we want to think of the faith community crisis and the Lord's unfailing love.
Well, I think first of all, of the crisis and the encouragement.
We need encouragement when we're in danger.
And the encouragement comes because God is telling us what's happening.
It's all about how God sees things.
And the first thing that he sees, that there is a woman in a certain place.
And that's significant.
He looks down and here is a place called Ramah.
And if I can picture Jerusalem and the nation of Israel,
I think of Ramah on the boundary between Judah and Israel, north of Jerusalem.
And it's the kind of place where those who are being deported would be gathered together
and would be counted before they're carried away into exile in Babylon.
It was a place where people are recorded as they were taken away from their own homes
and transported to another environment, to another culture, to another society.
Ramah was a key place on the journey on which these people were traveling.
And there, at that very place, there is this woman called Rachel.
She was the wife of Jacob.
She's not living in these times.
But Jeremiah and God uses Rachel to represent the community of faith
and those who are the people of God.
She is especially the grandmother of Ephraim and Manasseh
that represent the northern part of the country.
Rachel has a close relationship, a loving relationship with those in particular
in Manasseh and Ephraim that the tribes are named after her own grandchildren.
Ramah and Rachel.
What we find there is where the people of God are represented.
What we find there is that there is a lament.
And what is Rachel doing?
She is lamentation and bitter weeping.
She is a broken woman.
She is not only weeping the tears,
but she is howling with a kind of grief and sorrow
that only a mother who has lost her children can mourn for
and can have that bitterness.
It's a deep sense of sorrow.
It's emotional.
It's psychological.
It's even intellectual.
It's everything that she feels and knows at this stage
finds expression in lamenting and in crying out and in weeping.
And she's doing that because her children are no more.
The place where all of her children, all of her descendants,
the place where the people of the community of faith
used to fill the place as according to the promise given to Abraham
that his seed would be like the sand of the seashore.
Previously, looking in this location,
the place was filled northward and southward
with those who were the people of God.
And now this woman who represents the people of God,
she's looking northwards.
And there's no one there.
She's looking southward.
And there is the very likelihood that those who exist to the south
are going to follow the same path as those who are northwards.
There are those who aren't there.
And there are those who are in danger of not being there.
And she's crying.
And she refuses to be comforted.
And today, if you are the child of God,
if you trust in the Lord Jesus as your Savior,
you will have a prayer.
And we can use this building itself as an example.
A prayer and looking,
not that the children are no longer there,
but they are not there in the same number.
And there is the fear accompanying your prayer
that because of the way things are,
that things can only get worse.
The lamentation, the grief,
stopped her from seeing anything positive.
She could only receive and see the negatives.
In her visible world,
there is nothing to encourage her
and the promise of God is not fulfilled.
And you may be praying today
for your family,
for your children,
for your loved ones.
And in your heart,
you're crying before God.
And nobody can see your tears today,
but you're crying before God
because nothing is happening.
Because your family don't know the Lord Jesus.
Because they may be far distant
from where they should be
and far distant from coming to know
that Lord Jesus as their Savior.
And no matter what anybody says to you,
you refuse to be comforted.
And no matter how people try to encourage you,
your response is,
but what about such and such?
What about such and such situation?
Refusing to be comforted.
And the encouragement begins
from this passage in knowing
that God is looking down
and that God sees
and that God is hearing.
And you may be downcast in your heart.
You may be lamenting
because of what God is not doing
and thinking that God doesn't care
or God doesn't know.
But it was God
that heard a voice in drama.
And today it is God who hears
the voice that arises from your heart.
Even in the silence of the worship of God,
there is that message that arises
and that God himself hears.
And the encouragement is because
God interrupts.
Isn't God a gracious God?
God interrupts.
Keep your voice from weeping.
Stop the crying.
Just hold back what you're doing
and stop and listen to me.
There is, he says,
a reward for your work.
In other words,
God is hearing your prayer
and the time will come
when God is going to answer that prayer.
As he said to Abraham in Genesis 15
when he told Abraham,
I am your shield
and your exceeding great reward.
To the faith community at Ramah,
there is the interruption
that tells them
there is a reward for your prayers.
God is taking note.
God is going to answer.
And how is God going to answer?
God is going to answer
with this great promise in verse 16.
They shall come back
from the land of the enemy.
There is hope for your future.
There is going to be a homecoming.
The masses are gathered
hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem
where we think of the presence of God
in the Old Testament
and the reign of God
and the palace of God's king.
They are hundreds of miles away.
And the geographical distance
reflects their spiritual distance from God.
But here is the promise.
Here is why the prayer needs to be interrupted.
Here is why the lament has to stop.
The promise of God is
they are coming home
to where they belong.
In other words,
the absolute reversal
of the thing that Rachel thought
could never be reversed.
That in her mind
and in her thinking,
the invisible people
that were,
the people that were carried away
that were invisible
visible in her location,
that God will
make them present
and visible
in that very place
where they were absent.
And that's encouragement
for you and
for me today.
The invitation
to stop listening
to our own voice.
And that's difficult.
Especially in that crisis.
Stop listening to our own voice
and listen to the voice of God
who tells us
that he will
fulfill his promise.
That he will
save his people.
And that he will
bring his people
home.
And as you pray today,
don't lose sight.
And perhaps
allow God
to do the interrupting.
Because we can
lose sight
of God himself
in our lamenting.
Allow God
to interrupt you today
and to come
with your promise
that he will
save,
that he will
bring back.
And that there will be
this great
homecoming
of the people of God
from
their scattering
in the rebellion
to come back
to be
the faith community.
Those who trust
in the Lord Jesus.
Those who gather
around him.
Those who come
to sit at the Lord's table
because of their love
for the Lord Jesus
and because
of the everlasting love
that we read of
at the beginning
of the chapter.
There is the crisis
and there is
the encouragement.
Secondly,
there is the crisis
and
the engagement.
It is
certainly
through today
that
there are
loads of things
happening
and loads of
stuff going on
that we
know nothing
about.
It's obvious
and perhaps
doesn't need
to be said.
but for
this woman
here
and for
this community
of faith
here in this
case
they needed
to hear
about
what they
didn't realize
was happening
and the only
person who can
do so
is God
himself
and the
God who is
hearing the
prayers of
Rachel
the faith
community
representative
is also
the God
who is
seeing
Ephraim
in the
scattering
where he
is found
in Babylon
and the
surrounding
area.
He hears
Rachel
praying
and he
sees
Ephraim
in Babylon
and
when he
sees
Ephraim
he brings
a report
to the
people of
God
and the
report
is
I have
heard
Ephraim
grieving.
In
verse number
18
here is
Ephraim
one of
the northern
tribes
Manasi
and Ephraim
the northern
tribes
here is
Ephraim
representing
the people
of God
in that
northern
tribe
and
I hear
Ephraim
grieving.
Suddenly
this
representative
of those
who are
carried
away
because
of
their
rebellion
against
God
he is
found
in that
place
of
rebellion
and he
is
grieving
in the
sense
that
in the
Old
Testament
sense
of
perhaps
sitting
or
standing
in a
place
and
moving
backwards
and
forward
so
overcome
with
grief
and
with
sorrow
that
their
whole
beings
and
their
whole
bodies
are
shaken
and
are
falling
apart
a
shaking
of
the
head
a
shaking
of
the
body
the
whole
self
is
taken
up
in
sorrow
and
the
sorrow
we
see
is
vocalized
in
version
number
18
you
have
disciplined
me
and
I
was
disciplined
here
is the
prodigal
son
in
the
far
country
in
the
place
of
satisfying
himself
finding
his
joy
and
spending
his
resources
where
he
was
and
here
we
see
God
saying
with
regard
to
his
alienated
people
that
he
is
hearing
them
grieving
and
that
he
is
hearing
them
grieving
and
acknowledging
that
this
grief
is
because
of
God's
engagement
with
them
and
God
intervening
in
their
lives
and
our
own
encouragement
today
is
the
very
fact
that
is
what
God
always
does
and
no
matter
how
far
today
we
see
our
families
and
our
friends
and
those
close
to
us
that
we
pray
for
every
day
no
matter
how
far
away
they
are
God
has
one
way
and
one
way
only
of
bringing
them
back
and
that's
engaging
with
them
where
they
are
intervening
in
the
prosperity
of
life
and
bringing
them
to
the
place
where
they
are
broken
and
where
they
are
grieving
and
where
they
give
expression
as we
read
on
in
verse
number
18
I was
disciplined
like
an
untrained
calf
that
follows
the
orders
and the
direction
of the
farmer
and follows
the right
path
here is
Ephraim
an
untrained
calf
a
disobedient
rebellious
person
but now
coming to
acknowledge
and to
respect
the
fact
the
fact
that
the
rebellion
was
not
only
the
wrong
thing
to
do
but
that
it
was
sin
against
God
after
he
says
I
turned
away
I
relented
turned
his
back
upon
God
choosing
to go
in the
opposite
direction
going
along
this
path
of
being
carried
away
by
enemies
into
a
foreign
country
and
now
coming
to
realize
that
the
rebellion
was so
wrong
that the
action
was so
far
removed
from
what
he
had
done
and
it's
similar
to
in
Genesis
chapter
6
where
God
regretted
that
he
had
made
man
that
there
is
that
sense
of
regret
now
built
up
in the
heart
of
Ephraim
regret
that
they
ever
turned
their
backs
upon
God
and
so
in
the
far
off
country
of
exile
Ephraim
his
external
circumstances
have been
turned
upside
down
his
heart's
experience
has been
placed
into
turmoil
and all
of that
taking place
because
God
is
engaged
with a
person
who has
disobeyed
and gone
into
the
far
country
and
perhaps
today
you are
in
that
very
place
of
the
far
country
you can
sit
in
God's
house
hearing
God's
word
and
in your
mind
and in
your
heart
you're
miles
away
from
being the
child
of God
and you
will
continue to
be in
that
place
until the
moment
comes
in the
plan of
God
when he
will
engage
with you
when he
will intervene
in your
life
and when
he will
change
your whole
life
turn it
upside
down
so that
you will
engage
with
him
C.S.
Lewis
speaks
about
God's
megaphone
God
whispers
to us
in our
pleasures
he speaks
in our
consciences
but shouts
in our
pains
it is
his
megaphone
to rouse
a deaf
world
and I
want you
to think
today
of what
is happening
in your
life
I want
you to
think of
any
difficulties
that you
are facing
any
challenges
of everyday
life
whether it's
work or
school or
home or
in the
community
or amongst
friends
what are
the things
that are
making
life
difficult
and I
want you
to think
that where
there are
such things
to think
that God
is putting
his hand
on your
shoulder
these things
are not
meaningless
they are
there in
the purpose
of God
in order
to awaken
you
to alert
you
to remember
who God
is
to remember
your sin
against God
and to
remember
your need
to be
at peace
with God
and the
need
for you
to
recognize
that
so that
there is
that
movement
of your
whole being
towards
the only
true and
living God
who sent
the Son
to be
our
Savior
here
and
we are
encouraged
much today
by hearing
of
a so-called
quiet
revival
a gentle
movement
towards
God
but I want
to tell you
that
the quietness
of the
revival
that God
works
is an
external
quietness
that
where there
is
a revival
initiated
by God
in your
heart and
mind
it's not
quiet
it's chaotic
it turns
life upside
down
it stirs
us up
it turns
our whole
beings
into a
place full
of noise
and full
of voices
and full
of cries
it's never
quiet
and that's
why God
is saying
here
that
that he
heard
Ephraim
groaning
when God
puts his
hand on
her shoulder
there is
this movement
in God's
direction
there is
a stirring
up
and there
is the
beginning
of turning
to God
and Ephraim
goes on
and the
Lord goes
on to
speak about
the way
in which
the whole
purpose
of this
engagement
is to
stir up
in Ephraim's
heart
and life
a desire
for God
for after
I had
turned
away
I
relented
and after
I was
instructed
I
struck
my
thigh
and
at the
end of
verse 18
bring me
back
that I
may be
restored
for you
are
the
Lord
my
God
the
engagement
brings
about
stirring
up
and chaos
and crying
the
engagement
produces
a desire
the
engagement
produces
a desire
and a
longing
for God
and that's
exactly
how God
works
in your
life
and in
mine
for you
are the
Lord
my
God
Ephraim
is
awoken
at last
to
recognize
who
this
Lord
is
the
Lord
who
has
made
covenant
the
Lord
who
has
loved
with
an
everlasting
love
it's
recognizing
who
this
Lord
is
and a
desire
a
longing
to
come
home
God
is
calling
Ephraim
home
and God
is
deciding
to come
home
and there
is that
sense
of
embrace
in this
engagement
so that
they are
both
wanting
the
same
thing
and that's
the
matter
of
God's
engagement
and
bringing
us
from
death
to
life
from
a
far
country
to
be
his
own
people
from
rejecting
the
Lord
Jesus
to
loving
the
Lord
Jesus
that
he
plants
the
desire
in
our
hearts
and
that
then
we
long
for
the
Lord
Jesus
and
in
this
moment
if that
is your
longing
it is
because
of what
God
has
done
if
it is
your
desire
to
know
the
Lord
Jesus
to
love
the
Lord
Jesus
to
live
your
life
for
the
Lord
Jesus
then
that's
because
God
has
worked
and
God
has
created
that
desire
in
your
heart
God
has
given
to
you
that
new
heart
which
longs
to
be
at
peace
with
him
the
engagement
we
thank
God
that
he
does
not
leave
us
go
your
own
direction
but
that
his
hand
will
come
on
our
shoulder
and
his
hand
will
come
into
our
providence
when
we
least
expect
it
to
arrest
us
to
turn
us
around
and
to
remember
rebellion
against
him
and
to
seek
him
with
all
of
our
hearts
and
thirdly
and
much
more
briefly
there
is
the
crisis
and
the
endearment
what
is
the
great
message
of
God
to
the
community
of
faith
in
the
days
of
Jeremiah
it's
not
the
great
message
about
what
God
is
going
to
do
in
them
it's
a
great
message
of
why
he
is
doing
that
and
we
read
on
from
verse
20
these
questions
and
these
statements
is
Ephraim
my dear
son
is he
my
darling
child
for as
often as
I speak
against
him
I do
remember
him
still
there is
an
insight
in
this
verse
into
the
turmoil
in the
heart
of
God
if you
can
describe
it
like
that
not
turmoil
in the
sense
of
confusion
but
a
stirring
up
in
the
heart
of
God
because
of
his
relationship
with
Ephraim
that
moves
him
and
that
leads
him
to
reach
out
to
Ephraim
where
he
is
to
intervene
in
his
life
and
to
bring
him
back
to
himself
!
It's
an
insight
into
the
character
and
the
personality
of
our
God
who
sent
his
son
into
the
world
to be
our
saviour
this
is
why
he
is
doing
everything
because
his
people
are
his
dear
children
because
his
people
are
his
darling
children
those
in whom
he
delights
those
who
are
precious
to
him
those
whom
he
loves
and
even
though
he
speaks
against
him
I
do
remember
him
still
and
the
speaking
against
is
what
brings
the
pain
to
Ephraim
the
speaking
against
it
is
what
left
Ephraim
crying
and
grieving
the
speaking
against
is
what
left
Ephraim
broken
hearted
the
speaking
against
is
what
left
Ephraim
desiring
God
but
all of
that
is
because
God
was
remembering
him
and
God's
remembering
is
a
remembering
that's
completely
in
his
covenant
relationship
with his
people
it's
God's
remembering
his
promise
and
when
God
remembers
it's
not
a
remembering
that
finishes
with
reflection
which
you
remembering
our
minds
so often
is
it's
a
remembering
that
brings
action
the
action
through
which
he
will
fulfill
his
promises
and
the
action
through
which
in
remembering
his
covenant
he
remembers
all
those
who are
his
people
who are
scattered
across
our
communities
and
who still
do not
know
the
Lord
Jesus
he
remembers
those
who are
his
chosen
people
who sit
and hear
the gospel
and still
are not
saved
he remembers
and even
when you
and I
forget him
as we
do in
our
disobedience
and in
our
turning away
from him
he remembers
his heart
is moved
and in
accordance
with his
purposes
and his
plans
and his
timetable
there is
a date
of birth
and that
date of
birth is
when you
and I
are born
into the
kingdom
of God
and God's
remembering
of his
promise
to save
his covenant
people
is realized
in that
moment
when you
and I
are born
into the
family of
God
become his
children
because
this father
never forgets
what he
said
and this
father never
fails to
do what
he has
promised he
would do
and today
we are here
as the
children of
God
because
of what
God has
done
the
endearment
behind
everything
is the
everlasting
love of
God
that we
read of
at the
beginning
of this
chapter
and that
should
speak
encouragement
and assurance
into the
hearts and
lives of
the community
to which
Jeremiah was
writing and
speaking
and that
speaks
encouragement
and assurance
to ourselves
today
let's not
give up on
our praying
let's be
thankful that
God engages
with those
who are
disengaged
and let's
be thankful
that God's
love never
fails
and that
he will
bring all
of his
people
home
may God
bless his
word
let us
pray
most
gracious
God
we do
rejoice
in you
as the
God
who never
forgets
as a
God
who never
stops
loving
as a
God
who never
stops
giving
and we
pray that
you will
bless us
in our
hearts
here today
that we
may all
love you
individually
and personally
and love
you together
as a
great God
and saviour
that you
are
and that
we may
all have
in our
hearts
that desire
for you
that desire
for the
Lord Jesus
as our
saviour
and that
desire
to live
our lives
for you
as your
children
here in
this world
in preparation
for at
last
that great
home calling
and home
coming
when you
will gather
your people
into the
everlasting
home you
have prepared
for them
so hear our
prayer
accept your
thanks we
ask for
Jesus sake
Amen
the closing
psalm is
psalm number
28
in the
Scottish
Psalter
it's on
page
238
psalm
28
and we're
singing
at verse
number
6
forever
blessed
be the
Lord
for
graciously
he heard
the voice
of my
petitions
and prayers
did
regard
we will
be further
encouraged
as we
sing
from
verse 6
to the
end of
the
psalm
to God's
praise
forever
blessed
be
the
Lord
for
graciously
he
heard
the
voice
of
my
petitions
!
the
my
strength
and
shield
my
heart
upon
him
did
rely
!
and
!
I
am
!
help
hence
my
heart
to
joy
exceedingly
!
and
with
my
song
I
will
!
to
their
and
!
He
also
is
the
saving
strength
of
this
anointed
one!
O
thy
own
people
do
!
thou
save
!
grace of the lord jesus christ the love of god the father and the fellowship of the holy spirit
be with you all now and forevermore amen
you