After seeing all the
devastation and destruction which the people of Jerusalem and Judah
endured, we might understand how it was overwhelming for Jeremiah.
The people were made like refuse, and they were greatly afraid
because of their defeat. In chapter three and verse forty-eight we
see Jeremiah's emotional reaction to all he has seen where we read:
Mine eye runs down with
rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
The
verse begins, “Mine eye runs down with rivers of water...”
Jeremiah's sadness overtook him, and he likens his tears to
“rivers of water”. The channels of liquid flowing from his
eyes as he wept over the people's condition exemplified one of the
reasons Jeremiah is called “The Weeping Prophet”.
The
verse continues, “...for the destruction of the daughter
of my people.” When someone
cries or sobs convulsively such as Jeremiah, there is usually a
devastating reason. Jeremiah's cause was “the
destruction” or “breaking,
fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, and shattering” of “the
daughter”, which denotes the closeness he felt to them, “of
my people”. Jeremiah did not distance himself from his own
nation but claimed them as his own. He previously plead for them to
turn from and amend their ways, but they would not. Though he made
appeals to them, they would not heed his words, and now all he could
do is cry.
Have we ever experienced
devastation so horrific that we have tears like “rivers of
waters” flowing from our eyes? Can we relate to Jeremiah's
reaction as we have looked upon the “destruction” of
others who are close to us? Perhaps as we meditate upon the words of
Jeremiah it will help us to remember that “Jesus wept” at
Lazarus' grave and sadly overlooked Jerusalem another time and said:
O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone
them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her
wings, and you would not!
The
unwillingness of Jerusalem to change and amend their ways brought
tears to our Savior's eyes, and the destruction of Jerusalem made
Jeremiah's eyes like “rivers of water”. Perhaps these
examples will help us the next time we sob convulsively as we watch
devastating results occur in the lives of those we love. May God the
Father and the Lord Jesus help us to have the same compassion for
others as they do.
Next
time we see more coming from Jeremiah's eyes, so read ahead, and we
shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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