Jeremiah 31:15-26.  We have been looking at a section of Jeremiah where the author seems to be trying to give hope to the people in Jerusalem and the exiles in Babylon.  In yesterday’s reading we saw that a lot of the hope had to do with the faithfulness of God and a promised future restoration of Israel (all the tribes to their land).  In previous reading we also saw a part of the hope involved a future king from the family of David.  That particular hope seemed to be very far in the future (even beyond the 70 years Jeremiah had been telling them the captivity in Babylon would last).   Today’s reading doesn’t start out very hopeful, and it does contain some stuff that shows that the people were depressed about their situation but it end on a good note.

In verse 15 we hear (or rather God, Yahweh, hears) crying in Ramah.  It is sad crying, very sad.  My translation says there was “lamentation and bitter weeping”.  That word “lamentation” means, “wailing”.  That is very desperate crying.   We are told that Rachel is crying for her children and she will not be comforted.  Jacob or Israel had two wives and two mistresses.  The twelve tribes of Israel were the twelve sons he had by these four women (God didn’t approve of these sorts of things, but if God only used perfect people none of us would have a shot)(see “The Twelve?”).  Rachel had two sons Joseph and Benjamin.  Joseph is identified later in the history of Israel through his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh.  The Southern Kingdom, Judah, was composed of two tribes; Judah and Benjamin.  Benjamin was a rather small tribe and was located in somewhat vulnerable location.  Benjamin bordered the Northern kingdom but was grudgingly aligned with Judah.  Ramah was a town in Benjamin’s territory and may be the place where Rachel was buried.  The people of Benjamin certainly would identify with Rachel.  Here the reference to Rachel is probably a reference to the Southern Kingdom, Judah, and the children refer to the people taken as captives to Babylon.  At least that is what the people of Jeremiah’s day would have seen in this message.

In verses 16-17 God assures them that the children will come home from the land of the enemy.  Many scholars believe that this prediction was fulfilled at the end of the 70 years of captivity when many of the exiles returned home.  That part of the story is told in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  I didn’t find any suggestion as to what “work” God is talking about in verse 16.

In verses 18-19 God is listening to Ephraim (Rachel’s grandson) and likes what he hears.  Ephraim seems to be very sorry for his rebellion against God.  Interestingly Ephraim was part of the Northern Kingdom (as was Manasseh).  Rachel forms sort of a bridge between these two kingdoms.  Judah always thought of themselves as the true kingdom, and in a certain sense they were.  But all the tribes were God’s people and that needs to be remembered.  By bringing a northern tribe into the message God is keeping the entire nation alive, at least prophetically.  Rachel might have been crying over exiled children from Benjamin, but there were also tears among her descendants in Ephraim; real God honoring tears.  It is interesting that 600 years later Jesus would have a discussion with a descendant of one of the ‘Northerners” left behind, the Samaritan woman.  That woman was still placing her hope in promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  She was looking for the Messiah, too.  Evidently she realized Jesus was that guy because in John 4:36 Jesus tells his followers that she is reaping rewards that include eternal life (see John 4:37-42).

So we see there is more to this section than just hope for the exiles in Babylon.  When the nation split in two the first king of the Northern tribes was a guy named, Jeroboam.  He was from the tribe of Ephraim.  In verse 20 we see God confirming that he has not abandon the Northern tribes represented by Ephraim. God still considers them his “children”.  Even though God has had to “deal” with their disobedience and disrespect he still loves them and wants a good relationship with them.  Because of that he will have mercy on them.

So these verses should give home to the exiles in Babylon, and to the scattered people of the Northern Kingdom, but wait there’s more.  Remember that Samaritan woman in John 4.  Samaritans were the descendants of Israelites left in the North but forced to marry outsiders.  The descendants of the people who eventually returned to the Southern Kingdom hated the Samaritans; they though of them as spiritual defectors and half-breeds; not 100% Israelite.  But that woman was still waiting for the chosen one (the Messiah or Christ).  God knew she was waiting and looking, maybe she was even grieving (like Ephraim in verse 18).  In verses 21-22 God tells the people of Israel to set up signs to direct themselves back to the land, and by extension back to him.  The LORD (Yahweh) then tells us something king of mysterious, a new thing in the earth; “a woman will surround a man”.  From the context the woman is probably a symbol for Israel.  The word surround an often mean protect.  The word for man is a word that contrasts the man from women or children, some believe the idea is strength or fighting ability.  Some experts think that the idea here is that Israel, who has been protected by various strong nations would become the protector and provider.  That idea is certainly true in that all the nations of the world will learn to honor the one true God and will honor him in Jerusalem.  But the real protection that Israel provides to the world is in Jesus.  In Revelation 12 we see a battle between a woman who is going to give birth and Satan.  The child who is born is clearly the messiah and the woman is Israel.  Further investigation will show us that Jesus is that child.  In his earthly life Jesus would have been protected and cared for within the Jewish nation.  In that way the woman is the protector of the child who would “rule the nations with a rod of iron”.  But, as the “mother”, of the messiah she would also be providing the one way all mankind could be protected from the wrath of God and find peace in eternity.

If we look back to verse 15 when Rachel cried for her children it is interesting that that verse was applied to the life of Jesus when Herod   had all the children in and around Bethlehem, 2 years and younger, in an attempt to execute Jesus (Matthew 2:18).  Ramah would have been in the area of Bethlehem and clearly Matthew though that Jeremiah 31:15 applied to the situation.  Here at the end of this section which seems to focus more on Ephraim than on the exiles God asks the “faithless daughter” how long she will wander around looking, check out the new thing, the strong man who is protected by the woman.  For the Samaritan woman at the well Jesus was that strong man, that savior of the world, and he is for us too.

Verses 23-25 could apply to the exiles as they return to Jerusalem from Babylon or they could apply to that time in the future when all Israel is restored to their land with their forever king.  I think it is one of those predictions that would find fulfillment more that once.  In any case the vision was a comfort to Jeremiah who seems to have been seeing it all in a dream.  He woke up very happy.

This stuff can be very involved but in the end the message is simple.  God cares, God loves, God has a way back to him.  Jesus is that way (John 14:6).  But he is a strong warrior who will take over the world too and vanquish all who oppose him.  He will protect us and provide for us forever.  In Romans 8:30 Paul tells us that those who God saw would turn to him he protected and provided for so that they could live for and honor him.  That is very cool, the creator of the universe caring for any who will trust him to.

God thank you for caring.  Thank you for caring even though we are wild and rebellious.  Thank you for “yearning” for me.  I am sorry for the times I offend you.  Help me do it less.  Thank you for protecting and providing for me.  Let me become a better and better child of your. Thank you for that eternal kingdom.  Let my life lead other to you.