Day 7: Jeremiah 31:15
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.
This prophecy concerns the slaughter of boys in Bethlehem by King Herod which occurred shortly after Jesus’ birth there and is quoted in Matthew 2:18. Rachel was the second wife of Jacob (Israel) and was buried in Bethlehem. Ramah is a village north of Jerusalem, while Bethlehem is south. In the immediate time of Jeremiah’s prophecy, Ramah was a staging point for deportation and much weeping was heard there. The emphasis on Rachel points toward a future weeping, realized in Bethlehem shortly after the birth of Jesus.
Jesus was hated at birth, in ministry, and at his death. To this day 1 in 7 Christians worldwide are persecuted “as a result of one’s identification with Christ” according to Open Doors International. Yet, because of Christ, we endure persecution with joy and hope in a future, eternal home. The anticipation of a coming savior is now our anticipation of a coming king. We celebrate the birth of the savior at Christmas. We live and work in anticipation of a coming king, knowing “there is a reward for your work” (Jeremiah 31:16).