The Weeping Prophet

I am coming off of a true spiritual high from Isaiah and how Jesus is our Prince of
Peace (every time I say, see or hear it, I smile from ear to ear), to an understanding of
spiritual broken-heartedness with the book of Jeremiah. We know he is known as the
weeping prophet, but do we really understand why? As I was reading the book, I
began to see God’s broken heart over His people reflected in His prophet. Imagine,
being called by God to deliver His Word to the nation, and then realize you are the
bearer of the word of Judgement. You are shown firsthand by God the depths of the
sins of your people. How could that not break your heart? How could you not cry out
and pray for repentance for your nation, and how could your heart not break further
when God tells you not once, but three different times to not cry or pray for them,
because nothing short of 100% repentance and return to God was going to stop the
judgment coming their way. Despite the situation however, God was faithful and also
gave a message of hope.

In the Complete Jewish Study Bible, before each chapter, there is an introduction,
along with an outline for that chapter. Jeremiah is outlined as such:

II. Judgement Predicted

A. Yirmeyahu's (Jeremiah's) call ...................................................1:1 - 19
B. The nation's apostasy ................................................................2:1 - 23:40
C. Judgement is coming .................................................................24:1 - 29:32
D. Promised restoration ................................................................30:1 -33:26
II. Judgement Falls
A. Why judgment comes ................................................................34:1 - 35:19
B. Yirmeyahu persecuted and imprisoned ................................36:1 - 38:28
C. Destruction of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) .............................39:1-18
D. The Remnant .............................................................................40:1 - 51:64
III. Prophecies against Nations ...........................................................46:1- 51:64
IV. Details about Yerushalayim's Fall ................................................52:1-34

It is important to keep in mind, that the events laid out in the book of Jeremiah are not
in chronological order, however God is consistent in his message throughout the book.
He sends Jeremiah to the people with fierce warnings concerning their backsliding,
their rebellion and their apostasy against Him, and then offers a message of hope and
restoration.
While I was reading there were a few verses that jumped out at me. In chapter 8
verses 18-19 read: 18 My grief has no cure, I am sick at heart. 19 Listen to my
people's cry of distress out of a distant land: "Is Adonai no longer in Tziyon (Zion)? Is
her king no longer there?" Chapter 9:9(10)
says: I weep and wail for the mountains and lament over the desert pastures, because
they have been burned up; no one passes through; they no longer hear the sound of
cattle; the birds and wild animals have fled, are gone. God was grief stricken, broken
hearted and wept over His chosen people for turning away from Him and chasing after
other gods. He chose them to be set apart unto Him, and He wasn't enough for them.

If you are a parent, and have ever struggled with one of your children being in
rebellion, on a road they shouldn't be, or caught up in a life that you know isn't right
for them and have felt brokenhearted over them, imagine how God must feel over
each of His children that are lost in a life of sin. Think about your heartbreak and pain
over your child and then think, how much greater is His heartbreak? He loves every
individual person on this planet. It is His desire for each and every one of us to have a
relationship with Him and them to have the gift of salvation through Jesus. He gave
up His most precious treasure, His only Son to die for all of mankind, not just the
ones we like. If we are angered when our children do wrong, why do we think that He
will not be angered when we are living sinfully?

While thinking on all of this my own heart has broken and shattered at the thought
that I brought Him heartache. I brought Him anger and grief. My sin, that I chose over
Him, and declared that He wasn't enough for me hurt my creator, my savior, and my
comforter. These thoughts expanded to our nation, and how we as a whole have
turned from Him. From the halls of congress, it was just declared that God has no
place there. He isn't enough. Do we really think that He will not bring judgement? Do
we really think that as a nation we can shake our fist in His face and that He will not
answer? Where is the outcry of the church, His remnant, His people? Do we really
think that just going to church is enough? Why are we not on our faces before Him as
Jeremiah was for Israel, crying out for His mercy and grace, for repentance and
revival? Three times, Jeremiah was told not to weep or pray for Israel, but we serve a
risen God who has paid the price of redemption, so we must pray for Him to come
back to our land. The redeemed must rise, the redeemed must stand in the gap, the
redeemed must be more. We have to be more, because God is weeping over us and
yet, our nation continues in its apostasy. We must draw closer to Him.

One of the things we need to realize, is that God has called each of us. He had a plan
for us long before we were ever born. Jeremiah 1:5 says Before I formed you in the
womb, I knew you; before you were born, I separated you for myself. I have appointed
you to be a prophet to the nations. While this is a specific statement made to Jeremiah
about his calling, the first part of that verse is just as applicable to us as it was to him.
God Himself, knew us before He formed us in the womb, and He separated us unto
Himself. I know, that I know, that I know this to be truth. My youngest son is named
Jeremiah because of this verse. A woman that was a part of Women Untied in
Ministry, named Vera Ballinger, came to our church. She called me from the platform
to pray over me, and prophesied that I was going to have another son. As the mother
of 3 small boys, my response was, "I don't think so!" God said, "You wanna bet?" It
wasn't too much longer, that I discovered that I was pregnant. My response, "Well,
this time it's going to be a girl." God said, "You wanna bet?" In December of 1999, I
gave birth to my 4th son, Jeremiah, but before he was born, this scripture was prayed
over him. He is separated unto God, and when the timing is right, I have no doubt that
God is going to use him mightily for His kingdom. 22 years later, I look back on that
and think, who am I to challenge God and say, "I don't think so!" Thank God for His
mercy and grace! You are called. You were known from the beginning of time by
Him. He knows the number of hairs on your head, He knows our thoughts, our
desires, our fears, our shortcomings, our sin, and yet, He called us and separated us
unto Him. He weeps over us, He weeps over the lost and the hurting and longs for
them to come home. How can we not stand in the gap and pray for His lost sheep?
How can we not be in agreement with Him for every soul to be saved? He is longing
for it to be so, otherwise, why would He have sent Jesus. Let us be like Jeremiah,
broken hearted for God's people. 17 (15) Adonai, open my lips; then my mouth will
praise you. 18 (16) For you don't want sacrifices, or I would give them; you don't take
pleasure in burnt offerings. 19 (17) My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God you
won't spurn a broken, chastened heart. Psalm 51:17-19 (Complete Jewish Study
Bible)

* scripture references with 2 numbers such as Psalm 51: 17(15) means that what
some Hebrew Bibles call verse 17 of Psalm 51 is called verse 15 in at least some
other Bibles, such as the KJV.