This Day in History: 0000-12-11

December 11 – Jeremiah 31:15

This is what the Lord says: “A cry is heard in Ramah – deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachael weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted – for her children are gone.”

PROPHESY

There would be an event that would cause the women of Israel to mourn with deep anguish and bitter weeping. This event would claim the lives of her children.

FULFILLMENT

Matthew 2:16-18 – Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A cry was heard in Ramah – weeping and great mourning. Rachael weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”

I love it when the text leaves no room for guessing! Matthew tells us plainly that this event was the fulfillment of the prophesy in Jeremiah. When the wise men told Herod that they had seen the star signaling the coming of the promised Messiah, Herod felt threatened. The people believed the Messiah would come as a conquering hero and take over the government to establish His Kingdom. Herod didn’t want to lose his power, so he attempted to outwit God.

Of course, we know it’s impossible to outwit God. So, of course, Herod’s plan didn’t work. But we’ll talk more about that tomorrow. For now, we just need to understand that this event was very real, and it was completely devastating to a whole host of women! Every male child under the age of 2 was brutally murdered by Herod and his thugs.

I believe this fulfilled prophecy serves as a sobering reminder that often the plans of God include events that bring great pain to seemingly innocent by-standers. These women did nothing to deserve losing their sons. God didn’t kill their sons, Herod did. But God allowed it, and it WAS part of His plan from long before Herod was even conceived.

Friends, may we allow this truth to remind us that often times our pain is part of a bigger story, a bigger plan. While God doesn’t cause the sin that so often wounds us so deeply, He does allow it, and it is part of His sovereign plan. His good plan. The pain of those women was part of a plan that brought about the Messiah, the Savior of our souls! In the same way, our pain, in one way or another, often plays a part in a grander redemption story. So, let’s trust the One who writes the story, for He can see the ending. Let’s accept our position as His dearly loved daughters and chose to believe that everything He does will work out for our good in the end!