They wept…

 They wept…

There are over 60 times that the scriptures record times that people wept…various reasons, various times…

There are some tender moments in the lives of some of the Biblical figures…

By count, Joseph of the Old Testament, wept a recorded amount of 9 times…he wept upon seeing his brothers, father at various occasions…but, that last time he wept was after his father had passed away, when his brothers confronted him with their lack of trust that he had forgiven them for their past behavior toward him…he had told them before that he had forgiven them, provided for them, accepted them, given them land…and yet their guilt still persisted…they hadn’t accepted their forgiveness from him…and he wept at their lack of trust of him….he must have thought, “ haven’t I shown you and told you that I have put the past behind me?, I love you”….and he weeps…

‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:17-21

Nehemiah wept for his homeland…upon hearing that the remnant of people were in poor straits and the wall of Jerusalem were torn down…God’s beloved city torn apart…

At Various times, I have seen pictures of God’s chosen return to Israel, weeping as they are coming back to their homeland….that is my picture of Nehemiah weighted down by the anguish of his homeland in shambles…convicted that he needs to go and help repair it…praying that he may a part of Jerusalem’s restoration…confessing the sins of the people…praying in adoration of God who keeps covenant and stead fast love….

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah 1:4-11

And most memorable is Jesus looking at Jerusalem again…weeping that they didn’t see the truth…the making of peace…the rejection of Him…the future fall of the favored city…

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Luke 19:41-44

What makes us weep?  The tender times, the sorrowful times, the downtrodden times, the mourning times, the pity-party times, the “why can’t you see it?” times, the joyful times, the “I’m sorry” times, the “I’ve had enough times, the “I can’t help it times”, the remorseful times, the “I can’t control it” times, the “ I can’t make it happen” times, the “seeing the consequences “ times, the disappointment times, the shameful times, etc. …

Whatever the weeping times are, Jesus is there with us…through the thick and thin, the good and the bad…

Thank YOU…