“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.’” (Jeremiah 31:15 ESV).
Jeremiah’s words paint a scene of deep national sorrow. Ramah, a town north of Jerusalem, was the place where captives of Judah were gathered for deportation to Babylon (Jer. 40:1). The prophet personifies Israel as Rachel, the beloved matriarch of the nation, weeping for her lost children as they are carried away. Her cries echo the grief of a people suffering the consequences of their sin—families torn apart, children lost, and a future seemingly cut off. Yet Matthew, guided by the Spirit, later applies this verse to another tragedy: King Herod’s slaughter of the innocent baby boys in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 2:16–18). Just as Rachel wept for the exiles of old, so the mothers of Bethlehem wept for their murdered sons. Both events remind us that sin—whether personal, political, or societal—always brings death and sorrow.
The weeping of Rachel still echoes today. Who will weep for the 63 million unborn children whose lives have been ended through abortion in the US since 1973—an amount equal to nearly one fifth of our current population? Each of those precious lives was known by God before birth (Ps. 139:13–16). Like Israel, our nation has sinned grievously, and the blood of the innocent cries out for justice. Yet even in judgment, Jeremiah’s prophecy holds a whisper of hope. Just a few verses later, God promises a new covenant and restoration (Jer. 31:31–34). Through Christ—the very Child spared from Herod’s sword—God offers forgiveness and life to all who repent and believe. Let us grieve with Rachel, but not without hope. Let us pray for revival, for repentance, and for a renewed reverence for life.
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us as a nation for shedding innocent blood. Heal our land from its sin and awaken Your people to weep and intercede. Thank You for Jesus, who came to bring life where death reigned. Help us to speak for the voiceless and to walk humbly in Your mercy and truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.