How can we heed God's call to "consider and call for the mourning women"? \Seeing the Call in Context\ Jeremiah 9:17 declares, “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Consider and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come.’” • The command is literal: God directs Judah to invite professional lamenters because national sin has invited national judgment (Jeremiah 9:13–16). • Their wailing becomes a prophetic sign, awakening hearts that have grown numb to sin’s devastation (Jeremiah 9:18–19). • Other passages show God endorsing public lament when His people resist repentance (2 Chronicles 35:25; Amos 5:16; Lamentations 2:18). \Why God Values Holy Lament\ • Lament exposes sin’s ugliness and prevents casual indifference (James 4:9 – 10). • Godly sorrow produces genuine repentance leading to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). • Communal grief unites God’s people in humility and prepares hearts for His mercy (Joel 2:12–17). • Tears honor the holiness of God, acknowledging that His judgments are righteous and deserved (Psalm 119:120). \Calling for the Mourning Women Today\ 1. Acknowledge cultural coldness toward sin. 2. Invite voices that will grieve biblically—pastors, intercessors, artists, teachers—any who can “skillfully” express godly sorrow. 3. Give space in gatherings for Scripture-saturated lament songs, responsive readings, or silent confession (Romans 12:15; Colossians 3:16). 4. Teach every generation, as Jeremiah 9:20 urges: “Teach your daughters to wail, and one another to lament.” 5. Publicly sorrow over specific sins—personal, congregational, and national—naming them plainly (Isaiah 58:1). \Practical Steps for Individuals\ • Read passages of judgment aloud (Jeremiah 9; Amos 8; Revelation 18). • Fast from media that dulls sensitivity to sin. • Journal or sing Psalms of lament (Psalm 6; 38; 79). • Offer tangible comfort to the broken, embodying “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4). • Pair lament with active repentance—making restitution, reconciling relationships, pursuing holiness. \Practical Steps for Churches\ • Schedule periodic services focused solely on confession and lament. • Train worship teams to incorporate minor-key hymns and Scripture readings that express sorrow for sin. • Provide pastoral counseling to help believers process grief over personal or societal wrongdoing. • Engage in communal acts of mercy—feeding the hungry, caring for the oppressed—as visible fruits of repentance (Isaiah 58:6-7). \Promise Beyond the Tears\ • God never ends with mourning; He moves the repentant to restoration (Jeremiah 31:16–17). • Christ Himself wept over Jerusalem, then died and rose to offer ultimate comfort (Luke 19:41; Hebrews 4:15). • Every tear shed in godly sorrow anticipates the day He “will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4). • Until that day, faithful lament keeps hearts soft, eyes clear, and lives aligned with His holiness and hope. |
    |