What is the meaning of Jeremiah 31:16? This is what the LORD says: • Every word that follows carries the absolute authority and faithfulness of God Himself (Isaiah 55:11; Psalm 33:4). • Jeremiah is not offering human optimism; he is relaying the covenant-keeping Lord’s sure promise (Numbers 23:19). • Because “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), the comfort in this verse is as trustworthy for us today as it was for Israel then. Keep your voice from weeping • The Lord lovingly commands His people to stop crying because their sorrow is about to be reversed (Psalm 30:5; Isaiah 35:10). • This echoes the picture of Rachel weeping in the previous verse, showing God has heard every lament and is now answering (Jeremiah 31:15–17). • Revelation 21:4 previews the ultimate fulfillment when God wipes away every tear forever. and your eyes from tears • God notices not only the sound of weeping but the silent tears that fall (Psalm 56:8). • He responds personally—“I have heard your prayer and seen your tears” (2 Kings 20:5)—reminding us that no grief is hidden from Him. • The double command (voice and eyes) highlights complete comfort: emotional, spiritual, and physical. for the reward for your work will come, declares the LORD. • “Your work” points to the faithful endurance, prayers, and repentance of the exiles (Jeremiah 29:5–7). God never overlooks the labor of His people (Hebrews 6:10). • Harvest imagery runs through Scripture: “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy” (Psalm 126:5; Galatians 6:9). • God’s promise here foreshadows the gospel truth that steadfast labor “in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Then your children will return from the land of the enemy. • The immediate fulfillment came when the Babylonian captives were released and brought home (Ezra 1:1–4). • The larger promise looks to the continued regathering of Israel (Jeremiah 24:6–7; Ezekiel 37:21–23) and ultimately to Christ’s kingdom where all God’s children are delivered from the enemy’s realm (Colossians 1:13). • What began as a word to grieving parents becomes a reassurance for every believer: God brings back what was lost and restores family lines (Amos 9:14–15; Zechariah 8:7–8). summary The Lord takes the initiative, tells His people to stop grieving, assures them their faithful endurance will be rewarded, and promises the safe return of their children from hostile territory. Jeremiah 31:16 therefore stands as a timeless declaration of God’s compassionate oversight, His remembrance of every tear, and His unfailing commitment to restore what sin and exile have stolen. |
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