Rachel Dey Cry

For one hilltop for di north of Jerusalem, one sound dey travel with di wind. No be singing. No be laughter. Na woman wey dey cry, di deep crying of mother wey no gree make anybody comfort her.

Di prophet Jeremiah live through di worst days for di history of Judah, about six hundred years before Jesus. For forty years e warn say Babylon go come, and dem come. Dem surround Jerusalem and burn am. Dem destroy di temple. Dem march thousands of people go exile, hundreds of miles go Babylon. Families scatter. For di middle of all dis sorrow, God give Jeremiah one group of chapters wey full of hope, wey some people dey call di Book of Consolation. And for chapter thirty-one, God talk about one mother wey dey cry for her children.

Na so di Lord talk: Dem hear one voice for Ramah, mourning, and bitter crying. Rachel dey cry for her children, she refuse make dem comfort her for her children, because dem no dey again. Rachel na one of di great mothers of Israel, di wife of Jacob, di mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She don die long time before, as she dey born Benjamin for di road near Bethlehem. Now Jeremiah picture her, like grandmother of di whole nation, wey dey cry as dem dey carry her children go. Ramah na town for di land of Benjamin. Her sorrow too deep for words. She refuse comfort, because her children don go.

But God no leave her dey cry. E talk to her direct. Na so di Lord talk: Stop your voice from crying, and your eyes from tears. Because dem go reward your work, na so di Lord talk, and dem go come back from di land of di enemy. Stop to cry, Rachel. Your love and your labour as mother no waste. Your children go come back. And then di words wey be di heart of di chapter. Hope dey for your end, na so di Lord talk, say your children go come back to dia own land. Hope dey for your future. God no tell Rachel say her tears na foolishness, or say nothing bad happen. E tell her say sorrow no go get di last word.

Di verses wey dey around dis promise full of homecoming. God talk say e go turn dia mourning to joy. Young women go dance, young men and old men together. Watchmen go shout for di hills of Ephraim, make we go up to Zion, to di Lord our God. God talk, I don love you with love wey no get end. And small after for di same chapter, God promise one new covenant, when e go write im law for di heart of im people and forgive dia sin. Di tears of Rachel na real. But dem no be di end of di story.

Dem no just pick Ramah anyhow. Later for im book, Jeremiah tell us say after Jerusalem fall, di Babylonians gather di captives for Ramah, before dem march dem go exile. Jeremiah imself dey there with chain for im body, and di Babylonian captain of di guard set am free. Ramah na di place of goodbye. And di Bible remember say di tomb of Rachel dey dat same area, for di way wey go Bethlehem.

Rachel Dey Cry. You go find am for Jeremiah chapter thirty-one, verse fifteen to seventeen. Matthew remember dis words when e tell how di soldiers of King Herod come Bethlehem dey look for di child Jesus, and mothers cry. Di Christmas story get real sorrow inside. But di God wey answer Rachel with hope send di child wey escape dat night, wey one day go clean every tear. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. God tell Rachel say hope dey for her future. Who you know wey dey sad dis Christmas, and how you fit bring dem hope?