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CCORDING to Ecclesiastes 3:4, there are certain times when
it simply is appropriate and proper to weep and to mourn. The Jews who were taken captive out of
Jerusalem during the days of Daniel were instructed by their captors to sing
one of their sacred songs concerning Jerusalem.
Of course, there was nothing to sing about. Jerusalem had been
razed. There were no smiles on the faces
of these prisoners of war. They had no
energy to expend in playing their beautiful instruments. It was absolutely ludicrous for the
Babylonians to demand from them that they sing a happy tune. Their souls were consumed with bitterness. It was a dark day in their history. They were justly miserable. The only thing that felt right was sadness.
Sometimes we try to cheer people up and to make them smile
when they are down in the dumps... and of course, that angle can be good and
noble in many circumstances. But let's
remember that sometimes people are sad for a good reason and what they really
need us to do is for us to just weep with them (Romans 12:15). The exiled Jews were bitter in their souls
because of the hard judgment that they were enduring. There was plenty of cause for worry and for
fear. They had powerful and violent
enemies and they had neighbors and acquaintances who were egging their
opponents on. They had angered God and
their punishment was irrevocable. The
Jews had witnessed some horrific and inhumane things done against their own
friends and family members in recent days.
It was time to cry. It was time
to weep and to mourn (James 4:8-10). In
fact, frankly, anything short of such a response would have been
inappropriate. When we are guilty. When
God takes us to the woodshed for a good thrashing, it's time to weep. Good,
deep, hard sobbing; sincere cries of sadness, this will do us good and will
please God too (Luke 6:25 & Ecc. 7:2-4).
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