Part 7 - Sorrow in The Scriptures

Look at some of the experiences of the Bible. I Chronicles 4:9-10, “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” And God granted him that which he requested.

And just look at the sorrow and the fasting of Mordecai and Esther and the nation of the Jews and yet their sorrow was turned to joy. Walk with Brother and Mrs. Job away from the ten graves and start up toward the old homestead without the smile of one child left, and listen to Job as he raises his voice and sings, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord." Then the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends and gave him twice as much as he had before.

Sorrow does not take away, but adds to the Christian's joy. Look at Jephthah, the son of a harlot, who was kicked out because he had a bad name and yet see them as they call for him and he leads the nation to victory. Look at Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, and see what a permanent blessing he was in the writing of the book. And then you may visit Joel and Joseph and John and James, Joshua, Jacob.

But Isaiah brings us to the final answer when he said, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." And he saw Jesus as a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and he also saw Him as the One who bore our sorrows.

After four hundred years of grievous bondage, God looked with compassion upon the children of Israel and said to Moses, ". . . I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey . . .” Exodus 3:7-8. Thank God, He’s still able to see our affliction, to hear our cry, and He knows and cares.

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