Many know firsthand the pain and heartache of having a child who—despite the strong, spiritual home they were raised in—has chosen to walk away from a relationship with the Lord.
Ephraim, as part of God’s chosen nation, strayed from the Lord. What do Hosea 4:17 and Hosea 7 tell us about the sins of Ephraim?
Furthermore, we read that Rachel, the grandmother of Ephraim, metaphorically weeps because Ephraim has walked away from a relationship with the Lord (Jer. 31:15). The Lord responds to her great sadness with these words in Jeremiah 31:16, 17: “ ‘Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border’ ” (NKJV).
Instead of weeping over her wayward child, Rachel is told to have hope. What else does Jeremiah tell us? Read Jeremiah 31:18, 19.
Through Ephraim's story, we learn that there is always hope, because God doesn’t give up. Although He rebukes His wayward people time and time again, God’s compassion never fails, and His message in this chapter continues (see Jer. 31:20).
We might feel great pain, frustration, and discouragement, or even speak negatively of those who are close to us who have walked away from a relationship with God. Yet, God reminds us that He has not forgotten the wayward child—not at all! God’s thoughts for such a person are not fleeting but instead are heartfelt and sincere. In fact, God says that His heart yearns for such individuals. He longs for them to return to Him, and His mercy is great.
How does knowing that this is God’s response to Rachel’s pain over Ephraim’s waywardness make you feel about those you know who have walked away from a relationship with the Lord? How does this challenge or encourage you?
Supplemental EGW Notes
What think ye of Christ?” What is He to you personally? Is your faith centered in Him as your Redeemer? Do you believe that He saves you from sin, that He imputes to you His righteousness?
“This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and [men and women] loved darkness rather than light.” They will not come to the light for fear that their deeds will be reproved. This is the position taken by many. Their names are in the church books. They observe a round of ceremonies, but they do not love the truth. They have been satisfied to stand at the door. They do not press their way into Christ’s presence, to share with Him the glory of His royal life. Their characters are not brought into harmony with the truth. They have not the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Evil-speaking, evil-surmising, dishonest actions, cast a dark shadow athwart their pathway. Their faith sinks into this shadow of shame, and they feel that they are separated from Christ. There is a sting in the conscience, a condemnation in the life. They feel a desire to hide away from God. Light has come into the world, but they love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. . . .
The time has come when it is for our eternal interest to believe in Christ. . . . He is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. He says, “I will . . . write [My law] in their hearts.” He will create in those who come to Him in faith a divine principle of holiness, which shall rule in the soul, enlightening the understanding and captivating the affections. . . .
[Matthew 11:28–30 quoted.] What an invitation! It was this invitation that He gave to Enoch before the world was destroyed by the Flood. . . . Christ was as verily Enoch’s Saviour as He is our Saviour, and in His power, notwithstanding the corruption of that degenerate age, Enoch perfected a Christian character.
The voice saying to us, “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,” said the same words to Enoch, assuring him that if he followed the Saviour, he would not walk in the darkness of ignorance.
The Lord instructed Enoch and made him His watchman. He was a faithful witness for God. He warned the inhabitants of the old world not to follow the example of the Cain-worshipers, but to serve the living God.—Christ Triumphant, p. 52.
The above quotations are taken from Ellen G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association. Used by permission.