Baruch 4:27-37: a reflection

27Take courage, my children, and cry to God; for you will be remembered by him who has brought this upon you. 28For as it was your decision to go astray from God, return and seek him ten times more. 29For he who brought these calamities upon you will bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation. 30Take courage, O Jerusalem, for he who called you by name will comfort you. 31Miserable are those who afflicted you and rejoiced at your fall. 32Miserable are the cities which your children served. Miserable is she who received your sons. 33For as she rejoiced at your fall and was glad of your ruin, so she will be grieved at her own desolation. 34And I will take away her pride in her great multitude and her boasting will be turned into mourning. 35For fire will come upon her from the Everlasting for many days; and she will be inhabited by demons for a long time. 36O Jerusalem, look around you toward the east, and behold the joy that comes to you from God. 37Behold, your sons come, whom you sent away. They come gathered together from the east to the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.

To a people in affliction, Baruch speaks words of comfort and hope. Take courage, my children, and cry to God; for you will be remembered by him who brought this upon you. He does not deny the affliction, or that it came under God's hand; but he holds out hope: the God who allowed the affliction will bring joy again. Take courage, O Jerusalem, for he who called you by name will comfort you. And he pictures the exiles returning, gathered home, rejoicing in the glory of God.

Notice the ground of the comfort Baruch offers: the God who brought the affliction is the same God who will bring the joy. He does not pretend the affliction did not come from God's hand; but he holds out the hope that the same God who allowed it will not leave his people in it, but will remember them, comfort them, and bring them joy again. The God who called them by name has not forgotten them; he will comfort them, and restore their joy. The affliction is not his last word.

That comfort is one to hold in our own afflictions. When we are afflicted, and know that the affliction has come, in some way, under God's hand, we can feel that God is against us, that he has abandoned us to the hardship. But Baruch's word holds out hope: the God who allowed the affliction is the same God who will bring joy again; he who called you by name will comfort you. When you are afflicted, do not think God has abandoned you to the hardship; the God who allowed it will not leave you in it, but will remember you, comfort you, and bring joy again. Take courage, and cry to God, as Baruch urges; the God who called you by name has not forgotten you, and will comfort you, bringing joy again after the affliction. The affliction is not his last word; hold the hope that he who allowed it will bring joy again, and cry to him, who will comfort you.

Lord, to a people in affliction, Baruch spoke comfort: take courage, my children, and cry to God, for you will be remembered by him who brought this upon you; the God who allowed the affliction will bring joy again; he who called you by name will comfort you. Show me the ground of that comfort: that the God who brought the affliction is the same God who will bring the joy. You do not pretend the affliction did not come, in some way, under your hand; but you hold out the hope that you will not leave your people in it, but will remember them, comfort them, and bring them joy again. Hold that comfort before me in my own afflictions. When I am afflicted, and know it has come, in some way, under your hand, I can feel that you are against me, that you have abandoned me to the hardship. But Baruch's word holds out hope: you who allowed the affliction will bring joy again; you who called me by name will comfort me. When I am afflicted, keep me from thinking you have abandoned me to the hardship; you who allowed it will not leave me in it, but will remember me, comfort me, and bring joy again. Help me take courage, and cry to you, as Baruch urges; you who called me by name have not forgotten me, and will comfort me, Lord, bringing joy again after the affliction. Comfort me, and bring joy again.