There was a man referred to as the “brother of Jared” who lived at the time of the tower of Babel. He was very concerned about God confounding the language of his people so he began crying unto the Lord about the matter…
And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared. Therefore, he did not confound the language of Jared, and Jared and his brother were not confounded. Then Jared said unto his brother, Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.
Eth. 1:3
Crying Unto the Lord
When reading this passage, ask yourself why is the word “crying” used instead of praying. What is the difference between “crying unto the Lord” and praying to the Lord? Let’s explore further with this question in mind.
After inquiring where his people should go, the Lord instructs the brother of Jared as follows:
Go at the head of them down into the valley which is northward, and there will I meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the land of the earth. And there will I bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me — of thy seed, and the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee — a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed upon all the face of the earth. And this I will do unto thee because this long time which ye have cried unto me.
Eth. 1:4
Notice he was granted the blessing of leaving the area of the tower of Babel so his people’s language would not be confounded because he cried out for a long time.
Building barges to cross the sea
The Lord tells the brother of Jared to go to work to build barges to cross the sea to a new land. Jared obeys and builds eight barges. He then again cries to the Lord to tell him about another problem he needed help to solve.
And he cried again unto the Lord, saying, behold, there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?
Eth. 1:10
Molten stones
The Lord asked the brother of Jared what he wanted him to do so that his people could have light as they crossed the sea. So the brother of Jared prepared 16 stones molten out of rock, and then he cried again to the Lord presenting the 16 stones to ask the Lord about his idea for the rocks to provide light to the barges.
And cried again unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee…O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness, but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock. And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man. Therefore, touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness, and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
Eth. 1:11
The brother of Jared humbly cries to the Lord not be angry because of his weakness. I believe he is also praying with energy and determination when crying to the Lord. And he prays without pride for his people so they don’t have to cross the sea in darkness while fully desiring to do the Lord’s will.
When the brother of Jared cried these words, he received much more than he had asked for…
The Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood.
Eth. 1:12
And then he received even more knowledge because of his great faith…
Because of thy faith, thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood. And none of those now living have come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast, for were it not so, ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this? And he answered, Nay, Lord. Shew thyself unto me. And the Lord said unto him, Believest thou the words which I shall speak? And he answered, Yea, Lord. I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth and canst not lie.
And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord shewed himself unto him and said, Because thou knowest these things, ye are redeemed from the Fall. Therefore, ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I shew myself unto you.
Eth. 1: 12-13
Conclusion – Crying unto the Lord
After studying and pondering these passages, I concluded
“crying unto the Lord” is all of the following…
- Praying with humility
- Praying with faith
- Praying with energy
- Praying with the intention to obey God
- Praying with the intention to help others
- Praying without pride
- And if needed, praying persistently
In return, the Lord blessed the brother of Jared by not only helping his people but also blessed him by giving him priceless knowledge about the nature of the Lord’s divine being.
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There’s an age-old question that has always been debated by people around the world: “What is the difference between crying and praying?” This article is going to break down the different uses of crying and praying in order to give you a better understanding of what it means in relation to Christianity.
The Different Meaning of Crying
Crying has a lot of different meanings, depending on the person and situation. In some cases, people may cry out in pain or anguish. Other times, they may cry because they’re happy or sad. Still others might cry as a way of communicating their feelings.
The Bible speaks about crying in a number of different ways. For example, Psalm 116:3 says, “When I cry out to you for help, you answer me and make me feel safe.” Crying can be seen as a way of expressing trust in God. It can also be seen as a way of asking for His help and protection.
Different cultures have their own customs and ways of crying. In some cultures, people might cry openly or discreetly. Some might use tears or other gestures to communicate their feelings.
Ultimately, crying is an important part of our emotional life. It can help us express our emotions, connect with others, and receive comfort from God.
