Read Joel 2: 18 - 27...todayintheword on LOCUSTS INVADE LIKE AN ARMY...The book of Joel is one of the twelve books called the Minor Prophets (“minor” due to their shorter length, not their importance). Though these prophets were called to speak to God’s people at different places and times, all of them have the background context of the covenant that God has made with His people. Israel violated the covenant, God responded with punishment and exile for Israel, and then God eventually restored His people back to the land and a rebuilt temple and community of worship....verses 25: The Lord says, I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. In this passage, God is moved to pity the plight of His people. Despite the fact the Israelites’ own sin brought their judgment, God remained invested in their wellbeing. Scripture describes Him as “jealous,” which in Hebrew connotes a sense of ownership. God can no longer stand to let outsiders oppress and encroach upon His “property,” and so He turns his anger on the usurpers (v. 20), driving them out of Israel. The passage goes on to describe the promised restoration with images of agricultural and ecological flourishing. God’s labor—not our own—is at this center of biblical visions of prosperity. Our work is a gift from God, providing opportunities to worship Him with our efforts. That is the true blessing of our work.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 11:00:28 +0000
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