Joel 1-2

Read Joel 1-2

Verses chosen for meditation: Joel 2: 23 - 27 ESV:

23 "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he

has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.

24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.

26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Reflect

How do you feel when the narrative changes suddenly one - third way through the chapter while you were reading? Why do you think it changed?

What do you make of the verses that are chosen for meditation? Which of the five verses strikes you the most?

Is there perhaps, a truth, lesson or application for you? And what would that be?

Relate

Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament. They are considered minor not because of their roles, but because of the volume of their books. 

Joel is thought to have come on the scene during the reign of king Joash who was too young to have his name recorded at the time. That has made it difficult for scholars since to pinpoint the exact biblical timeline he fits in. Judging also from the absence of references to either Assyria or Babylon in his writings, it has led scholars to believe that it was most probably during the pre - exilic period that he served as a prophet.

As regards the book, it was obviously written during a calamitous time in Judah. Locusts had attacked the land, leaving a devastating trail of destruction in their wake. Using the locust attack as a metaphor, he warned the people of an impending similar human attack and emphasised the urgent need for repentance. After which, the narrative suddenly switches from a warning to a promise of restoration and an outpouring of the Spirit.

The shift is, however, not as abrupt as one thinks. There is actually a bridge cushioning the transition from an otherwise harsh first part. The whole essence of the bridge is to highlight God's appeal to his people to return to him. There is even a palpable softening of tone. This is further accompanied by words of endearment. 

At this point, I would like to believe that there is some evidence of repentance from the people. It shows the ever readiness of God to forgive his people at the slightest thought of them coming back to him, to the extent that he would celebrate their return with generous promises.

If I were to choose a verse that strikes me most out of the lot, it would be v25, which reminds me that adversity comes in waves. Think of Job for instance: he first lost his property, then his children, and as though that was not enough, he even suffered physically.

We would all wish during any setback that the next time round would be better. That it will be a time to reclaim what's taken from us. Sadly, however, when the next round comes, it turns out to be another disappointment or setback that whacks us as cold as before, if not worse. And this could continue for yet another round. But before we get any misleading thought, this is not to say that the next time could not be a better time. To our utter relief and delight, it sometimes happens that way. 

But what if it does not, what would happen to our faith by that time? How do we move on from there? 

The Israelites did the right thing by deciding to turn back to God, especially for those who had turned away. As for those who had persevered, they held on to God even more. There is something about the grace of God that enables us to move on when we don't think we can anymore. With God indeed, everything is possible.

A lesson that I learned very recently is about knowing the difference between result and outcome. By all accounts, they mean the same thing or are considered synonymous for that matter. But they are not the same. Result is everything about the immediate outcome whereas outcome takes into account the final result. 

In this case, 'I will restore you the years that the swarming locusts have eaten' refers to the outcome. Whatever 'the swarming locusts have eaten' refers to the result. There's a need then to learn to look beyond result to outcome. This lesson finds its greatest application in trials where the results are usually disappointing or even depressing, but the outcomes need not be.

God often uses apparently bad result to achieve the best desired outcome. However, 3 preconditions are required: teachability, tenacity and trust.

For that reason, we need to learn to humble ourselves in order to learn from life's lessons (teachability). We need to learn to wait and not be discouraged in the course of waiting (tenacity). We need to learn to commit to the Lord and hold fast to the Word (trust).

Even then, still the most important outcome is to know that he is God and there is no other (verse 27).

Rest

Lord, your promises often speak of outcomes, but we've taken them to mean results most of the time. Even then, may it be known to us that the most important outcome is to know you as Lord and God. Still, if we may ask of you to restore to us the years that the 'locusts' have taken away.

Naville Chia