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September 13th

The bible reading today is in the three chapters of the small book of Joel. Joel prophesied to Judah during the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah, 835BC, 200 years before the northern kingdom of Israel was defeated by Assyria and taken captive to Nineveh, and 300+ years before Judah was defeated and taken into captivity by the Babylonians.

“Awake, you drunkards, and weep, and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and beyond number; its teeth are lions’ teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white.”

‭‭Joel‬ ‭1:5-7‬ ‭

Who was that conquering horde? That victorious nation over Judah with devouring teeth of lions? Who was that army that would lay waste the countryside fields of wheat and barley as well as the rich sweet vines of the orchards in Judah?

It would be a “plague of locusts”.

“Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.”

‭‭Joel‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Harvest of the fields have perished. The vine has dried up. The palm, the apple, the pear, the orange, the fig...all the trees have dried up. The olive oil and the wine has all dried up. No present benefit for the weary vinedresser, no future gain in the market place. The total gladness of the children of men is gone. Sure, the children would be affected by the plague and the famine and the loss of employment

and the loss of income. The financial ruin would be devastating for years to come.

When Joel prophesied of this plague upon Judah, he didn't say that this “may be a bit uncomfortable” to you, he said, “this is going to hurt you and your families...a lot.”

“Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth. Joel said, “You “should be” wailing and broken like a wife who has just lost her husband in death. You should put on sackcloth and ashes in total lamentation at the door of the temple.

But not just because of your dire circumstances, but because of something much more serious.

“The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.”

‭‭Joel‬ ‭1:8-9‬ ‭ESV‬

The Temple sacrifices of grain went on during the plague until there was no more grain. The Temple sacrifices of new wine went on during the plague until there was no fruit of the vine left.

Note...The wicked Queen Attaliah, who had nothing to do with God, before, during, or after the plague, gave permission for the Temple ceremonies to continue until there was nothing left to give to God.

What a lesson there is to be learned here. “The enemy of God and His chosen ones is not out to eliminate true religion, just corrupt it. True worship is from a “heart” wholly devoted to God and His purposes, not from a ceremony, no matter how impressive.

So no wonder the prophet followed up the declaration of the coming devastation from the plague of locusts with Repent...Turn back to Me...anything less than finding your only hope in Me just won't do.

“Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”

‭‭Joel‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

He is the One you need...everyday!

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart...

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:12-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

And with Joel and Judah, we say...” unto you, Oh Lord Jesus, belong our hearts night and day...and we are excited how You will work in our own lives...come what may.

Have a great day.