theology-experience disconnect

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:25-27 (JDV)

Joel 2:25 I will repay you for the years that the winging stage locust ate, the crawling stage locust, the destroying locust, and the recently mature locust– my great army that I sent against you.

Joel 2:26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of Yahveh your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame.

Joel 2:27 You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am Yahveh your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.

theology-experience disconnect

The nation felt the shame of being victims of circumstances which were far beyond their control. They had been devastated, and felt it highly likely that they would be annihilated. But in the back of their minds they remembered the theology they had gleaned from their sacred scriptures. What they were experiencing felt disconnected from their theology of God. They were taught that God was sovereign over the affairs of humanity, and that he could prevent such tragedy.

The prophet came along to remind them that their theology was right. God is sovereign over all his creation. If they experienced tragedy, it was because God sent it. But his ultimate plan for them is not destruction, but revival and restitution. What he took away, he can restore.

Loving Father, we have felt your hand. We acknowledge your right to do what you have done, and our need for discipline. We confess our pride and selfishness. We plead for restoration.

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recovery is going to happen

Posted on August 17, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:21-24 (JDV)

Joel 2:21 Don’t fear, ground; shriek ecstatically and be glad, because Yahveh has done astonishing things.

Joel 2:22 Don’t fear, wild animals, because the open country pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine produce their riches.

Joel 2:23 Children of Zion, shriek ecstatically and be glad in Yahveh your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.

Joel 2:24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.

recovery is going to happen

The prophet wants to assure the nation that God has not totally abandoned them. After a disaster, we are all tempted to despair, and think that things can never be put back in order again. But God has designed his world to come back to life after the worst hits it. The rains will come, and the decimated crops will return.

The prophet instructs his people to put their faith in God, who has built recovery into the order of his creation. It is possible, because that is what our God does.

You there – are you thinking that your life has been reduced to its lowest common denominator? Are you tempted to give in to self-contempt and sadness? Don’t. The grass will turn green again. The trees will produce fruit again. You will be blessed and a blessing again. Just trust God until it starts to happen. And the occasional ecstatic shriek can be a signal of that trust.

Thank you Lord for the recovery that is going to happen!

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the fate of the invader

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:20 (JDV)

Joel 2:20 I will drive the northern invader far from you and banish him to a dry and open land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stink will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, because he has done “great” things.

the fate of the invader

Before the invaders come, our God has already promised to remove them. The prophet had the unwanted job of telling his nation that they would experience humiliating defeat at the hands of invaders who think they are doing great things. Joel explains that this horrible fate will come upon his people not because of the true greatness of their enemies, but because it is God’s plan. Once God is through with these Gentile invaders they will be forced out of the beautiful land. They will be driven to the dry and open land, and there they will rot, their stink rising to the sky.

If you are facing a tragedy in your life today, or a situation that humiliates you and makes you feel small in comparison to others, remember what the prophet promises here. What you are experiencing is somehow part of God’s plan, but he has not forgotten you. As soon as he is finished with this invading army, he knows how to dispose of them. He has no place in his eternity for them.

Lord, give us strong hearts to trust you as the invading armies circle – to know that our humiliation is not permanent.

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while we watch

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:18-19 (JDV)

Joel 2:18 Then Yahveh began to fight for1 his land and spared his people.

Joel 2:19 Yahveh answered his people: Watch,2 I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.

while we watch

Joel predicted a restoration for his nation from its physical plight due to the ravaging of the present locust invasions and the future invading armies. He challenges the nation to watch for this to happen. But first, the revival he called for must happen, and Joel actually explains the circumstances of that revival in 2:28-32. The spiritual revival with its accompanying miracles and empowerment of the nation will occur first. The “After this” of 2:28 actually means “after this point of time.” It signals the first prediction which will be fulfilled, not the second.

Our Lord is indeed fighting for his land, and he will give the nation independence from Gentile domination and restore their grain, new wine and fresh oil. But the escape goes deeper than that. Before the physical restoration there will be a spiritual revival taking place in Jerusalem itself.

God is fighting for us on several fronts. While we are watching for the LORD to improve our physical plight, we should not neglect seeking spiritual renewal.

1קָנָא

2הִנֵּה

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inclusion for a purpose

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:15-17 (JDV)

Joel 2:15 Blow a ram’s horn bugle in Zion! Commit to sacred fast; proclaim an assembly.

Joel 2:16 Gather the people; commit the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. The groom should leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.

Joel 2:17 The priests, Yahveh’s ministers, should weep between the porch and the altar. They should say: “Have compassion on your people, Yahveh, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God? ‘”

inclusion for a purpose

Inclusion is a big idea in the workforce today, and I agree with that principle. A diverse team can be a healthy and productive team. But when the prophet calls on his nation to include everyone in the assembly, it is for a specific purpose. The whole nation needs to come together and beg God to restore them, and to protect them from the coming invasions. But the purpose is deeper than that. The disasters coming upon the nation – in an honor/shame culture – reflect upon the existence and power of God. They make God appear weak, and helpless to protect his people. Since his reputation is at stake, God is seeking all his people to come together and change their destiny through concentrated combined prayer.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity we have to assemble in your name, and seek your rescue. Thank you for including everyone in that opportunity.

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the God who relents

Posted on August 13, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:12-14 (JDV)

Joel 2:12 Even now – this is Yahveh’s declaration – turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Joel 2:13 Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to Yahveh your God. You see, he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, substantial in covenant faithfulness, and he relents from sending disaster.

Joel 2:14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer grain and wine to Yahveh your God.

the God who relents

Joel had a hard message for his nation. He had the commission from God to tell them that a series of serious disasters were on their way. But he also served to plead in God’s name for repentance, and to reveal to the nation that their God is gracious and compassionate. He can relent even now.

Our world is not safe. We are often just one violation short of annihilation. But our God pleads with us, because he is always willing to turn back. He can hold back his judgment and bless us and our descendants as well.

Lord, thank you for your willingness to reserve judgment. Too often we ignore your calls for repentance. We confess our selfish resistance, and beg for your blessing.

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unwitting accomplices

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:10-11 (JDV)

Joel 2:10 The land quakes before them; the sky1 shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining.

Joel 2:11 Yahveh makes his voice heard in the presence of his army. His camp is very substantial; those who carry out his command are powerful. In fact, the day of Yahveh is terrible and dreadful – who can endure it?

unwitting accomplices

Whoa, what happened? Right in the middle of predicting a terrible invasion by an unstoppable army, the prophet seems to have changed topics. Is he now talking about the eschatological day of Yahveh – the day of rescue and judgment of the nations?

What Joel is saying is that in this coming invasion, these enemy troops are unwitting accomplices to God’s plan, and he himself is giving the command. They may think they are destroying God’s people, but they are really paving the way for the revival of God’s people. The flesh must be dead before a resurrection can happen. This part of the prophecy is setting the stage for the prediction of an outpouring of God’s Breath to animate the corpse of a destroyed people (2:28-32).

Lord, we are grateful today that all the power in the universe is yours. You control even the actions of our enemies. What they do unwittingly, we choose to do consciously. We want to do what you command.

1שָׁמַיִם

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until the storms are over

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:6-9 (JDV)

Joel 2:6 Nations convulse1 before them; all the people’s faces are drained of redness.

Joel 2:7 They attack like warriors attack; they scale walls like men of war do. Each marches on his own path, and they do not change their course.

Joel 2:8 They do not push each other; each marches on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping.

Joel 2:9 They rush into the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves.

until the storms are over

Time and distance might rob us of the effect this passage intends. The sheer terror of being in the path of a disciplined, invincible invading army is enough to drain the color from anyone. The nation knows that there is nowhere to hide. They knew how invasive and all-consuming the locust storms had been. Now, the prophet tells them that the next invasions will be enemy warriors! What is more – they will be unstoppable.

What do you do when God’s news is bad news like this? Pray for protection, survival of the nation, and strength to stay with God until the storms are over.

Lord, we ask you to bless us and our nations and families. But if there is disaster in our destiny, we choose to faithfully endure our fate, trusting you to make your good, pleasing and perfect will evident at last.

1חוּל

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six minutes

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:3-5 (JDV)

Joel 2:3 A fire consumes in front of them, and behind them a flame devours. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like an open wasteland; there is no escape from them.

Joel 2:4 Their appearance is like that of horses, and they run like war horses.

Joel 2:5 They pounce on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a numerous army lined up for war.

six minutes

When I was a soldier, someone told me that since we were stationed very near the enemy border, my unit was expected to last about six minutes. Our objective was to take the immediate onslaught with the hope that reinforcing units would be able to muster and engage the enemy after we were all dead. I don’t think that information did much for my brigade’s morale.

I can imagine feeling similar thoughts if I had been a citizen of Joel’s nation, They had little hope of survival. If Joel was right, they were going to be consumed by the enemy.

Lord, we do not know what our fate is in this life. But we are grateful that you have promised us a resurrection and a permanent life with no threat of disaster.

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when the dominoes start falling

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Joel 2:1-2 (JDV)

Joel 2:1 Blow a ram’s horn bugle1 in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the people living in the land tremble, because the day of Yahveh is coming; in fact, it is near –

Joel 2:2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a substantial2 and numerous people appears, such as has not existed from a past age and I will not do it again until the years of generation after generation have lapsed.

when the dominoes start falling

This was not what the nation wanted to hear from its prophet. They had already experienced a terrible four-stage locust invasion, and they wanted relief. The last thing they needed was an invasion of warriors too numerous to count. But Joel tells them to start blowing their Shofar, because that is exactly what is going to happen.

Sometimes the bad news happens in bunches. Sometimes one disaster is just the first domino in a series of unfortunate events that rip through your life with no time to repair any of the damages. When that starts happening, remember that God always knows what you are experiencing. He has a plan, and even if that plan does not call for your immediate relief, it is still best to trust him.

Lord, help us to trust you when the dominoes start falling.

1שׁוֹפָר

2רַב

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