Monday, September 20, 2010

Joel Chapter 1

I have actually never read the book of Joel before today. Joel is writing Israel to tell them that they must repent of their sins or else the locusts will be but a taste of God's wrath. He refers to the locusts as an actual marching army to give us a vivid picture of what is taking place. Joel is appealing to the priests and people of the land to fast and humble themselves before God. If they will but respond to his calling he will give them material and spiritual blessings. I like the way that Joel uses verbal imagery to allow his readers to get vivid images in their head. When I read this I could literally see the desolation to the land of Israel. I could see the swarms of locusts devouring everything in their paths. I imagined the part where God said He will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke.

My favorite passages of this chapter are:
"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments " Now return to the LORD you God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting evil. Our God is so gracious and loves us more than we can ever imagine.

The practical application of this book is to remember that without repentance, judgement will be swift and thorough. We should not put our trust in our material possessions but in God Himself. At times God may use pain, sorrow, or other avenues to get our attention, but His mercy and grace never fails. God provided us a way to gain eternal life through His son, Jesus Christ.

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