Sunday Worship: 07/22/07
Sunday School Class: Proverbs 24:8-12 "schemes" - the work of folly.
Choruses: We worship and Adore you (G); Abba Father (C); I love you Lord (F);
Scripture reading: #660
Vesper’s: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – and more discussion on Jesus’ family thinking he had gone crazy.
Wednesday Study: We recently concluded a study - "How to live as Christians in society?" and are now starting what is really the logical progression with "Developing a Biblically consistent worldview philosophy.”
A broken heart
Joel 2.12 "Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart..."
Joel 2
1. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand--
2. a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.
3. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste-- nothing escapes them.
4. They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.
5. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6. At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.
7. They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course.
8. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.
9. They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
10. Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
11. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
12. `Even now,` declares the LORD, `return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.`
13. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
14. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing -- grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
Verse 12: "Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart..."
Even now…when? This probably was about 200 years or so before Ezekiel & Daniel – possibly 700 years before Antiochus Epiphanies desecrated the Holy of Holies, slaughtered pigs on the altar and enraged the family called the Maccabees. This was some 850 years before Christ, maybe 200 years after the time of King David.
What does it have to do with us, almost 20 centuries after the time of Christ? History and the affairs of mankind regularly repeat themselves. That creates the timeliness of the prophetic word…fools regularly visit the stage of mankind and world events.
In Joel’s day there was arrogance and pomposity among the leadership of people of Judah.
They assumed God’s favor and blessings without regard to their lack of mercy and humility.
They assumed a special dispensation from God without giving any dispensation of mercy and blessings to others, even among those of their own.
They were ‘hard-hearted’ and evidently without compassion or understanding for any who were without comforts and posterity.
The warning from Joel is this: if a people will not return to the ways and manners which God expects from His people, then His ‘day’ will come upon them.
The “Day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”
None can ‘endure’ it. Over and over nations have become powerful, without compassion, mercy and largess. The ‘Day of the Lord’ has come upon each of them in turn.
God does not allow kings, prime ministers and presidents to rampage unchecked with arrogance and vicissitude over the weak of the world.
The “Day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”
What can be done? Nationally, are we as arrogant and without compassion as was Judah in the days of Joel? I think so.
We must turn to God with humility.
That’s why the scripture said, “13. Rend your heart and not your garments…”
- We don’t need some big T.V. coverage of our ‘humility.’
“Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. 14. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing…”
The last of the verse about “…grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God” are part of the instruction to God’s people about our responsibilities in appreciation and worship.
When we are forgiven, we are to live like it with appreciation, humility, and joy.