#DailyDevotion We Could Learn From Joel How To Lament
Joel 1 15What a dreadful day this is! For the day of the LORD is near, and it comes as destruction from the Almighty. 16Isn’t the food cut off right before our eyes, and joy and delight from the temple of our God? 17The seeds of grain shrivel under their clods. The granaries are going to waste, and the barns are in ruins because the grain is withered. 18How the animals groan! The herds of cattle don’t know where to turn because there’s no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep are punished. 19 I cry to You, LORD, because a fire has devoured all the open pastures; flames have scorched all the trees in the field. 20 Yes, the animals in the field pant for You because the streams are dry, and the blazing heat has devoured the open pasture land.
Having called the people to lament in the previous verses, the prophet now gives the people the words to lament with. The destruction caused by the locusts causes the people to know what a dreadful day it is. More than that, this destruction is just a harbinger of the coming day of the LORD. Greater judgment is coming if these people do not repent. Whether it is the end time day of the LORD predicted later in Joel or a nearer one, one could debate. I think in this section it is looking for a much closer day. Yet as we read the plagues in Revelation, we should take note of any disasters occuring near in time and place to ourselves and view them as precursors to the coming and great day of the LORD on the Last Day and repent now.
So we see here the lament is because of the lack of food. It has been cut off before our eyes. The locusts have eaten it all. Because of this there is no joy or delight from the temple of God. However, the locust weren’t the end of it. Based on the words of lament a drought has come upon the land as well. Whatever wasn’t eaten by the locusts is shriveled up. On top of that, it appears in the midst of the drought, fire has burned up what was left in the field and orchard.
Because of the whatever sin the people of God had committed, these things have come upon them because of the curse uttered at Mt. Ebal when the Israelites entered the land. Idolatry, lack of mercy and kindness, ignoring love of the neighbor, widow, orphan, the poor and the foreigner, taking advantage of the same, has likely caused the curse of the LORD to come upon them. Their sin did not only affect them but the fields and forest. As it affects the fields and forest all the animals both domestic and wild feel the pinch of these disasters. They don’t know where to turn and they pant.
With these words Joel and can presume the Israelites and Judahites cry out to the LORD seeking His help. They and the animals groan to God to give them relief.
We need to learn from these words to lament before and to the LORD for the hard times we experience. They may be natural disasters, man-made disasters, or personal disasters but we need to cry out to the LORD and seek His help. These things should call us to examine ourselves, confess our sins and the sins of those around us, and look to Jesus Christ for His forgiveness and His deliverance. In Revelation, the people there do not repent of their deeds and things just get worse until Judgment Day. Let us not be like these people but look to our Father in heaven with contrite spirits and broken hearts so we may be healed by His Holy Spirit.
Gracious God and Father, You allow us to experience misfortune so we can see our sin. Give us repentance and heal our hearts and minds. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.