Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Bible Scripture Reading

"Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for 12 December 2012, from Cindi, a Daughter of the King of kings, and Lord of lords."

Today's Blog Title: "The Land Laid Waste."
Today's Blog Scripture Reading: Joel 1:1-20
Today's Blog Key Verse: 1:14 "Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the Lord."

Verses 1-4, describe the devastation of the "locust" plague. Moses in Deuteronomy 28:38,42, prophesied that God would use locust to punish His people if they were disobedient. The language may express the four stages in the development of a single type of insect.  

The "palmerworm" is the stage at which the locust is first hatched and is characterized by its gnawing activity.  The "locust" is the most common name for the locust, and is the second stage, in which the locust gets its wings and flies.  The "cankerworm" is the stage in which the locust does its destructive work.  The "caterpillar" is the final stage, in which the locust reaches its full growth and devours everything in its path.

In verse 8, the image here is of a young bride widowed on her wedding day, for the sackcloth that she is wearing, was worn by those in mourning in ancient Israel.  In verse 9, the devastation of the locust, meant that the wine offering could not be offered, that accompanied the morning and evening sacrifices of the priest's.

The land in verse 10, is described as in mourning as well because of the three principle crops that it produced, grain, grapes, and olives had been destroyed, and the people who had anticipated the "joy of harvest had withered away" due to the disaster of the locust plague.

In verses 13-20, Joel reminds the nation's leaders that being restored to blessing requires repentance.  Just as God will not hold back His Blessings from the people of Israel in Joel's day, so the same is for us as Christians today, when we truly repent and ask forgiveness, for God is Faithful and Just to FORGIVE us of our sins and to cleanse us of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.  

In this devastation of the locust, not only did the people of Judah suffer from the drought, so did the "animals, cattle, and flocks."  Joel depicts the animals poetically as joining in the lament, groaning in their hunger and distress. 

When Joel "crys out" the prophet adds his own voice to the bellowing of beasts, the wailing of drunkards, and the mourning of the priests.  He was part of the suffering community, not an outsider looking on from a distance.

Click on this link www.cindi-davis.blogspot.com for a Bible Verse from Exodus 20.

Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day. Go in Peace and Serve the Lord our God with Gladness. Love God More Today. Always remember that when you have a spiritual, emotional, relational, physical, or financial dilemma in your life, and you yell out, "I CAN'T," GOD Whispers to you, "BUT I CAN."

Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi



    

 

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