Great
destruction has come upon God’s land and the people are swallowed up by the
enemy, who ruthlessly and violently strips and devours, frothing at its lips in
hysterical sadistic pleasure.
The temple
is desolate; the fields are a wasteland. There is no growth, no grain totend,
thresh, or harvest for the nourishment of the children because the seeds shrivel
out in the ground and dry out before they can begin to germinate. There are no
grapes that blossom in season and to be treaded for the rejoicing of the
people. There are no olives budding on the trees, no plucking and pressing of
olives to make the fragrant oil. The herds of once flourishing cattle and sheep
now starve for want of food in restless groaning. Everywhere you turn, you see
broken-down barns, homes in ruins, the people restless, wandering, hungry, and
bereaved.
It’s a sign
from God. Everywhere that everyone goes, the message is there, from the farmer
to the priest, from the vinedresser to the merchant, from the prophet to the
mother at home – life has come to a dreadful standstill and the future is torn
from their grasp.
“Sure joy
has withered away from the sons of men”. (Joel 1:12c)
God has
withheld even the offerings of the temple. The priests, the ministers, what
ought they to do?
And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him: 'I have heard
thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice. If I
shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the
land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, upon whom My name
is called, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from
their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land.’ (2Ch 7:12-14 JPS)
God through the enemy has commanded nationwide attention. Now God through His appointed prophet speaks:
1)
The priests are to dress in sackcloth, lament and wail, fasting, day and
night
2)
The priests are to assembly the elders and the people at the house of God
and cry out to God.
“Unto Thee, O LORD, do I cry; for the fire hath devoured the pastures of
the wilderness, and the flame hath set ablaze all the trees of the field. Yea,
the beasts of the field pant unto Thee; for the water brooks are dried up, and
the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.”
(Joe 1:19-20 JPS)
The day of Hashem’s judgment is preceded by a
great blowing of the trumpet. Panic and alarm sweeps over the mountains and the
people tremble in anticipation of the fearful unknown. They look to the sky and
there is no light; only the dark clouds hang in the sky in gloomy foreboding.
An army comes, a devouring, violent, merciless
army that advance in rigid ranks. They sweep over the land, over the people.
Before them stands the Garden of Eden, upon whom their approaching shadows
fall, and behind them, the flourishing land is a desolate wilderness. Leaping,
burning, raging – they are strong.
The peoples’ faces drain or color and they
writhe, they scream; but strength leaves them. Weak, outnumbered, overpowered.
The voice of HaShem booms overhead. The hills tremble
and the sky goes dark.
“Strong is the One who executes His Word. For the
day of HaShem is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?”
The judgment of a wrathful and betrayed God whose
power is unequaled has fallen on the land. He can excuse their abysmal behavior
no more and can delay retribution no more. God’s wrath has reached the boiling point
and His patience has run out.
And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him: 'I have heard
thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice. If I
shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the
land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, upon whom My name
is called, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from
their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land.’ (2Ch 7:12-14 JPS)
Yet at this very moment of doom and just as the
people are about to receive their well-deserved due, God unexpectedly extends
mercy. He pleads with His people, though He need not. He reasons with them; He
commands them. As the shadow of impending execution of just punishment falls on
the people God suddenly appears and holds judgment back. He stands between them
and judgment.
The people see a ray of light. They see God,
giving them one, last, chance. This is the ultimatum.
They now see God as the one who commands, who is
in utter control. “If only,” we hear God’s heart saying, “they would turn back
to me, even at this very last hour, this very last moment. If only they would
plead with me to turn my anger away. If only they would return completely to
me, if only they would turn to Me!”
“I am gracious. I am merciful. I am patience
itself! I am slow to anger. I relent from doing harm.”
Who knows? What is the harm of crying out to God?
Maybe, He would relent! It’s very possible. He may even bless us!
Go quickly, you people, you priests! Stop all
that you’re doing. Just weep. Just beg God to spare His people, for His own
sake, for the sake of His name, for the sake of His reputation among the other
nations.
Surely, it is promised that if you so turn to
God, if you so pester and beleaguer Him sincerely, in great despair, with your
entire heart, with one as the people of God, HaShem will arouse in zealous pity
for His own people. He will surely speak comfort to you and bless you. He will
send the enemy scattering before you in a thousand directions like wounded prey.
As they rush towards You, His hand will rise with a blow that will shatter them
backwards and dissolve them into nothing but a foul odor.
Now be glad. Do not fear. HaShem has done has
done many spectacular things. He is bringing about transformation in the land.
Suddenly the pastures spring up with green grass and herbs. The trees begin to
bear fruit, the vines produce vintage. It is a time of rejoicing. It is a time
of relief, of comfort, of restoration. The rains begin to fall upon the cracked
and dried land. Abundance, a multitude of produce awaits in the new barnhouses.
God’s overflowing goodness has been poured out over the land and there is great
satisfaction.
After the destruction comes restoration.
“You are my people. I am your God; there is no
one else. You shall never be put to shame.”
And the people praise His name.
And God pours out His spirit. In Mount Zion the
holy mountain of God and in Jerusalem the holy city of God there shall be
deliverance.
Speedily God will strike the nations in
retaliation for His people. He will judge them swiftly and retain their evil to
their own head. The winepress and the vats of God judgment agains the nations
who come up against Israel overflow. Everything , the heavens and the earth,
will shake terribly and tremble. The sun, the moon, the stars; they grow dark.
But HaShem shelters His people. He is their
shelter; He shelters them within Himself. And they know indeed that He is
HaShem their God.
(4:17) So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God,
dwelling in Zion My holy mountain;
then shall Jerusalem be
holy,
and there shall no strangers
pass through her any more.
(4:18) And it
shall come to pass in that day,
that the mountains shall
drop down sweet wine,
and the hills shall flow
with milk,
and all the brooks of Judah
shall flow with waters;
and a fountain shall come
forth of the house of the LORD,
and shall water the valley
of Shittim.
(4:19) Egypt shall be a desolation,
and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness,
for the violence against the
children of Judah,
because they have shed
innocent blood in their land.
(4:20) But
Judah shall be inhabited for ever,
and Jerusalem from
generation to generation.
(4:21) And I will hold as innocent their blood that I
have not held as innocent;
and the LORD dwelleth in
Zion.
(Joel 3:17-21
JPS)
And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him:
'I have heard thy prayer,
and have chosen this place
to Myself for a house of sacrifice.
If I shut up heaven that
there be no rain,
or if I command the locust
to devour the land,
or if I send pestilence among My people;
if My people,
upon whom My name is called,
shall humble themselves,
and pray,
and seek My face,
and turn from their evil
ways;
then will I hear from
heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.’
(2Ch 7:12-14 JPS)
(2Ch 7:12-14 JPS)
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