Scripture Text (NRSV)
Joel 2:23-32
2:23 O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured
down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before.
2:24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall
overflow with wine and oil.
2:25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has
eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which
I sent against you.
2:26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name
of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people
shall never again be put to shame.
2:27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I,
the LORD, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never
again be put to shame.
2:28 Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
2:29 Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour
out my spirit.
2:30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood
and fire and columns of smoke.
2:31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood,
before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.
2:32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be
saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who
escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those
whom the LORD calls.
Comments:
This passage is especially interesting taken in context, which is a
plague of locusts. Locusts are like huge biological agents of
destruction. (I live in the United States... you can tell what's on
our minds...) ch. 2:8: "They burst through the weapons and are not
halted..." Weapons are no defense against bacteria either. Yet our
passge for today is a message of hope. Even in the face of suffering
and destruction, there is hope for a better day.
According to Joel, this coming destruction should be an occassion to
repent. This is not to say that anthrax is God's judgment on a sinful
nation. It is to say that whenever we face the possibility of death,
(and even when we don't), it is a good thing to evaluate our lives.
Would I change anything if I were to know that it would end soon?
Just getting started here. Where is everybody? DGinNYC
what would "the terrible day of the Lord" mean to us? Is it comparable
to September 11th? Does any one see metaphor of that day with the
tower of Babel and Joel's Scripture and Pentecost
Shalom
Bam-mamma
Dreaming was seen as a gift from God, says one of my sources.
It reminds me of when my older girl was little (she's quite a
theological inspiration) - she talked about going to sleep and
"getting a dream."
Cute, huh? Perhaps more profound than we thought...
Bam-Mamma - you lost me, sorry.
Sally in GA
Hello, I am thinking about Using this passagr with 2 Tim. sprinkled
in.... The thought that jumps out at me is the word rain...look at how
author of passage uses it. Early rain and later rain....think of
images of pouring out of rain...sprinkle, drizzle, peppering, shower,
downpur, and gusher... I preach in a farming rural community so these
know the importance of rain or mack of it... gushers that wash away
things...rain is powerful metaphor here.
This passsage talks about refreshing, revival rain, the early rain and
the later rain....can think hear about Noah-flood and Pentecost 'rain'
and the rain to come later days.... comparing them...
God will pour out His spirit on us - early rain to revive, later rain,
revival and vinction- how we will have plenty, not suffer...then tying
this to TIM passage...fighting the fight-keeping the faith Paul uses
pouring out as him getting ready to go to Heaven...neat analogy
here... so that's my 2 cents.... Ladypreacher in OHIO UMC
I would be careful with interpreting "the great army which God has
sent" (vs 25) too literally. Keep in mind that in pre-enlightenment
days what was not understood was assigned to God. These days, if
farmers' fields were destroyed by locusts we would say it was a
terrible thing, but would we really say God did it? Farmers in my
region have suffered from drought this past summer, and the yield has
been small. Now there is so much rain that they are having trouble
harvesting whatever they did manage to grow. But no one is pointing to
God and saying this is a sign. It's just one of those things. If I
were working on Joel this week, (I think I might) I would concentrate
on the hope offered. Who dreams these days? Where is our hope? That
whole business about locusts and God's punishment may have made sense
then but not in our post-enlightenment days. Rev Helen in Ontario
LadyPreacher, your thoughts on rain made me think. Autumn is my
favourite time of the year. We live in the Province of Ontario in
Canada, a huge province with a vast variety of scenery and in the
autumn, there is usually unbelievable splndour in the collours of the
trees and the grasses and fall flowers. However, this year, there has
been an abundance of cold rain and high winds that have quickly eroded
the splendour. One's enjoyment of nature then takes on a different
look when faced with the drabness of this kind of ongoing weather. I
am not sure where I am going with this, but I can't help feel it
taking me beyond something to what is real in God's promise in the
face of tragedy, anxiety, paranoia and fear. Any thoughts anyone? Rev.
Tim, South Central Ontario, Canada
I'm thinking of using this with the Luke text and titling the sermon
"Be Careful What You Pray." One thing my seminary Old Testament prof.
emphasized was that the people prayed for the Day of the Lord because
they thought it would be wonderful, when in acutality, it would be a
time of judgment and doom if they continued living their sinful lives.
If we pray like the Pharisee and trust only in ourselves, we'll get
the doom (I don't like where this is going), but if we pray like the
tax collector, we'll get the mercy. I think a point of both lessons is
trust in ourselves versus trust in God.
Any advice? I feel like I've got something started but don't have a
handle on it yet.
sybil in KS
My emphasis with this passage will be the untimely nature of the
locust attack and how it caused the people to re-examine their
priorities and lives. NOT to say that God did it so they'd repent--I'm
no Jerry Falwell, far from it. The net result, though, is
self-examination. Crises will do that. The question is, what do we do
with what we have? How do we re-orient our lives?
Craig in Maine
Hi!
I'm going to be focussing on the vision stuff. Particularly, I am
serving two congregations. One has decided to continue with part-time
ministry. I need to affirm that decision and help them dream dreams,
rather than sink into dispair.
Any one want to share a story of a 'dreaming' congregation?
peace
kent in Québec
read from the message by E. Peterson's gives good insights that one
may miss. Bill Ohio
I was awakened in the night by the word restoration. I think I am
going to focus on God repaying all that the hopper and cutter and
destroyer has taken. There is much in my life, and in the lives of
those to whom I preach, that has been stolen.
Stolen by bad decisions and evil intentions of others. God says here
that all this can be restored somehow. I want to know more.
Restoration is my theme.
Pastor Binny
It wasn't clear inmy posting that much of the fault lies with me in
bad decisions and evil intentions.
But God does not seem to disqualify me from this restoration I seek.
Just an added thought as I saw my posting.
Binny
Binny, I too am struck by the thought of restoration. Whether the
locust in this passage represent our own mistakes and yes sins, all of
us have places in our lives that the locusts have eaten. Even, Paul
had desert experiences such as standing before the judge alone and
bereft of his companions. I will tie Joel to the 2 Timothy passage to
show that when we turn to God we do have hope of restoration and a
crown of righteousness. I will probably use Jer. 29:11 in some way to
close. Shortrev in the Everglades
Thanx, Binny, you got me thinking in a new direction. I was kind of
spinning my wheels over on the gospel page,focusing on the Pharissee.
Now I think I will look at the publican, as someone whose life has
been destoyed by bad decisions, then whipped up on by the hoppers and
cutters in society around him, but realizes his need for God and goes
home justified. God will repay him for all the years of trampling and
cutting, and perhaps as an old man he will dream God's dreams, and as
a servant will recieve the outpouring of God's spirit.
It is never too late to start over. Give up smoking, or drinking, or
sedentary lifestyle, and the body immediately begins to repair. Will
not the soul? This is of God, who creates and recreates, deems and
reedeems, stores up and restores.
I'm just typing as I'm thinking here. Stream of conciousness stuff.
Make sense of it later.
When the Exile came, the best and the brightest, and the most
beautiful were carried off, leaving the old, weak, poor, handicapped,
and the below-average. These interbred with others and became the
Samaritans. It was the Pure Jews, healthy, strong, svelte and smart,
back from the plush life in Babalonian digs, who came back to rebuild
the wall and temple and tell each other civilization had returned. Out
of these came the Pharissees, the 'set apart'. Jesus dealt with this
class superiority all the time. In the end he made good on Joel's
promise that in latter days even the old(over-the-hill) the young(best-seen-not-heard)
women(low-class) and the servant/slaves(no-class) would recieve of
God's spirit. Good news for the least, last, and lost! The publican
too, whose loss was his own fault. God does not seek to punish, but to
restore!
Enough beating about for now. There must be a pony around here
somewhere. tom in TN(USA)
Just spoke with a colleague who said she's going to make a giant
"dream catcher" to put up in her church, and have people pin their
dreams up on it during coffee hour. Then she's going to take it to the
elders to discuss. Sounds like a good idea.
DGinNYC
Thank you Tom in TN(USA). I am also focusing on the tax collector.
Last week was Laity Sunday in the United Methodist Church and our
certified lay speaker, who happens to be my wife preached from texts
that were appointed for Laity Sunday and not the RCL. Last week's
gospel lesson in the RCL was the parable of the widow and the unjust
judge which precedes this week's lesson in Luke's gospel. I am going
to focus on that same theme of recovery found in the passage from
Joel. I will particularly focus on the passage, "I will pour out my
spirit on ALL people..." In the process of the pouring out of God's
spirit, ALL people have the opportunity for restoration. Just like you
said Tom, the pure-bred, in-crowd, family of Pharisees and religious
leaders, were the ones thought to have an exlusive connection with
God. The judge had the same kind of arrogance although he didn't fear
God, he treated others without respect. But the widow peristed in
seeking justice and the unjust judge granted it to her because he was
afraid she would wear him out. Jesus says, how much more will God who
loves you grant you justice when you pray for justice. Persistent
prayer might not get rid of the drought or heavy rains or terrorism,
but it does draw us closer to God. The key for me is in the passage
preceding these two parables where the Pharisees ask Jesus about the
coming of the kingdom. Jesus tells them that the kingdom of God is in
you or among you. God's kingdom is here and now. That really is
important when we come to verse 8 where Jesus asks the question "When
the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Obviously the
Pharisee thought the answer was yes, if he was still alive. The good
news is that God has poured his spirit out on all flesh including the
Pharisees. The not so good news for the Pharisee is that he has chosen
not to accept the free gift because he believes he doesn't need it.
The good news for the tax collector is that he does see his need for
mercy and he like realizes that somehow God's Spirit is poured out on
all people, not just the Pharisee or other important people. And so
the tax collector is faithful as the widow was persistent in pursuing
justice. In these days our need for restoration and persistence in
pursuing God's justice, not our own can be realized when we recognize
that God has poured out his Spirit on all people. John from NJ
First time on this site. I am a lay leader doing the preaching
tomorrow. We are waiting for a new pastor to be appointed to our
church. I will be using the Joel passage and tying it in with the time
of harvest and the Day of the Lord. I like the tie in I read about the
locust and "biological agents". Harvest and the pouring out of the
Holy Spirit in the Day of the Lord paint a great picture of salvation
and repentance and redemption. May all our words tomorrow be the ones
He wants us to speak to our congregations.
Lee in Maryland
Previous:
The last time these reading sped by I wrote a hymn based on this
passage. Folks are welcome to use it (please include the copyright
notice).
Children of Zion, be glad! Rejoice and praise the Lord! The Lord
provides for all our needs; God's goodness overflows. No more shall we
know shame, When we meet in this place. We'll know that God is in our
midst, And rest within God's grace.
Spirit of God, arrive! Pour out upon all flesh. Your children then
shall prophesy, As you their future bless! The old shall then dream
dreams, And young shall visions know, Then as we journey from this
place, So shall the Spirit go.
Michael Jacob Kooiman
We may not fully understand Joel's view of God but we can understand
dreams and visions. I think the wording is intriguing: sons and
daughters shall prophesy, the old shall dream dreams, your young men
shall see visions, even upon slaves I will pour out my Spirit. Could
this be a way to see the church at its best: God's Spirit at work in
the youngest to the oldest: We live with alot of cultural tagging in
the church: children can't really offer anything to the church, youth
aren't responsible, the elderly have given their time but need rest.
God's Spirit poured out on all flesh is a radical concept. This to me
is where we have to cherish and respect diversity as God's design
instead of wanting the church to be authoritarian in structure with
control and power given to the "mature" or the "pillars" of the
church. What if we listened to children and youth more than we do?
What if we listened to ones who no longer serve on the board but have
a share in God's Spirit. My church(denomination) is so fixed on being
organized we think the majority rule of a respresentative democracy
always equals progress. It most often brings inertia. We organize to
control rather than free. Just starting my relflections for Sunday.
Bobby, Tx.
I am thankful that there are postings on the Old Testament part of the
lectionary. This passage is speaking to me with a spirit of hope. I am
hearing from Joel's words that ALL in our congregations, young, old,
male, female, all personalities, all colors, can be used by God, of we
only allow Him to. I think I am going to like preaching this. Please
post any addtional thoughts.N.C.J
The Old Testament, for all its gnashing of teeth and rending of
garments, never forgets also to celebrate the bounty that God gives us
and to give God thanks for all that we have and enjoy. The gospels
tend to focus on our deficits, what we need to more of, what we need
to do without more, to achieve God's kingdom. God always loves us,
despite the fact that we're sinners and not quite worthy. In fact when
Jesus rejoices at the squandering of the nard, we are shocked.
Exuberant excesses are so out of character. Paul puts back some
rejoicing and certainly the church in its various guises over the
centuries has too, but I like passages like this, especially to remind
seekers and children that our relationship with God is a joyous one,
that we must turn to God in times of plenty and well-being as well as
in times of deprivation and pain. We are having guest day and a big
open house on Sunday to celebrate the rededication/consecration of our
chapel, offices, parish hall and Sunday School. A dream we dreamed and
God helped us make come true. This passage from Joel will help us make
a joyful noise unto the Lord.
Jane in Lenox
This passage speaks to a concern of a bible study group I lead, made
up of eighty and ninety year old people. They wonder where their place
is in the church. It isn't so much that they need "rest", but they
need to be valued for the gifts God has imparted to them in their
years and they don't feel valued by the church. they want to function
within the church, but their limitations keep them from functioning in
their former ways. Do their visions and dreams mean anything to us?
Does their experience? Do we value those who can't sit around the
council table and make the church's decisions? What does it mean to be
an "elder"? To note that the Spirit of God is alive and at work and
valued in the youngest and the oldest is one thing. To actively
respect it is another...What new things could God be up to,...if we
listened carefully???? Just musing in Ontario
Greetings in the name of Christ!
Michael, Thank you for sharing your hymn text and offering permission
to use it. Do you have a melody or tune name to use with it? You can
e-mail an answer to kenhawes@bestweb.net. Thanks!
Jane, Praise God! May the Spirit truly bless your open house and
redeication ceremony!
Now for some text musings.... This Sunday is Stewardship Sunday and
this passage speaks of the many blessings which God gives to all
people. Children, young, old, men, women, all people are blessed by
God's grace with talents to share for the work of Christ in the
community of faith. The question is, how do we use our talents?
Returning a portion of our gifts to God, whether financial or talents
or service, is one manner of saying, "Thank you, Lord." It is also a
witness to the priorities we set in our lives. We are blessed by the
outpouring of God's Spirit upon all flesh. May we use our blessings to
the glory of God and the work of Jesus Christ!
Ken-on-the-Hudson
