Jealous Again

Jealousy… vice or virtue?  The way we usually experience or express it, probably the former.  But in relation to God, who obviously has no vices, certainly the latter.

Consider the following New Oxford American Dictionary definitions of the word "jealous":

• feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages
• feeling or showing suspicion of someone's unfaithfulness in a relationship
• fiercely protective or vigilant of one's rights or possessions
• (of God) demanding faithfulness and exclusive worship

Throughout the Old Testament, God is called a "jealous God."  Exodus 20:3-5, Deuteronomy 4:23-24, Joshua 24:16-19 and other passages highlight the fourth and, to some extent, the second definitions above.  In Joel 2:18, however, the third definition comes into play: "Then the LORD became jealous for his land…"

Despite all debate and conflict, the land variously known as Canaan/Israel/Palestine/the Promised Land/the Holy Land has been eternally deeded to the Jews by it's rightful owner, Jehovah God.  Why the Almighty chose a plot of ground in the Middle East roughly the size of New Jersey as His "home away from Home" we may never know (until His kingdom comes).  But whatever the reason, the Land is His.

In the aftermath of the locust plague described by Joel, and even more so following the foreign invasion predicted by Joel, God would endure only so much violation of His holy real estate.  It's likely that the "northerners" to be driven out in Joel 2:20 were the Assyrians who ravaged the land after their conquest and deportation of Israel.  It's interesting to note, however that the 70-year exile of the Jews was directly related to their own abuse of the God's land (see 2 Chronicles 36:20-12).

In the ultimate "Day of the Lord," referred to often by Joel, God will once again be jealous for His land.  After thousands of years trying to wrest the Promised Land from the people of promise, Israel's enemies will unite for one final assault.  God Himself will crush the invaders, reestablish Israel's divinely appointed borders and take up personal residence as King. (see Joel 3 & Revelation 19-21).  The LORD is jealous for His land!

And now for a soap box I don't usually get on…  I'm by no means what you would call an "environmentalist."  My wife has to constantly remind me where the paper, plastic and aluminum go!  But digging into Joel 2:18 and related passages brought to mind verses like Psalm 24:1-2 – "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters."

The human race has been given dominion, read "stewardship," over the earth.  We serve God in caring for HIS world.  And despite the fact that, "The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare" (2 Peter 3:10), before God re-creates this world the way He intended it to be (see again Revelation 21), we are accountable to Him for the way we treat this planet He allows us to live on.  The Lord is jealous for His land...  so let's take good care of it!

Don't Know What You Got Till It's Gone

Joel 1:9-13 describes how the plague of locusts, sent by God as both judgment and warning of further judgment, had destroyed the grain fields and vineyards, leaving the people no way to offer the required grain or drink offerings to God.  My first thought upon reading those verses was, "Why would God, in response to His people's failure to worship Him, wipe out the very resources they needed to worship Him?  Why would He, in essence, prevent them for doing what He was calling them to do?"

As I pondered that enigma, several verses began rolling through my mind:

• Revelation 2: 5 –  "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."

• Matthew 5:23-24 – "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

• Psalm 51:16-17 – "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

What I realized (or re-realized) was that God is more interested in lifestyle worship than liturgical worship.  Form & function must take a back seat to the fear of God and true obedience.  I think that should be more than a little sobering to us as we live where "Sunday morning best" refers less and less to apparel and more and more to behavior.  We put on our "good self" to go to church and (presumably) worship, then spend the rest of the week living like the pagans around us.

So would God ever judge His people today like He did in Joel's day?  Granted, the plague of locusts was covenant-based and a direct fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:42 so I wouldn't expect that specific judgment.  It probably wouldn't have the same effect anyway, as our worship is not tied to the offering of grain and wine at the temple.  But might God change our landscape so drastically that the rituals of worship we take for granted are suddenly unavailable or severely costly to us?

Growing up through the tail end of the Cold War, it was fairly common to hear speakers talk about what it would be like for Christians in America if the Communists ever took over.  I even remember a chapel session being raided by camouflaged soldiers with guns and funny accents threatening to shoot anyone who didn't renounce Christ.  (Probably the most fun those dressed up camp counselors ever had!)

Now don't think I'm turning into an apocalyptic doomsday prophet here, but the way things are going in our world, I wonder if we need a little of that "shock & awe" to wake us up today.  If we found ourselves – by natural disaster, government proclamation, foreign invasion or any other means –  without the ability to meet in a sanctuary, project song lyrics, plug in a guitar or carry out other activities we've come to associate with worship, what would we have left?

My prayer is that we'd have hearts full of love, heads full of Scripture, and lives full of obedience so we could continue, or perhaps return to, worshiping God in spirit and in truth – even if not in a church building.

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet!

Halftime interview with an excited athlete… Bachman-Turner Overdrive song… Plague of locusts???  Let's take door number three and the book of Joel as we start round two of the Minor Prophet of Month Club!

Having already read through Joel's three chapters several times, I'm starting to piece together the big picture and identify some key questions to investigate.  I'm fascinated by how God supernaturally superintends natural events to accomplish His purposes.  As with most of the Minor Prophets, the central message of the book is a call to repentance as God's people turn their backs on Him.  In this case, a swarm of locusts unlike any seen before invades Israel and strips the country bare.

You might think a natural disaster of such magnitude would be enough to turn the hearts of God's people back to Him.  But apparently is was not, so the message of Joel becomes, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"  The locusts and the destruction they leave in their wake foreshadow a much more devastating invasion.  Unless Israel repents, an army from the north will make the plague of locusts look like a Sunday picnic nuisance.

Joel seems to be full of prophetic passages with multiple degrees of fulfillment intended.  As the month goes on, I'm interested to dig into those prophecies and their historical/future implications.  I'll probably spend some time in Acts, Romans and of course, Revelation along the way.  For now, the big "what do I learn from this" idea I'm starting with is, "What does it take for God to get my attention when I'm straying from Him?"  I'm watching out my window for locusts!

BTW… if you want a little visual aid for the book of Joel - and don't mind your skin crawling a bit - check this out!