2 Hear this, O elders, and listen, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days or in your fathers’ days?
3 Tell your sons about it, and let your sons tell their sons, and their sons the next generation.
3 Tell your sons about it, and let your sons tell their sons, and their sons the next generation.
(Joel 2:12-27)
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning;
13 And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.
14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, even a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber.
17 Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
13 And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.
14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, even a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber.
17 Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”
18 Then the Lord will be zealous for His land and will have pity on His people.
19 The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them; and I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.
20 “But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, and its vanguard into the eastern sea, and its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, for it has done great things.”
19 The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them; and I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.
20 “But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, and its vanguard into the eastern sea, and its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, for it has done great things.”
21 Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done great things.
22 Do not fear, beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, for the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.
23 So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the Lord your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.
25 “Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 “You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; then My people will never be put to shame.
27 “Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame.
22 Do not fear, beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, for the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.
23 So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the Lord your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.
25 “Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 “You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; then My people will never be put to shame.
27 “Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame.
Reminder: "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that we hear God's words and recognize His mighty works (1:2)
- that sinners go to God and humbly repent (2:12)
- that our confessions to God are sincere and from a broken heart, not done as an external show for the world (2:13)
- that Israel as a nation should gather and prepare their people, so that they will be ready for when Jesus returns to the earth to set up the Millennial kingdom and fulfill all covenants (2:15-16)
- that Israel as a nation will one day rejoice and be glad in the Lord God (2:23)
- that we do not fear, but rejoice and be glad that God fulfills His promises (2:21)
- that we tell our children, and their children tell their children, etc., about God's words and His mighty works (1:3)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, may our ears and eyes always be open to hearing Your words and seeing Your mighty works. As we realize Your holiness and get to know all of Your attributes more and more, we should be more and more aware that we need You for everything. Allow Your Holy Spirit to work within us, to make us more like You.
Dear Lord Jesus, may our ears and eyes always be open to hearing Your words and seeing Your mighty works. As we realize Your holiness and get to know all of Your attributes more and more, we should be more and more aware that we need You for everything. Allow Your Holy Spirit to work within us, to make us more like You.
May our confessions be sincere. May all of those who call themselves Christians, examine their hearts and the sincerity of their walk with You. Out of sincere love should flow Your words of life and spiritual healing to those around us.
May there be fruit from the efforts of those who bring the good news out into the world, specifically to Israel. May the people and specifically Your chosen ones recognize their need for You in their hearts. May our neighbors see a difference in us because of You and yearn to know more. Amen.
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