Girded Priests and Howling Ministers Joel 1:13

In attempting to convey the devastation that Judah endured, Joel the prophet told them “the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, the palm tree, the apple tree and even all the trees” were adversely affected by the invasion of an enemy “nation”. In chapter one and verse thirteen of his prophecy, Joel calls for the “priests” to “gird” themselves and “lament” and for the “ministers” to “howl” where we read:

Gird yourselves, and lament, you priests: howl, you ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

The verse begins, “Gird yourselves, and lament, you priests: howl, you ministers of the altar:” Joel began with the words, “Gird yourselves” which means “put on or bind on with the idea of being afraid, appointed and restrained on every side”, “and lament” or “wail and mourn, bewail”, “you priests” which refers to “principal and chief officers”: “howl” or “wail and make a howling tone or boisterous yell”, “you ministers” which means “servants who attend to menial task and wait upon others” “of the altar” or “place where the sacrifice of incense and burnt offerings were laid”. Joel instructed the “priests” and the “ministers” to emotionally cry out and wail for the troubles which came upon them.

The verse goes on to say, “... come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.” Joel continued with the word, “come” or “go in, fall or light upon”, “lie all night” which means “lodge, dwell, stop over, pass the night and abide” “in sackcloth” or “mesh sacking which was worn in mourning or humiliation”, “you ministers” which refers to “servants who attend to menial task and wait upon others” “of my God” or “the ruler, divine judge and the one true God”: “for the meat offering” which means “gift, tribute, oblation and present to God” “and the drink offering” or “libation and something poured out to God” “is withholden” which means “held back, kept back, refrained, denied, hindered and kept restrained” “from the house” or “dwelling, habitation, shelter and abode” “of your God” which refers to “the ruler, divine judge and the one true God”. Joel instructed the “priests” and the “ministers” to humble themselves in their clothing because even their sacrifices of worship were hindered because of the invading nation.

When we consider these words of Joel, we begin to see the affect upon the leadership in Judah. The “priests” were over the spiritual matters, and the “ministers” or “servants” were over the manual work. Each of them were to be in “lamentable” postures as they considered the destruction that came upon them. They were to be “humble” because their very forms of worship were “cut off” by the invading nation. If we have felt devastated by the enemy of our souls, perhaps we can relate to the position of these daunted leaders, and if we are overwhelmed by the destruction in our lives, let us rely upon a relationship with Jesus Christ to carry us through whatever the enemy has brought our way.

Next time Joel tells the people of Judah to “sanctify a fast”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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