Sanctify a Fast Joel 1:14

Joel the prophet described the thoroughness of the destruction that came upon the land of Judah, and he called for the “priests” and the “ministers” to both “lament” and “howl” over their conditions. They were to humble themselves by wearing “sackcloth” because their “meat and drink offerings” were “cut off and hindered” from the “house” of their “God”. In chapter one and verse fourteen of his prophecy, Joel calls for the people to “sanctify a fast” among other responses to their horrible conditions where we read:

Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

The verse begins, “Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly,...” Joel began with the word, “Sanctify” which means “consecrate, prepare, dedicate, hallow, make holy, set apart and separate” “a fast” which is “a denial of food, drink or other physical needs for spiritual purposes”, “call” which means “cry out and proclaim” “a solemn assembly” or “a sacred and festive meeting, assemblage, company or group”. The “priests” and the “ministers” were to set apart a holy “fast” and “call” for a “sacred” assemblage of the people of Judah.

The verse goes on to say, “... gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,” Joel continued, “gather” or “receive, collect, bring up and in” “the elders” which refers to “those who are ancient, older and mature” “and all the inhabitants” or “people who dwell in, remain, sit and abide in” “of the land” which means “earth, country, territory, district and region” “into the house” or “dwelling habitation, shelter and abode” “of the LORD” which refers to “Jehovah or Yehovah who is the existing One and the proper name of the one true God” “your God” or “ruler, judge, divine one and the true God”, “and cry” or “call out, summon and have a proclamation made” “unto the LORD” which refers to “Jehovah or Yehovah who is the existing One and the proper name of the one true God”. In addition to “sanctifying a fast” and “calling a solemn assembly” the “priests” and “ministers” were to “gather” together all the older and mature leaders in Judah as well as “all the inhabitants” of the land to the meeting place of the LORD, and when they were there, they were to “cry out” unto “the LORD God Almighty”.

When we meditate upon Joel's words in this verse, we understand his remedy for the devastation that has come among the people of Judah. The leadership were to “fast”, “call” the people together, “gather the elders and all the inhabitants” into God's house, and “cry” unto him. In other words, “fast, call, gather and cry” out to the LORD in prayer. When destruction comes, we must “sanctify” and set aside ourselves to Jesus in prayer. We should call together those who are affected by our troubles, go to the “house of God”, and “cry out” unto the LORD. We have no better response than to set ourselves in alignment with God's purposes, and the prophet Joel has given us a great example of how to do so.

Next time Joel tells the people of Judah “the day of the LORD is at hand”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.