Because the
devastation throughout the land of Judah was so vast, Joel the
prophet likened the people to a “virgin girded with sackcloth
for the husband of her youth”. In chapter one and verse nine of
his prophesy, Joel shared how the “meat” and “drink
offering” were “cut off” where we read:
The meat
offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the
LORD;
the
priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn.
The
verse begins, “The meat offering and the drink offering is cut
off from the house of the LORD;” Joel began with the the words,
“the meat offering” which refers to “the gift, tribute,
present, oblation, sacrifice to God” “and the drink offering”
which means “libation, molten image or something poured out” “is
cut off” or “eliminated, killed, hewn, destroyed and taken
away” “from the house” which means “dwelling
habitation, shelter and abode” “of the LORD” which
refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the
proper name of the one true God”. The “nation” who overtook
Judah made the normal “meat” and “drink”
offerings to be destroyed within their land.
The
verse goes on to say, “the priests, the LORD'S ministers,
mourn.” Joel added, “the priests” which refers to
“the principal officers or chief rulers”, “the LORD's” or
“Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name of
the one true God” “ministers” which means “servants or
those who wait upon others”, “mourn” or “lament and
bewail”. Because the “offerings” had ceased in Judah,
the “ministers” of the LORD were “lamenting” and
“bewailing” their plight.
When
we think through these words of the prophet Joel, perhaps it will
help us to imagine if our forms of worship were suddenly “cut
off”. How would we react, and what would the “pastors” and
“priests” be doing? Would they “mourn” as these
“priests” of Judah did? This thought should help us
realize how valuable worshiping Jesus Christ is, and just the
thought of that freedom being gone should make us enjoy the worship
of Jesus all the more. May the LORD Jesus enlarge our idea of how
valuable the worship of God is.
Next
time Joel shares about “the field, the land, the corn,
the new wine and the oil”, 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.
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