After calling
for the “trumpet” to be “blown in Zion” for the
second time, Joel the prophet directed the people of Judah to
“gather, sanctify, assemble and gather” the young and the
old people together as well as the “bridegroom” and the “bride”
to humble themselves before the LORD. In chapter two and verse
seventeen of his prophecy, Joel calls for the “priests”
and the “ministers” to “weep” and plead to the
LORD where we read:
Let the
priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the
altar, and let them say, Spare your people, O LORD, and give not your
heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them:
wherefore should they say among the people, Where is
their God?
The
verse begins, “Let the priests, the ministers of the
LORD, weep between the porch and the altar,...” Joel
began with the phrase, “Let the priests”
which refers to “the principal officers or chief rulers”, “the
ministers” or “servants or
attendants as a menial or worshipper” “of the LORD”
which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the
proper name for the one true God”, “weep”
or “bewail, cry and shed tears” “between the porch”
which means “the front vestibule as bound to the building” “and
the altar” or “the holy
place where sacrifice and offerings are made”. Joel wanted the
“priests” and
“servants” of the LORD to “cry out and wail” in both the
outer “porch” and
inner “altar” of
the worship place.
The
verse continues, “...and let them say, Spare your people,
O LORD, and give not your heritage to reproach, that the heathen
should rule over them:” Joel
added, “and let them say”
which refers to “the priests and ministers speaking, uttering,
thinking and commanding”, “O LORD”
which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the
proper name for the one true God”, “Spare”
or “have pity and compassion upon” “your people”
which refers to “the people of Judah”, “and give”
or “put, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote,
consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, lend, entrust, give over, deliver up
and yield produce” “not your heritage” which
means “the LORD's possession, property, inheritance, portion and
share” “to reproach”
or “scorn, taunt, resting upon condition of shame or disgrace”,,
“that the heathen”
or “nations and people who are usually non-Hebrew” “should
rule over” which means “have
dominion and reign over” “them”
which refers to “the people of Judah”. Joel desired for the
“priests” and
“ministers” to
call out to God to “spare” the
people of Judah, and not let them come under the oppression, “scorn”
and “shame” of the invading nation.
Finally
the verse says, “...wherefore should
they say among the people, Where is
their God?” Joel
lastly added, “Wherefore should they
say””
which means “therefore and why should they speak, command, utter,
think, promise and intend” “among
the people”
which refers to “the people of Judah”, “Where
is their God”
which refers to “wondering where the the ruler, judge, divine one
and the one true God is in their midst”. Joel wanted the leaders to
plead to God not to let the invading nation to question where God was
in all their plight.
When
we meditate upon these words of Joel, we see the importance of
leadership within a country “calling out” to God. Their passioned
plea to the LORD should be to “spare”, and not allow
“heathen” people to “reproach” the people of
God. The leaders in our country, state, city and families should
follow this instruction as well. When we call upon the LORD in the
name of Jesus Christ, He will hear our prayers and keep us from the
embarrassment of being shamed by our enemies. May the Lord Jesus
inspire everyone who is in authority call out to God in pleads and
weepings for our families and country.
Next
time Joel writes concerning our “jealous LORD”,
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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