Read
Locusts and an Enemy
1Sound the trumpet on Zion,
the Lord's sacred hill.
Warn everyone to tremble!
The judgment day of the Lord
is coming soon.
2It will be dark and gloomy
with storm clouds overhead.
Troops will cover the mountains
like thunderclouds.
No army this powerful
has ever been gathered before
or will be gathered again.
3Fiery flames surround them;
no one escapes.
Before they invaded,
the land was like Eden;
now only a desert remains.
4 They look like horses
and charge like cavalry.
5They roar over mountains
like noisy chariots,
or a mighty army
ready for battle.
They are a forest fire
that feasts on straw.
6The very sight of them
is frightening.
7They climb over walls
like warriors;
they march in columns
and never turn aside.
8They charge straight ahead,
without pushing each other;
even arrows and spears
cannot make them retreat.
9They swarm over city walls
and enter our homes;
they crawl in through windows,
just like thieves.
10 They make the earth tremble
and the heavens shake;
the sun and moon turn dark,
and stars stop shining.
11 The Lord God leads this army
of countless troops,
and they obey his commands.
The day of his judgment
is so terrible
that no one can stand it.
Reflect
When I was a boy in South Africa I was caught in a plague of locusts. It was simultaneously horrifying and awesome. In the distance the swarm looked like a black cloud . As they approached the distinction between the sky and land was gradually blurred out. Before they arrived they sounded like the sea heard at a distance. When they landed the whirr of their wings was like the roar of a gigantic dynamo revolving at high speed.
The farmers and labourers did everything in their power to stop the locusts landing. They ran around the fields yelling and crashing steel pots together, hoping that the noise would scare them away. But it was all to no avail. Before long there were 10-20 locusts on every stalk of grass and in less than a minute it was completely consumed. Within 5-10 minutes, as the locusts rose into the air to continue their advance, there was no vegetation for as far as I could see. The look of grief and utter defeat on the faces of the farmers is still etched in my mind.
Joel’s description of the army of locusts in 2:1-11 opens and closes with a warning about the coming day of the Lord (v 1c and v 11c). This inclusio (a literary device which consists of creating a frame by placing similar material at the beginning and end of a section) is used to stress the gravity of the situation and prompt the reader/listener to take action.
True prophets demonstrate both insight and foresight. Their words both foretell and tell forth. They not only predict the future, they also reveal God’s will for the present. All of this is true for this passage. Joel sounds the trumpet because he sees how the day of the Lord had come in the form of a locust plague to punish the sins of the Israelites. He also sees how the day of the Lord is yet to come when everyone who persists in sinning will have to face the consequences of their rebellion (Matthew 7:21-29).
Respond
Lord, our world seems oblivious to the judgment coming at the end of time. Help me sound the alarm and give me the words to let people know how they can be saved through faith in Christ. Amen.
Lawson Murray
Lawson is the President of Scripture Union Canada and the Managing Editor of theStory™. Lawson takes every opportunity to enthusiastically invite people of all ages to connect with Jesus and His Story. He says, “We have been given the greatest story ever - God's Story! Should we not, with all our might and energy immerse ourselves in it? I believe we should. For without the Story we really have nothing to offer the millions who hunger and thirst for something more. But, with God’s Story we have what everyone needs!” Publications: jumpintotheword - Bible Engagement Blog; iConnect: Life words for growth, for story, for community; Bible Engagement Basics; Seize the Day: Meditations for the Year.