I am not a big fan of bugs. Most don’t really gross me out (except for cockroaches…I HATE those) but they just inspire me to squish them. I know, God’s creatures and all. But they just don’t belong in some places. Like in my cereal box!! Yup. Opened up a box of Cheerios once and out poured an army of ants. On the counter they crawled, up my arm and on the floor. Started stomping on those suckers as if I was doing an Italian wedding dance. Most bugs are just annoying. But there are others that carry destruction to the level of catastrophe. Take locusts, for example.
Locusts are so destructive and efficient at wiping out crops that they come in several varieties. Gnawing, swarming, creeping and stripping locusts are described in the book of Joel. The prophet spends much of his time in chapters 1 and 2 referring to the devastation caused by these beasts. Sort of cute on their own but, in swarms of millions, ravage the land causing the destruction of crops and impending hunger on the population. Pretty much the worst thing that can happen to a people. Joel is writing to the Israelites during a time when they are being overrun with locusts. For them the end is near.
But Joel uses the occasion to put things into perspective. Some scholars put Joel’s writings as taking place around 800-850 B.C. Before the Babylonians put the northern kingdom of Israel and then the southern kingdom of Judah into exile. So some believe that he is warning Israel about two things. One, the continued devastation by the locusts and a coming drought in the spring that will make the current crisis pale in comparison. But there is also a belief that Joel is predicting the captivity of Israel and Judah in his description of the locusts. He discusses four types of locusts and scholars believe the gnawing locusts are the Babylonians. The swarming locusts are the Medes and Persians who defeat Babylon and inherit the Israeli captives. The creeping locusts are the Greeks that capture the Holy Land and rule over the Jews forcing them to turn their backs on The Law and adopt Greek culture. And the stripping locusts are the Romans who defeat the Greeks and are in control when Christ arrives on the scene.
But like many prophesies, they have two levels of thought. The immediate and the long range. Immediate meaning those events that are directly effecting the people in a physical sense. The long range is how the prophesy is a type or prediction of the coming kingdom. Joel tells the people that if they do not repent their sins and offenses against God, they will suffer physical calamity but also face the “Day of the Lord” The day of Christ and His eventual judgement. A judgement that will truly be the end for eternity and not just an agricultural or societal “bump in the road”.
But today’s reading from Joel gives the Israelites, and us, a ray of sunshine. Of hope. He warns the people:
Crowd upon crowd
in the valley of decision;
For near is the day of the LORD
in the valley of decision.
But then Joel reveals God’s response to those who follow Him
The heavens and the earth quake,
but the LORD is a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the children of Israel.
Our God is a God of forgiveness to those who follow Him. But also a God who allows those who choose to follow another path, a path of destruction for themselves and others, to face the eternal fires:
Because of violence done to the people of Judah,
because they shed innocent blood in their land.
But Judah shall abide forever,
and Jerusalem for all generations.
I will avenge their blood,
and not leave it unpunished.
The LORD dwells in Zion.
And in today’s Gospel Jesus makes the point even clearer:
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”
May we all hear AND listen to the word of God. But most of all, may we observe it and act on it. We cannot just praise God with our lips but our actions must reflect that which dwells in our hearts and souls.
Please pray for Israel, its people, its military and for those Palestinians caught up in the middle of this conflict. May the Lord Truly “dwell in Zion” over the coming months.
