I started reading Joel today. It’s similar to Hosea and Jeremiah and Isaiah in that it also warns Israel’s enemies of their coming doom. But Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible says something interesting: “GOD employed a shepherd, a herdsman, to reprove and warn the people. Those to whom God gives abilities for his services, ought not to be despised for their origin, or their employment. Judgments are denounced against the neighbouring nations, the oppressors of God’s people.” I hadn’t really thought much about the author, but imagine what it must have been like. You are a simple farmer, not known for your wisdom (except perhaps in caring for sheep) or learning. You probably didn’t spend much time in rabbi school. You aren’t rich or famous. And suddenly the Most High God of Israel speaks to you and tells you to go and inform the high and mighty and your enemies that they’re going to be crushed. If it were me in this situation I’d think God was messing with my head. What on earth would make these people listen to me? What would keep them from killing me? How would I even be heard? And what about my sheep? Often it’s easy to think of people in a profession or in a financial or social status below ours as inferior and less intelligent. But here is a case where that is clearly disproved. God chose a simple shepherd to be his prophet. Sound familiar? God also chose a simple shepherd to be Israel’s greatest king. And God also sent his Son to a simple carpenter. (And somewhere in there God made a donkey speak to a man who wasn’t listening.) Social standing and financial capability don’t mean much to God since He can do anything. Next time I’m tempted to ignore someone because they seem insignificant, I hope I remember this piece of commentary and listen to what he or she is saying before dismissing him or her.
Ezekiel 34:31 You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God,” says the Sovereign Lord. The Lord is angry at how the leaders of Israel have abused the flock, not caring for the sick or the injured or the weak. He promises that He Himself will search for and find His sheep, caring for them and healing them. And He also promises to judge between the sheep and the goats. But, finally, amidst all the promised terror and destruction, there is a glimmer of hope. God clearly loves His people, and He states several times that the purpose of his destruction is not to crush the people. He truly hopes that they will turn from their sin so He can hold back the tide of death. But he does warn them earlier that “the good works of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the sins of evil people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.” (Ez 33:12) Repent, repent, come back to Me, cries the Lord over and over. What I loved about this is the personal touch. He isn’t going to send an angel to find His people and care for them. He isn’t going to send another human. He’s coming Himself to find His sheep. Although He is the God of the universe and has untold resources, He still cares enough about us to come Himself. That’s pretty cool! You, I, everyone, we all matter that much to God! Makes me feel pretty special!
Isaiah 40:6, 9, 11A voice said, “Shout!”I asked, “What should I shout?”…“Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Shout louder to Jerusalem – do not be afraid! Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!”…He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.” The more I read of this chapter in Isaiah, the more I like it. I actually read this the other day, and then as I was looking back over it, this particular verse stood out. It was the command to “Shout!” John, my husband, told me a story about a time when God told him to shout. One time he obeyed and the spirit of God poured down on the people present doing awesome things. One time he was afraid and didn’t obey, and to this day he regrets that. He told me that the next time God says, “Shout!” he will stand on the nearest chair and shout! All it takes is one voice. John the baptist is foretold in this chapter (the voice crying in the wilderness), and there are two things that are shouted. The first (that I didn’t write out above) is a reminder that people are short-lived, but God’s Word stands forever. The second (see above) is that God is coming in all his power and strength. He is a shepherd who loves his sheep. I love that he holds the lambs close to his heart. There are times when I just want to snuggle close, lay my head on his chest, and cry or rest because I’m so tired. We just finished moving in with my mother, and while that’s going well, it’s also been a challenge because Gavin (our 23-month-old son) is sleeping in a “big boy bed” for the first time. He gets out of it constantly at night and, as difficult as it is, if he doesn’t obey and stay in the bed after we return him, he gets disciplined. Adding to the drama is the fact that Gavin and Kainoah (our 8 month-old son) are sharing a room for the first time. So, not only are we trying to keep Gavin in his bed, we’re trying to sort out the boys to keep them from waking each other. The result is that at least one time, usually more, I’m up resettling Gavin, trying to get Kai to go back to bed, and generally not sleeping. For example, this morning at 3am, Gavin thought it would be nice to come visit us. The first time we hugged him and returned him to bed…. 10 times, many tears, and about an hour later he finally stays in his bed… and then Kai wakes up. So (now it’s about 4:30am), I make him a bottle and try and get him to go back to sleep. Finally about 30 minutes later he drifts off (after much hacking and spitting up – he has a cold). I have a choice – sleep for an hour (maybe) and not have time for a quiet time, or stay up because I know that one or both of the boys will wake up again around 6am. I choose the latter choice because I value my time in the morning. Unfortunately, that means that I have lost 2 hours of sleep, at least. The picture of God holding me, carrying me, and strengthening me, is an encouraging picture this morning, especially knowing I have the boys on my own today and they are full of energy! I love having these two little ones, but boy, do I ever miss my sleep! All this to say, obedience is important. Sometimes all it takes is one person, one voice, to stand up and say what God wants him or her to say, and that makes all the difference in the world. Noah, Isaiah, John the baptist, Paul, Jesus. Our world will never be the same.