Joel 2:23-32; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

I have welcomed the opportunity over the past weeks to re-acquaint myself with the prophecy of Joel and, as well, the letters of Paul to Timothy. The prisim through which I have reflected on these texts is today's Psalm…Psalm 65. You will sing a paraphrase of that Psalm following the sermon but the verse which, to my mind, finds echoes in both the Old and New Testaments is vs. 5: "Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation, O Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away." The language of the psalm persistently reminds its hearers that God is, in every sense, the author of salvation. God is the one who "forgives our transgressions" (vs. 3) and who chooses human beings and brings them "near to live in your courts" (vs. 4). God’s salvation extends even to the earth itself; its creation and sustenance stem from God alone (vs.5-13). You both sang and believe these words: "God crowns the year with goodness, The earth God’s mercy fills, The wilderness is fruitful, And joyful are the hills. With grain the fields are covered, The flocks in pastures graze; All nature joins in singing A joyful song of praise." (Presbyterian Hymnal #200)

As idyllic as these comforting and affirming words of the Psalm are, when the occasion of Joel’s prophecy is viewed through them, one is caught up short. For the occasion of the writings of Joel’s prophecy is an unparalleled locust plague, which Joel sees as a judgment from God and as a warning and symbol of the final day of the Lord. The prophet describes a locust plague and drought, calls the people to repentance, and promises the removal of the locusts and the restoration of fertility. An unprecedented calamity has resulted from successive waves of locusts (1:2-4). Since food and the means of sacrifice are destroyed, all classes of people are called to mourn. (1:5-12). The priests are exhorted to summon the people to the temple for a national repentance (1:13-14). This calamity is a warning of the approaching day of the Lord (1:15). As food and water are cut off by a drought, the prophet and even the animals cry to God for relief (1:16-20). Yet there is hope if the people will cast themselves on Yahweh’s mercy: "Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, , with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing (2:12-13).

We are not given the details of the people’s response, but in Joel’s view it seems to have been favorable. With the coming of the autumn rains the prophet begins to speak of a new crop which will take the place of that which the locusts devoured and which will fill the lives of the people with plenty once again.

I reflected on this passage from Joel over against several articles I have read about drought and hunger in some parts of the world. One article in particular caught my attention. Maybe all of you know this already, but this author (to be sure with a point of view) gave examples of countries in Africa wherein not locusts, but leaders were responsible for bad harvests. They would fail to furnish seed; would relocate the small farmers and destroy their grain crops, all under the guise of ferreting out an enemy.

Another story of possible food and heat shortages comes from Russia. It seems during the heyday (if one can call it that) of the Soviet Union, Siberia, from whose ground is extracted precious metal, diamonds and all manner of valuable raw materials for export was well supplied with food and fuel for the winter. But the article in the "New York Times" pointed out that the present economic situation in Russia precludes the old Soviet kind of care for these hardy northern-most Russians, and there is a good chance that freezing and starvation will occur. It is such a possibility that there is under consideration re-locating vast numbers of people to the south.

And we are told by reliable sources that North Korea, notwithstanding food gifts from western nations, has major problems with food distribution causing many of their citizens to go hungry. One might readily argue that the "locusts" in these instances are not a world indifferent to these nations’ plight, but officials who can’t or won’t do the moral thing---feed their people.

I remember as a child reading the "Little House…." Series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. One of the books, "Little House on the Prarie," describes a storm of locusts and the implications for that pioneer family particularly as they faced a long winter. Most of you, like me, view pestilence and famine from books, National Geographic or CNN. Nevertheless, we are caught up in the pathos of it all, even second hand.

We fervently hope for miracles in lands where people starve; we contribute generously as individuals and a church to alleviate suffering. Yet if we are to take the prophet Joel ("Yahweh is God") at his word a reversal of fortune for God’s people begins to occur. God begins to rehabilitate the stricken land. This rehabilitation establishes a point of immense importance. In the whole sweep of the biblical perspective God’s mercy is not represented as springing merely from a general disposition toward tenderheartedness. Rather it is seen as the expression of God’s faithfulness. God’s love is shown in the keeping of God’s promises to God’s people. It is because "the Lord became jealous for his land…" that he "…had pity on his people (2:18). Faith thus rests upon a more secure foundation than any generalized conception or philosophy of divine love. Faith confesses with the prophet Joel and the Apostle Paul who uses the image of games, "….I have finished the race and kept the faith (4: 7). At another spot in 2 Timothy, Paul assures us, "if we are faithless, God remains faithful for God cannot deny himself (2:13). From God alone comes faith; and the faith that God grants us allows us to hope, not just for the best, but for God’s faithfulness.

There is nothing subtle or obscure about this deeply moving affirmation, and what it says to us is crystal clear. It reminds us that the Christian life is a struggle against evil in ourselves and around us. One hymn of the church puts it this way, "Fight the good fight with all thy might; Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right" (Hymnal 307). We all struggle with evil within ourselves, particularly during the stewardship season, I will own it for myself and perhaps you do as well. I split my giving among three churches: my home church; the first church I served in Texas and a struggling black congregation in Norwalk; I struggle with the evil of selfishness. I begin to think about what that money might do for ME. If I just kept a bit more of what is truly God’s money, maybe the kids and I could not one or two, but three skiing weekends. These are selfish thoughts about giving to the one whose son gave all for me. I make it a matter of prayer with this background as I walk around the reservoir, "Then will I Jehovah’s praise with joy and gladness daily raise, And sing the name and Deity of Jehovah the most high. Ever let my thanks endure, faithful ever, ever sure."

God’s renewed favor to God’s people takes the form of reversing the conditions of the blight. Just as Joel has dwelt upon the actual circumstances of the distress, so now he elaborates the details of the restoration. Relief from the tribulation is not sought or found merely in a spiritualized philosophy of life. And actual return of material abundance is envishaged.

The point is not that prosperity automatically accompanies righteousness in succeeding periods of history. The point is rather that God has regard for the real needs and wants of all people, that God takes God’s creatures seriously just as he made them. God knows the reality of hunger and thirst, and all the normal desires of flesh and blood. God does not give a stone in place of bread, under the guise of substituting something spiritual for something we can taste, touch and see. The Giver bestows not only material gifts, but the gifts of himself. The one who knows the difference between bread and a stone has also said that "…humans shall not live by bread alone" (Matt. 4:4).

The word of redemption so clearly heard in Joel is echoed in the words of Paul. For it is Paul who reminds Timothy and those of us who have come after him that the race of faith that comes from God alone is not won until the finish line has been crossed, and that there can be no slackening of effort along the way. We are reminded daily that we have pledged ourselves to Christ, to whom we owe faithful allegiance. That allegiance flags, we may grow weary in our faith-walk, but ultimately God provides us satisfaction and security. One Old Testament scholar suggests that our psalm for the day portrays God "…as a ‘cosmic farmer,’ who carefully tends and waters the earth (vs. 9-10) so that it produces abundantly (vs.11-13). In God’s place and throughout God’s wide world, God is the gracious provider. In recognition of God’s role and rule, the created elements offer their joyful praise (v.13c).

No matter how dark the present moment (and we know well dark moments); no matter how real the justice of God—and for Joel it was very real—judgment does not have the final word. God’s final and gracious word is one of redemption captured eloquently and poetically in the words of the prophet Joel, anticipating the glorious event of Pentecost, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams and your young ones shall see visions."