"The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers." Verses 1-2
Joel 1:8-10
We're getting into the really short prophet books now. Umm...short books, not short prophets. Of course, I really have no idea how tall they were, but...*slap* Sorry.
This is a tragic passage. Short enough that I can quote the three verses here.
"Weep like a young virgin dressed in black, mourning the loss of her fiance.
Without grain and grapes, worship has been brought to a standstill in the Sanctuary of GOD.
The priests are at a loss. GOD's ministers don't know what to do.
The fields are sterile. The very ground grieves.
The wheat fields are lifeless, vineyards dried up, olive oil gone."
This is not one of those passages that comforts (such as Psalm 23 that I read yesterday), in fact this passage is just the opposite. A famine has hit the land that has had more than just a physical impact. It has brought worship to a screeching halt.
In our country, confession is encouraged, but mostly on an individual level. We seldom discuss the idea of corporate confession. But this was a regular occurrence in the Old Testament world. There are countless examples of corporate confession in the Bible. "National sin grieved the heart of the God-fearing Hebrew, and confessing it was desired and expected."
If we were to take out a piece of paper and list the sins of our communities, government, country, and churches, what would we find on it? Ouch. How long do we have?
Our communities neglect the physically needy. I know hardly anyone in our neighborhood. I know my next-door neighbors a little. One is a pentecostal evangelist and his wife. The other side is a very nice black family who moved here as Katrina refugees. Got a great deal on the house next door and moved in, got jobs, and have been great neighbors. But I don't know anything about their needs, either side. Our "communities" aren't really that, anymore. We are so isolated.
Our government's sins are too many to enumerate. They lie, cheat, and steal as a way of life. They are horrible stewards of the resources that they take from us, the citizens. Just recently, the Texas CPS was found guilty in over-stepping its authority with this whole "polygamist cult" thing down by San Angelo. I admit I have to agree with the court's ruling on this one. We have a president who has us in a military conflict, under false pretenses, with no way out. All because he had a personal agenda. I could go on and on...Fort Worth's city council is pushing a petition to force a vote to allow grocery stores to sell alchohol (I didn't know they couldn't). Not necessarily a "sin," but what business does our government have pushing alcohol?? That should be a private matter.
Our country is more and more being built around greed and materialism. And that is bleeding over into our churches. Our churches are succumbing to the temptations to water down the gospel in order to attract people. I'm here to tell you that that is absolutely worthless! What good does it do to attract sinners to church and then not give them the only means to heal them from their sin?? I guess we entertain them. Yeah, that helps. We have "megachurches" in our area that put on the most ludicrous productions every Sunday. There have even been publications, pretending to be Bibles, that resemble Cosmopolitan magazine. I find that tremendously offensive! God's Word is not a fashion magazine!
Ok, I'll step down off my little soapbox, now. Point is, we as a nation, have plenty to confess, sins against God, and sins against our fellow citizens. Possibly even sins against non-citizens. I've yet to pin down how God would have us handle the whole illegal alien issue. That's a tough one. At some point, we Christians have to determine where our loyalty lies. Are we citizens of heaven first, or citizens of the USA first. I know my answer...at the end of the day, I have no attachment to a piece of land or a colorful rag, flapping in the breeze.
Ah, well. Perhaps tomorrow's will be more positive.
Grace and peace, friends!