Saturday, January 23, 2010

Joel 2.18-32, Romans 11.25-12.13 - Lectionary for 1/23/10

Today's readings are Joel 2.18-32 and Romans 11.25-12.13.

After Joel has depicted Israel being brought down by the enemies they cannot possibly combat, he moves into a poetic proclamation of what the Lord is going to do for his people.  As the people turn to God in repentance and faith he makes these promises - to provide them with the grain, wine and oil that they need.  He will pour out on them abundance of all they need.  Their crops will be so abundant they will not be able to use all they have.  Not only will the Lord pour out all the food and drink they need, but the Lord will pour out his Spirit on his people.  They will be prophets, they will see the heavenly things, they will speak of God's person and revelation.

We see in the beginning of the book of Acts where this has been fulfilled.  Our Lord has poured out his Spirit.  He has created a new place of forgiveness and nurture for his people, the Church.  He incorporates people into the Church by faith, through the work of hte Holy Spirit, with repentance, confession, baptism, and the apostles' doctrine.  He has raised up a mighty army, mightier than the invading locusts, bringing blessing to all the world.

Our Lord has done all this to bring glory to himself.  He has done all of it to remind all nations that he is in fact the one in whom all the world holds together, the one who supplies all the needs of this world according to his good pleasure.  Do we live in the light of this?  Let us realize it and turn to our Lord in confession of who he is, in delight for his provision, and in hope that he will in fact bring to pass all that he has said.

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