Joel, the Locusts and Us

Joel and the Locusts

During the post-exilic era, the Southern Kingdom was devastated with locusts. The plague was so intense that the grapevines and the grains were all laid in ruins. The land was left in desolation. Not even the requirement for the daily offerings of grain and wine were met, leaving the priests and the temple ministers in a state of inadequateness. In addition to this, the people of Judah were also greatly suffering from severe drought and famine. The locusts left them hungry, depressed and totally whacked up. However, God, who has loved them spoke of deliverance should they “return to Me (God) with all your heart. And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your hearts and not your garments.” Joel has asked the people to “Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders…” Clearly, the locusts were God’s judgment over something they shouldn’t have done.

Drunkards and Wine Drinkers. They were the ones asked to weep for their wine production has been cut. However, they were not asked about their deed but for their satisfaction over wine. This was Israel’s sin, Idolatry. They replaced the satisfaction offered by God Himself with His gifts. They bathed their hearts with the joys of celebrations, not of the celebrant. It was as if they worship God, but only out of their need for His gifts and not for Him. Yet, God is so “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and relenting in evil” that He sent Joel to His people. He sent Joel so that the people of Judah find the antidote to their crisis, which was, God Himself.

“To You, O Lord, I cry”. This was Joel’s statement after witnessing “fire devouring the pastures of the wilderness, the flame burning up all the trees of the field..” It was the Lord who would be the ONLY HOPE, not the LAST HOPE. “Even the beast of the field pant for You..” All creations cry out to God alone for comfort during times of great crisis. And only with Him can we find that peace, that rest, that satisfaction that not even a great swarm of locusts may ever disturb again.

Everyday, we are met by different events. Some wonderful, some partly, some are totally unlikely. Wonderful days are so wonderful that at times we don’t want to get out of it, we want to stay inside the circle of wonderful days that when they end, we also end up, hungry for more, wanting and looking for more. This is what happens when we attach too much of our joys to the blessings that God bestows. God has to send locusts for us to find our ultimate need, which only He can satisfy. God has to cut them, make us hungry and dry, He takes our air and suffocates us until we say “To You, o Lord, I cry”. He’ll do that until we cry “like those beasts who pant for You, I am as needful as they are.” Only until we say those words and return to Him (God) with all of our hearts. And with fasting, weeping and mourning; with rendered hearts; will He deliver us from the locusts.