TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joel 1:16-20
God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. - Hebrews 12:10b
TODAY IN THE WORD
A mother was working in the kitchen when she heard the sound of whimpering on the back porch. When she opened the door, she saw her small son sitting on the steps nursing a bruised finger and crying. He and a friend had been loading rocks in a basket when one of the rocks had landed on his hand. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” his mother asked. The boy sheepishly replied that he had been afraid to come to her. “Afraid?” she said in amazement. “Why would you be afraid?” “I thought you might be angry,” the boy explained. The mother bandaged her son’s finger and as she hugged him she said, “You never have to be afraid to come to us when you are hurt.”

The consequences of Israel’s disobedience in Joel’s day had been painful for both man and beast. A combination of locusts and drought had destroyed the crops. Men and animals alike were suffering. What is more, the shortage of food had interrupted the cycle of temple sacrifices and festivals (v. 16). The pitiful lowing of hungry cattle and the bleating of starving sheep mirrored the anguished cries of God’s people (v. 18). As Joel watched wild fires consume land and crops, he added his voice to this chorus of suffering (v. 19). This was God’s intention. His design was that Israel’s suffering would make them aware of their own sin and would instill in them a longing for restoration. These sufferings prompted God’s creation to “pant” or long after God (v. 20). It could only be hoped that His people would be as wise as the animals they tended.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How have you responded to the difficult circumstances in your life? Would you say that they have drawn you closer to God, or are you in danger of being driven away from Him? Take time to examine the difficulties you face. How has God been using them to teach you more about His faithfulness and forgiveness? While not every problem you meet may be a case of divine discipline, you can have confidence that God is lovingly working through the events that come your way to produce righteousness and peace in your life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joel 2:1-11
Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand. - Joel 2:1b
TODAY IN THE WORD
When a case is examined in a courtroom, not everyone arrives with the same agenda. The prosecutor hopes to make a case to convict the defendant. The accused, if innocent, looks for vindication. The defendant who is guilty may look for mercy. The judge, on the other hand, should be interested only in seeing that justice is done. Unfortunately, in human affairs this doesn’t describe every judge. The Persian ruler Cambyses II, the son of Cyrus the Great, discovered that a judge in his kingdom was notoriously corrupt. He had the man flayed alive and then ordered that his skin be used to cover the seat upon which his successors would render their decisions. Though not every unjust judge will receive rebuke here on earth--certainly not to the extent exercised by Cambyses II--they will answer to the justice of God.

The Old Testament phrase “Day of the Lord” refers to a time when God will judge the nations. God’s judgment is always just, and for this reason the prophet Joel warned that the Day of the Lord would be “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness” (v. 2). Just as the locust plague in Joel’s day blotted out the light of the sun, the future day of the Lord would be a day of disaster for sinners. Other prophets describe this as a time when men’s hearts will melt with fear and sinners will be judged (Isa. 13:6-9). In particular, they predict that it will be a time when the Gentile nations will be called to account (Ezek. 30:3; Obad. 1:15). The devastation and darkness of the locust plague of Joel’s day brought to mind cosmic disturbances that would accompany the coming Day of the Lord. They compelled the prophet to make this observation: “The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” The implied answer: “Nobody!”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If the Day of the Lord were to come today, how would you fare? Only those who have been declared righteous by faith in Christ will be able to endure that day.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joel 2:12-17
Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. - Joel 2:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
A businessman whose unethical practices were widely known once told Mark Twain of the pilgrimage he hoped to make some day. “Before I die,” he said, “I will climb Mount Sinai and read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top.” Twain was not impressed. “I have a better idea” he retorted. “You could stay at home in Boston and keep them.”

Religious observances like fasting can have great value. But they were never meant to serve as a substitute for genuine repentance. In Joel’s day God’s people engaged in religious rituals like fasting and tearing their garments. The problem with these efforts was that they were not performed with a repentant heart (v. 12). As far as God was concerned, the outward form of such rituals was not nearly as important as the attitude of the heart. He challenged them saying, “Rend your hearts and not your garments” (v. 13). He also reminded them of the description of His compassion that He gave to Moses after Israel had sinned with the golden calf (Ex. 34:6–7). This description underscored the folly of their mechanical approach to worship.

True repentance is not a matter of perfunctory observance of certain rituals but is grounded in relationship. Those who turn to God in repentance do not base their appeal for forgiveness on their own performance but upon God’s character. In verse 13 the prophet gives them five reasons for “rending their hearts”: God’s grace, compassion, patience, love, and mercy. Based upon this, the prophet called upon the priests to declare a sacred assembly in the hope that sincere repentance would result in restoration. This was to be a universal expression of grief over sin. Although public and formal, it was also to be sincere (v. 12).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We are to approach God with the confidence that He sees what is done in secret and knows all that we truly need. As you approach God in prayer today, ask yourself whether you are merely going through the motions. Has your devotional life become too mechanical? Perhaps it is time to make a change. Take a walk and use what you see as a basis for prayer. Find a hymn and let its words guide your devotional time. Whatever you choose to do, be sure that you engage your heart first.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joel 2:18-27
Never again will my people be shamed. - Joel 2:26b
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the magazine Today’s Christian Woman, Linore Burkhard wrote of the time she went for a walk with her two-year-old daughter. Suddenly the toddler let go of her mother’s hand and began to run ahead, with her frantic mother chasing close behind. The little girl was just about to step into a busy street when she lost her balance and fell. As Burkhard stooped to pick her up, she shuddered to think about what might have happened. She recognized a surprising blessing and a valuable spiritual lesson in her daughter’s bruises that she now attempted to soothe. “What we don’t see while we’re feeling pain is God’s hidden purpose” Burkhard explained. “Sometimes, the very incident we see as hurtful is God’s way of protecting us from worse harm.”

As we have seen, the devastation of the locust plague was intended to move God’s people to genuine repentance. The wonderful promise was that God would respond with zeal for the devastated land and pity for His afflicted people, both objects of God’s jealousy and covenant promises (v. 18). This may seem surprising. The Bible often condemns jealousy in human relationships (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 3:3; 2 Cor. 12:20). Yet our God is a jealous God (Ex. 34:14; 1 Cor. 10:22). One of the chief differences between divine and human jealousy is that human jealousy is self-centered. God’s jealousy is directed toward the best interests of His people. Some have suggested that it might be easier to understand God’s jealousy as zeal for those He loves. God does not want His people to have anything other than Himself as the object of their worship. He alone is God!

God’s ultimate desire was not to punish His people but to restore them. He promised to send new wine, grain, and oil, He promised never to make them an object of scorn among the nations. In addition, He promised to drive the “army”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God may not shield us from the results of our sinful actions, but He will forgive and accept as His children all those who come to Him by faith in Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joel 2:28-32
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. - Joel 2:29
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his book entitled Keep in Step With the Spirit, J. I. Packer notes, “For most people nowadays Spirit is a vague and colorless word.” More often than not, he explains, they associate it with a mood or attitude.

When some Christians hear the word spirit, they think primarily in terms of power. But when the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit, it reveals that He is a Person. When we are born again, we do not merely receive power to live the Christian life, we are indwelt by a divine Person--the Holy Spirit. This is the unique privilege of all those who trust in Christ. This privilege was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel.

The material blessings upon the land predicted in the previous verses only foreshadowed a much greater blessing that was to come “afterward” (v. 28). Joel’s use of this term signals a general shift in focus. The coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the rest of the events he will discuss in the remainder of this book primarily pertain to a time later in the future than the events predicted in the earlier half of the book.

Although the Holy Spirit had been active in Joel’s day, the prophet foretold that in the age to come His ministry would be characterized by three important features. First, Joel promised that it would be an inclusive ministry. Previously, the Holy Spirit had worked through specific individuals. In the coming age He would be poured out “on all people” (v. 28). Joel speaks of the Spirit being poured out on sons and daughters, as well as on old men and young men. All the people of God, regardless of age or gender, are in view.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The apostle Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit as the blessing given to everyone who is in Christ (Rom. 8:9). He also spoke of the need to be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). This is not a contradiction. Once we know that the Holy Spirit lives within us, we need to depend upon His power daily to live a life that brings glory to Christ. Pray and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and to help you rely upon Him today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joel 3:1-16
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. - Joel 3:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Philip Ryken, senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, tells of the time he was leading his family in a study of the books of Kings. He read about the death of wicked king Ahab and how his evil wife Jezebel was thrown to her death from a parapet. As he described how the wild dogs licked up Ahab’s blood and devoured Jezebel’s flesh, his four-year-old son let out a spontaneous cheer. “Frankly, I was shocked,” Ryken writes. “Ahab and Jezebel met such bloody ends, it hardly seemed right to celebrate. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized God’s victory is something to cheer about.”

Joel’s purpose in today’s passage was to give God’s beleaguered people something to cheer about. Although things looked bleak, the prophet promised them that a time was coming when God would judge their enemies. He predicted that this would take place at a time when the Lord would “restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem” (v. 1). At that time, all the Gentile nations that had gloated over Judah’s destruction and exile would be gathered together for judgment in “the Valley of Jehoshaphat” (v. 2). The name of this valley, which literally means “Jehovah judges” or “Jehovah has judged,” appears to be symbolic. It is also called “the valley of decision” (v. 14).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you been hurt or mistreated by someone who does not know Christ? God will hold them accountable for what they have done.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joel 3:17-21
Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. - Joel 3:17a
TODAY IN THE WORD
Several years ago Amos Elon commented in the New Yorker about the unrest that has been a feature of the city of Jerusalem for so long. “Hardly a day passes in the 'holy city’ without a riot or a stoning, without cars being torched or firebombs thrown, without attempted lynchings or the stabbing of an Israeli by a Palestinian (or vice versa),” he noted. “After each incident, municipal cleaning machines, marked 'CITY OF PEACE’ in three languages, appear on the scene to wash the blood from the streets in time for the next group of tourists to pass by.”

This is still true today--Jerusalem is a place of conflict. Yet it will not always be the case. Speaking through the prophet Joel, God promised to make Jerusalem His dwelling place once again (v. 17).

In the time of David, the Lord chose to reveal Himself in a special way in Jerusalem. In 1 Kings 11:36 He called it “the city where I chose to put my Name.” David relocated the tabernacle there, and it was the place where his son Solomon later built the temple. Because of this, the Psalmist described the Lord as “him who dwells in Jerusalem” (Ps. 135:21).

Unfortunately, the people of Judah came to view the presence of the temple as a talisman. They believed that it made them exempt from divine judgment. But, in 586 B.C. God allowed the city of Jerusalem to fall to the Babylonians.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Joel’s promises for Jerusalem are also relevant for us. God will dwell with His people in the New Jerusalem, and He promises to wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev. 21:3-4).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 1:1-8
The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem. - Amos 1:2a
TODAY IN THE WORD
Nineteenth-century Anglican pastor Charles Bridges made this observation concerning the effect that sin has upon the nation: “No nation is so low, as not to sink under it. While in the mightiest people, it is a blot . . . that no worldly glory can efface.”

We know that God is deeply interested in the righteousness of His people. But what does He expect of unbelievers? The book of Amos provides us with the answer. He shows us that everyone is accountable to God.

The introduction of the book of Amos indicates that the primary focus of the prophet’s ministry was directed toward the Northern Kingdom of Israel (v. 1). The book opens on a note of warning, with the Lord pictured as one who roars like a lion and shakes the earth like thunder (v. 2). As a result, there is widespread devastation from the lowest valleys, where the sheep were pastured, to the mountain heights. All had been blasted by drought. According to Amos, this was far more than a meteorological event. It was an act of divine judgment emanating from Israel’s God.

Yet instead of reproving the people of Israel for their sin, beginning in verse 3, Amos addressed Israel’s Gentile neighbors. Damascus and its ruling dynasty were condemned for using military tactics, which was so brutal that Amos compared it to a threshing sledge with iron teeth (v. 3). Gaza, Israel’s Philistine neighbor to the south, was singled out for selling entire communities of Israelites into slavery to Israel’s long-time enemies, the Edomites (v. 6). In each of these cases the predicted penalty would be a similar fate. The Lord promised to destroy their rulers and “send fire” upon their cities and fortifications (vv. 5, 7–8).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If the Lord expected those who did not acknowledge Him as their God to treat their enemies with respect, what must He expect from those of us who know Christ? Jesus gave us the answer when He commanded us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). How have you been treating those you have trouble getting along with? Make a list of these people and use it as a basis for prayer. Pray sincerely for each person listed, and ask God to enable you to treat the difficult people in your life with respect and love.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 1:9-15
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. - Luke 6:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
During one of his military campaigns, Napoleon’s troops mounted an assault on the Russian city of Smolensk. In an effort to deprive the French general of the pleasure of his imminent victory, the inhabitants abandoned the city and set fire to it. When Napoleon asked his aides what they thought of the sight, one of them replied, “Horrible, sire.” Napoleon snorted in disgust and snapped back, “Remember, gentlemen, as one of the Roman emperors remarked: The corpse of an enemy always smells sweet.”

The prophet Amos disagrees. Today’s passage points out that all is not fair in love and war. One of the chief complaints about Israel’s neighbors in this chapter was that they had treated their enemies inhumanely in warfare. Verses 9–15 continue the litany of charges leveled against the pagan nations.

Israel’s Phoenician neighbor Tyre is singled out for trafficking in the spoils of war because they had sold captured slaves to Edom. By engaging in this kind of business Tyre was “disregarding a treaty of brotherhood” (v. 9). This may be a reference to Tyre’s previous business relationship with Judah. The King of Tyre had supplied Solomon with lumber for the temple (1 Kings 5:1–12). Now Tyre enriched itself as a result of Israel’s misfortune.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We can sometimes be so intent on achieving our aims that we fail to consider the people that we have used in an effort to attain our goals. Think of a goal that you recently achieved. How did you treat others while you were in pursuit of it? Are there people you should thank or to whom you have not given due credit? Are there some that you owe

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 2:1-5
I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem. - Amos 2:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
Most of us who are parents have seen someone else’s children behaving badly in the grocery store. Perhaps they threw a temper tantrum because mom or dad refused to buy them a toy. They may have pushed the grocery cart into other customers. On occasion we may have looked sternly at the child or even asked them to stop. Most of the time, however, we simply walked by, a little annoyed but grateful that our child was not the one making the fuss. When the disturbance is caused by one of our own children, however, our response is quite different.

This is also true of God. While He was angered by the sinful acts of the pagan nations that surrounded Jerusalem, He was also deeply concerned by the sins of His own people. In verse 4 the prophet moves from Israel’s pagan neighbors to Judah, its sister nation to the south. Employing the same formula used to accuse Moab and the other pagan nations in the preceding verses, the prophet condemned Judah. The formula “For three sins . . . even for four,” indicated that Judah’s sin had grown to full measure.

Judah’s sin, however, had gone one step further than the transgressions of Israel’s pagan neighbors, who had sinned against man--Judah’s sin was primarily against God. Judah had rejected God’s Law and had followed the fake gods that had deceived their ancestors (v. 4). Because of this, they would eventually face the same kind of fate as Israel’s enemies. The Lord promised to send “fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem” (v. 5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you have a double standard when it comes to sin? Do you want God to hold others accountable for their behavior and ignore your “little mistakes”? Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ do not need to be afraid of being condemned by God (Rom. 8:1). We should not conclude from this that God is indifferent about the way we live. Perhaps, like Israel, God may be using the example of others as an object lesson for you. Could He be trying to remind you that although you are forgiven, you are also accountable to Him?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 2:6-16
I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites. - Amos 2:10–11
TODAY IN THE WORD
As philosopher and author Ralph Waldo Emerson aged, his memory declined to the point where he often could not remember the names of friends. At the funeral of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, he said, “That gentleman has a sweet, beautiful soul, but I have entirely forgotten his name.”

Today’s passage reveals that God’s people also suffered from memory loss but of a far more serious kind. They had forgotten God’s redemptive work on their behalf and His Law.

After indicting many of Israel’s enemies, including the nation of Judah, Amos turned his attention to Israel itself. Using the same formula of condemnation that he had employed for Israel’s enemies, he warned that the nation of Israel would not escape punishment for its behavior.

The specific transgressions that Amos mentioned fell into three main categories. The first was the sin of enriching themselves at the expense of the poor. Amos criticized Israel of selling “the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals” (v. 6). This probably alludes to the practice of selling debtors into slavery when they couldn’t pay off their loans.

The second major area of transgression mentioned by Amos was the sin of sexual immorality (v. 7). Such immoral behavior often occurred in the context of pagan worship, which is the third area of sin mentioned in this passage (v. . Interestingly, it is mentioned in combination with oppression of the poor. The custom of taking a poor man’s garment as collateral for a loan was strictly forbidden in God’s Law (Ex. 22:26–27).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What steps have you taken to make sure that you remember what God has done in your life? Consider keeping a journal or recording significant blessings in a “book of remembrance.” It is often a good thing to go back and remind yourself how God has worked in the past when you begin to feel unhappy with the present. Most of all, keep a record of the meaningful lessons you have learned from God’s Word. The psalmist declared, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 3:1-8
The lion has roared–who will not fear? - Amos 3:8a
TODAY IN THE WORD
When John F. Kennedy was President of the United States, his two young children Caroline and John would sometimes wander into his office. One famous photograph shows his son John playing beneath the President’s desk. Because they were family members, they had a level of access to the President that others did not.

The nation of Israel also had the privilege of having a unique “family relationship.” Along with the nation of Judah, they had been chosen to be God’s people. In verse 1 the Lord refers to them as “the whole family I brought up out of Egypt.” As such, they enjoyed a distinct privilege that was not shared by other nations. This privilege, however, also brought with it a responsibility. Those chosen by God were also liable to God for their response to Him. They had rejected God’s truth and the warnings of His prophets. As a result, they were subject to His punishment (v. 2).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Christians are often described in the New Testament with the same kind of language used to refer to God’s Old Testament people. They are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 3:9-15
“They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD, “who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses.” - Amos 3:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
In an address to the House of Commons on December 21, 1937, Winston Churchill declared: “Moral force is, unhappily, no substitute for armed force, but it is a very great reinforcement.” However, when armed force is cut off from moral force, the result is tragic. This is what happened to Israel. They lost their moral bearings and became a nation of people “who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses” (v. 10).

Speaking for God, Amos described an imaginary court scene in which witnesses are called to observe and verify the corrupt behavior of Israel. Ironically, those who were chosen for this task were pagans. Ashdod, the first to be mentioned, was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines. Perhaps Ashdod was chosen because its own city wall had been broken down during the prophet’s lifetime (2 Chron. 26:6). Possibly it was because Ashdod would eventually suffer the same fate as Israel. The other witnesses called to testify against God’s people were Israel’s former masters, the Egyptians. Both Ashdod and Egypt were called to assemble on the mountains of Samaria and witness Israel’s unrest and oppression (v. 9). A minimum of two witnesses was required by Mosaic law for a conviction in a capital crime (Deut. 17:6).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Can you think of a time when you realized that you had overlooked a biblical principle when making a decision or engaging in an action? What were the circumstances that made it easy for you to “forget” to do right? We ought to be concerned about doing the right thing, not merely because of what it says about our view of God, but also because of what it says about us (1 John 3:7). When you encounter those circumstances again, rely on God’s strength to choose what is right.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 4:1-5
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. - John 4:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his book Practical Religion, J. C. Ryle warns about what he calls formal religion. “When a man is a Christian in name only, and not in reality--in outward things only, and not in his inward feelings--in profession only, and not in practice--when his Christianity in short is a mere matter of form, or fashion, or custom, without any influence on his heart or life--in such a case as this the man has what I call a 'formal religion.’ He possesses indeed the form, or husk, or skin of religion, but he does not possess its substance or its power.”

Israel practiced formal religion. Amos 4:1–5 criticizes the people of Israel for believing that their religious practices could compensate for their self-indulgent and sinful lifestyle. He begins this section with a caricature of the wealthy women of Samaria, calling them “cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria” (v. 1). Bashan was one of the most prosperous areas of Samaria, known for its rich soil.

This natural fertility, however, was not the only reason for the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by the women of Bashan. Their wealth and success had been built on the backs of the poor. They are pictured as callous and selfish. Women who oppress the poor and needy and in the same breath call upon their husbands to bring them more drinks. Later on these same women would be carried into captivity with hooks. When the Assyrian army finally invaded, the city defenses would fall and they would be driven into captivity through the breaches in the wall made by their enemies (vv. 2–3).

Amos warned that judgment was inevitable and would not be forestalled by Israel’s hypocritical religious practices. With a note of sarcasm, the Lord commanded the people of Samaria to “go to Bethel and sin” and to “go to Gilgal and sin yet more” (v. 4). Both were places where false worship had been carried out for many years. With a note of irony, the Lord challenged the people of Israel saying: “Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings--boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do” (v. 5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Religious practices can be good, but religious practices alone will not please God. How do we know whether our practices are the kind that God accepts?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Amos 4:6-13
Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel. - Amos 4:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
The English Puritan Thomas Brooks observed that holiness was not a natural condition for human beings. “Ah, sirs, holiness is a flower that grows not in Nature’s garden,” he wrote. “Men are not born with holiness in their hearts, as they are born with tongues in their mouths: holiness is a divine offspring: it is a pearl of great price, that is to be found in no nature but a renewed nature, in no bosom but a sanctified bosom.”

Because of this, repentance is the gateway to true holiness. Since we are sinners by nature, only those who first recognize their need for God’s grace and forgiveness can hope to be made holy. For believers, the first mark of true holiness is not the appearance of sinless perfection but a heart that responds to divine reproof.

The Lord reminded the Israelites of the many methods He had used to prompt them to repent and turn from their sins. He sent widespread drought, so that people “staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink.” When this had no effect He became more selective, withholding rain from one field and sending it upon another. He struck their gardens with blight, mildew, and locusts. He destroyed their young men and animals through pestilence and warfare. He even resorted to more spectacular methods that destroyed some towns entirely. Those who survived were “like a burning stick snatched from the fire” (vv. 6–11).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
“Meeting” God is not a happy experience for everyone. The prophet’s warning to Israel is a sobering reminder that God’s patience is unlimited but His timetable is not.