Today’s Scripture Reading (November
16, 2016): Joel 1
If it were not for his midnight ride, we probably
would not know the name of Paul Revere. It is not that Revere was not important before
the revolutionary war. He was important, but he was important in a sea of other
famous people. What made him different
was the midnight ride – and, of course, a concocted story about the cry “The
British are coming, the British are coming.” In truth, Revere never uttered
those words. His mission depended on secrecy,
and the “British” were everywhere. To those to whom he spoke, the words he used
were more likely that “The regulars were coming out.” The hearer could
interpret those words any way that they chose. But the romance of that midnight
ride made Paul Revere famous. Moreover, afterward,
we actively sought out more information on this man who traveled through Massachusetts with his warning of the approaching
British regulars.
We know
nothing of Joel, son of Pethuel. This is the only mention of Joel in the entire
Hebrew Bible. We are not even positive of where to place him in history. His
words could be set anywhere between a time just before the fall of Israel to
somewhere just after the construction of Zerubbabel’s Temple which was constructed after Judah has returned from its
exile. However, our questions about the person of Joel and the timing of his
prophecy do not dilute the importance of his message. This is a “British are coming” message. His warning is that a disaster
is about to, or has, taken place. Nevertheless, that is not a reason to give up.
God is still in control, and we need to
understand that.
The message
of Joel contains the Pentecost words spoken by Peter just after the ascension
of Jesus. “And
afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters
will prophesy, your old men will dream
dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and
women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29). This is the prophecy of Joel in which we, as Christians,
currently live. Peter declared that the words of this unknown prophet became a
reality in that upper room just ten days after Jesus finally ascended into heaven. At that time, God poured out his
Spirit on all of his people.
Personally, it is also within the prophecy of this prophet that I have
found my personal ministry statement. Let
the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare
your people, Lord” – Joel 2:17a. This has been my driving purpose
in ministry. God let me stand in the intersection between the porch, where the
people are, and the altar, where you are, and weep for those who do not know
you. I do not need to know exactly who Joel was, or when he ministered, to know
that these are important words for me – that they are words that have shaped me
as much as Paul Revere’s ride shaped the United States. Both are statements of
purpose and intention that
have shaped the future. And nothing could be more important than that.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Joel 2
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