5/17/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
The people of this world don't seem to mind plundering God's people or God's resources, when it fits their desires. In Joel 3:1-5 God condemns several particular practices. The people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia have displaced God's people Israel and have confiscated and divided up the land which God had apportioned for the different tribes of Israel. Some of the people have been taken into slavery and have been considered as stakes to be wagered for. Human trafficking, particularly for the sex trade, has been practiced, and the perpetrators have gone to such an extent in their folly that they would sell a girl, take the proceeds in wine, and drink it up, leaving themselves with nothing of value.
Are these the acts of a people God should respect? Not at all! In verses 4-5 God has no respect for this kind of crime. It is unwarranted folly. God will return payment in kind. The people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia will be plundered, scattered, and sold into slavery if they should survive.
Our world remains in a terrible state. Human trafficking is rampant. People rejoice in successful fraud. There are power-brokers engaged in profiteering.
Those who think God won't notice need to think again. None of it has escaped God's notice. He understands our human injustice. And one day, it will be repaid.
This should strike fear in the hearts of those who wish to use their power and authority, or their resources, including their intelligence, to plunder, dominate, and oppress. Your desires are known to God, and your actions are known to others. He will settle accounts in his time.
What comfort does this bring to those who are downtrodden, who have been scattered, whose resources have been confiscated, who have been treated as objects to be bought, sold, used, and discarded? God also sees you. He is not going to be silent forever.
Christians believe that in Christ, even death and hell have been conquered. Those who are looking to him in hope will find life and assurance in this world as well. There is nothing that can harm us eternally. No matter how we may have suffered, Jesus has overcome all who would try to destroy us. This is the Christian hope. God will put everything to rights in his time.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
The people of this world don't seem to mind plundering God's people or God's resources, when it fits their desires. In Joel 3:1-5 God condemns several particular practices. The people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia have displaced God's people Israel and have confiscated and divided up the land which God had apportioned for the different tribes of Israel. Some of the people have been taken into slavery and have been considered as stakes to be wagered for. Human trafficking, particularly for the sex trade, has been practiced, and the perpetrators have gone to such an extent in their folly that they would sell a girl, take the proceeds in wine, and drink it up, leaving themselves with nothing of value.
Are these the acts of a people God should respect? Not at all! In verses 4-5 God has no respect for this kind of crime. It is unwarranted folly. God will return payment in kind. The people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia will be plundered, scattered, and sold into slavery if they should survive.
Our world remains in a terrible state. Human trafficking is rampant. People rejoice in successful fraud. There are power-brokers engaged in profiteering.
Those who think God won't notice need to think again. None of it has escaped God's notice. He understands our human injustice. And one day, it will be repaid.
This should strike fear in the hearts of those who wish to use their power and authority, or their resources, including their intelligence, to plunder, dominate, and oppress. Your desires are known to God, and your actions are known to others. He will settle accounts in his time.
What comfort does this bring to those who are downtrodden, who have been scattered, whose resources have been confiscated, who have been treated as objects to be bought, sold, used, and discarded? God also sees you. He is not going to be silent forever.
Christians believe that in Christ, even death and hell have been conquered. Those who are looking to him in hope will find life and assurance in this world as well. There is nothing that can harm us eternally. No matter how we may have suffered, Jesus has overcome all who would try to destroy us. This is the Christian hope. God will put everything to rights in his time.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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