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Joel 2:17

Lesson # Joel 2:17 Study Material - Joel 2:17 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Joel 2:17 17 Let the priests [kohen] , the ministers [sharath] of the LORD [Yahovah] , weep [bakah] between the porch [uwlam] and the altar [mizbeach] , and let them say [amar] , Spare [chuwc] thy people [am] , O LORD [Yahovah] , and give [nathan] not thine heritage [nachalah] to reproach [cherpah] , that the heathen [gowy] should rule over [mashal] them: wherefore should they say [amar] among the people [am] , Where is their God [elohiym] ? KJV-Interlinear 17 Let the priests, the Lord's ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, 'Spare Thy people, O LORD, And do not make Thine inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?' NASB The alter referred to here is the brazen alter, upon which all animal sacrifices were offered. This is the first point of access to the tabernacle of God - representing the work of Christ on the Cross. Behind the alter is the wash basin - the place of washing away of the filth in ones spiritual life (fellowship), then the first room of the tabernacle and inside that room a second inner room, the Holy of Holies. But the nation which has been so negative, and is now under judgment, it is now financially destitute, such that there is no production for gifts from the general population, and therefore no sacrifices to be offered by the priests. The spiritual state of the nation is virtually destitute as well. The priests have nothing to do, but to go outward in the opposite direction away from the tabernacle, beyond the alter, to the steps rising up to the alter, and there on those front steps, cry their hearts out for lack of adequate numbers of positive people which are required to bring the nation back to a state of prosperity. The nation is starting all over again. The people must be again reintroduced to the Savior (Jesus Christ). Though many know of the savior, none have much of a memory as to what the scriptures are all about. Those who have been saved, have long since gone negative, and those who have not been saved, have no teaching from which to learn about salvation. So the cries for help from God, to first spare the nation, and second for God to not allow the nation to become a reproach, an insult, a joke (if you will) for all other nations around them, to be made fun of. If God cannot even care for His own, if God is forever disciplining His own people, if the world is constantly destroying the people of God, then why would anyone want to be interested in a God which seems inadequate? Thus Gods own reputation is on the line. The cry is not to have the discipline removed, for the nation deserves to be punished, but the cry (in prayer) is for Gods reputation to not be ruined such that others might be turned away because of what they witness in His dealings with believers. Psa. 115:2-3 2 Why should the nations say, 'Where, now, is their God?' 3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. NASB Psa. 11:4-7 4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. 7 For the LORD is righteous; He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face. NASB God does that which is best for mankind and that which is best for those who belong to Him. This does not exempt anyone from His discipline. As we saw in the previous verse, from the very young (infants) to the very old, from the very well placed and established to those newlyweds just starting out in life, none are exempted from their obligations to God. No one has the right or privilege to do whatever they wish and thus escape Gods discipline. Though infants have virtually no say in any matter, it is the parents who carry them about, who have to set the example for their children. This begins at the earliest age. Parents who argue, and fight, and otherwise make excuses for their behavior and conduct, set examples for their youngsters. So, folks, those of you who think you can compromise the marriage vows, or your life style in whatever way you see fit. Your compromise has an impact on your children or the very young within your family configuration (however you define it), and the young grow up within your compromised life style. You are not only setting a bad example for the children, but you are responsible for their errors or misconceptions in life (for a while at least), and indirectly responsible for the long term repercussions of society. One compromise passed on to the next generation leads to yet another compromise, and then more and then the nation is under siege from God for its errors. Eventually this will lead to a total worldwide generation of negative people and that is when the Tribulation will begin. The priests stand not behind the alter where they should be standing and teaching the doctrines of the spiritual life, but they are standing out in front of the alter, just trying to undo all the idiotic philosophies and beliefs that have been taught from parent to child for generations. So any rationalization that what you are doing is not harming anyone else, therefore in that you justify your actions or life style, is flat wrong. You are not only leading yourself astray (self deception) but you are sowing the seeds for the next generations disaster. Disasters which will probably be far worse. Now our study is Revelation 14. You see, I haven't forgotten. We are just taking a side trip to Joel to pickup some background lessons. When the Rapture occurs the world will be left with unbelievers only. As I suggested earlier, the problems which will inundate them (in that future generation) will most likely exist prior to the Rapture. The Rapture will not be the cause of the worlds problems, but will be a form of deliverance of believers 'from' those problems. Noah lived in a world which had turned against God. Thus the ark was built. For 120 years, Noah built the ark and taught doctrine. The world was filled with all manner of degeneracy, crime, and such. Noah was delivered out from that trouble. My theory for the Rapture (no extra charge for this) is that the population of the world will grow to unbelievable proportions during this next century (assuming that the Rapture does not occur for another hundred years). If the current population increase rate holds and the population doubles every 30 years, then we will have a population of 50 billion here on planet earth (a lot more than our current 6.3 billion today). That makes for lots of problems, shortages, poverty, billions of people wanting to have better than they have (poverty), lots of frustration, anger and well you can let your imagination work on all the problems which most likely will exist. Then the rapture comes along (none of us really knows when it will occur). People who have missed the rapture will look for a hero - someone who promises to relieve them of all their burdens, and up steps the anti-christ. Anyway, that is how I think things will unfold. We have already studied the seven seals in Revelation and the first four describe the many problems (crime, economic, social, disease, etc.), which will exist and will be released in ever increasing magnitudes, as people continue to reject God with ever increasing defiance. How do you think that the anti-christ comes into power? The people want him just as Germany wanted Hitler initially in the early '30's. But folks will be fooled as they were back then, and the anti-christ will seize and increase his power with force and violence, and then people will discover too late that they have been had. Arrogance is the foundation for all of mans troubles. An arrogant people think they do not need God. An arrogant people think they can define their own life style. Most just don't give God much thought. Too many other important things to think about, ya know. They stop attending church or Bible study. They stop giving to the teaching of the Bible. They begin to endorse various weird ideas and alternate life styles. This passes down to their children and the separation from God increases until sooner or later the nation needs a big wake up call. Boom, disaster comes knocking. If people do not wake up and change, then God simply allows the forces that be, to continue their unrelenting pressure on society. God is never insulted. Gods reputation is never compromised or damaged by His discipline. People are the only ones who come up hurting and they continue hurting until they finally wake up and turn their spiritual lives back to God. End of lesson. Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.

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