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Joel 2:21-22

Lesson # Joel 2:21-22 Study Material - Joel 2:21-22 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 2:21-22 21 Fear [yare] not, O land [adamah] ; be glad [giyl] and rejoice [samach] : for the LORD [Yahovah] will do [asah] great things [gadal] . 22 Be not afraid [yare] , ye beasts [bahemah] of the field [sadeh] : for the pastures [na'ah] of the wilderness [midbar] do spring [dasha] , for the tree [ets] beareth [nasa] her fruit [pariy] , the fig tree [ta'en] and the vine [gephen] do yield [nathan] their strength [chayil] . KJV-Interlinear 21 Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the LORD has done great things. 22 Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has borne its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full. NASB Now we have a stark contrast between the things that the invaders (the locusts) do for the nation, and the things that God does for the nation. We have already seen that the locusts represent an army of the enemy of God. They represent the opinion which stands in contrast to that of God. The enemy believes it does great things (yesterdays lesson), but we know that, that attitude is one of extreme insolent arrogance. What does the army of locusts do to the land? They destroy it. They bleed it to death. They destroy the plants, the production, the surpluses, everything of value. They offer nothing beneficial, nothing productive, nothing which will add to the prosperity of the nation. The enemy of God (the locusts), take and never give back. They squeeze the nation until it has nothing more to give and they continue to squeeze just because that is what they do. Now we know that locusts do not have feelings. They do not have self determination. They do not have arrogance. But they represent that pattern of human carnal behavior which is anti-God. So, again we review. There are two opinions in this universe. There is Gods opinion, and there is everything else. The 'everything else' opinion finds its foundation in Satan and his philosophy of deceit, lies and so forth. From that beginning, mankind can build very elaborate opinions, or philosophies, or religions, or whatever ideas they can come up with which stand in rejection of God, and are used to guide mankind through this life. That is to say, that we can get along without God if we all come together, if we just find more answers in technology, if we just refine our religious beliefs, if we invent better medicines, if we just do things which don't harm others, if we don't offend anyone else, if we are just sincere in what we do then it is ok, and so forth. All of these are of course misguided and false concepts. Are we to live our life, die, and then sit idly by in the grave while mankind eventually learns enough to resurrect us? Pretty risky business, I think. We can look around at our history (recall our very beginning study of Joel?) And we can see what anti-God attitudes have accomplished. Trouble and disaster. Look at our USA and then look at other third world countries. We are 80% plus Christian and many other countries have little if any Christianity within them. We have about 4% of the worlds population and we produce over one-third of the worlds annual prosperity. Is there any connection here? Life under Christianity is far better than under all of the other religions put together. Sure we have our difficulties. Not all Christians are honorable. But blessing comes into the world from God, through mature believers and from there spreads out through all Christians to provide blessings to the rest of the world by means of the worlds association with Christianity by the mere fact that the rest of the world lives on this planet where Christians live. That is the reality of why mankind continues to exist. Probably a small percentage of Christians in this country are mature believers, and look at the huge difference when we are contrasted with non-Christian countries. Imagine what the prosperity would be if the entire nation were made up of mature believers? Well that level of prosperity will probably be reserved for the Millennium when only mature believers begin that future dispensation. What will happen when all Christians are removed at the Rapture? The world will take a huge nose dive as it tries to produce its own prosperity apart from Gods help. Can't be done. As the locusts swept over the land in Joel's time, so then, the arrogance of mankind will sweep over the world in the Tribulation and disaster after disaster, atrocity after atrocity, and failure after failure will inundate the world. Arrogance lusts for prosperity, but pursues it through violence, and the result is destruction of everything good. Now, when mankind gets wise to all of this, and then turns around their lives toward God, to His Word, to their own spiritual lives, then God reenters the picture and prosperity floods back to those who are positive, obedient, and persistent in their pursuit of Gods wisdom and guidance. This was true in Joel's time. It will be true in the Tribulation. It is certainly true in our current day. Ignore God in your life, and you will be persuaded and guided by all sorts of weird, bizarre, and absolutely dumb ideas. Listen to some of the liberal ideas being poured out on us these days. Between the very far left (liberal) news media and politicians who can't make up their mind (leader want-to-be's), it is a wonder that we still have a country. But God is patient and has the best interest of positive believers in mind. Where there is a good deal of positive volition toward God, then all the ludicrous power plays out there in the world will fail, but if the pattern should ever turn away from God, then that is the time to beware of big trouble on the horizon. Of the characteristic problems of the five cycles of discipline, Lev. 26, (we have studied these in detail in the past) which God can impose on a nation (1. negative volition, 2. family degradation (establishment breakdowns), 3. degeneracy (societies norms and standards), 4. economic difficulties (recession, depression, famine), and 5. invasion (military defeat)), then we can see how life hangs in the balance (often times by just a thread it would seem) in every generation. How can we possibly manage when the world seems to pursue shallow and empty and mediocre standards? Apologies demanded where accomplishments are ignored. Power is sought after where integrity is lacking. Honor and responsibility are placed on hold while feelings become more important. In short, Gods wisdom is set aside and mediocrity combined with approbation become the alter of worship. 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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