“Is not the food cut off before our eyes?” (v 16)

-         “There will be famine…” (Luke 21.22)

-         “There will be a famine for hearing the word of God” (Amos 8.11)

“The seed shrivels under the clods” (v 17)

-         “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8.11)

The Word was indeed cast out, scorned, despised and hung upon a cross.  And in our day the Word seems indeed to shrivel under the clods of the world, in which it competes for our devotion and attention.  “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation” (Luke 21.34) lest the seed of the Word land among thorns in our heart, thorns of the “cares and riches and pleasures of life” (Luke 8.14).  In our day the most refined means ever of killing the innocent have been developed.  The level of moral corruption surpasses the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.  And the din of the world so great that the Word cannot be heard except by an extraordinary outpouring of God’s mercy.  We are like those at Stephen’s stoning who covered their ears at his preaching, that they might not hear the Word which is always at odds with the world. (Acts 7.57)

“Fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness” (v 19)

-         “My sheep hear my voice, and come in and go out and find pasture” (John 10.4,9)

-         “By the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment” (2 Peter 3.7)

-         “These are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written” (Luke 21.22)

“The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’  For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among [within] you.” (Luke 17.21)

If such is the case with the coming of the kingdom, can we not suppose that the coming day of the Lord as told by Joel will happen similarly, that is, first as a mystical, purifying operation for souls?  For, it seems to me that it is both a punishment and a mercy to be in a world increasingly engulfing its members with noise, distractions, pleasures and dissipations.  A punishment for the flesh, which is opposed to the Spirit, as it is increasingly drawing more souls away from the source of true life.  A great mercy in that it sets forth in stunning relief the reality of where our true life lies – in God’s holy Word – if we can but discipline our unruly flesh and set ourselves on the right path.