Language and Locusts
Have you read Joel 2? In a nutshell, Joel 2 is about the great suffering God’s people will face if they do not repent of their wicked ways. Some Bible scholars believe Joel is talking about a literal plague of locusts that were currently invading the land, while others believe it was a prophecy about a human army about to destroy the people. God tells His people to truly repent, not just make a show of it (rend your heart and not your garments) , and, if they did, He would rescue them. In fact, God seems to be pleading with the people to follow His commands so that He can restore and bless them. The interesting thing to me though is the language.
Language
Verse 25 begins:
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming [k]locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust, “
The language here is interesting. God doesn’t say, I will give you back your stuff. He doesn’t say I’ll replace your food stores, your homes, and fields, and all the things that the locusts destroyed. He says, “I will restore the years the locusts have eaten.” He goes on to explain the types of destructive locusts – crawling, consuming, and chewing. Imagine all the troubles that crawl, consume, and chew up our peace – our lives. The language is meaningful.
Time
Why didn’t God just say He would give them back their stuff? Why say years? I think the reason this phrasing is so precise is that it is all-encompassing. Growing crops takes time. When you lose everything you have, sometimes that comes with the loss of relationships, too. If you consider everything that goes into a year of your life, it can not be measured just by accumulated stuff. There are countless conversations. There is laughter, joy, and peace. When you have been utterly destroyed, demolished, decimated, there is stress, pain, worry, friction, anger, rage, hopelessness, and loss.
Relationship
It’s easy to overlook words in trying to figure out the message. But the message here is in the word choice. God does not seek to give us a superficial restoration – He seeks to build back our relationship with Him. God wants to provide us with the kind of restoration that is buried deep in the soil of our souls. If you have ever rebuilt a relationship – it takes time. God tells His people that He will give them the impossible; He will give them back the years.
You Can’t Out-give God
When it comes to relationships, blessings, or anything, you can’t out-give God. He wants to give to us exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask for or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20-21) God’s eyes, His heart, His grace, His Mercy, His provision, His imagination, and His purpose for our lives are so much more than we can even conceive. He wants us to follow Him so that He can work through us to show the world His love. Don’t ever imagine that God plays small with your life or your purpose. A God that restores time is infinitely more powerful.
Be blessed today.
Leave a Reply