[56충만] 29욜 1; 1-10 삶의 어려움 속에서 하나님을 생각하다

Thinking of God in Life's Difficulties

June is the end of the first half of the year. It's been 6 months since the start of 2022, and we're halfway through. The book of Joel read this June shows the same judgment and restoration as the prophets we have seen so far, but the background is a little different. It was not set against the background of Israel's destruction and restoration, but rather understood the meaning of the locust plague that happened during the reign of King Joash of southern Judah and foretold recovery and development from that disaster. This meaning shows that we can think of God and the meaning of faith amid personal life difficulties and recovery, not national disasters and recovery. Even if there were damages and difficulties like the locust disaster in our lives, if we think about God and have hope, we could recover from the damage.

When you think about the past 6 months, have you experienced any pain or difficulties in your personal life? Were there any frustrations and failures? The more you think about it, the more you will be able to remember the agony and frustration of that time. We all have those challenges, great or small. However, you should not try to solve the meaning of the difficulty by oblivion. The difficulty does not go away simply by forgetting it. The real solution is to have a lesson in God. Then, the value and meaning of the difficulty arise. The book of Joel makes it known to us. What lessons can we learn from the locust damage incident? It is the content of that lesson that makes us realize. We need to understand the lessons from the book of Joel and apply them in our lives. At that time, just like the meaning of all those words, all the difficulties of the past will be resolved and will appear to us as a greater blessing in the future.

To understand the core of the book of Joel, let's look at today's text together.
“[Joel] 1:1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Bethuel.
Joel 1:2 Hear this, ye old men; give ear, all inhabitants of the earth: Did this happen in your days or the days of your fathers?
Joel 1:3 You shall tell these things to your children, and your children shall tell their children, and their children shall tell them after generations.”
This is precisely the locust disaster that occurred during the reign of King Joash. But the disaster didn't just happen in vain. In it, the meaning of God was important, and there was a content that God wanted to make us realize in it. It was not simply a judgment against sin. In it, there was God's call to remind us of God, who is sovereign in all things. It would be futile to spend such a time without realizing or understanding the meaning while experiencing any difficulty or suffering. However, if you realize and understand something from that experience, you can have greater wisdom, understanding, and faith in it. When it is repeated day by day, our life becomes meaningful, not meaningless. Living such a life is a wonderful opportunity for maturity and development that God has given us. The book of Joel reminds us of that very meaning. So that meaning must be passed on to children and known to posterity. It is because they have acquired wisdom that can be passed on through time.

Our last six months of life are just that. It is not a meaningless and worthless life at all. We must realize that the last six months of life have been valuable and meaningful lives that we can pass on to the next generation. And it doesn't matter if the past life was easy or difficult. Whatever it is, it has meaning as to how could you have lived such a peaceful life if you lived well and peacefully. If it was difficult and painful, it also has meaning as to how we were able to overcome such a life. And when you realize that, you will understand what is being testified in the book of Joel today. Have we experienced what we have experienced before? It's not like that. I experienced something new. So, there is a value that can be passed on to children and future generations about the meaning of that new thing.

Experiences of unprecedented epidemics, unprecedented times of church stagnation, and unprecedented political, social, and cultural changes are all good experiences and wisdom to pass on to your children and posterity. This will be It doesn't matter if you don't just tell it as a success story. It is a story of amazing wisdom and insight that can be passed on through failures and trial and error. But the problem arises when those things don't mean anything. It has been 6 months since the person who should understand doesn't realize it and the person who should think doesn't think anything. It is not God's will. See verses 4 and 5.
“[Joel] 1:4 The locusts ate what the locusts left, and the locusts ate what the locusts left, and the locusts ate what the locusts left. Joel 1:5 Awake and weep, you drunkards; weep ye, you who drink wine, for the sweet wine is cut off from your mouth.”
God speaks to us through the prophet Joel. He helps us understand the current situation and see what the damage and difficulties are. The translated word for the red bean is ‘palmerworm’, locust is ‘locust’, the louse is ‘cankerworm’ meaning caterpillar, and locust is ‘caterpillar’, all leaf-eating insects and bugs. So, it shows that red bean sprouts, grasshoppers, locusts, and locusts eat the leftovers one after another, and eventually, there is nothing left. But in such a situation, if you just get drunk and drink wine, that's never going to help you solve the problem. What you need to do is realize the seriousness of this and come to God with tears in your eyes. Because then, the pain and suffering that have all disappeared can be resolved.

People usually respond by turning away from difficulties, avoiding them, and trying to forget them. So, we respond to stress as a way to relieve stress. They try to relieve stress by eating, doing hobbies, watching TV, reading books, watching movies, exercising, and working. It is said that the reason for not using prayer, praise, worship, or religious methods to relieve stress is because of stress. Most people will, and everyone has a clear and solid reason and rationale for that. That is why the Word of God has meaning for us. We're not talking about methods we know and use well. You tell us a method we didn't know and never used. It's not about getting out of that stress quickly anyway. We need to think more about that stress and think more about it. Only then can you meet God.
“[Joel] 1:8 Let her virgins be clothed with sackcloth and mourn over the man to whom she was betrothed when she was young.
Joel 1:9 The grain offering and drink offering have been cut off from the house of the LORD, and the priest who ministers to the LORD is grieved.
Joel 1:10 The fields are desolate, the land is withered, the grain is gone, the new wine is dried up, the oil is run out.”
God tells us to think about the difficulties and weep. A virgin is not allowed to date freely, and when she was young she tells her to lament that she was forced to marry because of the man she was engaged to. He tells us to do it like a priest mourning over the loss of the grain offering and drink offering. Do as a farmer mourns when the fields are desolate and the land is dry, the grain is gone, the wine is dry, and the oil is running out.

Most people in the world are desperate and frustrated at that time, and when they try to relieve stress, God tells them to hold on to the problem, lament and mourn. Because only then can you depend on God. Because God is the one who helps you to solve that problem. The book of Joel continues to remind us of the meaning of the last six months. We need to think carefully about its meaning and consider the lessons and values ​​in our sufferings and difficulties. At that time, you will understand why believers pray, read the Bible, and worship. It is because we depend on God in difficult times, not because we have time to turn around. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will come to God with a more earnest heart, receive God's help, and become believers who will accomplish God's will of the resolution, change, and development.

*Composition: 6 Insightful Interpretations
1. The book of Joel makes us think of God's will amid life's difficulties.
2. We must think of God in the difficulties of life.
3. Gain the will and hope to come to God in the awareness of the problem.
4. When we come to God, we go to help.