Scripture Reading: Joel 1:4; 2:28-32; 3:16-21
In this message I would like to give a further word on the four factors, the four main principles, in the book of Joel.
The first factor, or principle, is the consuming of the locusts, the consuming factor. “What the cutting locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; / And what the swarming locust has left, the licking locust has eaten; / And what the licking locust has left, the consuming locust has eaten” (1:4). These locusts denote the human government which has been existing for twenty-seven hundred years and which continues to exist. The governments of the nations have been and are still being used by God to consume Israel. On earth today there is such a consuming factor involving the nations.
The second factor, the second principle, is the suffering factor, the suffering of Israel under the locusts. Israel has been suffering the consuming of the locusts for almost twenty-seven centuries. As we consider Israel’s suffering, we may wonder why God has allowed it to last so long. We may question why God has permitted His elect to suffer under the consuming locusts. On the one hand, God allows this suffering to continue; on the other hand, He does not allow Israel to be utterly consumed. Israel is the only nation that has suffered the consuming of the locusts for such a long time. Nevertheless, Israel continues to endure and to last.
These two factors — the consuming factor involving the nations in four stages and the suffering factor involving Israel — have been present for a major part of human history. Many books have been written about world history, but these books do not touch these factors, these principles, as we are doing here.
We come now to the crucial matter of God’s purpose concerning the suffering factor. The suffering factor is the factor which produced the incarnation. Through incarnation the almighty, eternal, infinite God was brought into humanity and mingled with humanity. Nothing, not even the creation of the universe, could be greater than this! God’s purpose in allowing Israel to suffer under the locusts was to bring forth a couple, Mary and Joseph, so that God could be born in man, of man, and out of man to become no longer only God but a God-man. Hence, the suffering factor was the factor to consummate the divine incarnation; the suffering of the Jews was the factor to produce the incarnation. As a result of God’s entering into humanity and His mingling with humanity, there is now a unique person — Jesus — who is both the complete God and a perfect man. God became a man, the man Jesus, and lived on this earth, making His home in Nazareth for thirty years. Surely this is the greatest miracle in the entire universe!
We have seen that Israel was used by God through so much suffering for the purpose that God could be born out of man to be a God-man. Now we need to see how God has used the consuming factor and is still using this factor.
It is the first factor, the consuming factor, that has afforded all the necessary facilities in the environment for the carrying out of God’s purpose. The Roman Empire, the aggregate of the four empires, afforded everything necessary for the incarnated God to live and move and work on earth. Furthermore, the Roman Empire afforded the means for Christ to be crucified, for it had the governmental authority, prepared a cross, and even provided the soldiers to crucify the Lord Jesus.
Both the consuming factor and the suffering factor have been useful to God. The Jews had lost their nation and had been scattered everywhere, wandering for centuries. Humanly speaking, that was a tragedy. But on the day of Pentecost, after God had consummated His long process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, He needed to pour Himself out upon the entire human race, not only upon one people but upon all peoples. For this outpouring a particular occasion was required, and the Roman Empire made it possible. First, the Roman Empire had scattered the Jews among all the peoples. Then, on exactly the right day, when the time was ripe, the Roman Empire provided the way for the scattered people to come back to Jerusalem to enjoy the feast. At that joyful time, God suddenly came down upon the people. From this we see that through the means of the suffering one, Israel, and by all the facilities provided by the consuming locust, the Roman government, God poured Himself out upon all flesh. Now we, as the church, are the manifestation of Christ, produced by the outpouring of the processed and consummated Triune God upon all flesh.
Today’s locusts are also useful to God and to us, the members of the church, the Body of Christ. Because of the locusts we have such things as the telephone, the microphone, the recorder, the airplane, the computer, and the fax machine. Because of the locusts we in the United States enjoy the freedom of speech and the freedom to meet together as the church. The facilities provided by the locusts also save us a great deal of time. Therefore, we are thankful for the “locust” government and for the “locust” telephone and computer companies. In a very real sense, all the locusts are working for us. The millions of locusts swarming on earth today are serving us so that we may be here for the manifestation of Christ.
The consuming of the locusts and the suffering of Israel are both for us. This means that we in the church life today are the beneficiaries of both the Jews and the nations. This is the third factor, the third principle. Paul says that all things work together for good for us (Rom. 8:28). Hence, we are the third factor — the beneficiaries. As the beneficiaries, we should thank the Lord for all that He has done for us through the consuming of the locusts and the suffering of the Jews.
The fourth factor in the book of Joel is the principle of restoration. In the future there will be an actual, practical, and real restoration, but today we, the third factor, are experiencing the restoration, the fourth factor, as we participate in and enjoy the manifestation of Christ, which has come through the first two factors, the consuming of the locusts and the suffering of Israel.
