Day 19 - Joel 1:14

A Fasted Journey for Spiritual Renewal

Day 19

“Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.” -Joel 1:14

The Old Testament prophet, Joel, is calling the leaders of the nation to declare a fast and turn to the Lord for repentance. Earlier in this chapter Joel exhorts the leaders and “all inhabitants of the land” to recall the devastating locust plague that swept through the land and left it barren. Nothing in the history of their people had such a plague occurred, as Joel point to in verse 2.

The land has been absolutely devastated from the locusts and drought. My study Bible explains it this way: “Total destruction affected all social and economic levels. Affected were the drunkards who delighted in the abundance of the vine, the priests who utilized the produce in the offerings, and the farmers who planted, cultivated, and reaped the harvest. As if the building toward a crescendo, the prophet noted in the first stanza that the luxuries of life were withdrawn. In the second, the elements needed to worship were interrupted. In the third, the essentials for living were snatched away. To lose the enjoyment of wine was one thing; to no longer be able to outwardly worship God was another; but to have nothing to eat was the sentence of death!”

Yet what does Joel do? He charges the leaders to lead! Lead by example! Repent and thus show the nation that we must all repent! Another Biblical whistleblower. Going to the government authorities, who in this case are also the religious authorities, and proclaiming, “Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God!”

Joel calls the leaders to, rightfully, set the example for the people. Then he pushes them further to declare a fast and gather everyone; all the people, all the elders and “cry out to the Lord” because “the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.” Our nation also needs to cry out to the Lord. We need to repent. We need to turn back to God.

Boeing whistleblowers were testifying on Capitol Hill recently. Over a three year period there were numerous complaints because of retaliation by Boeing against employees who raised legitimate concerns. Raising concerns to those in authority, be it in government or private industry are exactly what we are supposed to do.

More often than not, those in authority then wickedly wield their authority in nefarious ways. At that point, they cede their authority, yet, in our own broken society they are permitted to retaliate and typically get away with it. More of us need to call those in authority out when they are behaving in evil ways. furthermore, government is intimately involved in the failures of a company like Boeing too, and also need to be called out. In 2020, 31%, or $28.6 Billion of Boeing’s revenue came from the government; it came from you. Government and private industry are out of control and have lead our own nation into a pending plague of debt.

More of us need to be like Joel and also call the authorities to repentance. My study Bible again puts it this way: “As the official leaders, it was their duty to proclaim a public fast so that the entire nation could repent and petition the Lord to forgive and restore. Here they were admonished to “consecrate” a fast, denoting its urgent sacred character.” Even though the land was desolate, people were hungry and scrounging for any type of food, a fast was called for. Again here is a Biblical example of an outward, physical action that, hopefully, is a symbolic of a true repentant heart. We’ll see tomorrow if it was.

I am not a medical professional. This journal is about my spiritual path and about that which the Lord has placed on me. This is not medical advice, nor was this fast done for any medical purpose. If you have a medical interest, seek medical advice. If you have particular health concerns, seek medical advice and/or conduct your own research. Any fasting advice, effects, realizations or anything else related to my fast come from my personal reflection and experience. If you are considering fasting, consulting with a healthcare provider may be appropriate for you.