A CALL TO REPENTANCE

The great Prophet of Pentecost, Joel, wrote of a locust plague that decimated the land of Israel several hundred years before our Lord was born. The swarm of lucust was so severe that man, beast and vegetation were sore vexed; much suffering befell the land of the Jews. Notice what Joel wrote in what we call chapter 1 of his prophetic book: "The seed is rotten under their feet, the garners are laid desolate; for the corn is withered" (v. 17). Joel certainly painted a dire portrait of despair and destruction.

Throughout Joel's small but powerful book, he also constantly reminded God's people of judgment to come, perhaps a far worse Day of the Lord than the locust plague. Consequently, Joel used the occasion of the plague to call his fellow Israelites to repentance. Notice what God said in Joel 2:12; "Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning." The prophet's inspired call to repent is powerful and serves as a vivid reminder of the Lord's eternal holiness and righteousness.

REgarding the situation with the man who has his own father's wife, Paul commended to Corinthian church for following God's divine plan to bring him back to the Lord. in so doing, he presented a truth about repentance. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (II Corinthians 7:10). God still calls His people to repentance today.

Steve Harris