“Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.” Joel 2:23 esv
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Today’s Scripture speaks to a promise from God that the exiled Israel will be returning to the promised land. The rains will come down from heaven supplied by the giver of the promise who has been faithful even though the people had not been. There long dry season of exile is coming to an end! Once again God‘s love and mercy will rain down upon his people.
The early church understood this. They saw the coming of the Messiah, Jesus, as the end of a very dry season where God appeared to have been silent. Now God had provided the long awaited Anointed One who had come to provide a remedy for sin and death that humanity brought upon itself by the sin of pride in the garden. But they also understood that people were still sinning and still dying, and that there was still one more promise yet to be fulfilled; the provision of Christ’s return when all things are consummated and sin and death will cease to exist.
The implication; God has provided, is providing, and will provide until Jesus returns in all his glory.
He challenges us to live a life of expectancy that the LOVE that reigns over us also rains down upon us. This reminds me of a song from my younger years:
Only love can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky.
Only love can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high……Love, reign o’er me
Verse two of “Love, Reign O’er Me” by The Who
Rain on me, rain on me
Love, reign o’er me
Rain on me, rain on me
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