A brother offerred to fast for me, to set the captives free....this is what he found: a compassionate God that returns his love, time after time despite the treachery of his people. He does not abandon them, but delivers them to their neighbors. And when they are oppressed and call out to him, he delivers them. Upon their return to from exile, they declare to not neglect the house of the Lord, bringing oil, wine and bread to those who serve.
What does this mean? Being created in the image of God I am to Love those that rebel against me. Not abandoning yet yeilding my desires, and handing them over to their neighbors. Making ready for the day of rescue, as with a salted conversation, when they choose to listen.
Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles
you performed
among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion
appointed a leader
in order to return to their slavery. But you are a
forgiving God, gracious and
compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in
love. Therefore you did not desert
them,
19 "Because of your great
compassion you did not abandon them in the
desert..
27 So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed
them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you.
From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them
deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.
31 But in
your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a
gracious and merciful God.31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end to
them or abandon them, for you are a gracious
and merciful God.
28 "But as soon as they were at rest, they again did
what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their
enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to
you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered
them time after time.31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
33 In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.
36 "But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. 37 Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.
Then Nehemiah 10....
.......39 The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. "We will not neglect the house of our God."
Chris Hammer-Hodges writes ...the thing that spoke to me from the [Joel 2] was the great promise of abundant blessing: "I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully." Grain speaks of financial or material blessing (Lk 17:35 Lk 12:18, 2Co 9:10, 1Ti 5:18 etc) Wine speaks of the joy of life (Ps 4:7, Jer 48:33, Ecc9:7 etc) and oil speaks of the anointing of the Spirit (1Sa 16:13, Isa 61:1 etc, etc) It is thus a reflection of God's will to abundantly bless every area of our lives: materially, emotionally, and spiritually.
