A Call to Lament

A Call to Lament Joel 1:13-20             “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”             Those words from the wise man, Solomon, sound strange in our ears today. We live in a world that wants to eliminate all hardship, pain, and suffering. Families have their loved ones cremated so there’s no physical body of the deceased to be viewed as a graphic reminder of our mortality. Parents refuse to take their children to funerals, lest they be emotionally upset or ask mom and dad difficult questions about life and death.             I saw a meme not long ago that pictured children riding in the back seat of a car in the 1960s. The windows were open, the wind was streaming through their hair, and they were laughing and having a good time. I remember those days! The next scene was a picture from today with three children in the back seat of a car tightly strapped down and totally encased in bubble wrap. Yes, it’s a bit extreme, but it communicates the mindset of today; trying to shield ourselves and our children from any and all kinds of pain.               Even many who profess to preach the Gospel, proclaim a message that God wants you to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. The message of sorrow for sin and repentance is nowhere to be found. When was the last time you heard a sermon emphasizing repentance and sorrow for sin?             Our study in the book of Joel brings us to the second part of chapter one. As we’ll see, Joel calls his hearers and readers to a time of reflection, prayer, and repentance. We approach this text not just as an historical record of what happened, but to see how it is profitable for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, and for instruction in righteous living for us today.             I’ve titled today’s teaching, “A Call to Lament.” If you listened to the teaching from last week, you’ll see that I’m using the final point of that teaching as a springboard for what we’ll talk about today. To begin, let’s read the text, Joel 1:13 to 20. In light of the devastation by locusts, Joel urges his hearers to lament the seriousness of their situation. He gives them several WAYS to express genuine grief and repentance. The First WAY to express lament is,             Consecrate a Solemn Fast             Notice this command is addressed to the priests, the spiritual leaders of the nation. In the previous message we pointed out the graphic terms used to describe the grieving process, words like weep, wail, howl, be ashamed, and turn pale. The peoples of the East are very vocal and demonstrative in expressing grief and sorrow. The process involves tearing their hair and striking their chests repeatedly. The Hebrew Scriptures highlight the use of sackcloth and ashes as signs of deep mourning. Here, the priests are commanded to put on that uncomfortable clothing, not just for the day, but to lie in it all night before the altar of God. There would be no sleep under those conditions.             They were further instructed to sanctify or consecrate a day of fasting. This was more than just a suggestion or an “if it’s convenient for you” kind of proclamation. Instead, this was to be a solemn assembly, hallowing the act of abstaining from food. You and I can fast for our physical health, but this was not the focus in this fasting. This fasting was being made as an offering and a sacrifice to God.             This assembly and fasting day included the elders and all the inhabitants of th