The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank. They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right position. They break through defenses without missing a step. [Joel 2:7-8 (NLT)]
The prophet Joel wrote about God’s coming judgment of Judah but, because there’s disagreement about the date of his prophecy, we aren’t sure if he was describing the approaching Babylonian invasion, God’s final judgment, or both. In any case, the prophet likened the coming army to a swarm of locusts. Like locusts, this invading force would march straight, never break rank or crowd one other, and be unstoppable as they swarmed over the city. Before their arrival, the land would be like the Garden of Eden but, by the time they departed, it would be in utter desolation. Along with Joel, the books of Judges, Jeremiah, Nahum, and Revelation depict enemy hordes as locusts. In Proverbs 30, however, the sage Agur expresses admiration for the “small but wise” locusts because they “march in formation” without a king!
Assuming that Scripture’s words likening locusts to soldiers in a well-organized army were more figurative than scientific, I never gave these grasshopper-like insects much thought. When Charles Spurgeon used them as an example of “how thoroughly the Lord has infused the spirit of order into His universe,” and said, “Locusts always keep their rank, and although their number is legion, they do not crowd upon each other, so as to throw their columns into confusion,” I grew curious.
Normally, locusts are solitary creatures but, when conditions such as flooding or drought cause them to crowd into the same area, physical contact triggers their instinct to become sociable. As they forage for food together, they gather into a swarm of millions. Whether “marching” on land or flying in the air, locusts all go in the same direction and, if the swarm spontaneously changes course, they all switch direction as a group.
Weighing less than a dime, a single locust is hardly worth noticing—an insignificant and unremarkable insect, it’s easily crushed. The locust’s power comes when it joins with others like it. As a swarm, locusts are unstoppable and nearly unbeatable. A single swarm of locusts can number in the trillions, cover hundreds of square miles, move up to 100 miles in a day, and consume over 420 million pounds of vegetation every day!
Sharing a common goal, locusts have learned the best way to achieve it is to act as one. Their singleness of purpose is what makes them unbeatable. They are proof that, when small things come together, they have incredible power. While the cohesiveness of the locusts turns out to be a bad thing for mankind, what if Christ’s church were as unified as these insects? While thinking of the church in terms of locusts isn’t an attractive image, it is a compelling one.
If millions of insects having a brain less than ¼-inch in size can form a united force without having a leader tell them what to do, why can’t Christians? We’re certainly smarter than locusts and we have a king—King Jesus. Under His command, His army of soldiers should be able to gather as one and be a powerful force in this world.
While the locusts’ common enemy is hunger, ours is Satan; one of his favorite strategies is to divide and conquer and he’s done a great job of it! With about 45,000 different Christian denominations worldwide, we’re becoming better known for our scandals, squabbles, splits, and divisions than for our unity, harmony, and cooperation. Christ’s church always will have disagreements but Jesus and the mission He gave us is greater than our disagreements. As part of the same body—the body of Christ—we don’t have to agree on everything to partner with one another. Let us put aside our theological arguments, doctrinal disputes, and cultural biases, along with our different backgrounds, traditions, rituals, and governance to focus on what unites us: our faith in Jesus! Only then will we be able to feed His sheep and “make disciples of all the nations.”
Worldwide evangelism requires the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. [Lausanne Covenant]
While the year is 2024 on most calendars, it is year 5785 on the Hebrew calendar and the tenth day of Tishri begins at sunset tomorrow. For our Jewish brothers and sisters, it will be the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. With its themes of atonement and repentance, it the holiest day of the year for a Jew.
Fish play a prominent role in Scripture, especially in the New Testament. Jesus preached from a fishing boat, the first disciples were fishermen, and Jesus called them to be fishers of men. It was at His instruction that Peter found tax money in the mouth of a fish and the disciples netted two miraculous catches of fish. Jesus multiplied a few fish and loaves into food enough to feed thousands not once but twice! He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a fishing net and, after His resurrection, Jesus even ate fish twice with the disciples. The frequent mention of fish in the New Testament, however, doesn’t fully explain how the fish symbol (ixthus/icthus) came to be one of the most recognized symbols of Christianity today.
Pope Francis recently visited Singapore and, when speaking to young people at an interfaith meeting, he is reported to have said “All religions are paths to God.” After comparing the various religions to “different languages that express the divine,” he added, “There is only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths [to God].” While the pontiff was encouraging interfaith dialogue, his words are troubling. I will not presume to know the Pope’s meaning or intention with his comments. Nevertheless, I find it important to address how the world understood the pontiff’s message.
Do these verses mean I can’t wear my pearl earrings, diamond wedding ring, or gold cross to church? Do I have to say “farewell” to Nordstrom’s and start shopping solely at outlets and discount stores? Although my hair is short, it’s hard to believe my grand’s lovely French braids are inappropriate at church or anywhere else. What did Paul and Peter mean with their admonitions about women’s attire and modesty?
I grew up attending the Episcopal Church at a time when women covered their heads during worship and the men worshipped bare-headed. While not a hard and fast rule in the denomination, it was a time-honored tradition. Women wearing head coverings in Episcopal and Catholic churches began to wane in the 70s and, by 1983, the Roman Catholic church no longer had rules regarding headwear for men or women. The last time I attended an Episcopal or Catholic church, the women were hatless and some of the men wore baseball caps! Although culture plays an important role in the way we dress and behave in church, how do we interpret Paul’s words today? Should I dig out my mantilla and must our pastor toss out his ball cap?
Devotions of the Heart 