The Lost Year - Pt. 1

 

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. (Joel 2:25-27 ESV).

 

I don’t want to unnecessarily dramatize 2020, not do I want to trivialize it. Afterall, we’ve heard plenty of both, from the declaration that it is no more than “a political hoax” to “the world is ending.” We can say with absolute assurance that it has been a year of losses. So many major life events have had to be canceled or postponed. For others, the losses have been even more tragic including the loss of jobs or income and the deaths of loved ones. Whether you have lost a lot or a little, this year has impacted us all in ways we will never forget. The question then becomes, do we merely label it as a “lost year,” or can we get some guidance from the Scripture. I am opting for the latter.

 

Our reading shows us the keen awareness of the Lord in such a time. And, there is the promise of restoration through His grace and provision. In the next few days we will look at some specific “lost years” in the Scripture and the ultimate outcome God brought through those horrific times. Some of the examples I’ll explore are as follows:

 

§  Noah and his family were in the ark for an entire year (364-377 days depending on the calculations). Imagine surviving the destruction of the rest of mankind, not seeing dry land for that long, and living in a floating zoo with two of every animal in existence… that would definitely rival 2020.

§  Esther and many other beautiful young Persian women spent a whole year undergoing beauty treatments, “six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics” (cf. Esther 2:12). Sounds great, right? They had twelve months of nothing but luxurious spa days; however, at the end of that year of treatments, all of those women were assaulted and then forced into the king’s harem, with the exception of the one chosen to become his new wife. It was not a voluntary program. They were basically kidnapped and held captive for the rest of their lives. 

§  Job, seven sons and three daughters all died in one stormy night. And, that was merely one of the tragedies. He also lost thousands of heads of cattle, his servants, and his health all in one year. 

§  Nebuchadnezzar once had a terrifying dream that he would become like a wild animal, eating grass like an ox. God, through Daniel, verified that the dream would indeed become a reality, and he endured a year wondering when if and when it would happen, until it did (cf. Daniel 4:28-33). 

§  And, last, a young girl named Mary spent the majority of a year pregnant with a baby she definitely did not expect or plan for, and then gave birth to him in a barn reserved for animals. 

 

All of these people suffered a year of tremendous shock and loss and ended up experiencing God and His salvation in a way they never had before! We can, too!