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Dust and Ash
 Iceland, an unpronounceable volcano, and a cloud of dust and ash covering much of the UK and parts of northern Europe. What's going on?
There have a been a string of major earthquakes since the New Year. In the United States last week, exceptionally bright meteors were seen streaming down from the skies. This week, enormous tornadoes reeking havoc across the southern States. And thousands of Brits have been stranded all over the world, unable to fly back to the UK because all flights were cancelled for 6 days. You probably know at least one person affected by this.
In the Bible, dust and ash are associated with mourning and repentance. That’s why we have Ash Wednesday. The Christian Symbols website says, “Ashes were used when a person was mourning. The person would dress in sackcloth and place ashes on his or her head. Ashes symbolise penitence.” (www.christiansymbols.net)
Another website says, “Ashes are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance. In Bible times the custom was to fast, wear sackcloth, sit in dust and ashes, and put dust and ashes on one's head. Blessed ashes having been used in God's rituals since the time of Moses (Numbers 19:9-10, 17). They also symbolise death and so remind us of our mortality. Thus when the priest uses his thumb to sign one of the faithful with the ashes, he says, ‘Remember, man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return’.” (www.theholidayspot.com/ash_wednesday/the_ash.htm)
When Jonah eventually and reluctantly reached Nineveh and preached repentance, the reaction of the Ninevite King and his subjects was immediate and severe:
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:1-10)
This is not unlike the word over the UK over the moment, 2 Chronicles 7:14:
... if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
God lays out his conditions (“if”) and promises forgiveness (“then”). Their has to be a right response. Repentance demands we cover ourselves in dust and ashes - if not literally, then in the heart. The Ninevites knew what to do when Jonah announced to them the Lord’s judgment - they rededicated themselves to God. This no doubt meant getting rid of their false idols; ceasing from ungodly activities; turning away from treating people unmercifully or unjustly; treating the poor and suffering as outcasts; changing their way of thinking. Jonah’s message to them focussed the collective mind! They repented - they stopped, turned around, and started in a new direction.
If the volcanic ash cloud is a “sign in the heavens”, then what is the Lord saying to the UK? What is God’s “if” and “then” to this nation? What is the key to Great Britain realising her prophetic destiny - for the people who live in these islands, and in regard to Europe, the Commonwealth and the world?
What are the UK’s false idols? In what was have the citizens of this nation engaged in ungodly activities? Where have we lacked mercy and justice? Do we adequately try to alleviate poverty and suffering? Is the collective mind of this nation focussed on getting right with Jesus?
Jesus used the symbology of ash when he challenged the “unrepentant cities”:
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you." (Matthew 11:20-22)
Ignoring God - his compassion, the signs he sends, his warnings - is a dangerous thing, and carries consequences. These can prove ultimately eternal. To be unrepentant - to not stop, not turn around, and not start in a new direction - is to continue to bow to the false idols of our culture; to continue to engage in ungodly activities; to continue to be unmerciful and unjust; to continue to ignore to ignore the poor and those in suffering; and to continue focussing on anything but Christ’s good and perfect will for each of us who claim to be his followers.
As we prepare to vote in the General Election, let us remember to do away with false idols - voting for the party you’ve always voted for may not be God’s will this time! Let us remember to cease ungodly activity that we may call our nation to cease from ungodly activity. Let us remember the Lord’s great mercies and his justice as we discern which individual and party to vote for. Let us remember that Jesus was always on the side of the poor and the suffering. Let us remember to focus on Christ, his Lordship of our choices, his Kingship of our nation.
 May the volcanic ash cloud be seen as a “sign in the heavens” that the Lord is speaking to the UK. May the people who are called by Christ's name - the Christians - recognise the “if” and “then” of God to this nation. May Great Britain realise the key to her prophetic destiny for the people who live in these islands, and in regard to Europe, the Commonwealth and the world. May we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness so this nation maybe exalted, for such a time as this.
As we enter the Valley of Decision at the General Election, may the Body of Believers found in Great Britain - a Holy Nation embedded within an earthly nation, "in" it but not "of" it - be covered in the ash of repentance; and may you be covered in the dust kicked up from the sandals of our Great High Rabbi Jesus, as we follow closely behind him on our pilgrimage of prayer and service, together through life.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:14)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
>>> For 35 amazing photos of the volcano activity in Iceland and it's effects, take a look at www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html
>>> The French Revolution in 1789 was in part the consequence of a volcanic eruption in Iceland. See:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laki
- www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/15/iceland-volcano-weather-french-revolution
- www.euronews.net/2010/04/24/could-icelandic-volcano-cause-famine/ (quoted below)
So far (the volcano) has caused massive travel disruption, but could the Icelandic volcano bring famine and widespread social disorder?
A French historian says it has happened before.
Emmanuel Garnier argues that a volcanic eruption in Iceland in 1783 brought freak weather conditions in Europe that indirectly led to the French Revolution.
“Without a doubt, repeated episodes of eruptions, droughts and floods across Europe played a not insignificant role,” he said. “In France, in particular, in July 1788, there was a storm which destroyed all the main regions which produced wheat for Paris. The next year, in May 1789 to be precise, just at the beginning of the Revolution, we see that the first revolts were not outside Versailles, but outside the bakeries. And that is no coincidence.”
Did an eruption like this indirectly cause hunger, leading to riots outside empty bakeries, prompting Marie Antoinette to retort “let them eat cake?” Could history repeat itself?
Copyright © 2010 euronews
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Tim Harrold, 26/04/2010 |
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