Joel 2:1-32

Joel looks to the day of the Lord in which God will step to the forefront of history and fulfill His promises of both judgment and blessing.  None of these stages should come as a surprise because they have all been foretold many times before beginning with Moses and going right up through the other prophets.  God had determined to bless His people but sometimes that blessing can only be brought about through judgment.  God works through difficulties in our lives and will often promote suffering in our lives so we will be able to learn the importance of holiness and experience the joys of forgiveness.

RETRIBUTION: Joel describes the methodical advance of the armies that will march on the nation of Israel.  This will take place as a part of God’s retribution for the sins of immorality and idolatry that have become common place in Israel.  God will judge the nation and bring it to its knees.  A great and powerful nation will fall like fire on the land and all will be consumed in its wake.  The nation will tremble under the advance of the powerful army with its horses and chariots that shake the mountains with its power.  Israel will fall under their might and all their efforts to protect themselves will be futile.  When God judges there is nothing that can be done to escape from that judgment.  He is the Sovereign of the universe and all of us are under His great and awesome power.

REPENTANCE: Joel calls the nation to turn to the Lord in repentance.  God may judge severely but He does so in hopes that we will return to Him.  True repentance is demonstrated through fasting, tears and broken hearts before God.  God responds to repentance as He is gracious and merciful and His love is everlasting.  He is able to tell when our repentance is genuine and when it is merely a mask of regret for the consequences of sin.  True repentance will be a corporate call to come back to the Lord with clean hands and open hearts.  Everyone from the elders to the children will be involved in this repentance.  Returning to God will be a priority above one’s own wedding.  The priests will cry out to the Lord to respond to the people’s repentance and call out for the people to turn their hearts to the Lord.

RESTORATION: God loves to restore His people when they truly repent.  He will have pity on the people who have suffered under His judgment.  He will bless them because they have turned to Him and once again they will have abundant crops and their security will be restored.  Their enemies will be driven out and they will no longer need to live in fear.  They will be able to rejoice in God’s great power and provision.  The herds of animals will have abundant supply.  The people will delight in the production of fresh fruits.  Israel will sing praises to the Lord because He will provide for them once again.  Rains at the right time will give them large crops.  All that was destroyed will be restored and the people will worship God instead of the dead idols.  His presence in their midst will be obvious and celebrated. 


REVELATION: Joel also reveals God’s future plans for the nation.  There will come a time when God’s Spirit will be given to the nation and the hearts of the people will be transformed.  They will speak the Word of the Lord and reveal His truth to the nations.  This appears to be describing a future judgment on the nations during the Tribulation that will see great plagues fall on the earth.  The sun and moon and all the earth will under the signs of these plagues.  This future judgment will be used to call all nations to the Lord and all who call on the Lord will be saved.  From the days of Abraham, God’s intention was to use the nation of Israel to bless all of the other nations.  It appears that this promise will be fulfilled through the Spirit of God using the nation of Israel to call all the other nations to repentance during this time of great tribulation that is still to come upon the earth.  All of us have the opportunity to heed God’s call to repentance so that we can be saved from our sin and restored to fellowship with God.  This is the true source of joy on this earth.

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