The Movement of God Joel 2:28-32

He answered: “Go home, lock yourself in your room, kneel down in the middle of your floor. Draw a chalk mark all around yourself and ask God to start the revival inside that chalk mark. When He has answered your prayer, the revival will be on.”

—Missionary Worker

I. There is Always a Outcry for Repentance (Joel 2:1-17)

1. Godly Sorrow leads to Hope

2 Corinthians 7:8–10 NASB95

For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2. To actually Turn from your Sins

confession verses repentance

1 John 1:9 NASB95

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What is good

Confession without action to go with it

Luke 3:8 NASB95

“Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

9601 The difference between true and false repentance lies in this: the man who truly repents cries out against his heart; but the other, as Eve, against the serpent, or something else.

John Bunyan

II. There is Always Opportunity for Restoration (Joel 2:18-27; 3:1-2)

To restore- To bring back into existence or use

to reestablish

To put someone back in a former position

1. It is your choice

God could just force us to do His will

But our God desires that we chose to worship Him

John 14:15 NASB95

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Luke 6:46 NASB95

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

It was about the scandalous implied redefinition of the kingdom itself. Jesus was replacing adherence or allegiance to Temple and Torah with allegiance to himself. Restoration and purity were to be had, not through the usual channels, but through Jesus.

N. T. Wright

2. The Justice of Mercy

God’s Justice and the World’s Justice are not the same

Isaiah 55:7–9 NASB95

Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

This is not because we can merit mercy by mercy or forgiveness by forgiveness, but because we cannot receive the mercy and forgiveness of God unless we repent, and we cannot claim to have repented of our sins if we are unmerciful towards the sins of others.

John Stott

God would that none should perish

Not to condemn the world

III. There is Always an Outpouring of Power (Joel 2:28-32)

The verb pour out is often used in its literal sense of causing liquids such as water and blood to flow from a container into another vessel (Exodus 4:9; Genesis 9:6).

The term dream [“chalom,” in Hebrew] refers to the visual and aural sensations that a person experiences while sleeping (Genesis 28:12; Job 33:15). The word vision [“chazon,” in Hebrew] refers to visual representations, like a video or movie, given by God’s directive, that may or may not require interpretation. It seems to occur while people are awake. {https://thebiblesays.com/commentary/joel/joel-2/joel-228-32/}

1. Seek God While He May be Found

Isaiah 55:6 NASB95

Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.

Jeremiah 29:13 NASB95

‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Nowhere is God so near to man as in Jesus Christ, and nowhere is Christ so familiarly represented to us as in this holy sacrament. Here we are called to sit with him at his table, as his invited welcome guests; to commemorate his sacrifice, to feed upon his very flesh and blood; that is, with our mouths upon his representative flesh and blood, and with our applying faith upon his real flesh and blood, by such a feeding as belongs to faith.

Richard Baxter

Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Male and female servants will have the same access to God’s Spirit as their masters. This shows God is no respecter of persons. God values everyone and does not show partiality based on economic or social status (Deuteronomy 5:14; James 2:1-9; Romans 2:11). {https://thebiblesays.com/commentary/joel/joel-2/joel-228-32/}

2. The Power to Change Lives

Lost act like saved person

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

His love reached them where they were, but his love refused to let them stay as they were. Love wants the best for the beloved. Their lives were transformed, healed, changed.

N. T. Wright

Since Peter did not say the prophecy in Joel 2:28-32 was fulfilled, but only that it was “spoken of” this likely means that Pentecost began the fulfillment, but there are still aspects of this prophecy remaining to be fulfilled in the end times. For one, new generations of humans are born, and then are born again and receive God’s Spirit. It seems likely that in the last days there will be another special manifestation of the pouring out of God’s spirit. {https://thebiblesays.com/commentary/joel/joel-2/joel-228-32/}

These wonders will take place before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. The phrase great and awesome day of the LORD refers to the time when the LORD will reveal His supreme power and authority over human power and human existence. {https://thebiblesays.com/commentary/joel/joel-2/joel-228-32/}

End Times Reference verses Last Days Reference

2 Peter 3:10–14 NASB95

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,

Those who escape likely refers to Israelites who will escape from sin, and turn to God in repentance. God will maintain a remnant of those who are faithful. {https://thebiblesays.com/commentary/joel/joel-2/joel-228-32/}

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 5083 Epigram on Revival

“Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world.”

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