Joel's Second Day of the Lord--A New Heart for the Lord!
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week, we began looking at the little prophetic book of Joel.
Last week we saw that the Day of the Lord is both a positive and negative judgment.
It is a positive judgement for those who love and live for the Lord.
It is a negative judgment for those take a stand against the Lord!
In our story last week, the locust—actual locust were the first judgment .
In our passage today we find the second day of the Lord. This time it is an actual army.
Joel warns Israel that if they don’t change their ways, an even more dreadful “Day of the Lord” will come sometime in the future.
Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—
The Day of the Lord is Near
The Day of the Lord is Near
Blow the trumpet (the shophar or ram’s horn) in Jerusalem (Zion) (v. 1a)!
Sound the alarm in Jerusalem (Holy Hill) (v. 1b)!
The shophar, or ram’s horn was the modern day equivalent to an air-raid siren.
These are repeated for emphasis!
Everyone in the land should tremble--be afraid, quake (v. 1c).
The reason is because the Day of the Lord is coming (v. 1d)!
In fact, it (the Day of the Lord) is close at hand (v. 1e)!
Description of the Day of the Lord
Description of the Day of the Lord
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.
A day of darkness (v. 2a)
It is interesting that the first characteristic of the day of the Lord is darkness. It was the next plague after the locust plague in Egypt (Exodus 10).
A day of gloom (v. 2b).
A day of clouds (v. 2c).
And a of blackness (v. 2d).
These four characteristics are the same four that are mention in Zephaniah 1:15.
That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness—
These characteristics are often connected to God’s judgment in the Old Testament (cf. Jer. 13:16; Ezek. 30:3, 18; 32:7-8; 34:12; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph. 1:15).
At the same time these four characteristics were also used to show Yahweh as a mighty, victorious warrior (cf. Deut. 4:11; 5:22-23; Ps. 18:9, 11; 97:2).
Joel pictures a mighty army spread out like the dawn--as far as the eye can see (v. 2e).
It is like no army ever seen (v. 2f).
And no army will ever be like it again (v. 2g).
Description of the invading army and its destructiveness
Description of the invading army and its destructiveness
Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste— nothing escapes them.
Like the locust devoured the land--reference to the fire that devours (v. 3a).
Before the army attacked the land was like the garden of Eden--a great place to be (v. 3b).
But behind the invading army the land becomes a desert waste land (v. 3c).
Nothing escaped their destruction (v. 3d).
They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.
This army has the appearance of horses running along like a large cavalry (v. 4).
With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
There was a noise--described like the noise of chariots clamoring down a mountain (v. 5a).
The sound is described like a crackling fire (v. 5b).
This mighty army described here is lined up for battle (v. 5c).
Interesting side note: Locust look like tiny armored horses (Job 39:19-20; Rev. 9:7).
So much so that the Italian word for “locust” literally means “little horse,” and the German word for locust means “hay horse.”
The comparison here, is in Joel’s day the horse was the symbol of power (cf. Isa. 31:1-3; Hos. 14:3; Mic. 5:10; Hag. 2:22; Zech 9:10; 12:4; Rev. 9:7).
So here is a powerful great army lined up for battle.
The relentlessness of the invading army
The relentlessness of the invading army
At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.
When the nations see this army they are gripped with fear (v. 6)!
They are in anguish
Every face turns pale
They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course.
This army is might and charge like warriors (v. 7a).
This army has soldiers that scale walls like they are not even there (v. 7b).
They march in straight lines and never waver from their course--they march over anything an everything (v. 7c)!
They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.
They march so straight that they overpower anything that stands in their way (v. 8a).
Even when they do break through the enemy, they still don’t break ranks (v. 8b).
They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
They over take EVERYTHING (v. 9)
They rush the city and overtake it.
They climb into houses any way they can.
They look like thieves climbing through windows.
This army is invincible and overpowers anything that gets in its way!
The invincibility of the army
The invincibility of the army
Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
Before this army, the earth shakes (v. 10a)
Before this army, the heavens tremble (v. 10b).
Before this army, the sun and moon are darkened (v. 10c).
Before this army the stars don’t shine (v. 10d).
The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
This is the army of the Lord--and the Lord (Yahweh) thunders as He leads the army (v. 11a).
Yahweh’s force is beyond counting (v. 11b).
And this army is under the command of Yahweh (v. 11c).
The day of the Lord is great (v. 11d).
The day of the Lord is dreadful (v. 11e).
Joel asks who can endure that day--the judgement of the Lord (v. 11f).
God’s Call for Repentance
God’s Call for Repentance
Private Repentance
Private Repentance
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Yahweh says it’s not too late to return to Him (v. 12a).
Return with all your heart (v. 12b).
Demonstrate your return by fasting (v. 12c).
Demonstrate your return by weeping (v. 12d).
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
God wants us to tear our hearts rather than our garments (v. 13a).
Our return is based on God’s character (v. 13b)
— Yahweh is gracious
— Yahweh is compassionate
— Yahweh is slow to anger
— Yahweh is abounding with love
— And Yahweh can relent from sending calamity
God May Relent
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.
Joel says, “Who knows? God may turn and relent.” (v. 14a).
God may leave behind a blessing (v. 14b).
God may bless the people by giving them grain to offer, and grapes to make wine (v. 14c).
And God will give His people blessing so the people can bless Him (v. 14d).
A call for public repentance
Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
The people were to blow the trumpet (shophar) in Jerusalem (v. 15).
— This time it is not to announce an enemy army.
— It is to declare a holy fast.
— And a sacred assembly.
Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
The goal was to gather the people together to consecrate the entire group (set them apart for God) (v. 16a).
This assembly is to include everyone in Jerusalem (v. 16b):
— The elders.
— The children.
— Even the nursing babies.
— Even the newly weds should stop and worship God.
Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
Most of all the priests and those who minister before Yahweh should lead the ceremony, weeping between the porch of the temple and the bronze alter of burnt offering (cf. Ezek. 8:16) (v. 17a).
They were to pray a three fold prayer:
Pray to spare Yahweh’s people.
Pray that Yahweh would not make His people an object of scorn (or mockery).
Pray that Yahweh’s inheritance (Israel) wouldn’t be a joke among the Gentiles saying, “Where is their God?”
The Lord’s response
The Lord’s response
Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people.
Then Yahweh took pity on His people.
And He was jealous for His land.
Because of the people’s repentance and contrition, Yahweh turned from His anger.
Yahweh’s promise of blessing
Yahweh’s promise of blessing
The Lord replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.
Yahweh will send His blessing through prosperous land (v. 19a):
— Grain
— New wine
— Olive oil
The land will produce so much that everyone in the land will be satisfied (v. 19b).
“I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things!
God will drive out the army that is attacking from the north. Pushing the army into the parched and barren land (v. 20a).
The army from the east will drown in the Dead Sea (v. 20b).
While the army of the west will drown in the Mediterranean Sea (v. 20c)
And the smell of all the defeated troops will permeate the air and the land (v. 20d).
Surely He has done great things!
NOTE: There are two ways this could be interpreted.
The NIV, NET, NLT identify it as Yahweh has done great things--He rescued His people from the invading army.
The NASB, RSV take the negative view by interpreting the “he” as the leader of the attacking army.
I prefer the joyful admonition that the Lord has done great things! This view seems to better fit the context of the entire passage.
Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things!
The land itself doesn’t need to be afraid (v. 21a).
The land can actually rejoice because Yahweh has done great things (v. 21b).
Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
The wild animals of the field don’t need to be afraid (v. 22a).
— Because the pastures will soon be green (v. 22b).
— The trees will once again be filled with fruit (v. 22c).
Fig trees will be loaded down with fruit.
Grapevines will be loaded down with fruit.
Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
The people of Jerusalem should rejoice (v. 23a).
The command is to rejoice in Yahweh YOUR God (v. 23b)
— The rain that God sends shows His faithfulness.
— The spring rains show God’s faithfulness.
— Likewise the autumn rains show God’s faithfulness.
The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
Once again, the threshing floors will be piled high with grain (v. 24a)!
And the wine and olive presses will flow with wine and oil (v. 24b)!
God’s Promise
God’s Promise
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you.
The Lord promises to give back everything that the “locust” took.
After all, it was God who sent the great army against Israel.
God’s promise of blessing
God’s promise of blessing
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.
God promises that the people will once again have all the food they want (v. 26a).
And They will once again praise the God who preforms the miracles for them (v. 26b)!
God promises that His people will never be disgraced again (v. 26c).
Then Israel will know
Then Israel will know
Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.
When Israel sees Him fulfill the promises, they will know Yahweh is among His people (v. 27a).
And they will know that He is Yahweh their God (v. 27b).
And God promises that His people will not be disgraced (v. 27c).
So What
So What
One of the things that I love about this little book is the fact that Joel emphasizes the reason for the Day of the Lord.
So many people cannot understand why God allows bad things to happen.
Bad things are not always God’s judgement.
But sometimes it is.
Here’s the key—every circumstance that happens, happens so that we (people) will rejoice in the Lord!
Good circumstances or bad circumstances—every circumstance happens so we—God’s people—are to rejoice in the Lord!
More than anything, God wants us all of our heart!
And we learn that it is never too late to turn our hearts back to the Lord!
We learn that we should personally turn our hearts back to the Lord.
And we learn that we corporately we should return our hearts back to the Lord!
I love the picture that Joel gives us, that God desires our hearts to be torn rather than our clothes torn!
Finally, in this passage today we learn about a lot about God’s character:
God is gracious!
God is compassionate!
God is slow to anger!
God is always abounding in love!