Judgement on the Nations

The Prophet Joel  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  18:04
0 ratings
· 8 views
Files
Notes
Transcript
The Prophet Joel - Judgement on the Nations
Joel 3:1-17
Scene 1: When God speaks, it pays to pay attention!
Because if you don’t, you often don’t get another chance.
It a little bit like when you are at home and your spouse offers the cake mix bowl and mixing spoons to whoever is around.
If you don’t get in quick I can guarantee that the kids will lick the bowl and spoons and mixers clean in seconds.
This passage is one of those times when God speaks and there will be no second chance.
It is in a sense the final chapter of the story of humanity, the climax of history.
One of the truths about God’s word seems to be that the teaching on the end of days should serve not only as a ‘warning’ but also an ‘encouragement’ to the people of God.
It is easy to get the sense that the forces of evil have the upper hand on earth.
While this is not particularly true, it is easy to be lulled into sensing this.
The story of the end time events serve to remind us that a great day is coming when evil (I.E. sin, selfishness, self-economy, persecution of the saints & more) will be dealt with by God.
It serves as both an encouragement for the child of God who walks with and lives for God and it serves as a warning for those who do not walk with God, if they bother to listen.
So the question for us to day is simply this, will we listen?
Will we be encouraged by the surety of God’s judgement?
Or will we ignore it, at our peril?
Scene 2: As we have seen in previous weeks, this day of Judgement will be beyond comprehension.
As chapter 2 and verse 30 tells us it will be marked by extraordinary phenomena.
But it should hold no fear for those who love the Lord.
So here is a simple hint for you.
If you love Jesus, then when the sun goes dark and the moon is turned to blood.
Don’t worry about it!
But it might be really helpful for the person standing next to you to grab them by both shoulders, look them straight in the eye and in a very firm voice say to them; “Are you going to repent of your sin and turn to Jesus or do you want to face what’s coming next?”
Because what is coming next is set out for us in verse 2 of chapter 3.
In the valley of Jehoshaphat God will bring judgement.
Now this is an incredible scene.
And all sorts of things have been presented as evidence as to where it actually is.
As I see it there are four options.
Some see that it is a figurative place.
Some see that it is the Valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.
Others suggest that it is a yet-future valley, to be formed by the splitting of the Mount of Olives at the Messiah’s return in accordance with Zech. 14:4.[1]
Some see that it refers to 2 Chron 20; the battle during the reign of King Jehoshaphat where the Lord himself battled the enemies of Israel and threw them into confusion so that the people of Israel did not have to fight just look on.
They associate this with Zech 14:3 and Rev 16:16 the battle of Armageddon at Megiddo.
Where ever it actually is one thing is certain.
The name Jehoshaphat means “The Lord Judges.”
Judgement will fall upon all the nations for how they have treated the Lord’s people.
Based on the experiences of the people of his day, Joel lists the kinds of things that the Gentiles will be accountable for: crimes against the land (v. 2), cruelty to the people (vv. 3, 6) such as selling families, individuals even children into slavery, and looting of the treasures of God’s temple (v. 5).
It is a terrifying scene.
God’s patience has been exhausted and now he is going to bring just punishment.
In verses 7 and 8 the Lord declares that he will visit upon his enemies what they have brought upon his people.
Look at verses 9 and 10.
There is a hint of sarcasm in these verses.
Basically God is daring them to bring on everything they have.
And in verse 10 to bring up any reinforcements and extra weapons they can muster, even if they have to improvise and make weapons out of farming implements and soldiers out of cowards.
God calls them to come quickly in the first part of verse 11.
And then in the second half of verse 11 we here the battle cry of the Lord’s own army.
Look also at verse 13 and following.
The picture of the Lord swinging a sickle and as he does the nations simply fall before him.
Just as wheat falls flat before a sickle, so the nations will fall.
Just as grapes are crushed in a winepress so the nations will be crushed.
Judgement will overflow and pour out across the land.
In verses 15 and 16 The Sun and the moon will be darkened and the Lord will roar from his Holy mountain.
Now I don’t know about you.
But if everything went dark, the earth trembled and there was a great, obviously supernatural roaring.
I think I might be a little concerned, that I might be on the receiving end.
Scene 3: But this is when the good news comes in.
In stark contrast to the judgement visited upon the nations, God’s people will be protected.
Look half way through verse 16.
Refuge, safety; and then in verse 17 eternal security.
Those who are His.
Those who have received His salvation, walked in His righteousness, persevered thru the difficult times, will find God to be a ‘safe hiding place.’
He is and will be our wall of protection.
He is a stronghold a place where we can be confident and sure.
In that day, even more than today, God’s people will KNOW what it is like to be in the presence of a Holy God.
When I read verse 17 my mind is drawn to Revelation 21:3-4
Revelation 21:3–4 NLT
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Everything God has done points to this one truth, “He wants to be with His crown creation!”
This is why He created man & woman to begin with, that He could spend time with them and have fellowship together.
In the Old Testament we see clues in the life of Abraham, Jacob, Enoch, and others that God wants to dwell with us.
Then Jesus, God incarnate, came to offer us the presence of God in the first person.
When Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father, God the Holy Spirit has come to be WITH us.
One day the redeemed will spend eternity with the “Triune God” (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit)—He will dwell with us, we will be with Him, and He will be our God, not in abstract but in presence.
Scene 4: So hear and understand this;
The climax of history is coming!
Ruin and destruction lie ahead for all who do not know and trust the Lord.
But all who belong to Him through repentance and faith in Christ are promised His indwelling presence, as well as eternal abundance, total satisfaction, and security.
Believers feeling outnumbered and bullied by the world should be encouraged to know that all the worldly powers someday will be assembled before the Lord to receive His justice.
Believers should consider times of crisis as opportunities for reflection on the character of our lives, especially our relationship with the Lord.
For unbelievers these are opportunities to recognize our vulnerability and our need for a relationship with the living God.[2]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Joe 3:1–3). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (471). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.