The Day Is Imminent
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Introduction
Introduction
Something that is imminent is something that is soon to happen, however the word carries a bit more meaning than just soon. It is not just soon but could come at any time now - but it IS coming so it is also a sure thing. The Day of the Lord IS coming and IS near but not only is it near it is also IMMINENT.
Joel in chapter one spoke of a judgment that had come while pointing to a future judgment that will come. Joel 2 is a description of that coming judgment with the addition that not only is it coming but it is imminent. Since it is part of God’s day and not man’s day - it is simply described as the day of the Lord.
Now that Joel has gotten the people’s attention, Joel continues on as if to say stop looking at the present trouble so intently that you forget to be looking ahead to the fulfillment of what this plague is pointing to. An invasion of a fierce army from the North - a mighty army set against Judah. The invading force is described in locust like terms to establish continuity with the current locust plague. The reality occurring is hinting and pointing to the reality coming. Join with me at chapter 2 and lets see this description Joel lays out of the imminent day coming and see what must be done to be prepared for the day IS imminent.
1 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; in fact, it is near— 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great and strong people appears, such as never existed in ages past and never will again in all the generations to come.
3 A fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame blazes. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland; there is no escape from them. 4 Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like war horses.
5 They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war. 6 Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale. 7 They attack as warriors attack; they scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path, and they do not change their course.
8 They do not push each other; each proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping. 9 They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves. 10 The earth quakes before them; the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining.
11 The Lord makes his voice heard in the presence of his army. His camp is very large; those who carry out his command are powerful. Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful— who can endure it? 12 Even now— this is the Lord’s declaration— turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God.
15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion! Announce a sacred fast; proclaim a solemn assembly. 16 Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
17 Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Have pity on your people, Lord, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” 18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people.
19 The Lord answered his people: Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
20 I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things.
21 Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things. 22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches.
23 Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before. 24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust— my great army that I sent against you. 26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame.
27 You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
Nearness of the Day
Nearness of the Day
1 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; in fact, it is near—
Joel starts out calling for the blowing of the ram’s horn. Men who stood watch on the city walls would have ram’s horns and would blow them to alert the city residents and warriors of coming trouble or invading armies.
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman. 3 And suppose he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his ram’s horn to warn the people.
4 Then, if anyone hears the sound of the ram’s horn but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his death will be his own fault. 5 Since he heard the sound of the ram’s horn but ignored the warning, his death is his own fault. If he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.
6 However, suppose the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the ram’s horn, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives. Then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
7 “As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me.
8 If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked one, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to warn him about his way, that wicked person will die for his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 9 But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn’t turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have rescued yourself.
Joel is called and acting as the spiritual watchman for Judah. Calling for the ram’s horn to be blown in Zion - for the alarm to be sounded on God’s holy mountain. Referring to the temple mount - the temple should be sounding the spiritual alarm to alert the people to coming danger. The sounding of the alarm should cause the people to tremble. Literally Joel is called to sound the alarm in order to cause the people to quiver and shake with fear at the coming trouble. The alarm should move them and disturb them for they are not prepared.
Why should the people be disturbed and moved with fear and with caution? The day of the Lord is coming! The Day of the Lord is coming and in fact it is indeed near!
2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:
The relentless approach of that great day of the Lord should cause fear and trembling - especially for those unprepared. Why, well Joel describes the coming day.
The Day Described
The Day Described
2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness, like the dawn spreading over the mountains; a great and strong people appears, such as never existed in ages past and never will again in all the generations to come. 3 A fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame blazes. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland; there is no escape from them.
4 Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like war horses. 5 They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war.
6 Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale. 7 They attack as warriors attack; they scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path, and they do not change their course. 8 They do not push each other; each proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping.
9 They storm the city; they run on the wall; they climb into the houses; they enter through the windows like thieves. 10 The earth quakes before them; the sky shakes. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining.
11 The Lord makes his voice heard in the presence of his army. His camp is very large; those who carry out his command are powerful. Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful— who can endure it?
It is described as a day of darkness and gloom. This is specifically speaking to the condition or atmosphere for those in it. Clouds and total darkness - the reference of the intense darkness following the locust plague has similarities to Exodus 10 where the same order of events is seen. Darkness and clouds associated with the Lord as victorious Warrior also here is symbolic of judgment and destruction.
11 You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire into the heavens and enveloped in a totally black cloud.
9 He bent the heavens and came down, total darkness beneath his feet.
11 He made darkness his hiding place, dark storm clouds his canopy around him.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the mountains at dusk. You wait for light, but he brings darkest gloom and makes total darkness.
7 “ ‘When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. 8 I will darken all the shining lights in the heavens over you, and will bring darkness on your land. This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Next Joel describes the vast invasion and the suddenness with which it appears. Like the morning dawn as it breaks reveals what was unseen before - as light breaks the size of the army is revealed a great and strong people such as has never existed nor ever will again in all the generations to come.
While it can be hard to know what invasion Joel is prophesying, it could also be a prophesied invasion that never came to be because of the response from Judah and God relented and held back the army. King Joash (Josiah) had a 40 year godly reign that began right after Joel’s prophecy.
Other commentators believe that Joel is referring back to the army of locusts and describing them poetically. It is best however to see that Joel is writing of a literal human army that will come against unrepentant Judah.
A fire devours in front of them and behind them a flame blazes. The land before them is lush and like the garden of Eden but behind them is a wasteland and there is no escape from them. The destruction surrounding them is utter and total devastation of which nothing is left and nothing survives.
The description of the army says their faces are like horses and they gallop like wear horses - they bound on top of mountains and they sound like chariots. They have the sound of a crackling fire consuming stubble and they are like a mighty army deployed for war.
The invasion of the locusts and the army have similarities. The German and Italian word for locust literally means hay-horse and little horse
Nations are described as writhing in horror before them helpless by the vast number. They attack as warriors and scale the walls each in their own path (verse 7) without a change of course. They dont push each other and each proceed on their own path. Dodging attacks but never ceasing to advance forward. They do not stop and are not really slowed down.
27 locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks;
Pointing to something much more terrible coming in the day of the Lord.
3 Then locusts came out of the smoke on to the earth, and power was given to them like the power that scorpions have on the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree, but only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads.
5 They were not permitted to kill them but were to torment them for five months; their torment is like the torment caused by a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 In those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. Something like golden crowns was on their heads; their faces were like human faces; 8 they had hair like women’s hair; their teeth were like lions’ teeth;
9 they had chests like iron breastplates; the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots with horses rushing into battle; 10 and they had tails with stingers like scorpions, so that with their tails they had the power to harm people for five months.
The Lord makes His voice heard in the presence of His army. His camp is large and those who go before Him in His name are powerful. The day of the Lord is indeed dreadful who can endure it? Literally who can stand in that day with any courage.
22 Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.
God is speaking lovingly saying terrible times are coming - I am bringing them, but you dont have to be there when I do. You can escape My wrath by turning to Me.
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
In Joel’s day people were not as interested in future things as they were caught up and worried about present troubles. Maybe that’s some of you here this morning - perhaps saying the Day of the Lord is interesting and all but doesn’t help me with my situation now. Maybe the future doesnt concern you because you are caught up in present issues of today and of the period known as right now - but the alarm is sounding be prepared for it might be bad right now - but when that day comes it will be much worse. Dont let today’s troubles prevent you from being prepared for the day of the Lord because it is imminent. There is only one way to be prepared for this invasion and this army bringing the Lord’s judgment.
The Only Strategy
The Only Strategy
12 Even now— this is the Lord’s declaration— turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God. 15 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion! Announce a sacred fast; proclaim a solemn assembly.
16 Gather the people; sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the infants, even babies nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom, and the bride her honeymoon chamber.
17 Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Have pity on your people, Lord, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
Before such an invincible army the nation’s only hope was to turn immediately - even now to the Lord in repentance. The Lord called for it - even now, meaning you dont have to wait to see trouble on the horizon you can turn back now. The Lord declares turn to me - turn your attention, your interest, and your trust to Him with all your heart. Do not turn to the Lord half-hearted to the Lord.
Perhaps some of us here if we are honest we have only turned to the Lord half-hearted, what other things vies for your attention, gains your interest and earns your trust? To turn whole-heartedly to the Lord requires genuine sincerity. God describes what genuine sincerity looks like when He says Turn with weeping fasting and mourning and to Tear your hearts - not just your clothes and return to the Lord your God. Turning to the Lord whole heartedly means the inside matches the outside.
Inward matters more than the outward but do notice the outward was not excluded either.
Spurgeon tells the story of a woman who came seeming to be in great sorrow saying what a great sinner she was, but Spurgeon suspected her repentance wasnt sincere. He said “Well if you are a sinner of course you have broken God’s laws. Let’s read the ten commandments and see which ones you have broken. They started at the first: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” and Spurgeon asked her if she has ever broken that commandment. “Oh no” she said, “not that I know of.” “You shall not make any graven image’ - did you ever break that one?” “Never sir” she answered. Spurgeon went through all ten and she could not find a single one she had broken, and what he suspected was true. She didnt really consider herself a sinner, and her repentance was a show because she thought it was expected of her.
Repentance is the desired outcome of the Lord’s judgments - but it must be sincere. Because they heard the warning of judgment doesnt make the repentance any less valid because they were “scared” into it. The only important thing is that they turn back in sincerity.
How does one turn back to the Lord? To return to the Lord indicates one has gone away from the Lord and they need to return to Him. Why return to Him? Isnt He just full of judgment and anger? Joel says return to the Lord your God - because He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love and He relents from sending disaster God relents! Ceases graciously from acting and sending disaster.
The relationship and the character of God should motivate and entice people to return back to the Lord.
Act according to God’s character - not because God will owe you anything or become a debtor to mankind - but because God ALWAYS acts in accordance with His own character. This is why it is important to know God and to know His revealed character - so we can act in faith of Him and His character — we are responding to who God IS!
Knowing the goodness and mercy of God motivates true repentance. We can come confident that He will heal and forgive and may relent from announced judgment. We do not repent thinking that God is so mean and is waiting to squash me - but instead knowing He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger - He will spare you from what you deserve
4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
Who knows - referencing the sovereignty of God - He doesnt have to act, we cant do anything to force God’s hand, but God always acts in accordance to His character, His word and His promises.
The Whole nation must be involved in the repentance - everyone is called to repent. Blow the ram’s horn and announce a sacred fast. The ram’s horn could also be used to gather the people together. Joel says call everyone together - old, young, toddler and nursing infant. The groom and bride also are not excluded.
5 “When a man takes a bride, he must not go out with the army or be liable for any duty. He is free to stay at home for one year, so that he can bring joy to the wife he has married.
The priests are to come weeping asking the Lord to show pity - fall on the mercy of the Lord. God resists the proud but give grace to the humble. Asking for mercy recognizes the guilt one has but asks for mercy anyways.
God Responds
God Responds
18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people. 19 The Lord answered his people: Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
20 I will drive the northerner far from you and banish him to a dry and desolate land, his front ranks into the Dead Sea, and his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise; yes, his rotten smell will rise, for he has done astonishing things. 21 Don’t be afraid, land; rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things.
22 Don’t be afraid, wild animals, for the wilderness pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and grapevine yield their riches. 23 Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil. 25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust— my great army that I sent against you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame. 27 You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
God responds to His people. God responds to humility and repentance and becomes jealous for the land and chooses to spare His people. In response to their tearing of their hearts God gives them promises.
Promise to restore the blessing of the land - enough to be satiated with them
Promising to restore their prominence among the nations - removing their disgrace and driving their enemies from them.
Fear not - rejoice and be glad for the Lord has done astonishing things.
God restores the rain to the land - the autumn and spring rain as before.
Promise to repay the years the locust has stolen. To restore what was taken in chastisement. Sometimes the locusts work looks complete and final but God promises to restore what the locust has eaten.
“It will strike you at once that the locust did not eat the years: the locust ate the fruits of the years’ labor, the harvest of the fields; so that the meaning of the restoration of the years must be restoration of those fruits and of those harvests which the locust consumed. You cannot have back your time; but there is a strange and wonderful way in which God can give you back the wasted blessings, the unripened fruits of years over which you mourned. The fruits of wasted years may yet be yours.” —Spurgeon
God promises to never put His people to shame again - you will know I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God and there is no other!
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we consider the coming day of the Lord and its imminence there is a truth or test if you will. When we are right with God - when we are properly prepared we WANT the day of the Lord, we long for it, for Him to show His strength because we know that we abide in Him. When we are not prepared we are not ready and we instead dread that coming day - ignoring it or denying it because when God shows His strength it may be against us. Joel warned the people that they were not right with God and so the day would be darkness and gloom - is that how the Day of the Lord is for you?
When the plague of locusts and the drought hit Judah and devastated the land and the people, most would expect Joel as the man of God to encourage and lift up the people. “Hang in there” Things are bad now but they will get better. Tough times dont last, tough people do. Joel’s message and sometimes the message from God ministers has to be - You think this bad, you will have worse is coming if you dont repent.
Sincere repentance is needed - turning to God and away from our sin and self. Sincere repentance is done with the whole heart - the total of who you are giving everything in surrender to God. Sincere repentance is marked by action and emotion. Its easy to partricipate in religious ceremony but it is something else to humbly confess your sins before God
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.
Be encouraged by the character of God - to repent and return for He desires it He is gracious and compassionate slow to anger abounding in love and relenting from sending disaster.
Notice in verse 14 Joel is concerned more about the ability to sacrifice and offer to the Lord rather than just filling their own bellies.
After you have returned to the Lord and confessed and repented now its time to believe Gods promises -