Joel 2:1-27
He is There and He is Not Silent!
1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my
holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the
LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 A day of darkness and of
gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon
the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like,
neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as
the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and
nothing shall escape them. 4 The appearance of them is as the
appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 5 Like the
noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a
flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle
array. 6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces
shall gather blackness. 7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall
climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and
they shall not break their ranks: 8 Neither shall one thrust
another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the
sword, they shall not be wounded. 9 They shall run to and fro in the
city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they
shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth shall quake
before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and
the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11 And the LORD shall utter
his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that
executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who
can abide it? 12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to
me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God:
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and
repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink
offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people,
sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those
that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride
out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD,
weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O
LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule
over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? 18
Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19
Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you
corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no
more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20 But I will remove far
off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and
desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the
utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up,
because he hath done great things. 21 Fear not, O land; be glad and
rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye
beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree
beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23
Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he
hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for
you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24
And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine
and oil. 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath
eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army
which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be
satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously
with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27 And ye shall know
that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none
else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
Introduction:
This is the second of four
planned sermons on the prophecy of Joel.
In the Hebrew Scriptures the last five verses of chapter two in the
English Bibles are chapter three, and chapter three in the English Bibles are
chapter four in the Hebrew Scriptures.
That is how we are going to approach the book. In other words, we will consider chapter 1,
followed by chapter 2:1-27, then chapter 2:28-32 (chapter 3 in the Heb.), and
finally chapter 3 (chapter 4 in the Heb.).
Background material for the book
of Joel may be found in 2 Kings 11-2 and 2 Chr. 24.
Joel prophesied during the reign
of Joash, king of Judah, c. 820 B.C.
If you are ever going to use a
Bible dictionary, a Bible encyclopedia, or a Bible handbook it will be in order
to understand the Old Testament better.
For example, in Joel we will encounter locusts, Zion (2:1, 15; 3:16-17,
21), Mount Zion (2:32), Israel (2:27; 3:2, 16), Jerusalem (2:32; 3:1, 6, 16-17,
20), the Garden of Eden (2:3), Judah (3:1, 6, 8, 18-20), the Valley of
Jeshoshaphat (3:2, 12), Tyre (3:4), Sidon (3:4), Philistia (3:4), Greeks (3:6),
Sabeans (3:8), the Valley of Acacias (3:18), Egypt (3:19), and Edom (3:19). Encountering these entities from the ancient
world should drive us to our resources to learn as much about them as we
possibly can in order to understand this little book of Joel from 29 centuries
ago.
Outline:
I. Sound an alarm: Who can survive the Day of the Lord? (2:1-11)
II. Tear Your Heart and Turn to God: Where is your God? (2:12-17)
III. Be Glad and Rejoice in the Lord: He Will Answer! (2:18-27)
I. Sound an
alarm: Who can
survive the Day of the Lord? (2:1-11)
1 Blow
ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm
in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day
of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 A day of
darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the
morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not
been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of
many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a
flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a
desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4 The
appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall
they run. 5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains
shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble,
as a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before their face the
people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and
they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8
Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and
when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9 They
shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall
climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the
moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his
camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of
the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
Blow the trumpet!
Sound an alarm!
Again we hear of the Day of the Lord! The Lord will have
His Day, and it will not be a pretty picture!
It does not bode well for His enemies or for those who are disobedient
to His Word!
Here the Day of the Lord is described as a dark and
gloomy Day, and as a terrible Day.
Here also is part of the proof that this is not what many
imagine it to be. In these verses is
strong evidence that this is not referring to a fulfillment in the future in
some human military force.
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of
war
The rhetorical question is asked, "Who can abide
it?" At least one modern translation gets the idea correct in the word
"abide" here by rendering it "survive". The unexpressed answer is thus, "No one
can survive the Day of the Lord!"
II. Tear Your
Heart and Turn to God: Where
is your God? (2:12-17)
12
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me
with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with
mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not
your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even
a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow
the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the
children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his
chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the
ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say,
Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the
heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they
say among the people, Where is their God?
What is required here?
A change of heart, yea, a new heart!
Ps. 34:18 - The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as
be of a contrite spirit.
Ps. 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Is. 57:15 - For thus saith the high and
lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is
of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to
revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Is. 66:2 - For all those things hath mine hand made, and all
those things have been, saith the
LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my
word.
This is impossible!
What is required here?
Circumcision of the heart! And so
it is commanded in the Law of God given through Moses:
Dt. 10:16 - Circumcise
therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
Jer. 4:4 - Circumcise
yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of
Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn
that none can quench it, because of
the evil of your doings.
Jer. 9:26 - Egypt,
and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that
dwell in the wilderness: for all these
nations are uncircumcised, and all
the house of Israel are uncircumcised
in the heart.
Ezek. 11:19-20 - 19 And I
will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will
take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and
they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Dt. 30:6 - And the LORD thy God will
circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God
with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Ezek. 36:26-27 - A new
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of
flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk
in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Rom. 2:25-29 - 25 For
circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker
of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if
the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his
uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not
uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the
letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a
Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is
that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and
circumcision is that of the heart, in
the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of
God.
Col. 2:10-12 - 10 And
ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him
from the dead.
Why is this required?
What is the point? What will be
the result?
Where is God?
Why would anyone question where our God is?
Where was God when...?
If there is a God, then why doesn't He...?
If there is a God, they why didn't He...?
III. Be Glad
and Rejoice in the Lord: He Will
Answer! (2:18-27)
18
Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19
Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you
corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no
more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20 But I will remove
far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and
desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the
utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up,
because he hath done great things. 21 Fear
not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. 22
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the
pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig
tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your
God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause
to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the
first month. 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats
shall overflow with wine and oil. 25 And I will restore to you the
years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the
palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall
eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that
hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall
never be ashamed. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst
of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
The Lord will be jealous for his land. He will pity His people. The Lord will answer
His people. He will speak to them. He tells them what He is going to do for
them:
Behold,
I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith:
and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20 But I
will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land
barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part
toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall
come up, because he hath done great things.
This is the good news!
It is so good that it seems like it is impossible!
This seems impossible, but nothing is impossible for the
Lord.
It is such good news that the land and the animals are
commanded not to be afraid:
21 Fear not, O land....22
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field
The land is also commanded to "be glad and
rejoice", and not the land only, but also the children of Zion:
Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God
In every case the reason is given, both negatively not to
be afraid, and positively to be glad and to rejoice:
for
the LORD will do great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the
field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her
fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23 Be glad
then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given
you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the
rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24
And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine
and oil. 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath
eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army
which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be
satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously
with you:
Is not the most amazing aspect of this what is found in
verse 25?
And
I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and
the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
The restoration of the lost years, the restoring of that
which was lost, is an amazing provision of God's grace. This supernatural restorative power of God
must be comprehended by faith. When this
is done it provides tremendous hope in the midst of the darkest days and
greatest difficulties.
Conclusion:
Sound an
alarm: Who can survive the Day of the
Lord?
Tear Your
Heart and Turn to God: Where is your
God?
Be Glad and
Rejoice in the Lord: He Will
Answer!
[Sermon preached by Pastor John T. "Jack" Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA on Sunday, May 12, 2013.]
[Sermon preached by Pastor John T. "Jack" Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA on Sunday, May 12, 2013.]
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