Joel 3: 1-3

The Nations Will Be Judged

¹"For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
²I will gather all the nations
And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat
Then I will enter into judgment with them there
On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
And they have divided up My land.
³"They have also cast lots for My people,
Traded a boy for a harlot
And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.

The scene changes in Chapter 3 as we would seem to open on a courtroom of sorts. Our heading "The nations will be judged" implies that there is judgment coming down. God pretty much speaks that very thought when He says, "Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people...." (vs 2).

Speaking still of the final Day of the Lord, this closing chapter of Joel explains what judgment will come upon whom. Although God speaks of restoration for Judah and Jerusalem in the first verse, He quickly shifts focus to "the nations." He will gather them all in one place--the valley of Jehoshaphat, which means "Yahweh judges."

The cross-references for verse 2 suggest a number of things happening at this time. Per Isaiah, "...They [the nations] shall come and see My glory." (66:18) Per Micah, "...He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor." (4:12) Zechariah probably has the most pronounced agenda: "For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city." (14:2) The battle referred to by Zechariah is the battle of Armageddon, led by the Almighty against those nations who are not His people.

The phrase "I will enter into judgment with them" requires a closer look. The King James says "will plead with them," which would seem even more confusing. The Amplified Bible says, "will I deal with and execute judgment upon them for [their treatment of] My people...." God being God, His judgment is not going to be brought with room for witnesses and closing arguments much less a jury. 'Plead' is much stronger than our legalistic use of it in English.

"Accordingly, when God is said to 'plead with' man..., the meaning is that God states His side of the case and not at all that He supplicates man to repent. And this statement by God is a judicial act that of course admits of no reply." [International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]

God begins speaking of the charges against the nations in verse 2, noting how His people have been scattered and divided up, lots have been cast for them and they have been traded for goods and services, as it were, for the nations' living of the abundant life. A cross-reference for verse 3 brings us back to Obadiah 1:11, and Edom's watching idly as the nations cast lots for Jerusalem, running off with the wealth of the people. Remember what happened to Edom?

But God's final plan was not such that His people would be forever lost. Note the love of the Father in verse 2, calling Israel "My people" and "My inheritance" ("My heritage" in the King James). For His Name's sake, God is not going to accept anything less than that which is surely His own. These are the people who are in relationship with God, who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and live that way! "To live is Christ...." That is their MO. The battle is yet to come, but His people would not receive that as their final judgment. Those who truly called on the Lord as their God would be saved.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left."

--Matthew 25:31-33 [and quite a few more verses beyond]

God's last spoken words in Joel.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: http://phillipbantz.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/gavel.jpg

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Next week: Joel 3: 4-8

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.

I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Joel 2: 28-32

The Promise of the Spirit

²⁸"It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
²⁹"Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Day of the LORD

³⁰"I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke.
³¹"The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood
Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
³²"And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape, as the LORD has said,
Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

Chapter 2 concludes with text that is intended to be viewed through "second coming" eyes. Joel returns to forth-casting the Day of the Lord. If it seems an abrupt jump, given that we are still in chapter 2, note that my study Bible indicates that in the Hebrew text, today's passage actually begins chapter 3. (There are 4 chapters of Joel in the Hebrew.)

God says that one of the significant events to occur in this time will be the full pouring out of His Spirit. I use the word full, here, because this pouring out has not been completely fulfilled, though the Holy Spirit has already been given to us (Acts 2). Interestingly, Peter, upon receiving the Holy Spirit, takes his place on the platform and delivers a sermon to those surrounding him, quoting Joel to those who have questioned what had just taken place. (Acts 2: 14-21) Confused?

My S.B. makes it clear that Peter's use of the Joel passage was not to demonstrate that Joel's prophecy was completely fulfilled at the time of Pentecost but that the Spirit's first appearance was a foretaste of things to come. As Joel reads, the Spirit's coming will allow not just apostles and prophets to see "dreams and visions," but the sons and daughters of Israel--the old, the young, the servants. (vs. 28 & 29) It will be different next time.

[On the other hand, that Peter quoted Old Testament prophecy must have given great credence to God's Holy Word to that earthly crowd of witnesses. I think, on some level, it is what I have experienced in these weeks, reading Joel and looking at our world situation today. Not that prophecy has been completely fulfilled, but that God's Word is "living and active" (Heb. 4:12)--valid and sustaining!]

When God's Spirit does come in full, it will not come to all. It is important to take in the construction of verses 28 and 29 in the passage. 'Mankind' does not refer to all people. Reading the rest of the passage in context--"your sons and daughters," etc.--refers back to Israel. This will be made more clear as we look at verse 32 and as we study chapter 3 ("The Nations Will Be Judged") next week.

God speaks of the dramatic visual signs that will precede the Day of the Lord. My Bible study group was speaking of "theophanies"--physical manifestations of the presence of God-- in this week's session as we discussed the pillar of cloud and of fire that accompanied the Hebrews in their wilderness days. God will cause physical disturbances and anomalies that will only be attributed to His presence. His wrath will be made known.

But, not without another show of grace. (vs. 32)

"And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered...."

How marvelous that not only does Peter quote Joel in the New Testament, but Paul does also! Speaking of Israel in Romans (10:12 & 13), Paul says that the time has come--and will come for all people--when there will be "no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all...and whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." He continues to say that not all of Israel will be saved, however, and Joel's prophecy has said this as well.

"Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls...there will be those who escape."

God is not unfaithful to fulfill His own Word! From the beginning, He ordained a group of people who would be His children. He promised His everlasting and unconditional love. And He continues, out of grace and mercy, to reach those who would otherwise perish. Here in Joel, they are called "survivors." They are also referred to as the "remnant." Generally, 'remnant' means that which is left over or "what remains." But, God does not intend to take home with Him what remains on the earth at the Day of the Lord.

"...'Remnant' has a special significance in the prophecies of Isaiah, as denoting 'a holy seed,' or spiritual kernel, of the nation which should survive impending judgment and become the germ of the people of God, being blessed of God and made a blessing." (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

"Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant within them will return; a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness."

--Isaiah 10:20-22 (emphasis mine)

The Good Shepherd will return to lead His sheep through the narrow gate. Those who follow Him, those who call on His name, will be delivered.


Last chapter of Joel begins.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/open%20gate.bmp

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Next week: Joel 3: 1-3

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.

I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Joel 2: 23-27

²³So rejoice, O sons of Zion,
And be glad in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the early rain for your vindication
And He has poured down for you the rain,
The early and latter rain as before.
²⁴The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.
²⁵"Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
²⁶"You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will never be put to shame.
²⁷"Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the LORD your God,
And there is no other;
And My people will never be put to shame.

What on the surface reads as a mere accounting of God's physical restoration of Judah has yielded for me a treasure of words and thoughts about His character and His mighty acts of grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Joel tells the people to "Be glad" for what God has done. Could not God have treated Judah like the Edom of Obadiah's day?

I came across a news story--again, as I'm finishing a post--that has brought me back to add a paragraph, because I think the content fits in so well with what we are learning here. The Vatican is taking some hard hits with the allegations facing priests in Europe. Pope Benedict XVI made this statement to the press yesterday: "“The church has a profound need to relearn penance, to accept purification, to learn on the one hand forgiveness but also the necessity of justice." The crux of his statement was that sin comes from within the church and not from external influences upon the church. Bold new beginning words.... Is this not reflective of what Judah faced? Truly, it's what we all face.

"Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge."

--Psalm 51:4

But, would God handle Judah as He did Edom? No, He would not. He would deal with this people--His people--"wondrously". (vs. 26)

I read this 'wondrous' treatment in two ways. First, He completely restores Judah's natural world, re-establishing the growth of crops, the health of the animals and the seasonal process that will, once again, bring food and resources to the nation. He not only restores those functions, but He promises a great and satisfying yield to the people. How else is God wondrous? That He chose to do any of this at all! "I will make up to you...," (vs. 25) is how the NASB words the concept of restoration, of God's saying that what He brought upon the people ["My great army which I sent among you"], He will take up from them--and more. The Hebrew meaning of 'restore' here is "to be in a covenant of peace." [Strong's] That's wondrous, amazing grace at work, and Joel issues the call for rejoicing.

"Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
'The LORD has done great things for them.'
The LORD has done great things for us;
We are glad."

--Psalm 126: 2 & 3 (cross-reference for vs. 26)

Verse 23 brought forth some fascinating finds and connections. "He has given you the early rain for your vindication...." To vindicate someone means to clear him or her from an accusation or to uphold them. Throughout our mid-chapter reading, in Joel's calling for repentance, we read how Judah's reputation was becoming that of a "byword" among the heathens. But, God promised deliverance and indicated this with the tangible sign of rain, in its proper season.

In exploring the roots of 'vindication', I came across two significant definitions. First, to vindicate means "to set free" as "to free from servitude." (Dictionary.com) Tying in with last week's thoughts about 'deliverance', the people of Judah needed to be set free from their serving other gods. The Father brought about His discipline in the form of a "day of the Lord" that His children might remember Him and His works. They needed to break free from the bondage of reliance on other gods who could never be like their one and only Father.

Second, vindicate means "to show authority," and I'm sure you can see how that dovetails into the first thought. In fact, when referred to in Roman and civil law uses, vindicate means "to regain possession, under claim of title of property through legal procedure, or to assert one's right to possession." As surely as Judah needed to see the error of its ways and to repent, God also saw this as an opportunity to restate His authority over His people, His possession--not in a dictatorial sense, but out of utter unconditional love.

One last note on the phrase "the early rain," my study Bible notes that this may be translated "the teacher for righteousness" as in "He has given you the teacher for righteousness for your vindication." Praise Jesus!

Finally, a closer look at verse 27: "Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other...." God is speaking at this point, summarizing His thoughts on the subject. By His works, the people will "know", which the Amplified Bible expands to add "and understand and realize." It is not enough just to know as factual knowledge what God did for Judah. The people needed to understand--why? for what benefit? at what cost?--and to realize that it was THE God who was at work.

God granted them wisdom of this and reminded them that He was in their midst, which, in the Hebrew carries the notion of being at the "inward part or the center" [Strong's]. When God is at the heart of the people, there is restoration of the nation. The story of the Bible is one of God's continuing to be in the midst of His people. As Joel and the prophets and teachers of old would tell us, it's a story that needs to be passed down through the generations.

"O LORD, You are my God;
I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;
For You have worked wonders,
Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness."

--Isaiah 25:1

Peter quotes Joel in Acts, and more on the Day of the Lord to come.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: http://gentlehugs.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/rain_forest_tropic.jpg

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Next week: Joel 2: 28-32

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.

I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Joel 2: 18-22

Deliverance Promised

¹⁸Then the LORD will be zealous for His land and will have pity on His people.
¹⁹The LORD will answer and say to His people,
"Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with them;
And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.
²⁰"But I will remove the northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
And its vanguard into the eastern sea, and its rear guard into the western sea
And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up,
For it has done great things."
²¹Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the LORD has done great things.
²²Do not fear, beasts of the field,
For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

We continue the good news of relief for Judah in the midst of Chapter 2. There is clearly a break in the text as Joel's prophecy focuses for the remainder of the book on God's grace and mercy in Judah's situation.

My study Bible suggests that there was a period of time (between verses 17 and 18) in which Judah did repent, and the verses following tell of the Lord's work in light of their repentance. The tense of the passage is future, as it is in other translations, including the King James, so I'm wondering why repentance had to occur at this point. I'm not doubting that repentance did occur, but wouldn't it be appropriate for God to outline what He would do in a prophecy?

How God-planned it is that as 'deliverance' comes up in this blog the same week as my new small group Bible study (Priscilla Shirer's One in a Million) also begins on the same topic! Besides referring to the literal taking of something to someone, 'deliverance' also means salvation--saving--or liberation--rescuing and freeing from. (Dictionary.com) Shirer uses Israel during the time of bondage in Egypt as her subject, saying that the people needed to be delivered from "a person" and "a place." [She also says we all have this issue.]

I would suggest that Judah was in the same position during Joel's time. Whereas captive Israel needed to be freed from Egypt's allure and led to the promised land, devastated Judah needed to be freed from its place of famine and "reproach" among the heathen nations (vs. 19). Israel needed deliverance from the person of Pharoah, Shirer continues. Judah needed deliverance from the person of their other gods. [As Shirer also suggests, we all need deliverance from the person of Satan.]

With its repentance, the nation of Judah would see the return of the zeal of the Lord their God and His hand in their lives. Interesting how 'zealous' and 'jealous' are somewhat related. The New Living Translation actually uses the phrasing "...and jealously guard the honor of his land," in verse 18. 'Zeal' means "enthusiastic devotion or passion, eager desire." 'Jealous' can mean being "vigilant in maintaining or guarding something," along with some other definitions that are more negative. Biblically speaking, 'jealous' refers to being "intolerant of unfaithfulness or rivalry." (all Dictionary.com) His zeal and compassion make way for His restorative work. "Our God is a jealous God" (Exodus 20:5) is the lifetime posture to which God wants Judah to return.

The Lord's work means the lifting of the famine and all that would bring that condition about, including restoration of the crops as the food source for people and animals. (vs. 22) [And I love how He speaks to all His creation in that verse!] The sustenance of the nation will be returned not only through food to eat but restoration of food for sacrifice and offering (i.e., new grain, wine and oil) (vs. 19), so, spiritual restoration.

The content of verse 20 lies as a point of discrepancy amongst Bible scholars. Some view the "northern destroyer" as the locusts and some view this reference as pointing to a future military invasion. The Amplified Bible seems to infuse both viewpoints, noting the stench is "like that of a decaying mass of locusts, a symbol and forecast of the fate of the northern army in the final day of the Lord."

There is also discrepancy over the phrase "great things" referring to both "the northern army" and, in verse 21, God. The Hebrew for 'great' in these two verses is the same word. And, as my study Bible suggests, one could successfully argue that the locusts or a large army could have done great things. We know that God most assuredly does great things. Either way, I believe the meaning is pretty clear, don't you think?

Lastly, I must note the assurance given in the first part of verse 21:

"Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad...."

What I understand is the most oft-mentioned phrase in the Bible, "Do not fear," is here, again. This time, it is offered to "the land"--the nation of Judah.

God knows that hardship has come upon Judah and has come under His providence. Yet even in the most dire of circumstances, He has "pity" (vs. 18) upon His people--compassion...and a desire, a zeal, to spare them. He "will answer" (vs. 19) their cries of confession and will honor the turn of their faces in repentance. And He will restore them!

"And you will be satisfied in full...." (vs. 19)

More of God's plan for Judah's deliverance.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: http://creativejewishmom.typepad.com/.a/6a011570601a80970b011570ccade8970b-800wi

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Next week: Joel 2: 23-27

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.

I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).