The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5 NLT
Last time, (see Rebellion of God’s Children), we followed the fractionation of Israel after the death of King Solomon. We saw that the northern portion of Israel kept the same name, and suffered (so far), through eight pagan kings, ruling over pagan people who turned their backs on God.
The southern region, called Judah, had two pagan kings, followed by two godly kings in the same time frame. We left off with the fourth, King Jehoshaphat. After his death, the people reverted to paganism like their northern brothers and sisters. At this time, it’s been almost one hundred years since God’s children have lived in unrepentant sin…
Jehovah loves all people; and it breaks His heart when they live that way, because their self-destruction is assured if they don’t turn around. So, in approximately 835 B.C., He decided to get Judah’s attention by sending a plague of locusts that decimated their crops. Famine and drought follow.
You might think Him to be a cruel God, but not so! He’s keeping the promise that He made to their ancestors:
“…if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you…Swarms of insects will destroy your trees and crops.” Dt. 28:15 & 42. NLT
Yet God’s love never waivers. He sends a prophet by the name of Joel to Judah, to bring hope to their darkness. (I must pause here and tell you that there is some disagreement between biblical scholars regarding exactly when Joel showed up. Some believe it was at this point in time, others say it was three hundred years later. It doesn’t matter. God’s word is timeless.
Theologians consider Joel to be one of the ‘minor prophets,’ not because his message was any less important than other prophets, but because it was brief.
Joel begins relaying Jehovah’s message to the people by telling them not to forget His discipline, and to pass that knowledge onto their children as well. Then he tells them how to restore their relationship with their Creator:
Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to him there. Joel 1:14 NLT
In other words, return to Jehovah God, which is the answer to all the troubles of humankind. When Joel next speaks, he shows us a pattern of delivery that many of the prophets utilize – that of speaking God’s word which had an immediate application, but also a future one as well:
Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the LORD is upon us. It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears… Joel 2:1, 2. NLT
The imminent application consists of God’s warning that the people must get their spiritual act together, or He will send the Babylonians to conquer them and carry them away captive. (Which they don’t, because the conquerors came two hundred years later and do just that).
The future reference considers the ‘day of the LORD,’ which marks the end of time. Unrepentant sin, (which includes rejecting God’s invitation to salvation through Christ), will definitely put you on the losing end when that occasion comes.
God is saying that time is finite. He fashioned just enough time to allow for all the people He would create, to be able to decide of their own free will to love Him and / or make the decision to return to His love, if they fell astray.
At end of time, those who have a love relationship with Jehovah will spent eternity with Him. Those who have of themselves decided not to, will never get another chance:
The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive? Joel 2:11 NLT
The day of the LORD is awesome for those who love God, but terrible for those who don’t. Again, He is not being cruel. Jehovah has been telling all of humankind how to relate to Him for over 3000 years. Moreover, He is still reaching out to everyone:
That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is still time. Give me your hearts, come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:12, 13. NLT
The Hebrews used to tear their garments when in anguish, to symbolize having a broken heart. Here, God is telling them to forgo the symbolism and immerse themselves in the experience of having a true broken heart, one that seeks His forgiveness that only earnest repentance can bring.
Joel then shows them the divine restoration that their repentance could bring from the Lord:
“I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts…It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again, you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced.” Joel 2:25, 26. NLT
Jehovah’s greatest joy, where we are concerned, comes from covering us with His love, grace and mercy – both now and forever. Even though we have made ourselves ripe for the devouring locusts, God stands ready to deliver us when we call out to Him. Furthermore, check this out!
“…I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 CSB
“The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved…These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.” Joel 2:31, 32. NLT
“…the heavens and the earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people…” Joel 3:16 NKJV
Awesome! When we approach the end of time, (by the way, that clock started ticking off when Christ ascended to heaven), every child of God will be filled by the Holy Spirit and manifest it. In fact, 7 – 10 days after Jesus ascended (depending upon who you ask), the indwelling began on the day of Pentecost. (see Acts 2:1 – 21.)
It is still happening today, empowering the receiver to enter into the kingdom of God and advance it here on earth.
We can also see that Jehovah God will reshape the earth and the universe into something that will be so wondrous that we cannot yet comprehend it.
It will be a frightening, chaotic time for those who chose to reject God; but for those who choose Him, regardless of their past, they have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and cherished by His Father, and that time for them will be the beginning of heaven…
Next week, we’ll continue to watch our Creator, as He keeps bringing hope to the darkness.
Goodnight and God bless.