Joel 2:18-27
The Comforting Answer
The “who knows” of Joel 2:14, after what happened in Joel 2:17, gets here his beautiful answer. Is it not touching, this verse? It is at least as touching as the LORD’s reaction to the removal of the idols in the book of Judges: “And He could bear the misery of Israel no longer” (Jdg 10:16). People who show their humility and break with sin and thus go to Him, always experience His compassion. Then He will again act in favor of His land and His people. There has always been a connection between land and people (Gen 13:14-18; Gen 17:6-8). With ‘land’ the emphasis is on the LORD’s relentless zeal for its well-being. With ‘people’, the emphasis is on His compassion, His tender feelings for them.Two Promises
This verse contains two promises. The first is that there will be grain, new wine and oil again. They will be able to live from it, not just to stay alive, but they will be able to eat it until they are satisfied. When the LORD sends anything, it is never scanty. He always gives in abundance (Mt 14:15-21; Mt 15:32-38). The second promise is the assurance that they will never again be made a reproach among the nations. This assurance is a great relief. Reproach gives an enormous spiritual burden, by which life can become extremely difficult. The opposite, to be praised, or simply appreciated in daily life, can give wings; it makes life easier and pleasant.A Third Promise
The LORD gives a third promise: He will chase away the enemy. This enemy comes from the north. It is Assyria. That enemy will be expelled in three directions, unlike with the locusts which have been expelled to the west, in the sea. Part of it is driven “into a parched and desolate land”, probably referring to the wilderness area south of Israel. Another part, “his vanguard”, is driven “into the eastern sea”, which is the Dead Sea. The third part, “his rear guard”, will be driven “into the western sea”, that is the Mediterranean Sea. This fate that strikes Assyria comes from the LORD because this enemy boasts that he has done “great things”. That is, he acted with pride. He has spoken and acted arrogantly. Their countless bodies will decay, so that the stench will arise and its foul smell will come up and pollute the air (cf. Amos 4:10a). Smell and pollution is all that remains of it. Once the discipline has done its job, it is removed. It is different with the plagues that have come over Egypt. There a plague stopped to make way for a new plague, because there was no conversion (Exodus 7-12).Great Things
“Do not fear.” What a word full of comfort! From this call or command that we often encounter in the Bible, many have drawn strength through the ages. How afraid we can be when we think of the future, near or far away. We do not have any grip on it. Many things happen without us being able to influence them. But he who trusts in God will be told: “Do not fear!” Here this word is said just after the country suffered enormously, but is now blessed again by the LORD. The land again produces much fruit, until satisfaction. But precisely because it is so recent that it has sighed, through its own unfaithfulness, under the discipline of God, there is still the fear that things will go wrong again. The people think back and realize how fragile and vulnerable this blessing can be. Then comes another encouragement: the land may rejoice and be glad, because the blessing no longer depends on their faithfulness, but because the LORD has done great things. In Joel 2:20 it says that Assyria boasts of having done great things. But doing great things is only reserved for God. He has done great things in their salvation from the enemies. And for us? If we think of the great work of the Lord Jesus on the cross … How incredibly great that is! That gives all redeemed of all times every reason to always rejoice and be glad (cf. Joel 2:23).Again Plenty to Eat for the Animals
From this verse the realm of peace comes into view. Under the reign of the Prince of peace, the whole of creation – land, animals and people – will be able to enjoy, in unprecedented peace and rest, all that God has given. The encouragement “do not fear” of Joel 2:21 sounds here for the animals. In the same sentence, the call “rejoice and be glad” of Joel 2:21 sound in Joel 2:23 for the children of Zion. The animals have suffered because of the sin of man. But when man, the people, have converted, the animals also share in the results of the atonement. Their longing for God (Joel 1:20) has been answered. They can eat plenty of what the field produces. They do not have to fear new scarcity. Even in our time, cattle still sigh under the curse of man’s sin that rests on creation. But if the curse is removed, the animals will be brought, though not in joy, in the freedom of the children of God (Rom 8:18-22). Thus God, when He spares Nineveh, also has an eye for the animals, for cattle also have fasted (Jona 4:11; Jona 3:8).The Sons of Sion
The fact that the people are addressed with “sons of Zion” must sound like music to their ears. Zion is one of the mountains on which Jerusalem is built. Zion is often called ‘the city of David’. He lived there. Once the true David, the Lord Jesus, will live there and reign from there, Mount Zion will be “the joy of the whole earth” (Psa 48:2). As with Mount Sinai the law is connected, so with Mount Zion the grace is connected (Heb 12:18-22). The “sons of Zion” are therefore “children of grace”. Therefore the cause of rejoicing and gladness is not in themselves, but in the LORD. They see Him as the cause of their joy. He has shown them mercy, while they have forfeited every right to blessing. They may rejoice once again in “the LORD your God”, in which the consciousness of a renewed, restored relationship with the God of the covenant is included. On the basis of this new covenant, the rain currents of blessing will descend again. The early rain falls in October and November; the late rain falls in March and April and is indispensable for a good harvest. Rain first means rain as a natural blessing, but then also the spiritual blessing in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28).“The teacher for righteousness” – as “the early rain for [your] vindication” also can be translated [see footnote NASB] – is no one else but the Lord Jesus. He will teach them in righteousness (Isa 53:11b). It may seem strange that in the midst of all the earthly blessings a Person suddenly comes forward. Yet this is not strange when we consider that, if the promised state of blessing is to be maintained, God’s people must also live in God’s way and according to His commandments. Because Israel’s blessing is connected with keeping God’s commandments, it is of vital importance that the LORD also has those commandments taught as well. When, through the Teacher’s teaching, life according to God’s will is taken seriously again in Israel, the rain, coming as a blessing from God, may descend. In the past, righteousness was demanded, no one could meet it. Now that new life is present, there is also the desire to be taught in righteousness.The Blessing
The coming of rain is evidence of the blessing God has in His heart for them. He will give that rain if they obey His commandments. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses is a picture of the Teacher for righteousness (Joel 2:23; Deu 11:13-14). Grain, new wine and oil, the three products of the land that together represent the full blessing, will be overflowing. All this thanks to the rain streams that the LORD will give, each at his appointed time.Restoration
That’s God! Once His people have converted to Him, He will compensate them for what they have missed all these years because of His discipline. God does not keep the blessing to Himself; He is the God Who distributes blessing, provided that the conditions He has set are met. He can only give blessing where things happen according to His will. Even if a person or a people are stubborn, He is able to make them act according to His will. That is how God always does it. It is in itself a blessing if, after a rebellious life, a person comes to the acknowledgment that God has to judge that rebellious life. This acknowledgment is sufficient for God to give new life. That new life is the life of God Himself. Then God shows how many blessings He has in His heart to give to those who are so connected to Him through new life. Everything that has been said and done in rebellion against God has only done harm. Conversion has put this to an end. After Israel’s conversion in the future, they will be allowed to take possession of all the promised blessings. How many years of our life have been consumed by locusts? Self-sufficiency, frivolity, waste of time, talent and opportunity, slowness, laziness, mixed and evil motives, hidden sin, they all played the role of locust. It made sure that there was no power to live for God and enjoy fellowship with Him. There was also no power to testify to those around us Who the Lord Jesus is for us. But God wants to forgive and give us a hopeful future again. Moreover, He wants to give back what the locust has eaten. The Lord Jesus did the same with Peter. After Peter has denied the Lord (Mt 26:69-75) the Lord restored him and entrusts him with the care of His sheep (Jn 21:15-17). He also did it with Paul. After Paul caused devastation in the church of Christ and the Lord has met him, He makes him a builder of the church. Paul has built both in the preaching of the gospel and in teaching the doctrine (1Tim 1:12-14). This is how the Lord wants to act in our lives. It begins with the removal from our lives of everything that is more important than Christ. We must condemn the things we do not do for Him, especially the confession and forsaking of sins (Pro 28:13) that we still cherish. Then we will see that we have access to “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” hidden in Christ (Col 2:3).Praise for the LORD
It is striking how, when it comes to the blessing of God, it is always spoken of abundance and satisfaction. If the damage suffered is made good by the LORD, subsequently His people have enough to eat again. Then they will express their gratitude by praising the name of the LORD, their God in worship. That is the ultimate goal of all God does with and for His people, both in Israel and in the church. Every redemption, both of a person and of a people, will lead to the exclamation: “This is the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes” (Psa 118:23). This wonder could happen by the contents of the verse before it: “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner [stone]” (Psa 118:22). This is the cause of the worship of the wonder. The Lord Jesus was rejected by men, but made by God the basis for His work. The wonder of redemption is made possible by what the Lord Jesus did on the cross. Also all the earthly blessings that Israel will receive are due to that work. The natural blessings will have a spiritual effect because one will honor and thank the LORD as the Processor of them.Knowing Where and Who the LORD Is
The “knowing” of this verse is a knowing by experience. They become aware, they notice, that the LORD is in their midst. The answer to the prayer of Joel 2:17 and the answer of the LORD in the salvation from need can be seen in Israel’s renewed relationship with the LORD. When God says “that I am the LORD your God”, He shows the exclusive privilege of Israel. He became the LORD their God because He delivered them out of Egypt (Exo 20:2; Deu 5:6). The addition “and there is no other” (Deu 4:35; Isa 45:5) emphasizes the previous statement. This is necessary because Israel, in its needs, often has turned to other gods. In doing that they have always been ashamed and were made ashamed, something they have never experienced in their relation with God and that they will never experience forevermore. Then there will be no more room for the mocking question: ‘Where is their God?’
Copyright information for
KingComments