Joe 3:2 | KingComments | STEP | In Joel 2, the plea for Israel is to ask the LORD to spare His people what the nations will say when He delivers them to reproach ( ). They use the words “Your people“ and “Your inheritance“ there. Here the LORD takes over these words as it were and speaks of “My people” and “My inheritance”. What the nations have done to God’s people and inheritance is the charge against them here. The scattering of God’s people and the division of God’s land is an affront to the property of God. The nations that have taken hold of His people and His inheritance are gathered together by the LORD. He will show them that He has not forgotten all the injustice done to His people and His inheritance. The nations will be requited according to what they have done to God’s people. We also see this in Matthew 25 where the criterion for judgment is also the attitude taken towards the brothers of the Lord ( ). The trial takes place in the valley of Jehoshaphat. How God will get the nations there is described in . Jehoshaphat means ‘ Yahweh judges’ or ‘the scepter of Yahweh ’, or ‘ Yahweh pronounces justice’ or ‘ Yahweh is Judge’. In the valley with that name, He takes legal action with the nations for His people who were scattered by them, and about His land they have divided. Where the valley of Jehoshaphat lies is not known. It is unlikely that this is the valley of Beracah, where King Jehoshaphat defeated the enemy ( ). That is not near Jerusalem. Since the final judgment will be near Jerusalem, this valley must be somewhere near Jerusalem. Thought has been given to the Kidron Valley, which lies between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. That is narrow, but possibly it will be widened by the splitting of the Mount of Olives ( ). A valley is more often the place where judgment takes place ( ; ).

‏ Joel 3:2

God Judges the Nations

In Joel 2, the plea for Israel is to ask the LORD to spare His people what the nations will say when He delivers them to reproach (Joel 2:17). They use the words “Your people“ and “Your inheritance“ there. Here the LORD takes over these words as it were and speaks of “My people” and “My inheritance”. What the nations have done to God’s people and inheritance is the charge against them here.

The scattering of God’s people and the division of God’s land is an affront to the property of God. The nations that have taken hold of His people and His inheritance are gathered together by the LORD. He will show them that He has not forgotten all the injustice done to His people and His inheritance. The nations will be requited according to what they have done to God’s people. We also see this in Matthew 25 where the criterion for judgment is also the attitude taken towards the brothers of the Lord (Mt 25:40 ; 45).

The trial takes place in the valley of Jehoshaphat. How God will get the nations there is described in Joel 3:9-12. Jehoshaphat means ‘Yahweh judges’ or ‘the scepter of Yahweh’, or ‘Yahweh pronounces justice’ or ‘Yahweh is Judge’. In the valley with that name, He takes legal action with the nations for His people who were scattered by them, and about His land they have divided.

Where the valley of Jehoshaphat lies is not known. It is unlikely that this is the valley of Beracah, where King Jehoshaphat defeated the enemy (2Chr 20:25-26). That is not near Jerusalem. Since the final judgment will be near Jerusalem, this valley must be somewhere near Jerusalem. Thought has been given to the Kidron Valley, which lies between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. That is narrow, but possibly it will be widened by the splitting of the Mount of Olives (Zec 14:4). A valley is more often the place where judgment takes place (Isa 22:1 ; 5; Eze 39:11).