Joe 3:4-6 | KingComments | STEP | The neighboring peoples of Israel – Tyre, Sidon and Philistia – are the first to be mentioned. These traders are asked the question: “What are you to Me?” Perhaps a better translation would be: “What have you done to Me?” Thus, the calling to account of these peoples for what they have done to the LORD by acting in this way with Israel comes is clearly heard. It is a question that falls from heaven like a bomb on the exploiters of Israel. From this it becomes clear how much the LORD identifies Himself with His people. What has been done to them is done to Him. This is how Zechariah also speaks about it ( ). Here we see of how great significance this is to the LORD. When Paul was still called Saul, the question also came to him from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ( ). And what was he doing? Persecuting the church. Also there is the identification of the Lord in heaven with His people on earth. There has always been a connection between the Lord in heaven and His people on earth. That is the case in the Old Testament when it comes to the connection between the LORD in heaven and Israel as His covenant people on earth. This is also the case in the New Testament when it comes to the connection between the Lord Jesus as Head in heaven and the church as His body on earth. If the nations then want to attack the apple of God’s eye, Israel, and thus God Himself, they will receive the right recompense. The evil done to Israel will end up on their own heads. What the nations show towards Israel is actually the ancient hatred of Satan against God. Satan always wants to destroy what is God’s and he wants to prevent God’s plans from being carried out. His greatest hatred is Christ. Satan has always wanted to prevent Him from being born. The history of the book of Esther is a telling example of this. In that book we come across Haman, the hater of the Jews, who is out to kill all the Jews, to exterminate the race. Haman is pre-eminently a type, an example, of Satan and his intentions.

‏ Joel 3:4-6

Israel, the Apple of God’s Eye

The neighboring peoples of Israel – Tyre, Sidon and Philistia – are the first to be mentioned. These traders are asked the question: “What are you to Me?” Perhaps a better translation would be: “What have you done to Me?” Thus, the calling to account of these peoples for what they have done to the LORD by acting in this way with Israel comes is clearly heard. It is a question that falls from heaven like a bomb on the exploiters of Israel. From this it becomes clear how much the LORD identifies Himself with His people. What has been done to them is done to Him. This is how Zechariah also speaks about it (Zec 2:8b). Here we see of how great significance this is to the LORD.

When Paul was still called Saul, the question also came to him from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). And what was he doing? Persecuting the church. Also there is the identification of the Lord in heaven with His people on earth. There has always been a connection between the Lord in heaven and His people on earth. That is the case in the Old Testament when it comes to the connection between the LORD in heaven and Israel as His covenant people on earth. This is also the case in the New Testament when it comes to the connection between the Lord Jesus as Head in heaven and the church as His body on earth.

If the nations then want to attack the apple of God’s eye, Israel, and thus God Himself, they will receive the right recompense. The evil done to Israel will end up on their own heads. What the nations show towards Israel is actually the ancient hatred of Satan against God. Satan always wants to destroy what is God’s and he wants to prevent God’s plans from being carried out.

His greatest hatred is Christ. Satan has always wanted to prevent Him from being born. The history of the book of Esther is a telling example of this. In that book we come across Haman, the hater of the Jews, who is out to kill all the Jews, to exterminate the race. Haman is pre-eminently a type, an example, of Satan and his intentions.

The LORD Robbed

That taking away need not only refer to silver and gold and valuables from the temple, but can also refer to private property, the precious possessions of the Judeans. All possessions of the Judeans are as much as the land under the ownership of the LORD (Hag 2:9). Thus all that has been taken away from them is taken away from the LORD. The injustice affects Him personally.

Far From Their Land

What Tyre and Sidon have done to the people is still valid. They are known to have had overseas trade relations with the Greeks. They are said to have traded with the Greeks in human beings (Eze 27:13). By acting in this way with God’s people, they have not only made merchandise out of them. That is bad enough. But by transporting them so far away, they have also turned them into displaced, religious and socially uprooted people for whom it is practically impossible to return to their homeland.