Joel 2:18-32

In the remainder of Joel’s prophecy certain transition words are critical.

·        The people have been called to repent (2:1-17).  If they do …

·        Then (2:18) God will remove the northern army from Judah and will restore what the locust plague consumed.

·        Afterward (2:28) God will pour out His Spirit.

·        In those days and at that time (3:1) God will judge the nations.

However we understand Joel 2:1-17 (as a locus plague or the invasion of a northern army) the passage makes sense in the flow of Joel’s prophecy.  Both the plague and the northern army (Babylon) are properly the day of the LORD.  That day, in each occurrence, serves the same purposes (as noted in Jeremiah 30:11):

·        To correct Israel with justice (chastening).

·        To make an end of the nations (judgment).

·        To save Israel.

These events are repeated because Israel is not saved.  She is corrected and admits her sin and returns to the Lord.  But it is temporary.  She backslides again and the process is repeated.  All these days anticipate a future day when Israel will be saved and after which there need be no more such days.  

Having noted these various things we then come back to Joel.  Our understanding is that the locus plague (Joel 1) is used of God to warn Israel of a coming day when the army of an enemy nation will invade, just like a plague of locusts (2:1-11).  If Israel will return to the Lord (2:12-17) He will return to her to bless her land (2:18-27) and then at some point after that He will establish a new covenant with Israel (2:28-32) and will judge the nations (Ch. 3).

Let us note some special things in Joel 2:18-27.

·        2:18: These attributes of God, jealousy and pity, don’t seem to go together at first.  They are at opposite ends it seems.  And yet they fit perfectly in our God.  His jealousy is sinless (unlike ours).  It is the strong desire to guard a special possession.  In this case it is the land God promised to the people.  And it is the people that He pities.  Again, to us, pity is not usually a positive attitude; it sounds demeaning.  But with God it is sinless: He sees the true situation of His people, a situation they have brought on themselves.  He has such love for them He won’t just walk away, wiping His hands of their mess.  He has deep compassion.  These two attributes are fundamental to the cross of Christ.  It was there God zealously did for the world what was compassionate.

·        2:19: Back in Joel 1:15-18 God’s judgment was seen in that Israel’s harvest did not satisfy them.  It was insufficient.  But when God zealously pities Israel they will be satisfied, both physically and spiritually.  They will be returned to the honored place of God’s treasured possession.

·        2:21-27: This describes the joy of God’s people through the productivity of the land He has given them.  This is unique to Israel.  Her joyfulness in the land is a major part of her witness to the world that her God is the Most High.  Thus the major blessing is that her joy will praise the Name of the LORD your God (v26).  She will know that God is in the midst of Israel and there is no other (v27).  Her satisfaction (My people shall never be put to shame) will be an essential testimony to the world of the greatness of the true God.  

Such is not the case for the Church.  Our promises are not earthly.  We are told that setting our minds on earthly things is a prescription for disappointment (being ashamed; 2 Cor. 4:16-18).  We set our minds above (Col. 3:1-4) and when we do, we can say with Israel, we will never be ashamed (Rom. 10:11).