During World War II some great bombs fell in the center of London and destroyed some large buildings. After the debris had been cleared some time later and the bare ground remained some flowers had sprung up that Botanists had thought had become extinct some hundred years earlier. The seeds had lain dormant under the city and now a new growth of life sprung up where men thought there was none.
In the Day of the Lord there will be such great destruction in the judgment of God that some might seem it to be impossible for any kind of good to come out of it. With the great plagues that will fall during this time it might seem that all life on earth would be extinguished. Fire is going to devour much of the land. Toward the end of the tribulation period all water will become poisoned. Can it be restored? Will anyone remain? God makes it clear in His Word that though the Day of the Lord is a day of destruction is will become a day of deliverance.
1. Destruction
First we must look at the destruction that awaits everyone who opposes God during the Day of the Lord. What we have to notice foremost is that there is always destruction from God’s hand when we seek to go our own way. The Bible says that we should not be deceived because whatever we sow we shall also reap. Whatever we pour into our lives we will certainly reap; its rewards or losses. Let us look into the future as we see what is going to happen during this Day of the Lord so that it will prepare us not only for what we can expect then but also to look to in our lives as well.
In this day of destruction God is going to do two things with the nations.
A. Gather the nations
First, He is going to gather the nations. Let me set the scene historically and biblically. The chronology that I am going to set forth is found in the Bible. If you have questions about it see me after the service. But the events I am laying out for you are clearly portrayed in Scripture. The year is 2000 something (Maybe 3000 something). After an incident where millions of people around the globe disappear a man comes to the forefront in world politics who promises peace and prosperity in the aftermath of this global calamity. He sets up a coveted 7-year peace treaty between the nation of Israel and the Arab world even allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. Hardly believing it the Jewish world begins to wonder if this man could be the Messiah.
Through out this time period there are a series of serious calamities that are besetting the world. Some people are declaring them to be judgments from God because the world has continually turned its back on Him. But in the midst of all this, this world leader is rallying the people to join together all the more to help solve these worldwide problems. And during this time he is consolidating his power more and more.
3 ½ years into this treaty with Israel (after this ruler has firmly grasped the reigns of world power) he declares himself to be God sets up a statue of himself in the temple in Jerusalem and demands that he be worshipped.
The Jews finally recognize that this individual is not the Messiah. For the Messiah wouldn’t set up an idol and cause it to be worshipped. This world ruler now turns his wrath against the nation of Israel and seeks to annihilate them but they are supernaturally protected from his wrath.
It is precisely at this point in the historical scheme of things that Joel chapter 3 comes into view. Through a set of judgments that God brings upon the earth he opens the way for the Antichrist (this world ruler) to consolidate his power even more. By God’s prompting and prodding He causes antichrist to gather the nations for Him into a region near Jerusalem called the valley of God’s judgment or later called the valley of decision.
And although from other passages of Scripture this gathering of the armies appears to be antichrist’s doing (It is he who sends out deceiving spirits into the nations to cause them gather together for this battle) God is the One orchestrating this event. We can see this as we look at 3:1-2. “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat (or literally, the valley of God’s judgment). God is bringing these people here unwittingly. They think that they are doing this of their own accord. They think that they are in control of the situation and are going to wipe out the nation of Israel and drive them into the Mediterranean Sea. But they have no idea that they are being led there by God for His purposes.
B. Judge the nations
Next we see in this day of destruction that God is going to judge the nations. The second part of verse 2 declares this: “Then I will enter into judgment with them there.” God is bringing them here for the purpose of their judgment. It is like they are being led as cattle to the slaughter. Cattle when they are being processed are led right through some gates. Perhaps they think they’re going to get fed and when their head gets through a certain spot, “Bam.” They don’t even know what hit them. There are two characteristics of this judgment that we see in this passage.
i. The basis of the judgment
The first characteristic of this judgment that we see in this passage is the basis of the judgment. The basis of God’s judgment upon the nations is what did they do to Israel. Verses 2 and 19 note this basis of judgment. Verse 2 says, “I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and they have divided up My land. And verse 19 says, “Egypt will become a waste and Edom will become a desolate wilderness because of the violence done to the sons of Judah.” The basis of the judgment against the nations is how they have treated the people of Israel.
This really goes back to Genesis 12. There God tells Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse.” This promise relates to his descendants through the promised son, Isaac. And then the promise of the blessing and curse passed to Isaac’s son, Israel. God is still as clear on this today as He has ever been. The nations are going to be judged according to how they treat the nation of Israel. Part of the blessing upon our nation has come from our treatment of Israel. If we stand with Israel God will bless us. You need to be a friend to Israel and as the Scripture says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
Look at what Joel says here. They are being judged because they were dividing the land. This ought to be a warning to those who are seeking to strip Israel of her land. God was very clear to Abraham what land he was giving to Him. It’s not squatter’s rights that determine who owns the area. The Scripture says that the earth is the Lord’s and its fullness. He has title granted that area in the Middle East to Israel. Now if Israel takes more than given to them by God then they should give it back. But they haven’t taken what has been granted to them by God. Instead of some “land for peace” deal, they need ought to be given their piece of land. Of course this will never equitably be resolved until Messiah returns but nonetheless we must recognize that our nation will rise or fall on the basis of how we treat Israel. Yes this judgment that is taking place in Joel will occur in the future but God has not revoked His promise to Abraham. If you bless a Jew be sure that you will receive a blessing and if you curse the same be careful of a coming curse.
ii. The severity of the judgment
The second characteristic of this judgment is the force of the judgment. Verses 12 –16 describe the force of this judgment. These verses say, “Let the nations be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread for the winepress is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision! The sun and the moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness. The LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble.”
There are two allusions that Joel uses to describe the force of the judgment. In each one he is showing that there is an innumerable amount of people ready to be processed for judgment. In the first allusion to the severity of the judgment he says, “Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe.” He is describing harvesting tool being run through a full field of grain. Anywhere the sickle is run it will find its target for the Lord has packed the valley full of those prepared for judgment.
Next he says, “Come, tread for the wine press is full; the vats overflow because their wickedness is great.” Here the grapes are so packed together in the press that they overflow. The weight of the grapes are crushing one another and causing the juice to flow out. The picture is that there is no room for escape in this valley. So many have come that none can get out. The army has amassed simply to become part of the slaughter. This is why Joel cries out, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.”
Verse 16 also describes the severity of God’s judgment. It says, “The Lord roars from Zion . . . the heavens and the earth tremble.” This says that God’s intervention on behalf of Israel will be felt by everyone!
When Jesus Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane the Scripture says that 600 soldiers came to arrest Him. When Jesus asked them who they sought they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” What may not be evident in the English translations is that Jesus replied using His divine name saying, “I am.” He whispered to them, “I am” and the Scripture says that all the soldiers fell back at His words. They were knocked over when He simply spoke His name. Here Joel says that God is going to roar and the universe will tremble. His mighty power will be felt by everyone. Yet in this Hiroshima blast of the voice of God His people will be protected for the end of verse 16 says, “But the LORD is a refuge for His people.” You see the Lord is safety for His people but the fearful judge to the multitudes who are against Him. 600 soldiers fell at the whisper of Jesus Christ and the whole earth will shake at His roar when He comes to deliver His people.
Joel’s cry of “multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision” is a warning to every nation and every individual. Joel’s cry indicates that there are going to be more people standing in the judgment than realize it. There will be multitudes who think that they are going to victory but will only be standing in judgment. There will be those who think that are heading for heaven but will find themselves cast headlong into hell. There will be others who find themselves in judgment long before they thought they would go. Every person there will be taken by surprise. It is a warning to every unbeliever that God’s appointed time of judgment will take place when He says it will and not according to your time table. Do not presume upon the patience of God. Listen friend, you may think that you have plenty of time before you go to meet God, but God says there will be multitudes, multitudes who are going to meet Him in judgment without any warning. Are you prepared to meet Him in the valley of decision?
2. Deliverance
Next we find in this section of Scripture that the Day of the Lord is not only a day of destruction, a day of darkness, a day of death, a day of despairing but it also a day of deliverance. The God who will judge the world will deliver His own. And this should bring hope to every one who has placed their trust in Christ and is living for Him. There are four ways in which God will show Himself to His people in that day. And we can be assured that He will show Himself to us in this way today.
A. God will be a Savior (2:32)
The first way that God will show Himself to His people in that day is that God will be a Savior. In 2:32 Joel says, “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered.” As we mentioned last week, in the Day of the Lord, as Jerusalem is getting ransacked everyone who calls for the Messiah to rescue them will be delivered. They will be protected from the onslaught of the invaders into the city and given eternal life.
Even so, God not only will be a Savior in that time but is a Savior now. The same promise holds true today. All those who recognize their need to have their sins forgiven and call out to Christ to apply the blood He shed on the cross for their sins He will save them. And the New Testament says that there is no difference between Jew or Gentile for God will save all who call on Him.
B. God will be a shelter (16b)
The second way that God will show Himself to His people in that day is that God will be a shelter. We find this in the second part of verse 16. “The heavens and the earth tremble but the LORD is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.”
There is protection afforded in belonging to the Lord. In Psalm 18 David, says, “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, my stronghold. God is a stronghold to the believer. When we are in trouble we can flee into God’s protective care. He is like a large fortress in which we can be protected from the onslaught of the enemy.
When we are attacked by Satan and his host we can flee to God. He will fight for us. He will protect us. We merely must run to the fortress. God will fight for us. The battle is not ours. God is our defense. God is our shelter. Why do we seek to fight these battles we encounter in our own strength. God said more than once to the people of Israel, “Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD.” It is He who is fighting our battles for us. When we are overwhelmed by the forces against us we have a fortress. And sometimes God allows us to get overwhelmed so that we will flee to the stronghold. Are you allowing God to be your shelter or are you taking on these battles by yourself. Joel says that He is a refuge for his people.
Psalm 91 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” We can abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Do you know what that means? That means that if we have been seeking God as our dwelling place, if we have been looking to Him for our protection when the bullies from the neighborhood, who are bigger than us, come to cause trouble the shadow of our Father is right behind us. They’re not going to push you around this time. They see your Father right behind you and they know that they had better leave you alone. God wants to be your shelter. Stop fighting the bullies on your own. Let your Father do it.
C. God will be present (v. 17)
The third way that God will show Himself to His people in that day is that God will be present. This is what verse 17 says. “Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will pass through it no more.” Jesus Christ is going to dwell in Jerusalem. God will be present in Jerusalem.
Imagine God dwelling in the midst of the people! There Jesus is for everyone to see and to worship and to obey. He will be dwelling with us. I don’t what more I could say about that. Just the fact that He wants to be here with us is astounding.
Sometimes Paul says to me, “Daddy can I sleep in your bed?” He doesn’t want to sleep in my bed because our bed is more comfortable than his. He doesn’t want to sleep in my bed because it makes him feel more important. He wants to sleep in my bed because his daddy is there. And on some nights when Lora goes to bed late I let him. And we have fun. But if I were to say to him, “Paul you may sleep in my bed every night because I’m no longer going to live here” he wouldn’t enjoy sleeping in my bed. It is because I am with him. God won’t merely give stuff for us to play with or beds to sleep in but He will give us the gift of His presence. It will be beyond our imagination to recognize that God will be present with us.
But guess what? God is already present. He dwells in every believer. You have God with you in everything you do. His Spirit dwells in you. He resides in you. You have to realize that. It is important to realize that for two reasons. First, since His Spirit dwells in you, you have the ability to live for Him all of the time. You have a measure of God’s Spirit that the Old Testament saints never had. You have a secure relationship with God because of His Spirit who dwells within you. You can please Him throughout your day. When you sin and mess up He is right there for you to go to and confess.
Second it is important that you recognize that God resides in you so that you have the consciousness of God. We ought to keep in mind that God is right there with us in all that we do. Wherever we go we bring God with us. It should cause to choose our steps carefully. It should cause us to recognize that we can grieve Him when we do things that are displeasing to Him. It should cause us to live with an ever-present consciousness of God’s presence.
Now think about this for a second. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have God dwelling in you. How exciting is that? Have you thought about it much? God Himself, isn’t just presenting Himself to you in a receiving line like some presidential candidate but has chosen to take up residence in you. In Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul prays that the believers in Ephesus would allow Christ to dwell in their hearts by faith. Now He isn’t talking just about Christ living in their hearts but the word “dwell” that he is using means to let Christ feel at home in your heart. We are to be living in such a fashion that Christ feels comfortable living in you. So you have to ask yourself some tough questions. Am I living in a way that lets Christ feel at home? Are there places that I’m going, things that I’m doing that cause Christ in me to cringe? Are there attitudes or thoughts of my heart that sadden Him? Are the things that I watch and the music to which I listen bringing reproach to the eyes and ears of the Christ who dwells in me? Is the way that I respond to others causing Christ to shake His head in disgust? Or are you seeking that Christ has a home in which He enjoys to be. I’m sorry if I have made our Lord seem almost too common to you but too often we think of Christ in terms of being way out there in heaven instead of following us around as our companion wherever we go. The Scripture says that we can grieve and quench His Spirit.
We should not go around as believers as if we were on our own time. God is present with you wherever you go. Not just watching you but dwelling within you. The Scripture says that His indwelling presence is your assurance of glory.
D. God will be a blessing (v. 18)
The final way that God will show Himself to His people in that day is that God will be a blessing. Verse 18 portrays this truth. “And in that day (that is after the rescue of Israel) the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out from the house of the LORD to water the valley of Shittim.”
When God brings Israel back to the land of promise. When He settles their borders and gives them rest from all their enemies God will be a continual source of blessing to them. If you remember from the first part the book of Joel, God had disciplined them severely. They had experienced a locust plague and a drought. But this blessing of God that Joel relates to them in verse 18 is just the opposite. There will be no more locusts because the mountains will drip with sweet wine. There will be no more drought because the water will be plentiful and milk will flow freely from the cattle in the fields. God will be a blessing to the house of Israel.
God wants to be a blessing to each one of us here. The Scripture makes it clear that God wants to be a blessing to His people. But it is likewise clear that the blessing is contingent upon our obedience. Receiving the blessing of God in the Christian’s life is clearly worth giving up anything else that God might call us to do. If the Christian life is worth living at all it is worth giving my all.
Abraham recognized that he would not allow himself to get rich off the spoils of the king of Sodom though it meant he might never be rich. When Abe began to wonder if he had made the right choice God appeared to him and said, “Don’t worry Abraham I am your very great reward.” Are we willing to give up what the world has to offer for the blessing of God?
The truth is that God doesn’t always call us to give up everything we have in this life. He doesn’t always call us to go to a third world country and minister there for the rest of our lives. He just wants us to be willing to. He wants us to give up all our dreams and desires and aspirations and allow Him to shape them. He wants us to recognize He more than anyone else can truly make us happy and bless us. The Scripture says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.” How far do we have to fall, how long do we need to trudge, how much do we have miss in this life before we recognize that God’s way is always best whether it be in the deserts of Africa, the forests of South America or the cities of America.
Do you want the blessing of God in your life? Put Him first. If you are frustrated by God’s seeming silence in your life, if you can’t hear from Him then by all means cry out to Him. Ask Him to reveal to you where He wants you to change. Ask Him to bless you with the grace to live for Him. I can remember times as a new Christian struggling with great sin in my life and crying out to God to give me strength to win the battles. If you want the blessing of God in your life ask for it. Will He withhold good things to His children who ask Him? Of course not.
God has given the believer very much. He has lavished His grace upon us. He has become our Savior, He has offered us protection, He has shown us the preciousness of His presence. And He offers us great blessings. Do you want to receive all that He has to offer? Seek Him in His Word. Call out to Him to pour out His grace. Set your heart on obeying Him and let Him use you for His glory.