Exposition on Joel - Introduction - 9

     In this introduction to the prophesy of Joel we have seen the difficulties scholars have had placing Joel’s ministry on a timeline: we’ve made a brief survey of the history of the Old Kingdom and the possible kings who reigned during the ministry of Joel. We’ve also considered God’s other prophets who might have ministered His Word at around the same time. And in addition to those topics we also considered several themes of the book, the major ones being: First, we see in Joel, as with nearly all the other prophets, that the threat of God’s imminent judgment demands the repentance of all peoples, a sort of contrition that in Joel’s day typically manifested itself in the rending of a nation’s heart and her true cry for mercy through prayer and fasting.—Secondly, the future Day of the Lord with its promises both of the deliverance of believers and the destruction of the wicked. And we discussed how Joel uses that Day to describe the day when God’s wrath will come upon Judah in invasion, desolation and finally, exile. But, just as the trusting Jew did some 2 ½ thousand years ago, we too can take heart in the comfort of being assured that all of God’s promises are being fulfilled and that they are yes and amen in Christ Jesus our Lord. So as you consider Joel’s prophesy, think of how the visible church relates to the nation of Israel. Do this so you don’t lose sight of the importance of his prophecy to us, and not just the future aspect of the DotL but the warnings of present temporal consequences for disobedience. The threat of judgment on and the call of repentance to Israel in that day might have very similar meaning for the visible church today. But don’t stop there; don’t meditate on the imperatives of the Law too long without preaching the indicatives of the gospel to yourself. Believers must finally reflect on the promise of deliverance that awaits us at the DotL, and remember that, as a believer you never suffer the damning face of God’s wrath. Perhaps at times you will feel the pressure of His Fatherly displeasure but He who is faithful will never forsake us because He forsook His Son on the cross. He who adopted us will never disown us because on the cross, He disowned Christ in our place. He who married us as a bride will never divorce us because Christ our husband suffered the divorce in our stead, on the cross. Yet His work was ratified in His resurrection, so that we too may look forward to that Great Day when our resurrected spirits will be united forever with the bodies that God will raise. So when you hear the threats of judgment and the call to repentance, do take them very seriously; hear the Law through the criticisms that Joel and the other prophets level at the nation Israel and also at the surrounding wicked nations and reflect on your own sin and the sin of the church, but know that you can’t use the application of the Law that condemns you in order to do what it asks. Trying to use the Law to do what it commands is a bit like trying to use a road sign as a map. If you are traveling to Chicago, the sign that says, “CHICAGO 1500 MILES” only lets you know how far off you are, it doesn’t give you the power or knowledge of how to get there. No, the power to obey is no where but in the gospel itself—the truth that Christ has obeyed perfectly and suffered the punishment for all our sins past, present and future, therein lies the power to be set free from sin. And even so, that only in part until we are completely rid of our personal wickedness and the very desire to sin at the time of our changing when we are finally and forever glorified.