Exposition on Joel -20- Verse 11

     Verse 11 seems similar to the parallel statement in v. 5 regarding the drunkards and drinkers of wine, here in v. 11 Joel calls out a group of Judeans which includes tillers of soil and vine-dressers. The dissimilarity with v. 5 is that there is a difference in classification. Although both of these workers are farmers of sorts, the tillers bring to mind more of the growers of grain and the vine-dressers are those who tend to the grape  and other vines. One way of distinguishing the two would be that the vine-dressers are tending to and cultivating those types of plants that live longer than two years—perennials of a sort. Their activities consist of pruning dressing and harvest. The "dirt farmer" on the other hand, is likely tending to those annual plants like vegetables and grains. His yearly tasks would include tilling the ground and preparing it for the seeds he will plant, caring for the seedlings and harvesting the mature fruit those plants produce. Together, the two designations form one group that is intended to encompass all the agricultural workers in Judah. A group that immediately brings to my mind the image of Hobbits, lovers of good tilled earth and all things that grow. This phrase “Be ashamed” in the ESV can more literally be rendered “wilt” and is regularly applied to the condition of plants withered in drought conditions. Joel called to mourning even the godly Jewish farmer who was sufficiently thankful for their growth, and who gladly gave up his first fruits for the sacrifice in the temple, the farmer who had resisted the temptation to love and embrace the bounty of his labors more than the God of Heaven. The removal even of his produce as a result of invasion, destruction and desolation would have crushed his spirit. The godly farmer was no less tempted to idolize the fruits of his labor, but who by God’s grace, had resisted it, he would have mourned the loss because all good farmers and tillers of soil love to see the thriving life of beautiful green plants and enjoy in thankfulness, the time of harvest when they can pull that first ripe, red tomato from the vine. But we know that they would also eventually have mourned their own hungry stomachs because the invaders destruction, trampling, and thievery of the crops would later lead to the lack of food. The idolatrous farmer’s spirit also would have been crushed by the loss, but for different reason. In addition to their suffering through starvation, he would have grieved over the loss of that in which they found their worth and their security. Instead of worshiping God for His bountiful harvests every year, they raised their own green-thumbed hands in a celebration of their talent and their produce which they had raised. Instead of resting securely in the arms of the faithful God who had brought their fathers out of Egypt, they sought their security in the talents and hard work for which they thought themselves responsible. Whereas the tiller of soil who was humbled by the knowledge of his brokenness before his God, who honored God with thanksgiving in obedience to the temple laws of sacrifice, giving up the first and best, and keeping the Sabbath holy so to honor the bodies God had endowed with His image, he likely would have suffered the loss of the comfort of a full stomach for himself and his family much sooner than the farmer who held back his food. But the farmer whose faith was largely in his own capability, he would have kept back that which the Lord demanded. Being a workaholic he would have worked his employees as many days of the week he could manage. So Joel calls them both as a group, to a feeling of shame.