Exposition on Joel -36- 2:19

     So now in verse 19 God removed this reproach. The implication here is that the people and the nation had experience reproach and now, because of His mercy, God decided to end it and restore the people to right relationship. This must refer to the restoration of the kingdom 70 some odd years after verse 17. Here Joel must be giving a predictive account of the hope that the people could hang their hats of joy on. The next verse does pose an interpretive challenge though. If the people were being punished from 1:4-2:11 by invasion, desolation and finally exile to Babylon, then the restoration spoken of in 2:19 is likely the return of the remnant to the Land around 517BC, that much seems to be clear. However, v. 20 indicates that God would remove the invader of 2:1-11 as a form of the blessing—how are we to interpret that? This is where the interpretation that favors this invader from 1:6 and the beginning of chapter 2 as the Assyrian army from 701 gains ground. Perhaps then this previous invader is the Assyrian army thus placing Joel at a slightly earlier date. How can God restore the remnant to the Land by removing the Northern invader from their own land if they are not even there? That actually may be the answer. It is quite possible that the Babylonians came in around 600 and destroyed the Land, terrorized the people, took them into exile, and the held the Land as their own for 70 years until God ran them out as described in v. 20. This explanation clears up any confusion that may be deduced from the army being run out of the land and the remnant being restored to the Land. And remember how we are related to this event, this is all a picture of the church and the final day of our restoration/redemption. We are the remnant currently exiled, and like Israel was brought back into the Land, we will one day be brought into the New Heaven’s and the New Earth.