1. Vv.
9-16—Images of war – for everyone
a.
Vv. 9-12—Joel foretold of a time when God would provoke
the nations of His enemies to war.
i.
V. 9—all people great in statue and small were warned
to prepare.
1. The
enemies of God need all the help they can get.
ii.
V. 10—time for harvesting grain & grape would be
replaced by time for God to harvest enemies.
1. God’s
enemies were being called to fight but it has they who would be harvested.
2. 10c—even
the weak must fight, there is no longer a choice.
iii.
V. 11a—the nations are called to gather quickly.
iv.
V. 11b—A shift in the proclamation.
1. Joel
prayed that God would call His army (mighty men) to battle these Gentile armies.
v.
V. 12—God stirred the nations to judgment.
1. 12a—Joel
invited the nations to battle, almost like a taunt.
2. 12b—the
armies are called to the Valley called, “The Lord has Judged”.
3. 12c—God’s
justice is proclaimed. He declared intentions to judge the nations by this war.
b.
V. 13—Joel shifted his voice to utter God’s call to His
people for their participation.
i.
God called the people to do battle with the nations,
ensuring their destruction.
1. God’s
people are to finally judge even those God used to judge them.
2. Like
Rev. 14:18 Joel used agricultural bounty to describe fullness of time of
judgment.
c.
V. 14—Battle in the Valley of Jehoshaphat
i.
Many people are there in this valley of “judicial
declaration”.
d.
V. 15—Familiar imagery for the darkness of
destruction/vindication.
i.
Apocalyptic language doesn’t have to be interpreted literally
to be taken seriously (2:10 ,
30).
ii.
Hebraism describing darkness of a day—the DotL which
may in fact be more than 1 – 24 day.
iii.
Image represents the natural order turned on its head.
1. Think
of the recreation or the resurrection of the Heavens and the Earth.
2. There
must be death for there to be resurrection.
e.
V. 16—this is a transition verse. The Lord is a Judge
and Advocate.
i.
16a—the Lion of Judah
ii.
16b—the Lion of Judah delivers His people (Ps. 142:5;
Jer. 16:19 ).
2. V.
17-21—Images of Peace – for Judah/Jerusalem
a.
17a—Section book ended by declaration of God being the
Lord of His people.
i.
Lion’s actions demonstrate great power of
deliverance/affiliation with Holy
Place Zion
b.
17b—Jerusalem
i.
Never invaded again—complete reversal of curse of
invasion/exile (2:27 —thesis
of Joel).
c.
V. 18-19—Description of Kingdom consummation
i.
18—this is the final reversal of the covenantal curses—consummated
at “that day” of eternity.
1. 18a—wine,
milk, honey, & produce were all images of Heaven that Jews could
understand.
2. 18b—the
Valley of Shittim
(surrounding Jordan from Sea
of Galilee to Dead Sea )
a. Dry
and barren place where only Acacia trees grow, will one day flourish with
greenery.
b. The
fountain that irrigates the inhabited eternal Land comes from a place and a
people, both of which are used as instruments of blessing through dominion.
ii.
19—the final destruction of God’s enemies is part of
the final deliverance of His people.
1. Punished
for their treatment of God’s people is like the punishment they inflicted.
d.
Vv. 20-21—Summary of the effects of the DotL
i.
20—Promise of eternal inhabitation reverses the curse
of exile.
1. Some
say this is only the redeemed Jews inhabiting an eternal/recreated physical
land.
a. Land
is recreated but Judah/Jerusalem is an image of the eternal Land for all God’s
elect.
ii.
21—Promise of final vindication
1. In
the midst of the terrorization of His people, God encouraged remnant by this
promise.
2. The
Promise of God’s eternal presence is the bookend of the section of verses—17-21.
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