Outline: I. The Day of the Lord (2:1-11) + II. Return to the
Lord (2:12-17)
Joel 2:1-2a: RING THE ALARM
Joel 2:2b-9: THE LORD’S ARMY
Joel 2:10-11: THE LORD’S DAY:
Apocalyptic, Eschatological and Cataclysmic
2:1 - The
people are warned of danger by the shofar,
made of a ram’s horn (Joel 2:1, 15) –
AMOS 3:6 “Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not
afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?” This
is similar to the function of an air raid siren. During the Day of the Lord, we see “God’s
coming intervention in a topsy-turvy world to settle its moral accounts, to
honor right and banish wrong” – Leslie Allen, p 39
2:2 – Christ’s coming also spoke of
this way in Matt 24:30; 26:64, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Thess. 4:17, Rev. 1:7) see 2 Peter 3:10-13 cf. Hebrews 9:28
2:4 – Joel is using the locusts this
way would be like someone talking about the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami - in
order for people to get the picture, using something horrible they were
recently familiar with. locusts’ heads like horses’ heads. Italian cavalletta (little horse), German Heupferd (hay horse) are words for
locusts.
The Day of the Lord 5 times: 1:15, 2:1, 11, 31, 3:14
Days of God’s intervention 6 times: 1:15, 2:2 (x2), 2:29, 3:1, 3:18,
2:10 –
‘cosmic convulsions’ (Allen) are part of the imagery of the Day of Yahweh.
The Day of the Lord is when Yahweh acts decisively and comprehensively in
judgment and righteousness. Or “The Day of the Lord is that time when he declares
and enforces his lordship, which is equivalent to the day in which he
inaugurates and enforces his covenantal relationship with his people, humanity
and the world” – O. Palmer Robertson, 477 in Christ of the Prophets.
2:11 – “Who can endure it?” ANSWER: Jesus
per Hebrews 12:1–7
II.
Return to the Lord (2:12-17)
Joel 2:12-14: REPENT
Joel 2:15-17: ASSEMBLE
2:12 –
reminiscent of the covenant Deut 6:4 but also restoration promise of Deut
30:1-4 Returning to the Lord means abandoning sin and maybe idolatry…9th plague against Egypt – ex 10:21-22. Cf Zephaniah 1:15
NOTE: I saw a chart like this in one of the commentaries I was reading and adapted it below but I can't recall where it's from - my bad!
Mosaic
Covenant:
Justness of YHWH -
Joel 2:13-14 – Deut. 32:3-4
Past agricultural bounty
- Joel 2:3 – Deut. 32:13-14
YHWH’s rejection -
Joel 2:11, 17 – Deut. 32:19-21, 26-30
Fire -
Joel 2:3-5 – Deut. 32:22
Harm
- Joel 2:13 – Deut. 32:23
Arrows -
Joel 2:8 – Deut. 32:23
Invasion -
Joel 2:1-11 – Deut. 32:25
Taunt -
Joel 2:17 – Deut. 32:27
Judgment day -
Joel 2:1, 2,11 – Deut. 32:34-35
Rescue/forgiveness -
Joel 2:12-14, 17 – Deut. 32:36-38
2:13 – cf Jeremiah 3:10 NOTE: the mini-word study entries below are heavily influenced from the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament ...
*’gracious’ (hannun) – he is willing to save the undeserving – the
atonement! His grace is revealed together with his righteousness, as most of
the passages which speak of him as ḥannûn
also speak of his judging evil, e.g. Joel 2:13. Compassionate.
*’merciful’ (rahum) – mercy flowing from deep love. Eager to forgive and
give grace. Pity. two concepts: first, the strong tie God has with those
whom he has called as his children (Ps 103:13). God looks upon his own as a
father looks upon his children; he has pity on them (cf. Mic 7:17). second
concept is God’s unconditioned choice (ḥānēn,
grace). God tells Moses that he is gracious and merciful to whomever he chooses
(Ex 33:19). There are several ideas attached to God’s deep, tender love: first,
the unconditional election of God (Ex 33:19); next, his mercy and forgiveness
toward his people in the face of deserved judgment and upon the condition of
their repentance (Deut 13:17); God’s continuing mercy and grace in preserving
his unrepentant people from judgment (II Kgs 13:23). eschatological hope
*slow to anger (erek appayim) – holds back judgment as long as possible and
extends the offer. Patient, longsuffering. Literally, when the Bible says God
is “longsuffering” (Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Ps 86:15) it reads “God is long of
nose.” When he is angry, his nose becomes red and burns. It may be questioned
whether in the living language the idioms had not already dropped their
etymological associations and did not merely mean to be longsuffering and to be
angry. When he is compassionate his nose becomes long - it would take forever
to burn completely.
*’abounding in steadfast love’ (hesed) loyal faithfulness to his
covenant – includes punishment!? Loyal-love. A manifold multitude of it
lovingkindness!
*relents over disaster (eases
the calamity or holds back evil; misery or distress) - he relents or changes his dealings with men
according to his sovereign purposes. When
nāḥam is used of God, however, the
expression is anthropopathic and there is not ultimate tension. From man’s
limited, earthly, finite perspective it only appears that God’s purposes have
changed. Thus the ot states that
God “repented” of the judgments or “evil” which he had planned to carry out (I
Chr 21:15; Jer 18:8; 26:3, 19; Amos 7:3, 6; Jon 3:10). NOTE: Repentance is based on who God is!
2:14 –“who knows?” Rom 9:15 but also 1 John 1:9
2:15-16 –
blow the trumpet in Zion apparently addressed to the priests in order to
implement the call to repentance. This time it is similar to church tower bells
in old medieval era towns which rang to call the people to worship. Note: all
the people were to repent in community. These commands are things one does for a death – they are like mourning,
grieving
Michael Brown notes that several New Testament authors, mirroring the words of Jesus himself,
wrote that the Messiah would return with the blast of the trumpet (see Matt.
24:30–31; 1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 11:15), the piercing wake-up
call that will be heard around the world. Moses Maimonides wrote that the
shofar blast on Rosh Hashanah signified, so to say, Wake up from your sleep, you sleepers! Arise from your slumber, you
slumberers! Examine your deeds! Return to God! Remember your creator! … Let
each of you abandon his evil ways and his immoral thoughts.
2:17 –
priests were to intercede on behalf of the people between the altar and the
temple porch. They would lead the people in repentance, standing between the
vestibule on the east side of the temple that separated the inner court from
the great court of the laity and the brazen altar of burnt offering that lay
within the inner court. But now we have Christ per Hebrews 4:14–16
"By the priesthood, the people were taught that they were not worthy in
themselves of approaching God in all his holiness and glory. Jesus Christ is
the ‘one mediator between God and men’ (1 Tim. 2:5). Through him, and through
him alone, the sinner may come boldly before the throne of grace. Now under the
provisions of the new covenant, all God’s people have been formed into a
kingdom of priests who may intercede through Christ their great High Priest for
the needs of one another". O. Palmer Robertson, Prophet of the Coming Day of the Lord: The Message of Joel (1995),
57.
THE COMING GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD
2 Peter 3:10–13
