Nothing Could Be Done

2 Chronicles 36:11-21[i]

“Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king.”  (2 Chronicles 36:11)

Zedekiah was a son of Josiah and brother of Jehoiachin’s father, Jehoiakim.

Josiah had been a brilliant and godly king.  His reign lasted 31 years.  He became king at age 8 and died at the age of 40 when he challenged Egypt on the battlefield.

At that time, the two super-powers of the region were Babylon and Egypt.  Pharaoh Neco marched against the armies of Babylon in 605 B.C.  Josiah went out and confronted Pharaoh’s army and was defeated and killed.  Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, assumed the throne, but Pharaoh deposed Jehoahaz three months later and put his brother, Jehoiakim, on the throne. 

Jehoiakim reigned for 11 years, but then Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and took Jehoiakim captive.  Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, assumed the throne, but his reign lasted only 3 months because Nebuchadnezzar did not agree.  Nebuchadnezzar replaced Jehoiachin with his uncle, Josiah’s son, Zedekiah.

21-year-old Zedekiah would have been 9 years old when the Egyptians killed his father Josiah.  He first saw Egypt and then Babylon plunder his temple, city and people. He, himself, was placed on the throne by the King of Babylon, and he swore by the Name of the Lord to be loyal to the King of Babylon.

The Lord gives this account of Zedekiah’s life in 2 Chronicles 36:12-13.

He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and he refused to humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah spoke to him directly from the LORD.  He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had taken an oath of loyalty in God’s name.  Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Zedekiah had seen some bad things in his life, and he had pressures around him.  We know that he feared some of his officials because of his conversation with Jeremiah in Jeremiah 38:24-26.  Zedekiah also lived in fear of the Babylonians. 

Many of us face pressures:  pressures of work and of economics, pressures of health and family, and pressures of relationships and communication.  All of us have seen bad things, for instance: parents that did not care as they should, family members that died, and conflicts with those around us.  We all look for safety and strength in these situations that confront us.  We seek to manage and/or control circumstances and people in order to preserve our safety.

Zedekiah tried to do this.  He rebelled against the King of Babylon, and he looked to Egypt to help break the power of the Babylonians over him.  (Ezekiel 17:15 speaks of this treaty.  When Zedekiah rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar sent his army to besiege Jerusalem.  Zedekiah sent envoys to Egypt for help.  Jeremiah 37:5 tells us that Pharaoh sent his army, and when the Egyptian army reached Judah’s southern border, the Babylonians broke their siege of Jerusalem long enough to go fight off the Egyptians.)

When God tells us that Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord, He tells us a couple of the things that Zedekiah did.

First, Zedekiah refused to humble himself. 

The text says that Jeremiah spoke to Zedekiah directly from the Lord.  If we look at Jeremiah 38:14-28, we see an incident where Zedekiah talked privately with Jeremiah and Jeremiah spoke to Zedekiah directly from the Lord.

Zedekiah justified himself in front of Jeremiah.  God told Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians, but Zedekiah said he was afraid of how the Babylonians would treat him.  God assured him he would be treated well, but Zedekiah still did not obey.  God’s analysis of Zedekiah’s response is that he refused to humble himself.

Whatever excuse you and I have for not obeying the Word of God, I suspect, God’s analysis would be the same.  God says, “Husbands love your wives.”  I know and you know that we do not always obey this command.  What is your excuse?  I have used quite a few of them myself, but the answer has always been found in humbling myself.  Since I picked on the men, what does God says to wives?  What is your excuse?  Love your neighbor as yourself is a command that all of us fall short on, but do we humble ourselves and admit the sin in our hearts? 

Not only did Zedekiah refuse to humble himself when spoken to directly from God, he also broke his oath, his promise.  The text says he rebelled against the King of Babylon even though he had taken an oath of loyalty.

The oath of loyalty would have been the condition for taking the throne.  However, Zedekiah did not think his oath worth keeping.  Ezekiel 17:15 makes it clear that God would not allow a king to swear a treaty in His name and then break it.

Some teach that a Christian should never take an oath.  Jesus did teach that we should not swear by invoking other things to make the oath stronger.  However, He taught that a simple yes or no should be as binding as any oath.  (Matthew 5:33-37)  Has any one ever said, “Yes, I will,” or “No, I will not,” and failed to keep his or her word?  Has any one ever signed a document saying that it is true to the best of his or her knowledge?  We make promises to each other every day.  Marriage is an oath or covenant between husband and wife.  It is much more than “till death do us part.”  It is a promise to love, to honor, to cherish, to be faithful to this one person all the time.  Has the husband who does not love, honor and cherish his wife kept his vow just because he has not divorced her?  Of course not!  We all have excuses for not keeping our promises, but are we willing to humble ourselves and admit the sin in our hearts?

God’s final analysis of Zedekiah is, “Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.”  (2 Chronicles 36:13)

This is the point of what I am speaking about today. 

Zedekiah was a man, and as a man, he had characteristics common to all of us.  Any one of us can harden his or her heart against the Lord.  We all know people who refuse to turn to the Lord.

Since this behavior is possible for all of us, let us consider the consequences Zedekiah saw.

First, the text tells us:

Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful.  They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the LORD that had been consecrated in Jerusalem.  (2 Chronicles 36:14)

Zedekiah was not the only one affected.  As the leader of the nation, his behavior changed the course of a nation.  They all became more and more unfaithful.  They followed the pagan practices of the surrounding nations.

Whose lives do your behavior and mine affect?  Children, spouses, students, employees, clients, neighbors, etc.

Is the temple of the Lord, which is our body, defiled as a result? Before you say no, what about sex outside of marriage?  What about pornography?

In Zedekiah’s time, it says the Lord repeatedly sent prophets to warn the people, but the people of his day scoffed at the prophets.  They mocked God’s messengers and despised their words.  (2 Chronicles 36:15-16) 

It is no different now.  It does not matter how many preachers say it and how many times they say it, there is an ever-increasing tendency to live together before getting married.  It is the norm now, and to suggest waiting until after marriage to have sex is considered naïve and maybe even stupid.  Let us call it scoffing.  According to 2012 census data, 66% of all couples wed that year lived together for two years or longer before the wedding.  Given that this does not count those who lived together less than two years, nor does it take into account the 7.8 million couples living together at the time.  The majority of people do not take God’s commands about adultery and fornication seriously in our day.[ii]

Sex is just one issue.  What about honesty?  Can we trust people? 

Zedekiah and his kingdom are an example for us.  2 Chronicles 36:16 says, “They scoffed at the prophets until the LORD’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.”

“Nothing could be done.”

This signaled the end of the country.  Most of the people living in Jerusalem under Zedekiah’s reign were killed by the Babylonians. 

It was all the result of a hard heart and a refusal to humble himself and turn to the Lord.

What is the answer for our day?

It starts with you and me.  You and I must humble ourselves and turn to the Lord. 

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/the-science-of-cohabitation-a-step-toward-marriage-not-a-rebellion/284512/ quoting https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-570.pdf

A New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-34[i]

God is a covenant God.  By “Covenant God,” I mean that He makes promises to His people.  He deals with humanity according to His covenants or promises.  His promises never fail. 

Jesus said, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”  (Matthew 5:18, ESV)

This echoes the concept taught by Isaiah when he says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”  (Isaiah 40:8, ESV)

The everlasting nature of God’s word flows naturally from God’s character.  He is omnipotent.  Therefore, nothing can move or shake Him.  He is all-knowing.  Therefore, nothing can surprise, rattle or catch Him off guard.  There has never been a time when God said, “I never thought of that.”  He is sovereign.  Therefore, nothing happens out of His control.  God is Holy.  He is separate from His creation, and pure.  Therefore, He never lies.  Because of these things, His word, like Him, is everlasting.

There is nothing more sure in this world than the word of God.

The ground shakes underneath our feet, but God’s word is sure and unmoving.

For this reason, I choose to stand on the promises of God.  I put my trust in His covenants.

At the time of the flood, when Noah stepped off the Ark, God made a promise, a covenant.  He said, “Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you.  Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”  (Genesis 9:11)

A day is coming when the earth will be destroyed by fire.  (2 Peter 3:7, “And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire.  They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.”)  However, there has not been and there never will be another worldwide flood.

This covenant is called the Noahic Covenant.

After Noah, God made a covenant with Abraham.  God said:

I will make you into a great nation.  I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.  All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”  (Genesis 12:2-3)

That promise was made over 4,000 years ago to an old man without children.  Today, we have a nation called Israel that is part of the fulfillment of that promise.

This covenant is called the Abrahamic Covenant.

After Abraham, God used a man named Moses to deliver the descendants of Abraham from slavery in Egypt.  Moses led the people out of Egypt to Mount Sinai, where they met with God.  There at the Mountain, God made a covenant with the children of Israel.  We know the core of the covenant as the “Ten Commandments.”

This covenant is known as the Mosaic Covenant.  It is also known as the “Law.”

The Noahic Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant are unilateral covenants.  God unilaterally made the promises of these covenants.  However, the Mosaic Covenant was not unilateral.  The people of Israel agreed to the conditions God laid out.  They said, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded.”  (Exodus 24:3)

God clearly laid out blessings for keeping the covenant and consequences for breaking the covenant.  Deuteronomy 28 gives a detailed list of the consequences of breaking the Mosaic Covenant.  However, a good summary of the blessings and consequences are found in Deuteronomy 30:15-18.

¹⁵“Now listen!  Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.  ¹⁶For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways.  If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.

¹⁷“But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed.  You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

Jeremiah prophesied at the time in Israel’s history when this “You will certainly be destroyed,” had become a reality.  Jeremiah saw the last of the nation led away in chains as captives of the Babylonian Empire.

Jeremiah warned the Israelites that this was coming.  Through Jeremiah, God says, “I will hand over my holy mountain—along with all your wealth and treasures and your pagan shrines—as plunder to your enemies, for sin runs rampant in your land.”  (Jeremiah 17:3)

The coming judgment was bad.  A time of suffering and evil was coming, but God offered hope.  He promised a restoration.

He said:

³¹“The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.  ³²This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt.  They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD.

³³“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD.  “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.   ³⁴And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’  For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD.  “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”  (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

This promise is known as the “New Covenant.”

This is an unbreakable, sure promise of God.

It is not like the Mosaic Covenant, which the people of Israel broke.  There are no provisions laid out for consequences.  This is a unilateral covenant like the Noahic Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant.

This covenant promises that everyone in the nation will know God.  However, there is a problem.  This has never happened.  Therefore, what are we to think?

The Apostle Paul addresses this question in Romans 9-10.  In Romans 11:1 he says, “I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel?  Of course not!  I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.” Later on, in the same chapter, the Apostle Paul goes on to say, “Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.  And so all Israel will be saved.  (Romans 11:25-26)

God’s covenant with Israel still stands, and there will come a day when all Israel will be saved.  However, there is another part of this covenant that is especially important to us in the Church.

The Apostle Paul says, “Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery?  Of course not!  They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles.  (Romans 11:11)  And then he says, “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off.  And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in.  So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.”  (Romans 11:17) 

My point is that we Gentiles have been made partakers in the New Covenant. 

God had promised Abraham that all nations and families on earth would be blessed through him.  This came about through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

When Jesus ate the Last Supper with the Apostles, He passed on to us the tradition of Communion.  When He served the Cup, He said, “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood.”  (Luke 22:20, Matthew 26:28, 1 Corinthians 11:25)

It is because of this New Covenant that we have life.

The Apostle Peter expresses it like this, “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people.  Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.”  (1 Peter 2:10)

This is both the mystery and glory of the New Covenant.  Both Gentiles and Jews share in this covenant.  Ephesians 3:6 says:

And this is God's plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God's children.  Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.

According to Romans 11, the Church age will last until the full number of Gentiles have come to faith in Jesus Christ.  Therefore, we have no way of knowing when Jesus will return.  That number of Gentiles who must come to faith in Christ is a number set by God that no man knows. 

However, that is not our concern.  Our concern should be to occupy ourselves with doing His will until He returns. 

In Jeremiah’s day, the people of Israel hardened their hearts against God.  They refused to listen to God’s messenger, Jeremiah.  They refused to listen to God’s word, the Law of Moses.  And, they refused to acknowledge the signs of the times.  Even while the Babylonians were gathering outside the city, they would not believe Jeremiah’s message.

These things happened as a warning to us.  Do not harden your heart.  God is offering you the benefit of His covenant.  He is offering you all His promises and the benefits of being His child.

                               

However, you must call upon Him to be saved.  The Apostle John says it this way:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.  (John 3:36, ESV)[ii]

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

God's Calling

Jeremiah 1:1-10[i]

Jeremiah was born into the family of a priest, a man named Hilkiah.  His hometown, Anathoth, was about four miles north and east of Jerusalem.[ii]

[iii]

Jeremiah 1:2 says, “The LORD first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.”  The thirteenth year of Josiah was 627 B.C.  The Assyrians conquered Samaria in 721 B.C., deporting all its citizens.  Therefore, Jeremiah began his ministry approximately 94 years after the Northern Kingdom of Israel ceased to exist.  Over the more than 40 years of his ministry, Jeremiah saw his beloved country lose power and eventually be conquered by Babylon, and Jeremiah was present when the city of Jerusalem was sacked.

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet.  Jeremiah’s message brought him sorrow and sadness.  Three times, God tells Jeremiah, “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah.”  (Jeremiah 7:16, 11:14, 14:11)  God had decided to judge the nation of Judah because of the evil of Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh.  In fact, God told Jeremiah, "Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn't help them.”  (Jeremiah 15:1)  This broke Jeremiah’s heart.  He continued to mourn for his people and plead with God on their behalf as he delivered God’s message.

King Josiah was a reformer.  He zealously purged the land of Judah of idols and God had this to say about him:

Never before had there been a king like Josiah who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses.  And there has never been a king like him since.  (2 Kings 23:25)

King Josiah’s reign lasted 31 years.  Jeremiah’s ministry started in the 13th year of King Josiah’s reign.  Therefore, during the first 18 years of Jeremiah’s ministry, the king and the prophet worked together.  These would have been good years for Jeremiah.

However, after Josiah died, Jeremiah’s ministry was tough.  He faced opposition, imprisonment and attempts on his life.  But, he never lost his tender heart, and he continued to plead with God for his people.  He even tried to quit, but God’s Word within him would not let him remain silent.  (Jeremiah 20:9)

 Jeremiah’s message was primarily of judgment.  However, he also brought a message of hope.  Jeremiah 31:31 and following announces the New Covenant that God will make with His people.

Jeremiah’s ministry was unique, which is true of all God’s people.  Abraham, Moses, David and each person God used had a unique role to fulfill.  Before God gave Jeremiah a message for the nations, He gave Jeremiah a message for Jeremiah.

He gave Jeremiah a calling.

First, He said to Jeremiah:

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”  (Jeremiah 1:5)

Let me ask you question.  Is Jeremiah the only one of whom God can say, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb?”

In Psalm 139:16, the Psalmist says, “You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”  

The truth that God is pointing out to Jeremiah is a truth that should encourage us all.  Every person God has made was made for a unique purpose.  In Job 10:8 and Psalm 33:15, the Scriptures state that God’s hands have shaped every person.  For us believers, Ephesians 2:10 is especially meaningful.  It says:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  (ESV)

Jeremiah did not go out seeking to find God’s purpose for him.  God’s purpose found Jeremiah.

We all do what we do because of who we are.  If I may use a rather crude example, my dog does not behave like a bird.  In a similar manner, a person will behave according to his or her inborn nature.  God, who made us, is able to direct our steps. 

Therefore, it is more important to seek to know God than to seek to discover His purpose for one’s life.

Throughout Scripture, we have examples of God’s purpose in people’s lives.  Abraham, Saul, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Paul are some examples of God calling and setting apart people for His purposes.  It is evident that God shaped the individual for the role He intended for each one.

God will show His purpose.  Trust God.  Pray for His will to be done in all things, and be obedient to what He tells you. 

We do not always agree with God.  Abraham went from Ur to Haran and stopped there for a while.  Moses tried to refuse.  Saul hid.  Jeremiah said, “O Sovereign LORD, I can’t speak for you!  I’m too young!”  (Jeremiah 1:6)

Fighting against God’s calling is common.

Jeremiah objected, saying he was too young.  Later in his ministry, he complained that it was too hard, God wasn’t fair and that God had tricked him.  (fair – Jeremiah 12, tricked – Jeremiah 20:7)  It seems that fighting against God’s calling is not necessarily a once-and-done sort of thing.  As God’s servant grows, new objections come up.

At one point, Jeremiah says, “Lord, you know what’s happening to me.  Please step in and help me.”  (Jeremiah 15:15)  Then he says, “Why then does my suffering continue?  Why is my wound so incurable?  Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.”  (Jeremiah 15:18)  God’s help seems fickle and unreliable, but when God responds, we learn what the problem is.  God says:

“If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me.  If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman.  You must influence them; do not let them influence you!”  (Jeremiah 15:19)

Apparently, the problem was with Jeremiah.  God used Jeremiah’s “incurable wound” to deal with something in the prophet’s life.

God’s calling, purpose, plan and message run contrary to the flesh.  By flesh, I mean merely human desires.  We all have appetites and desires.  These usually center on self.  My purposes and God’s purposes frequently collide and I end up fighting against God.  At these times, the flesh must surrender.  Negotiating and compromise are not an option.  Surrender is the only way through.

These conflicts serve to clarify and confirm both the calling and purpose of God.

God answered Jeremiah’s first objection with “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young.’”  Each subsequent objection met with an equally definite answer from God.  This is also true of all God’s servants.  Over time, God clarifies and confirms His calling.

However, God did address Jeremiah’s concern.  Jeremiah said, “I’m too young!”  Therefore, the Lord reached out and touched Jeremiah’s mouth and said,

Look, I have put my words in your mouth!  Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms.  Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow.  Others you must build up and plant.  (Jeremiah 1:9-10)

God put His message in Jeremiah’s mouth.  Jeremiah’s age had nothing to do with God’s calling.  It was not even a matter of whether or not Jeremiah was adequate for the job.  His provision, adequacy and strength were all to come from God.

The Apostle Paul spoke of his adequacy for the task God had given him and said,

It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own.  Our qualification comes from God.  (2 Corinthians 3:5)

There is a great danger of trying to do God’s work in our own strength. 

God has shaped us from our mother’s womb for the purpose He has for us.  Therefore, it is natural that we should have an aptitude for our calling.  One might say it comes naturally to us.  However, when we try to do God’s work with human strength, it always meets with disaster.

For example, when Jeremiah suffered his “incurable wound,” he apparently was speaking worthless words and was being influenced by those he was sent to influence.  Another example is King Saul.  King Saul began well, but then stopped trusting God and let his flesh rule.  This ended in his losing the kingdom.

There are two elements to being adequate for the calling of God: Faith and the Word.

It was required of Jeremiah that he trust God and that He faithfully proclaim God’s Word.  It is required of all God’s children that we trust Him.  We can only do this in as much as our confidence is based on the Word of God.  Romans 10:17 explains to us that faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of God.  This really is the key to being faithful to the calling of God in one’s life, trusting God and being in the Word. 

The hymnist said it, “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] biblehub.com/topical/a/anathoth.htm

[iii] http://cnbible.com/region/anathoth.jpg

The Day of the Lord

Read the book of Joel.

The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing.

Who can possibly survive?  Joel 2:11[i]

The sun will become dark,

and the moon will turn blood red

before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives.  Joel 2:31

Dread and fear seize the heart at the mention of the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord is the theme of the prophet Joel.  Joel is one of the Minor Prophets.  His book takes up only three short chapters.  Consisting of fewer than 2,000 words, Joel is about the length of a 30-minute sermon.  However, the brevity of the book does not lessen its importance.  Peter quotes it in the New Testament in explaining what happened on the Day of Pentecost, when believers received the Holy Spirit.

We all understand and expect that Peter spoke of a partial fulfillment.  There is a “yet to be fulfilled” part of this prophecy.  Frequently, in prophecy, an immediate fulfillment is a sign guaranteeing a future fulfillment.  For example, the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 saying, “The virgin will conceive a child,” had an immediate fulfillment in Isaiah’s wife, but this prefigured or pointed to the literal virgin, Mary, who gave birth to the Messiah.

Joel uses a local locust plague to prefigure or point to God’s future judgment of the whole earth.  Dating of these events requires conjecture and a bit of guesswork.  The best we can say is that since Isaiah and Amos both reference locust plagues, perhaps Joel prophesied shortly before these men prophesied.

Joel 1:2 says, “Hear this, you leaders of the people.  Listen, all who live in the land.  In all your history, has anything like this happened before?”

The point here is the unprecedented nature of the calamity.

Nothing like this had ever happened before.

Here, where it says, “you leaders of the people,” it is actually referring to the old ones among the people.  The word being translated is “old.”  This is where we get the idea of elders and elder leadership, and this is why some translators have translated it, “leaders.” However, the root meaning of the word is “old.” Joel is asking the elderly if they have any memories of anything like this plague.  Joel’s point is that in all their history, as far back as anyone could remember, nothing like this had ever happened before.

This was a devastating plague.  Every plant, living and dead, was consumed until there was nothing left.  The fruit, leaves and even the bark was stripped from every tree in the land.

Joel calls on people to mourn because there will be no food or wine.  He calls for fasting, mourning and weeping and says:

The day of the LORD is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty.  How terrible that day will be!  (Joel 1:15)

Since Joel’s time, other prophets, and even our Lord, have given us more information about the coming “Day of the Lord.”

Jesus says, “There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.”  (Luke 21:11)  He also says, “People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”  (Luke 21:26)  The book of Revelation tells of judgments that wipe out large portions of the earth.

We have seen terrible things.  Nazi Germany killed millions of its own citizens and made war on the rest of the world.  Communist Russia killed millions of its own citizens and exported its reign of terror to many other nations.  Communist China killed millions of its own citizens, and continues to oppress its own people.  Islam continues to spread terror, hate and war wherever it goes.  Coupled with this, we have seen earthquakes, tsunamis and natural disasters that have destroyed on never-seen-before scales.  However, the end has not yet come.  Joel’s warning of unprecedented calamity shouts to us, “You have not seen anything yet.”

 In World War II, over 60 million people died; that was about 3% of the world’s population.[ii]  Revelation 9:18 tells us that in just three of the Day of the Lord judgments:

One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses.

If we calculate by today’s population, that would mean 2.5 billion people will die.[iii]  This is roughly 42 times as many as died in World War II.

Truly, we have not seen anything yet.

What is the purpose of the “Day of the Lord?”

Listen to what the Lord says:

¹²That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time.  Give me your hearts.  Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  ¹³Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  He is eager to relent and not punish.  ¹⁴Who knows?  Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse.  (Joel 2:12-14)

God is eager to relent and not punish.  Jonah observed the same thing about God when he said, “You are eager to turn back from destroying people.”  (Jonah 4:2)

God has given the world an abundance of warnings.  However, people do not repent and change their ways.  Even in the midst of plagues, people will not turn from their evil and seek God.  Revelation 9:20-21 says:

²⁰But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.  They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!  ²¹And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

I hear complaints about God being too harsh, but murders, thefts and evil continue.  This nation, that I love, cannot continue, without consequence, to murder babies at the rate of over 3,500 a day.[iv]  The world cannot continue, without consequence, to murder babies at the rate of 125,000 per day.[v]  Moreover, this is just one evil and injustice in our world.  Do you know even one person who has not suffered injustice at the hands of another human being?  Does even one day pass without news of horrible injustice, thefts and murders?

Humanity mocks God and says, “Where is the promise of His coming?” 

God answers this.  He tells us in 2 Peter 3:9:

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.  No, he is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Once again, God says plainly that He does not want to destroy anyone.  However, He has made it clear that He will not let injustice, murder and evil go unpunished. 

There are enough godly people in this nation that our prayers may bring about revival, repentance and a turning to God.  The answer is not in the political arena.  The answer is in what God calls us to do in the book of Joel. 

“Turn to me now, while there is time.  Give me your hearts.  Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” (Joel 2:12-13)

Repentance is an individual thing.  We can repent in large groups, but it is the individuals in the group that must recognize his or her own offense against God.  This is why 2 Corinthians 5:20 says:

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.  We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

The world for the most part will not repent. 

This is why God says:

Say to the nations far and wide:  “Get ready for war!  Call out your best warriors.  Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.  (Joel 3:9)

In Joel chapter three, God asks the nations, “What do you have against me?” He invites them to come and fight against Him.  Psalm 2 tells of this consistent attitude of the nations against God.  It says:

¹Why are the nations so angry?  Why do they waste their time with futile plans?  ²The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.  ³“Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”  (Psalm 2:1-3)

Language and talk of judgment is viewed as hateful and angry.  It is not acceptable.  It never has been.  Even in ancient times, Zechariah said of the ancient Israelites, “Your ancestors refused to listen to this message.  They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.”  (Zechariah 7:11)

God will meet with the nations in the Valley of Jehoshaphat.  Jehoshaphat means “God judges.”  Those who choose not to repent will have their chance to face off against God.  Joel likens the battlefield to a winepress.  Here is what Psalm 2 says:

⁴But the one who rules in heaven laughs.  The Lord scoffs at them.  ⁵Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.  ⁶For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.  (Psalm 2:4-6)

God gives every chance for us to repent and do right.  He pleads with us.  He warns us.  He gives small demonstrations of His might, His power and His judgments.  And yet, three quarters of the world’s population has yet to acknowledge Him.

What about you?

Have you acknowledged Him?

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

[iii] www.worldometers.info/world-population/

[iv] http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/story/are-there-really-3700-abortions-each-day-in-the-us/

[v] www.worldometers.info/abortions