God will punish us when we don’t repent of our sins. This devotion looks at what Joel meant by the term the day of the Lord.
Nuggets
- We need to be warned of the coming judgment.
- God’s judgment follows His plan.
- When God passes His sentence on Judgment Day, it will have tremendous consequences.
Devotions in The Days According to Joel series
In the middle of Chapter 1, Joel talked about the day of the Lord. This was his terminology referring to God’s judgment for sin.
Joel expanded on that judgment beginning in Chapter 2.
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Let's Put It into Context #2
The day of the Lord is when mankind is called to stand in judgment. Ultimately, it refers to Judgment Day.
Joel mentioned this in chapter 1. He really works this theme for the rest of his book.
Judgment Day is assured for those who do not believe in Jesus as their Savior and Redeemer. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20: 15 ESV)
There is some debate as to whether or not disciples are going to have a Judgment Day. It is argued that, since our sins have been forgiven, we get to skip judgment, pass go, and collect eternity.
To me, there has to be a point where the sheep are separated from the goats. That is a judgment.
I say that especially in light of Matthew 7: 21. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 7: 22 ESV).
Judgment Comes
“Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle” (Jl. 2: 1-5 ESV)
We need to be warned of the coming judgment.
We have to put these verses into context. This is a continuation of Joel’s talk with the priests. (Remember, Joel didn’t write in chapters and verses.)
The priests would have seen blowing the trumpet as one of their duties. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp’” (Num. 10: 1-2 ESV). Excell noted that the trumpet was also to be sounded when there was danger.
I think this is one of those times when it is a dual warning. The trumpet was to be sounded then to call the Israelites — and us — to repentance.
But Joel said that the trumpet would be sounded in Zion, that is Heaven. “For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place” (Ps. 132: 13 ESV). Zion is a term used to describe God’s place of worship.
We know the trumpet sound will signify the end times. “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (I Cor. 1: 51-52 ESV).
But let’s go back to this trumpet blast being a warning. We know there is so many dangers today of which we need that warning.
It seemed like Excell was scratching his head. “Doesn’t the church know there will be a judgment coming?”
We shouldn’t stick our noses up and say we would do better. Too many times we stick our heads in the sand and refuse to see our own need for judgment.
When does the church need a wake up alarm? Excell gave us three times.
- When the church is complacent even though the nation’s morals are not up to God’s standards.
- When the church is not concerned about the status of other’s souls.
- When the church compromises with the worldview.
I know. People today don’t like to be reminded of a Judgment Day. They don’t really believe there will be one. They want the love to shine through with nothing they do being deemed as sin.
There will be a Judgment Day. It will be soon. It is going to be horrific.
Joel said that everyone’s response should be to tremble. Even disciples?
Excell said yes. He wrote, “The people would know that the sounding of the trumpet in Zion would foretoken evil to them, and would be deeply apprehensive of the nature and extent of the judgment to follow.”
Resource
Elaine-speak. Disciples know what is coming, so we have to be afraid. Because we know what is planned, we should want to repent. We should also be thankful God has given us the opportunity to repent.
We have to “… ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation’” (Mk. 16: 15 ESV). That doesn’t say we are just to go to the lost.
We have to tell the self-righteous as well as the unrighteous. We have to go to the one who thinks he is the scholar as well as the hypocrite.
We have to proclaim the gospel to anyone who is not in a right relationship with God so they can confess their sins and trust in Him. We have to help someone who is in a right relationship to grow to be even more like God.
God calls us to be faithful to His work. It is imperative that we are because God’s judgment is going to be swift and full of terror. We don’t want someone to miss an eternity with God because we did not tell them.
Judgment Is Orderly
“Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief.” (Jl. 2: 6-9 ESV)
God’s judgment follows His plan.
Okay, now Joel was talking about the locusts here. They were a terrifying and noisy spectacle.
I bet they were. They were devouring everything in sight. They weren’t going to let an obstacle slow them down.
No, nothing the Israelites could have done was going to slow down the locust. They moved steadily toward their objective — destruction.
But look what Joel said. There was an order to it.
Soldiers march in line. Sometimes, they are even in step.
God is a God of order. Everything works together. There is a progression. It follows that God expects His disciples to be orderly.
What that tells me is that God has seen that there is a need for judgment. He has determined the punishment based on His determination of the offense. He is executing the sentence.
Some may disagree that Scriptures are orderly when they feel some verses contradict others. Spurgeon addressed that.
Spurgeon wrote, “Doctrines which look as if they contradicted each other, are nevertheless fully agreed. Apply the lesson to the Christian life. We should remember that our thoughts, graces, and actions, ought all to keep their proper position.”
Resource
Some people get all bent out of shape when they feel that Scriptures contradict themselves. They don’t realize that God doesn’t teach us everything in Scriptures. He reveals it to us through the Holy Spirit — after we become His children.
You see, it isn’t about us figuring out which one is right and which one is wrong. It isn’t even about us understanding.
It is about us submitting to Sovereign God. We shouldn’t try to prove that we are as smart as — if not smarter — than God. We aren’t.
Scriptures aren’t just about doctrine, as Spurgeon reminded us. It is filled with promises and duties.
We keep our thoughts, graces, and actions in the proper position through the Sanctification Road, which is orderly.
Think about it. God is about order, peace, and harmony. Satan is the one who reigns in chaos.
Punishment Is Terrible
“The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” (Jl. 2: 10-11 ESV)
When God passes His sentence on Judgment Day, it will have tremendous consequences.
Excell said that Joel was probably still focused on the locust. When they are flying in formation — a whole legion of them — they can darken the sky.
Resource
Yes, the locust attack was typical of a judgment from God. Think of the ten plagues here.
I thought, however, Joel had switched to Judgment Day. “… For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” (Jl. 2: 10-11 ESV).
Let’s take a look at some verses.
- “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (Mt. 24: 7 ESV).
- “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (Rev. 6: 12-14 ESV).
- “The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night” (Rev. 8: 12 ESV).
- “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death’” (Rev. 21: 5-8 ESV).
This is going to be a universal judgment. We are talking everyone — dead or alive.
Yes, the locust were destructive. Judgment Day will be more so. “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them” (Rev. 20: 11 ESV).
Making the Connections
No, we can’t relive the day of the Lord that Joel went through with the locusts. We have our own currents versions of those days of the Lord.
The final day of the Lord — Judgment Day — is coming. Pay attention to the end times signs.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Repent. Submit to God. Do it now.
How Do We Apply This?
- Fulfill our duty to tell others the Plan of Salvation.
- Preach God’s truth.
- Believe the church can make a difference in people’s salvation experience.
- Evaluate where we are in our relationships with God.
- Repent of our sins.
- Don’t wait to go and proclaim God’s gospel.
- Find balance in our social graces.
- Perform all our duties by determining where we draw the line to balance them.
- Believe Judgment Day is coming — and it be bring terror.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Resource
Father God. Lord, we have disobeyed You. We deserve Your judgment. What we do not deserve – but You give us anyway – is Your mercy and salvation. Thank You. Amen.
What do you think?
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