One day God will judge all mankind. This devotion looks at what that judgment means and how trying to fight against God doesn’t work.
Nuggets
- One day — the day of the Lord or Judgment Day — everyone will stand for judgment before God.
- We can’t fight against God and win.
Devotions in The Days According to Joel series
Chapter 3 of Joel is not dividing in a good manner. This devotion will be short, and the next devotion will be long. But that is just the way it breaks.
It is what it is.
What Chapter 3 focuses on is how God provides for His children after judgment. Yes, God is a vengeful God Who punishes those who sin.
God is also a loving God Who rewards those who are His children.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
The Days of Judgment
“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it” (Jl. 3: 1-3 ESV)
One day — the day of the Lord or Judgment Day — everyone will stand for judgment before God.
Joel used the terminology days again. He wasn’t talking the 24-hour kind.
What Joel was talking about was some time in the future. It was when God’s fullness of time would be complete.
One of Joel’s points was that restoration of God’s children will be made. Their bondage will end.
Glossary
Another point was that those who had done wrong to God’s people will be judged. He will punish them for their sins. All their persecution of disciples would be held against them.
God called the Israelites His people. But His people are only those who have surrendered their will to His.
The Israelites were scattered because of their disobedience. God judged them and caused other nations to conquer them. Many were carried away as exiles.
We can look at that as we have been scattered because of our disobedience. If Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned, we would still be in the Garden of Eden. Because they did, we were scattered across the world.
The Homilist had an interesting take on persecution. He wrote, “There is a persecution that, whilst it does not involve bonds, imprisonments, and physical violences, involves the malice of hell, and inflicts grievous injury. There is social calumny, scorn, degradation, and various disabilities.”
Resource
Yes, disciples will undergo persecution, but Heaven will avenge them. Those who do not submit to Sovereign God will be cast into hell for eternity.
What Joel was ultimately saying here was that sin would not be ruling us forever. It’s reign would be over without any gain.
Going against God Backfires
“What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken” (Jl. 3: 4-8 ESV)
We can’t fight against God and win.
Verse 4 reads that the Israelites did nothing that should have caused the other nations to retaliate against them. They did nothing to provoke them.
Because of this, God was going to judge those nations. If they want to pretend they had a quarrel with the Israelites, God would give them one. They started it — He would finish it.
Henry said they really didn’t want to do that. He wrote, “Those that contend with God will find themselves unable to make their part good with him. He will recompense them suddenly, when they little think of it, and have not time to prevent it; if he take them to task, he will soon effect their ruin.”
Resource
When the nation of Israel was captured and taken into exile, the victors would take all the silver and gold out of the temple. But that wasn’t the only wealth they had.
Individuals also had wealth that would be taken. We know whatever we earn on this life is ours only because it is a gift from God. So, our wealth is His.
Their plans would backfire on them, though. “Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them” (Est. 9: 1 ESV).
Bottom line is God will always be victorious. We are not stronger than Him. We can’t outmaneuver Him.
In the end, God will always be victorious.
Making the Connections
Joel really hadn’t talked about non-believers in his book yet. He does at the beginning of Chapter 3.
The locust attack was to be carried out against the Israelites. The day of the Lord – Judgment Day – will focus primarily only non-believers.
And we aren’t talking a single nation here. Judgment Day is for all nations – worldwide.
How Do We Apply This?
- Prepare for Judgment Day
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
Father God. We admit that we are sinners separated from You. We believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. We confess that You are Sovereign God. Please restore our relationships with You. Amen.
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