Joel 2:13 NASB
Rend your heart and not your garments.
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
The Day of the Lord is coming (2 Peter 3:10)
A day of darkness and threat
Joel 2: 1-2 NASB
Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the day of the Lord is coming;
Surely it is near,
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As the dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a great and mighty people;
There has never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.
An avalanche will hit people.
A massive mass destruction is imminent.
A firm army of grasshoppers is heading straight for its target.
They storm the city of Jerusalem and occupy the wall. Then they penetrate the houses (Joel 2:2-10). The LORD Himself goes before that army (Joel 2:11).
What do we do when we see all this developing?
Shall we let it pass over us?
Joel calls to raise the alarm
Joel 2:1 NASB
Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm
Joel 2:15 NASB
Blow a trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast,
proclaim a solemn assembly,
He urges the priests to call the people for a day of humiliation
Joel 2:17 NASB
Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers,
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say,
Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not make Your inheritance a reproach,
A byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
“Where is their God?” “
Repent!
Go to God!
There is still hope.
But not without a profound change of heart.
Not a feigned conversion (ripped clothes), but a real turnaround (a ripped heart) (Joel 2:12.13).
The Lord is very good and full of compassion (Joel 2:13; Psalms 103:8; psalms 145:8).
He does not want the sinner’s death, but He wants the sinner to repent and live (Ezekiel 18:32)
Sincere repentance is the only way out to avoid the coming judgment.
God says here that He can restore the land.
Growth and flowering can start again. The glory of the Lord can become visible again. Sacrifices could be made again in the temple in Jerusalem
Joel 2:14 NASB
Who knows whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?
Let the people humble themselves together. From infant to elderly, everyone should be there. Even the newlyweds have to come.
Joel 2:16 NASB
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
Could we do something too?
God’s judgment is getting closer.
Do we still warn clearly enough?
Which signal do we give to the world?
As priests, do we still gather people together to humble ourselves?
Do we long for people to get to know the beautiful qualities of God (Joel 2:13)?
For us believers there is an assignment right now.
God does not want people to be lost (2 Peter 3:9).
Now is the time that He wants to show His grace.
He wants to do that through your and my life.
Shall we take advantage of this end time by effectively witnessing God’s seeking love?
There is still hope!
Prayer suggestions
- Ask God to show you what you can actually do for Him in this end time.
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