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Joel Chapter Three The Nations Judged ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) When will the LORD gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, there, who will the LORD enter judgment against, where did they scatter the LORD's people, what did they divide up, what did they cast lots for, what did they trade the boys for, and what did they sell the girls for?
______________________________________________________________________________ The phrase "at that time" refers to the time
when those who call on the Lord will be saved (2:32). God will not only bless
believers with everything they need, he will also bless them by destroying all
evil and ending the pain and suffering on earth. This prophecy had three
fulfillments: immediate, ongoing, and final. Its immediate interpretation could
apply to King Jehoshaphat's recent battle against several enemy nations,
including Moab and Ammon (2Chronicles 20). Its ongoing fulfillment could be the
partial restoration of the people to their land after the exile to Babylon. The
final fulfillment will come in the great battle that precedes the Messiah's
reign over the earth (Revelation 20:7-9). 2) What nations did the LORD question, and if the nations are paying the LORD back because of what he has done, what will the LORD do to the nations?
______________________________________________________________________________ Tyre and Sidon were major cities in Phoenicia to the northwest of Israel; Philistia was the nation southwest of Judah. Phoenicia and Philistia were small countries who rejoiced at the fall of Judah and Israel because they would benefit from the increased trade. God would judge them for their wrong attitude. 3) What did the LORD say the nations took and carried off to their temples, who did they sell God's people to, why did they sell God's people to the Greeks, from where did the LORD say he will rouse them out (his people), what will he return on their own heads (the nations), who will the LORD sell their sons and daughters to, who will the people of Judah sell them to, and who has spoken?
______________________________________________________________________________ Joel next records God's solemn promise of the
sure execution of his judgment on the nations. He begins with God's question as
to their purposes regarding himself. The districts of western Canaan, Tyre, and
Sidon (well-known slave dealers in their ancient world) and the Philistine coast
(often condemned with the Phoenicians by the prophets) are singled out as the
primary enemies of Judah, who committed the most inhuman of all crimes-dealing
in human merchandise. God warns them that if they would now add insult to injury
by taking vengeance without cause against the Lord himself, they could be
assured that God would most swiftly repay them in just kind. 4) What was to be proclaimed among the nations, who were they to rouse, who were to draw near and attack, what were they to beat their plowshares into, what were they to beat their pruning hooks into, what is the weakling to say, who were to come quickly and assemble there, who was the LORD to bring down, what was to be roused, and for what reason were they to advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat?
______________________________________________________________________________ The Lord's message is to be circulated among
the nations (cf. Amos 3:6-11). All the men of war were to assemble and prepare
themselves in accordance with the proper spiritual rites before battle (cf.
1Samuel 7:5-9), for in the final analysis theirs was to be the culmination of
all holy warfare. The mighty men of battle were to be called up for duty (cf.
2:7). All segments of society and the economy were to be on a wartime footing.
The basic agricultural tools were to be fashioned into weapons; weak and
cowardly men were to count themselves as mighty men of war. The nations were
soon to learn that the Lord too was mighty in battle (cf. Exodus 15:3; Psalm
24:8). 5) Why does the LORD tell them to swing their sickle, why does the LORD tell them to come, and trample the grapes, and what is great?
______________________________________________________________________________ God pictured as sending his reapers into the harvest field (cf. Revelation 14:14-20) and to the winepress of judgment (Isaiah 63:3), for the nations are ripe for judgment; their wickedness is great and filled to overflowing. (taken from The NIV Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishers) 6) Who is in the valley of decision, and what is near in the valley of decision?
______________________________________________________________________________ Joel described multitudes waiting in the "valley of decision" (the valley of judgment of verse 2 and 12). Billions of people have lived on earth, and everyone of them-dead, living, and yet to be born-will face judgment. Look around you. See your friends, those with whom you work and live. Have they received God's forgiveness? Have they been warned about sin's consequences? If we understand the severity of God's final judgment, we will want to take God's offer of hope to those we know. 7) What will be darken, what will no longer shine, from where will the LORD roar, what will come from Jerusalem, what will the earth and sky do, and what will the LORD be for his people?
______________________________________________________________________________ The accompanying signs in the natural world
are depicted. What was applicable to the local scene of impending battle in the
day of the Assyrian invasion (2:10b) is now seen in all its final intensity. The
Lord comes forth out of Zion as a roaring lion (cf. Amos 1:2). Because the
nations had roared insolently against God's people (Isaiah 5:25-30), the Lord
would be as a lion roaring after its pray in behalf of the returned remnant (cf.
Hosea 11:10-11 with Jeremiah 25:30-33). Heaven and earth will tremble at his
presence among the nations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blessings for God's People ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8) Where does God say he dwells, what will Jerusalem be, and what will foreigners never do to her again?
______________________________________________________________________________ The last word will be God's; his ultimate sovereignty will be revealed in the end. We cannot predict when that end will come, but we can have confidence in his control over the world's events. The world's history, as well as our own pilgrimage, is in God's hands. We can be secure in his love and trust him to guide our decisions. 9) In that day, what will the mountains drip, what will the mountains flow with, what will all the ravines of Judah run with, what will flow out of the LORD's house, and what will it water?
______________________________________________________________________________ The picture of this restored land is one of perfect beauty, similar to the Garden of Eden. The life-giving fountain flowing from the Lord's house illustrates the blessings that come from God. Those who attach themselves to him will be forever fruitful. (See also Ezekiel 47:1-12; Revelation 22:1, 2.) 10) For what reason will Egypt be desolate and Edom a desert waste?
______________________________________________________________________________ Egypt and Edom were two of Israel's most persistent enemies. They represent all the nations hostile to God's people. God's promise that they would be destroyed is also a promise that all evil in the world will one day be destroyed. 11) Who will be inhabited forever, what will God pardon, and where does the LORD dwell?
______________________________________________________________________________ The word Judah is used here to refer
to all God's people-anyone who has called on the name of the Lord. There is full
assurance of victory and peace for those who trust in God (2:32). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers Joel Chapter Three ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) in those days and at that time, when he
restores the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem...them concerning his heritance,
his people Israel...among the nations...his land...his
people...prostitutes...wine that they might drink ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taken from The NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan Publishers |