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"Lo,
Thorns & Thistles Flourish The
Day of the LORD in the Land of Eden "
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"Lo,Thorns
and Thistles An
Exegesis of Joel 2:3-5-
A. INTRODUCTION B. HISTORICAL DATE AND AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF JOEL C. LITERARY CONSIDERATIONS IN THE BOOK OF JOEL D. THEMES IN THE BOOK OF JOEL E. OVERARCHING PERSPECTIVE OF THE BOOK OF JOEL [v.3] Before
them a fire devours; [v.4] Their
appearance is as the appearance of horses; [v.5] Like
the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains, they do skip; A. INTRODUCTION As the Church
on the verge of a third millenium, we should heed the words of Paul
as we begin the task of understanding the words of the Prophet Joel.
Our concern with the prophet's message is not only in its historical
context, but from the broader scope of earlier redemptive history
up to the writing of his prophecy, and from the standpoint of saints
living in the Last Days. In some respects, it is more difficult
for us to understand Joel in his historical context as an ancient
prophet who lived and was part of another cultural and historical
milieu. On the other hand, we have the benefit and privilege of
those who have the better words spoken by Christ and therefore we
can interpret all of the Scriptures Christologically (Luke 24:44-49).
We must remember in former times and in various ways, God spoke
through the prophets; but in these Last Days, he has spoken to us
through the Son whom he loves (Heb. 1:1,2). How much more clearer
and relevant should the message of Joel be to us today who live
in the time when the Kingdom of Christ has been historically inaugurated? May we interpret
the book of Joel faithfully and prayerfully as we begin our study.
If rightly handled and interpreted, and prayerfully considered,
then the LORD may be pleased to teach, reprove, correct, and train
us in all righteousness. So that his Church will be thoroughly equipped
for every good work in Christ. Our study will begin considering
the historical context and message of the Book of Joel. We shall
then broaden our perspective by looking back from that historical
perspective to the hub, or foundational Scriptures in the Law, Prophets
and the Writings in the Old Testament. Then we will look through
the interpretive lens that Christ has graciously given to us, the
New Testament. By considering the Book of Joel from these scopes,
perhaps with the help and application of God's Spirit, we can see
clearly God's redemptive landscape as it is progressively revealed
in Christ. As we move from the ancient horizon of redemptive history
to the modern horizon or context, may we be sensitive to hear the
words of the prophet in light of our great salvation in Christ.
John Calvin
said that the chief excellency of a Biblical commentator lies in
lucid brevity (Biblical Theology, Childs, 47). In this exegesis
I have tried to take Calvin's wisdom into consideration and to attempt
to be as brief as possible. At the same time, with the subsequent
work of Geerhardus Vos, Brevard S. Childs, and V. S. Poythress (Symphonic
Theology), I have been concerned to be as thorough with the Biblical
material as possible without presumptuously thinking that I have
come to close to exhausting the text which is in our purview. I
have attempted to focus chiefly on the passages to be exegeted,
but with a consideration of the text within the scope of all of
redemptive-history which would help to bring additional clarity
to the particular text (Joel 2:3-5), and also to the Scripture as
a whole. In an effort for greater brevity, I have marginalized portions
of my exegesis which I have narrated, so as to not take away from
the thrust and force of the meaning in the passages in Joel. I have
attempted to engage the reader through my narrative with the broader
meaning and perspective that I think the Prophet Joel would have
had, however, it is sufficient for someone who is familiar with
the Scriptures to merely note the reference to the Biblical text
and continue reading. In summary, I have tried to be both clear
and brief while at the same time considering the great depth of
the Biblical passages within the scope of redemptive-history. Concerning
my methodology, I believe that while Old Testament theology is descriptive,
I also believe that it is to be prescriptive. In other words, I
think that what the Prophet Joel meant in its historical context
is as important to what it means to the people of God today in the
wider, Christological scope. In fact, you cannot know what the Prophet
Joel meant without considering God's revelation in Christ. I think
that a Biblical Theology can and should be done based on the whole
of the Old and New Testaments, centered and focused in Christ. My
approach and methodology has been to see the unity of the two Testaments
because they should not be read independently without considering
the whole of God's revelation to his people. There are a number
of perspectives to be considered, a diversity to be appreciated
in both Testaments, but the one unifying revelation of God is found
in Christ alone. Therefore, I approach the Scriptures as the one
and only revelation of God, recognizing the canon of the Scriptures,
the promises and the fulfillment, the typological pointing forward
in the Old Testament, in order to ultimately and consummately derive
the meaning of God's revelation in Christ as the grand pinnacle
of salvation history (heilsgeschicte) (Luke 24:44-49; Hebrews 1:1,2).
We shall begin
by considering the historical date and author of the Book of Joel.
We will then proceed to understand the various literary functions,
themes and structure of this book of blessings and curses. Then
we will engage in an exegesis of Joel 2:3-5 in order that the prophet's
words will ring with clarity as we hear in them the voice of God
and as we strive to obey his commandments as his covenant people.
The movement in our study will be from a close up of Joel's period
to an ever-broadening wide screen presentation of the events which
the prophet Joel has given to us as the very words of God. When
Scripture is quoted throughout this paper, I have used my own translations
and often the Revised Version (1885) because of its faithfulness
to the text. Use of the New International Version will be indicated
by the insertion of (NIV). I have also written the Divine Name as
"LORD" (Jahweh) in distinction from "Lord" (Adonai)
as it appears in a modern translation of the Bible such as the New
International Version. As a supplementary application, the exegesis of Joel is submitted to the Church to further dialogue with Dispensationalists (Historical and Progressive). The Dispensationalists make a dichotomy between the "earthly" people of God, or Israel and the "spiritual" people of God, the Church (Understanding, Poythress, 22ff). While our brethren, the Dispensationalists have been helpful in making distinctions between the diversity of epochs in redemptive-history, often they have misunderstood the unity of God's people in Christ (Rom. 9-11; Gal. 3:26-4:7; 6:16; Eph. 2:14-18). The Book of Joel, particularly our study on the one covenant and the land that was promised, will perhaps shed Christological light on the unity of the one people of God made up of both Jews and Gentiles; all who all upon the name of the LORD (Acts 2:22-38). My prayer is that this paper will appropriately shed light on God's distinctive epochs or dispensations, while interpreting them in light of the Christological revelation of the one people of God, the one Kingdom of God, the one hope of salvation in Christ (Eph. 4:4-16). May the people of God not presume upon God the way he has chosen to reveal himself by relying on the Promises and Covenant of God without faith, nor by expecting a Kingdom other than the one he has revealed. As we begin our study of Joel 2:3-5 in light of the whole of redemptive-history, I think we will learn how the one people of God are revealed by the one Christ. B. HISTORICAL
DATE AND AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF JOEL The author
is a person named Joel ("The LORD is God"), son of Pethuel
[laeWtP.-!B, laeAy], and scholars have suggested that if the book
should be dated in the 9th century, then Joel was probably a temple
prophet of the cult in Jerusalem. The arguments for each date and
the person of the author are helpful, but the most important consideration
of the book is its message, particularly the internal themes within
the book itself . This is the important message of God to his people
in a particular time of redemptive history. Apart from the concerns
of a specific date, we know that Joel was a prophet who lived after
the time of David and prior to the coming of Jesus Christ and the
writing of the New Testament. More broadly, or eschatologically
considered, the Book of Joel is located on the redemptive-historical
landscape between God's creation of the earth and his progressive
fulfillment of making a new creation. The themes and message of
the book are sufficient to teach us about the particular passages
(Joel 2:3-5) to be considered in light of God's redemptive history. When considering the epoch in which Joel prophesied, it should be remembered that Joel is known as a Latter Prophet in the Hebrew canon. In redemptive-history, the prophet Joel is an heir and interpreter of a progressive prophetic tradition. The prophet Moses is the fountainhead as covenant mediator and intercessor: "And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved." (Hos. 12:13; cf. Ex. 32:1-34; Num. 14:13-35; cf. John 1:14-18; 21:25; Heb. 3:1-6) (Interpreting, VanGemeren, 37). The prophet Samuel bridges the epoch between Moses and Joshua to David and Solomon. Elijah is closely connected to the Prophet Joel as the first "covenant prosecutor". Elijah shaped the course of the Latter Prophets and marked the end of one redemptive-historical era. One era was characterized by divine patience and the other was the beginning of an era characterized by divine purification of his people. Unlike Moses who interceded on behalf of Israel (Ex. 31-34), Elijah accused God's people of infidelity. The days of God's patience were drawing to an end, and a new era was coming. Elijah and the Prophet Joel had prophetic ministries who charged God's people with breaking the covenant and pronounced God's judgment on them (1 Kings 18:21; cf. Joel 1-2; Micah 3:1-3; 4:-6) (Interpreting, VanGemeren, 37).
[A] Before
them a fire devours; In the first
two cola (Hebrew lines), literary parallelism is noticed. The structure
shows the author's concern for not only the content of his message,
but the importance of his form to communicate the content. James
Kugel has described Hebrew parallelism as "A, what's more B"
and is found in many of the Psalms. C. S. Lewis has described parallelism
as "saying the same thing twice in different words; the second
part nuances the first part in some way" (Ryken, Longman 83).
Line A- [Before
them a fire devours;] Line A- "Before
this great and powerful army (v.2) a fire devours." The final phrase
of v. 3 is the complimentary phrase "nothing shall escape them"
to additionally add to the meaning that not only is the army's destruction
comprehensive, but nothing shall escape their movement through the
land- - nothing shall be saved. The Prophet
Joel describes their appearance in verse 4 "as the appearance
of horses." Then he says "what's more, like fast steeds
they do run." In verse 5 he says, "like the noise of chariots,
on the mountain tops they do skip; what's more, like the noise of
a flame of fire…like a strong army prepared in battle gear."
This parallelism using descriptive imagery of the times is effective
to show the devastating horror that is expected, anticipating the
mighty army that is coming into Israel as the LORD's judgment. The
imagery is noticed by the way the Hebrew is written with the "like/
as" contrast, much like the "before/ behind" contrast
in verse 3. For example, verse four begins literally "like
the appearance of horses, is their appearance [haer>m;K]; what's
more, like fast steeds [~yvir'p'k.W] they do run." In verse
5, the prophet uses the same contrast-structure to further describe
the army. "Like the noise of chariots…[tAbK'r>m lAqK];
what's more, like the noise of a flame of fire burning chaff [bh;l;
lAqK]; what's more, like a strong army (people) prepared for battle
[bh;l; lAqK]. Immediately,
the structure and form should help to interpret the serious message
which the Prophet Joel read to the people of Israel. The important
literary devices used by Joel give a powerful and emotional movement
to the text as it was understood by the people of Israel. Consider
the propositional relations of the lines in verses 1-5 to understand
and feel the message of the prophet in its context with a paraphrase
of the verses: [v.1] "Blow
a trumpet in Zion! [v.2] "What
kind of day will the Day of the LORD be like? [v.3] "What
are the people on the Day of the LORD like? [v.4] "Like
the appearance of horses is their appearance; [v.5] "Like
the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains they skip;
The apocalyptic
language of the locusts and the army of the LORD's judgment against
the land, ultimately is God's accommodation to teach his people
the consequences of breaking his covenant, sinful, cosmic rebellion
against their King, and the results of a true and contrite repentance
(a "turning back" to God) [bwv- v.12], that will restore
God's blessings on the people and the land (P. 51:6,16,17; cf. Is.
57:15; 65:2-7). The graciousness and patience of God toward his
people is a dominant theme throughout the whole of Scripture and
particularly in these prophetic utterances (cf. Hos. 6:1; 12:6;
14:1; Joel 2:12; Zech. 1:3; 10:9; 2 Peter 3:9). The Book of Joel uses similar imagery and metaphors as found in the other books of the Minor Prophets, particularly the Book of Amos: (e.g. Fire [va]- Amos 1:10-14; 2:5; 7:4; Locusts [~z"G"h / hB,r>a;h]- 4:10; 7:1-3; Call for repentance [Wbv]-5:4,6,14-17; Day of the LORD [bArq' yKi hw"hy>-~Ay ab]- Amos 4:12,13; 5:4-20; 8:9-11; Restoration [yTim.L;v]-9:11-15). There are also several verbal parallels in Joel's prophecy that are used in other prophetic literature: (1:15; cf. Ezek. 30:2ff; Is. 13:6; 2:2; Zeph. 1:15; 2:3; reverses Is. 51:3; Ezek. 36:35; 2:6; cf. Nahum 2:10; 2:28; cf. Ezek. 39:29; 2:32; cf. Ob. 17; 3:18; cf. Amos 9:13). These literary forms shall be considered further at length in order to carefully attend to and interpret the message of Joel's prophecy. D. THEMES
IN THE BOOK OF JOEL The book begins
with the historical occasion of the land of Israel being devastated
by a great plague of locusts (1:2-10). The prophet Joel "with
the word of the LORD" (1:1), says "hear this" [tazO-W[m.v]
and "take account of" [WrPes] God's judgment (cf. Hos.
6:5-7). The prophet consecutively uses the imperative form of the
verb at the beginning of his prophecy to emphasize to the people
the seriousness of the word of the LORD: "Awake" [Wcyqih];
"Cry" [Wkb.W]; "Wail" [Wlliyhew]; "Lament"
[ylia]; "Be Ashamed" [Wvybih]; "Howl" [Wlyliyh];
"Gird yourselves" [Wrg>x]; "Consecrate a fast"
[~Ac-WvD>q]; "Call a sacred assembly" [hr'c'[] War>q];
"Gather the elders" [~ynIqez> Wps.a]; Cry out to the
LORD" [hw"hy>-la, Wq[]z:w], in response to God's judgment
upon the land (1:5,8,10,13,14). This prophecy is directed to all
the people of the land: to the young and the old (1:3), the common
people (drunkards, virgins, vinedressers or farmers, 1:5,8,11),
and the priests of Israel (1:11-14). The reason why the people must
repent in light of the devastation of the covenantal land is that
the Day of the LORD is at hand; a day of destruction and wrath.
The prophet Joel says, "Alas, for the Day, because the Day
of the LORD is near" [hw"hy> ~Ay bArq' yKi ~AYl; Hh'a],
with the same language of "alas!" found in Isaiah 13:6
and Ezekiel 30:2ff (1:15-18; cf. other Minor Prophets: Amos 3:14;
5:20; Obadiah 15; Zeph. 1:14; Zech. 14:1). In verses, 1:19-20, the
prophet Joel laments on behalf of the people when he says: "O
LORD, to thee do I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures
of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the
field. Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee: for the water
brooks are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of
the wilderness," (all the inhabitants of the land, including
the animals experience the anguish of God's judgment). At the beginning
of chapter two, Joel proclaims and warns the people of God's wrath
to come in the Day of the LORD using apocalyptic imagery of the
devastation of locusts. The prophet Joel is telling the people "if
you thought the locust plague was comprehensively devastating (1:4,16,17),
how much greater will be the comprehensive wrath and devastation
of God's justice that is to come; if you thought the devastation
of the land was great, how much greater will be the eschatological
and devastating wrath of God upon the people of the land, and the
entire creation" (2:1-11; specifically 2:10; cf. 2:30, 31;
3:15,16). The army of the Lord is the imagery that Joel uses to
describe this wrath to come-the Day of the LORD (2:3-5). This army
is like the locusts that have devastated the land, but the devastation
will be greater when the army changes the land from an Edenic garden
to a desolate wilderness (2:3). In the latter
half of chapter two, Joel calls the people to repentance (2:12-17:
From infants and children, to the elders (2:16); from those to be
wed, even to the priests 2:16,17). A central verse within the Book
of Joel, which should be recognized as the turning point of the
prophecy, is the LORD's call for a "return to the LORD your
God" [yd;[' Wbv -"Return to me"], which is exceedingly
common in Old Testament prophetic literature (Is. 55:7 [hw"hy>-la,
bvoy"w]]]]; cf. Is. 44:22 [yl;ae hb'Wv]; Jer. 3:12 [laer'f.yI
hb'vum. hb'Wv]; 18:11 [an" WbWv]; Ezek. 33:11 [WbWv WbWv];
Hosea 14:1 [hw"hy> d[; laer'f.yI hb'Wv]). The prophet Joel
says in 2:13, "Rend your heart, and not your garments, and
turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy, and repenteth him of the
evil"; ("and he relents from sending calamity," NIV).
If the people will repent of their sins ("turn" from their
sins to the LORD), the gracious God of the covenant people, promises
to refresh the devastated land, return the covenantal blessings
to his people, and even to the animals of the land. Ultimately,
God promises to restore all creation as before the plagues (2:19-27;
cf. Romans 8: 19-22). The prophecy
of Joel concludes with great promises. God will save his people:
He will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh (2:28); whoever shall
call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered (2:32); He will
gather the remnant, those the LORD has called (2:32b); He will subdue
the nations and separate them from his people, permanently sending
them out of the land (3:4-15); The LORD will be the ultimate and
permanent refuge of his people (3:16; cf. Ps. 23:6b); He will bring
restoration to the land and the people of the land, and the LORD
will dwell with his people permanently in Zion (3:17-21). These
are great promises and truths that this prophecy communicates in
Scripture for all of God's people and his creation: "The LORD
dwells in Zion" (Joel 3:21b). A summary outline
of the Book of Joel (using the Christian canon as a division into
three chapters; the Hebrew Masoretic Text has four chapters): (1)
Superscription/ Introduction to the book (1:1); (2) Plague on the
land/ Mourning for sins (1:2-12); (3) Joel's call of repentance
to God's people (1:13-18); (4) Joel's lament to God for his people
(1:19-20); (4) The greater and more destructive Day of the Lord
as warrior of his wrathful army (2:1-11); (5) God as merciful judge
of his people (2:12-17); (6) God's response to his people's repentance/
God's refreshing of the land (2:18-27); (7) The eschatological day
of God's judgment and the salvation of his people (2:28-32); (8)
God's judgment of the wicked/ Separation of the wicked from the
land (3:1-16a); (9) God's dwelling with his people in the land permanently
(3:16b-21). Having considered the internal context of the Book of Joel, the next focus should be on the structure or overarching perspective of the prophecy. There are many facets or perspectives for approaching this book, but the overarching, redemptive-historical structure is God's covenant people intimately related to the covenant promise of the land (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:7; cf. Gen. 3:17-19; Gen. 12:1; 15:7; cf. Dt. 9:6; 28:45-48,63; Josh. 1:13; Is. 14:1; Jer. 16:15; Ezek. 28:25; Amos 9:15). E. OVERARCHING
PERSPECTIVE OF THE BOOK OF JOEL To summarize
the overarching structure of the Book of Joel: Covenant Land Rebuked
(Creation Cursed) à Covenant Land Reacts (Creation Cries)
à Covenant Land Repents (Creation Corrects) à Covenant
Land Refreshed (Creation Cleaned) à Covenant Land Restored
(Creation Consummated). I. HISTORY OF GOD'S REDEMPTION TO THE PROPHET JOEL A. JOEL'S MESSAGE
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL II. THE APPEARANCE OF THE STRONG ARMY UPON THE LAND A. THE THEOPHANIC INVASION OF THE LORD UPON THE LAND III. THE BOOK OF JOEL IN CHRIST A. THE KINGDOM
OF GOD IS AT HAND IN THE LAND EXEGESIS: JOEL 2:3-5 I. THE HISTORY OF GOD'S REDEMPTION TO THE PROPHET JOEL A. JOEL'S
MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL The people
of Israel were dwelling at ease in Zion (cf. Amos 6:1-3). They should
have heeded the words of Moses and rested under the shelter of the
Almighty, their covenantal God (Ps. 91). Israel thought that since
they were the covenant people, they ought to be receiving covenantal
blessings upon their land (Dt. 28). The land was promised to the
Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to their descendants (Gen.
12:7; 13:15; 15:18-21; 17:8, to Abraham; Gen. 26:3, to Isaac; Gen..
28:4,13; 35:12; 48:4, to Jacob) (Progress, VanGemeren 105). God
was going to come and set up his earthly kingdom and overthrow the
nations because they were the covenantal people. Despite Israel's
misguided hopes they had disregarded the stipulations and demands
of the covenant. The people and the priests gathered to hear the
prophet Joel tell the word of the LORD-they expected to receive
hope in his words-instead, they are warned of a judgment to come
on covenant-breaking Israel. This judgment is to be followed by
a time of refreshing and restoration for the land and the people,
but first the judgment was going to come. Rather than
hearing words of comfort from the Prophet Joel, God's covenantal
prosecutor reads to them their sentence of condemnation and guiltiness
as a disobedient people. Only God can intervene and bring his people
back to himself. As the prophecy of Joel unfolds, the Sovereign
God of hope, whose anger lasts shortly, must first come and separate
true Israel from those shrugging his commandments and those who
hate the path of righteousness. Then God's favor will rest on his
people eternally, as he dwells with them in the land of Zion. The
aim of Israel's covenantal God was twofold: to preserve the true
Israel, his people the remnant, and to separate the wicked from
the land. This was to be a trial and a persecution by fire that
would cleanse Israel from her impurities and burn away the dross
of those who did not know the LORD. On that day, the prophet comes
before the assembly. The crowd's noise before the prophet turns
from an uproar of gathered people to a silence as the prophet lifts
his eyes up, and reads an oracle of judgment from his scroll. "Hear
this!"… "Listen!" "Blow
the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm upon my holy mountain [yvid>q'
rh;B. W[yrIh'w> !AYciB. rp'Av W[q.T] ; let all the inhabitants
of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh
at hand…" (2:1). The blowing of the trumpet in Biblical
literature is to sound an apocalyptic wake up call from spiritual
slumber and disobedience, to announce woes, or a great event to
the people (Ex. 19:13; Numbers 10:1-10), particularly the coming
day of the LORD (Ps. 81:3; cf. Is. 27:13; Ezek. 7:14; Hosea 5:8;
Zeph. 1:16; Zech. 9:14). The Israelites also would have associated
the trumpet blast on the infamous day in their history, when Moses
their mediator met God face to face to bring the Law of God to the
people (Ex. 19:19) [lAqb. WNn<[]y: ~yhil{a/h'w> rBed;y>
hv,mo daom. qzEx'w> %leAh rp'AVh; lAq yhiy>w]; (Ex. 19:16)
[daom. qz"x' rp'vo lqow]. In Joel's time, guards on wall-towers would blow the ram's horn to alert the people of an enemy attack (cf. Ezek. 33:2-4; Amos 3:6) (Allen, 67). The prophet says, "Hear this": "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain!" (Hos. 5:8; 8:1; Zeph. 1:16; Zech. 9:14). The prophet then describes the day of the LORD that is close at hand with very somber and sobering theophanic language as "a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness…"(2:2; cf. Amos 5:8; 8:9; Micah 2:6; Zeph. 1:15; cf. with Mt. Sinai imagery, Ex. 19:16-19). The prophet Zephaniah describes the Day of the LORD with a similar theophany: "The great Day of the LORD is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD; the mighty man crieth there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. A day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fenced cities, and against the battlements" (Zeph. 1:14-16). B. LOCUSTS
UPON THE LAND OF ISRAEL The prophet
Joel as covenant prosecutor uses the destruction of the locusts
as metaphorical imagery to describe the greater destruction to come:
"a great and strong people the likes of which neither the past
or future will ever see" (2:2b [~Wc['w> br; ~[]). Although
Joel does not make clear whether the "strong people,"
or army of the LORD to come is figurative or literal (see above
sec. I.C), the important point of his imagery was for the people
to anticipate and grasp the great and awesome hand of God's judgment,
because the people had broken God's covenant (2:2-11). Joel gives
details of this great and strong army of the LORD's judgment which
is to come. He describes the great and strong people as being all-encompassing
and comprehensive, voracious in their destruction, just as the locusts:
"A fire dovoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth:
the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a
desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them" (2:3;
cf. Nahum 3:15-17). If the people wept and cried out to God because
of the locusts who devoured the land (earthly famine, or earthly
need), how much more should they weep, cry out, and fear the coming
of God's judgement in this great and strong people who will make
Zion like the wilderness (spirtual famine, or spiritual need, cf.
Amos 8:11,12). Concerning the land, this should be understood as
the inauguration of the eschatological justice of God in his wrath.
The prophet Joel, as the Divine Covenant Prosecutor, describes the
inauguration of God's wrath upon the land and his people as a prophetic
plea for repentance. Not only is there a warning from God in Joel's
prophetic utterances, but a demonstration of God's gracious and
patience character toward his sinful creatures (Joel 2:12-14; cf.
Ex. 34:6,7). Joel's prophetic utterances not only reminded the people
of God's covenant, but stimulated their affections, raising them
to see God as a merciful judge who uses chastisement toward the
goal of bringing his people back into fellowship with him and perfecting
them in his sight. The LORD had solemnly declared to the Israelites,
prior to their entering Zion, the importance of observing God's
commandments and keeping his covenant: I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may life; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey his voice, and that you may cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them (italics mine) (Dt. 30:19,20; 31:17-18,29; cf. Hos. 10:10; Mic. 2:12). The LORD had told the Israelites of the locusts that were to come as a result of covenant disobedience: "[Because of covenant disobedience] I will heap disasters on them; I will spend my arrows on them. They shall be wasted with hunger, devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction…" (Dt. 32:23,24) (NIV). C. THE PLAGUE
ON THE LAND OF EGYPT: JOEL'S EXODUS LAND-REVERSAL At the end
of the book of Genesis, the children of Israel are in the land of
Egypt because there was a famine in the land. Many years passed
and "God remembered the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, and he purposed to deliver them from bondage in Egypt
by the hand of Moses (Ex. 2:24,25; 6:3-5; cf. Gen. 12:3). God calls Moses
and his brother Aaron and tells them to go to Pharaoh and tell him
to let the Israelites go in order that they may hold a feast unto
God in the wilderness (Ex. 5:1). Pharaoh is fully determined not
to let the Israelite slaves go and he increases their workload (Ex.
5:2-11). Moses returns to God and asks him to tell him what he should
do. The LORD says to Moses that he will punish Pharaoh and his people
and that Moses will go to pharaoh as a god and Aaron as prophet
to demand the immediate release of the Israelites (Ex. 7:2). The LORD says he will multiply his signs and wonders in the land of Egypt but Pharaoh will not listen. Therefore, God would bring his people out of Egypt by great judgments (Ex. 7:4). Pharaoh was fully determined not to allow the Israelites to be released from slavery because his heart was hardened and he did not listen to the words of God (Ex. 7:13). Therefore, God sent plagues on the land of Egypt in order that Pharaoh would eventually give in and allow God's people to be released. God turned the Nile to blood; He sent frogs to overrun the borders of the land; He sent lice upon the land; He sent swarms of flies into Pharaoh's house and upon the land; He sent death to Pharaoh's cattle
in the land of Egypt, but Pharaoh continued to harden his heart. The destruction
of locusts in the great redemptive event of the Exodus would have
been preeminent in the mind of the prophet Joel, as well as the
people to whom he preached. The memory of God's great salvation
event in the Exodus, by means of the plagues in Egypt, was remembered
throughout Israel's redemptive-history. In the historical Psalm
105:34-35, the psalmist writes: "He spoke, and the locusts
came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing
in their land, ate up the produce of the soil" (Amos 4:8-11;
Nahum 3:15-17). The context and message of this psalm is the goodness
of God and the remembrance of his covenant forever (Ps. 105:8-11-
"the covenant he made with Abraham… 'to you I will give
the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.' "). It
should be recognized that the land was given to Abraham's seed Israel
as an inheritance, and the psalmist interprets the Exodus plagues
as the means to the fulfillment of the covenantal promises (Gen.
12:7; 15:18-21; 17:6-9). The imagery
of the locusts and the greater army that God was going to send would
have reminded the people to whom Joel preached of the great redemptive-historical
event of the Exodus. In contrast to the Exodus and based on Deuteronomic
curses (Dt. 28:15-68; Hos. 4:6), the prophecy of Joel warned the
people of Israel that this plague of locusts would not be sent on
their enemies as with the Egyptians, but upon Israel herself. Joel's
prophecy is like a reversal of the Exodus (cf. Is. 1:2ff; 28:21).
The people are invaded by a locust plague and the great army of
the LORD's judgment; they are driven out of the land through the
sea of devastating destruction leading to famine, to be given a
portion with the wicked. As the LORD, through his prophet Moses,
"reasoned" with Pharaoh to let his people go by using
various plagues including locusts; the LORD, through his prophet
Joel, reasoned before his people to lead them to repentance and
covenantal blessing (cf. Amos 4:9,10). As the LORD used Moses as
Pharaoh's prosecuting attorney in the Exodus, so the LORD is his
people's covenantal, prosecuting attorney through Joel. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people of Israel that if they keep the covenant of God and obey his commandments, then they will receive great blessings (Dt. 28:1-14). However, if they fail to keep his commandments thereby breaking the covenant the results will be bodily afflictions (Dt. 28:20-22; 27-29); curses on the land to become as a wilderness (Dt. 28:23-24); military defeat and conquest (Dt. 28:25,26); curses on Israel's posterity (Dt. 28:30-35); and locusts will consume their land (Dt. 28:38). The last curse on the people is the one most pertinent to Joel's prophecy, although all of the curses are in the context of inheriting and possessing the land (Dt. 28:38; cf. Joel 1:4; 2:2-11). The prophet Joel, as well as the people to whom he prophesied, would have had intimate knowledge of these curses which were the results of disobedience to God. The curses of locusts in the Bible should be interpreted as the imagery of one of the greatest curses upon the land (Dt. 28:38,42; cf. Amos 4:9,10; Micah 6:13-16; Haggai 1:6), particularly if the ten Exodus plagues are interpreted as gradually increasing in judgment and destruction (from the plague of blood, to frogs, to gnats, to flies, to the plague on the livestock, to the boils, to the hail, to the locusts, to the darkness, ultimately to the firstborn of Pharoah). The devastating and voracious destruction of the locusts upon the land was not just the concern of the agrarian farmer but all the people of Israel, from the infants and drunkards, to the priests and kings. As an earthly concern, the locusts that destroyed the land, left Israel without bread or provision; as a spiritual concern, Israel would have remembered the warnings of Moses and Joshua concerning the land, and their covenantal relationship to God that was vitally connected to the land. D. A FIRE
DEVOURS BEFORE THEM; AND BEHIND THEM A FLAME BURNS UPON THE LAND This psalm
of David uses the imagery of fire to describe the all-consuming
wrath of God (cf. Exodus 24:16,17; Jeremiah 15:14; 17:4). In redemptive
history, one generation after the Exodus, Moses tells the Israelites
who were about to cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,
This passage
in Deuteronomy is revealing God, the stereotypical Divine Warrior
(Longman) , who goes before his people as a devouring fire against
Israel's enemies, in order that his people may possess the land
he promised to Abraham. By contrast, Joel's prophecy is referring
to the all-consuming fire of God's wrath on his people for disobedience.
This is another reversal which the prophet Joel proclaims to the
people. God went before his people as a fire to consume their enemies
so that they could possess the land; in Joel's prophecy the people
of God will be consumed and driven out of the land with the fire
of God's judgment if they do not repent. Just as Joel
had described the locusts at the beginning of his prophecy (1:4),
so he compares the all-consuming and comprehensive wrath of God
as a fire that devours the people and the land (2:2-11). Just as
the locusts devour the land comprehensively from the least locust,
to the greatest, to the combination of them in a swarm, so God's
wrath is like a devouring fire before and following the people.
This devouring wrath makes a beautiful and fruitful land, one that
is like the Garden of Eden, into a desolate wilderness and nothing
shall escape their comprehensive destruction (2:3b). Joel has described
this strong "people" as like no other people before them,
neither any who will live after them throughout history (2:2). In summary, the army of the LORD that brings destruction like the locusts, are described by Joel as a "large and mighty army" (NIV) (2:2,5); comprehensive in destruction (2:3); like the "appearance of horses," (NIV); an army with order and strength like a calvary (2:4); the noise of the army is great "like that of chariots" (NIV) which can wage war in the valley and upon the mountains (2:5); the appearance of such strength makes nations anguish and faces turn pale (2:6); the army are warriors and the scale walls with the skill and precision of soldiers (2:7a); they march in a very ordered and deliberate charge and break through every defense (2:7b,8); they attack civilians like thieves entering houses (2:9); their great strength and power causes the earth to shake and the sky to tremble; all of creation is affected by their great fire and power sent from the LORD (2:10); "the LORD thunders at the head of his army" (NIV) (2:11a); the LORD's forces in this army are "beyond number" (NIV) and mighty (2:11b). So great and terrible is the LORD's army; so intentional and destructive is the LORD's wrath against the earth; who can stand? E. THE LAND
IS LIKE THE GARDEN OF EDEN BEFORE THEM: JOEL'S CREATION AND EXODUS
REVERSALS- FROM GARDEN TO WILDERNESS The prophet
Joel, as well as the people to whom he preached, would have remembered
the great forty years of wandering by the Israelites in the wilderness
prior to receiving the land promised to Abraham. The wilderness
was the antithesis of the great land promise made by God to Abraham
and his descendants. To the people of Israel, the experience of
the wilderness wanderings was one of the central redemptive-historical
examples of suffering because of disobedience and unfaithfulness
to their God (Job 12:24; Ps. 106:24-26; Ezek. 2:3-8; 20:6-29; John
6:31,32,49; Acts 7:36-45; Heb. 3:8-19). Joel purposely used the
imagery of the Garden of Eden to communicate to the people that
the pre-Fall paradise of Eden which Moses had written about, the
land which they had inherited and enjoyed as covenant people (Abraham's
descendants), would become the most dreaded place they could imagine
(the "anti-Eden"/cursed land): the place of the wandering
of their forefathers; the place that was intended to serve as an
example of unfaithfulness, disobedience, and the "tempting"
of God (the prophet Hosea uses the wilderness imagery to describe
the unfaithfulness and spiritual adultery of Israel, Hosea 13:15;
cf. Ezek. 20:13,21). Joel's reference to the Garden of Eden becoming
like the wilderness would have reminded the Israelites of the fall
of Adam and his being cast out of the Garden, shut out from the
presence of God and the land which he was to subdue and have dominion
over (Gen. 2:28; 3:23,24). In the beginning of history, God had created Eden out of the "formless void" ("waste and void"- [Whbow" Whto ht'y>h' #r,a'h'w]; cf. Gen. 1:2 with the verbal allusion in Jer. 4:23 [Whbow" Wht]), and placed Adam in the garden to subdue and till the land (Gen. 1:1,31; 2:7,8). But Adam sinned against the LORD's commandments and he subjected himself and all creation to the fall (Gen. 3:11,15-17). Because of the fall, there was a gradual increase of wickedness in the land that preceded God's clear proclamation and establishment of covenant from Noah and creation, to Abraham and his people, which turned the earth into an increasing wilderness of sin (Gen. 6:5-8; cf. Prov. 29:16). When the Israelites heard of the great and devastating destruction to come, they would have immediately thought of these Scriptures and some would have realized that they had not learned from the lessons which God had given to them (Is. 51:2; cf. Roman 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:1-13). The land was evidence to the Israelites of God's blessings (Dt. 1:8; 28:1-68) and the prophet Joel is telling them that the curses are coming, the great and terrible, strong apocalyptic army whom the LORD was sending to devastate (Joel 2:3). The destructive
judgment which Joel described to the people will be the opposite
of what they would expect. Rather than God going before and behind
the Israelites in protection of his people as a father to a son,
as in Egypt as well as the wilderness (Ex. 14:19,20; cf. Dt. 1:30,31),
God would be a consuming fire destroying the beautiful land and
making it as the dreaded wilderness. Rather than be a father to
Israel (Dt. 1:31), God was to be their judge. God was not to be
the Divine Warrior who destroys Israel's enemies, but the Divine
Warrior of wrath who brings judgment upon the land and the people
unless they repent. The Divine Warrior was taking his people from
Zion (Garden of Eden), back to Sinai (Wilderness) for judgment. The prophet
Ezekiel proclaimed this to God's people in another time of redemptive-history:
However, for those who are repentant, the true Israel who are of a contrite heart, the LORD will allow them to remain in Zion, the land of promise. There the faithful will dwell in the land of Zion, the land sworn to their fathers (Ezek. 20:39-42). Ezekiel concludes with God's promise of the land to his faithful people just as the prophet Joel proclaims the blessed expectations as the fruits of a repentant people: There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices (NIV) (Ezek. 20:43,44; cf. Joel 2:12-18; Amos 5:14,15). The contrast
between the Garden of Eden prior to the judgment of God and the
wilderness as the result of his judgment becomes clearer by looking
through the window of other Scriptures on the redemptive-historical
landscape. The Book of Genesis introduces us to the Garden of Eden
(Gen. 2:8,15) and throughout Israel's history the Garden serves
as the ultimate place of fellowship with God, thanksgiving, and
joy in the land. In Isaiah 51:3, the prophet Isaiah says, The LORD hath comforted Zion: he hath comforted all her waste places, and hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the Garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. The Garden
of Eden is also used as a description of beauty and prosperity as
in the prophecy of Ezekiel when he describes the King of Tyre and
his judgment (Ezek. 28:13-19; cf. Ezek. 31:3-9 concerning Pharaoh,
King of Egypt and his judgment, 31:16-18). The prophet
Ezekiel speaks concerning the land of Israel to the people and to
the creation in Exile (Ezek. 36:1-6). Concerning the land (creation),
the mountains will shoot forth their branches and provide fruit
for Israel (36:8); the land will be tilled and sown, the cities
shall be inhabited and the waste places shall be built up (36:9,10).
God promises to multiply man and beast and cause them to be fruitful
and multiply (36:11; cf. Gen. 1:28; 9:1; 15:5; 17:1-9). God promises
his people that although they had been brought into a wilderness
in the Exile, for the sake of his holy name (36:22), he will gather
them back again and sprinkle clean water on them, making them clean
(36:24,26). In addition, God will give to them a new heart and a
new spirit, taking away their hearts of stone (hardened hearts)
and giving them hearts of flesh (obedient hearts). God will ultimately
restore his people as the fulfiller of the covenant by placing his
spirit within them, causing them to walk in his statutes and commands
(36:26,27). Because of this, God will return them to the land he
had given to their fathers. God says, "Ye shall be my people,
and I will be your God" (36:28,29). The prophet
Ezekiel describes the great blessing of God that he has promised
to fulfill on behalf of his people with eschatological hyperbole:
God will multiply the fruit of the trees and the fields and there
shall not be any famine (36:30); the desolate land will be tilled
and be fruitful (all of creation will be restored!). The prophet
Ezekiel speaks of the great promise using the same contrast between
the Garden of Eden and the wilderness as found in the prophet Joel:
"This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden;
and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fenced and inhabited"
(36:35). The difference between the two prophecies however is that
in Ezekiel, the promise is to restore the wilderness to the Garden
of Eden; in the prophecy of Joel the coming wrath will make the
Garden of Eden like the wilderness (cf. Zech. 7:13,14). The Book
of Joel reverses several redemptive-historical stories such as the
Exodus and the Wilderness Wanderings to poignantly proclaim the
unfaithfulness of God's people, and to sound a clarion trumpet call
of repentance and returning to the LORD their God (cf. Joel 3:1-
"For take note in those days, at the time when I reverse the
fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem"). Joel's prophecy,
particularly in 2:3 is clearly contrasting the beautiful bounty
and provision of the LORD to his people as a result of covenant
obedience, to the destructive judgment of his fiery wrath as a result
of covenant disobedience. In the history of redemption God has shown
by example how no man can endure his wrath and that it indeed turns
the Garden of Eden into a wilderness. If the people thought the
locusts were destructive (a type of the wrath); how much more should
they fear for the wrath and just judgment in the apocalyptic invasion
of God on the Day of the LORD (anti-type/fulfillment) (cf. Amos
4:12,13). There is a "garden to wilderness" motif in the
judgment of God upon the earth after the fall of Adam (Gen. 1:31;
2:8-15; cf. 3:15-17); after the flood (Gen. 9:1-16; cf. 9:20-27;
11:1-8); prior to the judgment of God upon Sodom and Gomorrah: "Lot
lifted up his eyes, and behold all the Plain of Jordan, that it
was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt…then
the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire
from the LORD out of heaven; and he overthrew the cities, and all
the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which
grew upon the ground" (Gen. 13:10; 19:24,25; cf. Amos 4:11).
Thus, the prophecy of Joel, using the contrast between Garden of
Eden (garden of the LORD) and the wilderness would have immediately
impacted the people of the wrath and destruction that God was to
bring upon the land and the people because of their covenant disobedience.
The wilderness would have not only made the Israelites think of
the wilderness in terms of the great wilderness wanderings, but
it would have also spoken very clearly to them that this strong
and mighty "army" or people to come from the hand of God. To summarize, the prophecy of Joel in 2:3 would have taught the people from the devastating example of the locusts upon their land; God's wrath and destruction as a consuming fire before them and behind the wrath nothing but wilderness; using the imagery of the Garden of Eden before the "army" and the wilderness behind the "army" would taught the Israelites the consequences of sinful covenant breaking and the expectation upon their sins as God's just judgment. God had brought the people out of bondage, out of the land of Egypt. They had wandered in the wilderness for forty years and God was now going to send them back into ultimate wandering with curses which resulted from covenant disobedience (Dt. 28:15-68). The prophet Joel had spoken oracles of judgment against Israel in the "spirit of Elijah" as the great prosecutor of the Covenant (1 Kings 18:21; cf. Mal. 4:1-5; Mt. 11:14; 17:10-13), now he turns from his prosecution as God's prophet to plea with the Israelites to admit their guilt. The message was clear: Repent! Turn from your wickedness so that the LORD might have mercy on you and relent from his judgment (Joel 2:11b-14; cf. Jer. 4:1; Ezek. 33:11; Hos. 12:6). II. THE APPEARANCE OF THEM [THE GREAT AND STRONG PEOPLE] IS AS THE APPEARANCE OF HORSES; AND AS HORSEMEN, SO DO THEY RUN. LIKE THE NOISE OF CHARIOTS ON THE TOPS OF MOUNTAINS DO THEY LEAP, LIKE THE NOISE OF A FLAME OF FIRE THAT DEVOURETH THE STUBBLE, AS A STRONG PEOPLE SET IN BATTLE ARRAY- JOEL 2:4,5 A. THE THEOPHANIC
INVASION OF THE LORD UPON THE LAND In the Book
of Deuteronomy, Moses gives the Israelites encouragement and strength
by assuring the people of God's faithfulness and presence with them
as they possess the land promised to Abraham and his descendants:
When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt…Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you (Dt. 20:1-4). In contrast,
Joel is proclaiming to the people that they should be frightened
when they see and hear the horses and chariots and the people more
numerous than them. Because of their covenant unfaithfulness, God
is not going with them, but against them, to judge His people (Dt.
32:36). In 2 Kings
2, at the prophetic peak of redemptive-history between the Golden
Age of King David and the Exile, Elijah the prophet was delivered
at the closing of his prophetic ministry. God delivers his great
prophet and faithful servant with a chariot of fire: "And it
came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there
appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them
both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven"
(2:11). When Elijah was taken to heaven to typologically and prophetically
intercede for Israel, his mantle was given to his servant Elisha.
When Elisha faced the army of the King of Syria he prayed to the
LORD for deliverance and help against the great army. The LORD as
Divine Warrior comforted and reassured the man of God by opening
his eyes to see that the mountains were full of horses and chariots
of fire round about Elisha (2 Kings 6:18). The LORD showed the strength
of his might through this vision, but in Joel's prophecy, he is
describing these chariots not as vehicles of deliverance but as
the strong arm of God's wrath in the Day of the LORD (cf. Ezek.
1; Nahum 2:3,4 ; 3:1-3; Haggai 2:22). The sound of
the chariots have great apocalyptic voices: "like the noise
of chariots on the tops of the mountains they skip" (leap)
[!WdQer;y> ~yrIh'h, yvear'-l[; tAbK'r>m; lAqK], and "like
the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble[vq' hl'k.ao
vae bh;l; lAqK], as a strong people set in battle array" (2:5).
The vast number of the great army is here described in prophetic
imagery. In Isaiah 13:4, the prophet proclaims: "The noise
of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people! The
noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together!
The LORD of hosts mustereth the host for the battle." The prophet
Joel is describing a great multitude of hosts for battle. This great
sound of strength in this multitude was the sound of not only great
strength but a noise the likes of which the children of Israel heard
during the Exodus from Egypt when Pharaoh and his army were advancing
toward them while they were cut off and cornered, defenseless at
the Red Sea. In the unfolding
mind of the prophet Joel and the people of Zion, the imagery of
the horses and chariots had a profound redemptive-historical significance
in the Exodus. In the Book of Exodus chapter 14, upon the release
of the Israelites from 400 years of bondage, Pharaoh takes his mighty
men and chariots and horses to chase after Moses and children of
Israel (Ex. 14:6). Pharaoh has allowed the children of Israel to
go ultimately because God the Divine Warrior has displayed superior
strength over Pharaoh's gods and magicians (cf. 1 Kings 18:17-39).
Now, Pharaoh attempted one more rebellion against the LORD and against
his people. In an attempt to show his superior strength over the
LORD God by subjugating the children of Israel back to bondage,
Pharaoh took six hundred of his "chosen chariots," and
all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them (Ex. 14:7).
This was a mighty army pursuing the helpless, defenseless Israelites.
In Exodus 14:9,
Moses writes: "And the Egyptians pursued after them [the children
of Israel], all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen,
and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth,
before Baal-zephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of
Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after
them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried
out unto the LORD" (Ex. 14:9,10). The Israelites had been a
people in bondage in Egypt for over four hundred years, not only
did they not know how to wage war, they did not have the army nor
the chariots and horses as did the Egyptians. Now the Israelites
were cornered; backed into a defenseless position where they could
not fight, nor could they retreat. With Pharaoh's army marching
toward them on one side and the rushing waters of the Red Sea on
the other side, the Israelites faced what appeared to be ultimate
destruction. Now their dead bodies would be scattered and strewn
on the land of Pi-hahiroth and before Baal-zephon-a land not their
own; surely this was to be the end: to die in the wilderness. The children
of Israel cried to Moses and sarcastically, unfaithfully, and fearfully
asked him: "Was this your plan? To bring us out into the wilderness
to die at the hand of the Egyptians? We could have stayed in Egypt
for that; we could have at least continued to eat well" (paraphrase
of Exodus 14:11,12). And Moses responded with the great and godly
words of comfort: "Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation
of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians
whom you see today, you shall see them no more forever" (Ex.
14:13). Moses followed these great and faithful words with a promise:
"The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace"
(Ex. 14:14). This was to
be a great act of God's goodness and delivering mercy to his people.
The LORD as Divine Warrior had not only delivered his people from
slavery and bondage in Egypt, but he would fight for them against
their greatest enemies. The God of Israel was to be an example to
the whole world of the great deeds which he wrought in the Exodus,
when he brought his people out of Egypt and into the land. Not only
was this incident keeping the Israelites from going into the land
God had promised, but it seemed that their very lives were at stake.
Was the promise of God to Abraham to be destroyed by the chariots
and horses of Pharaoh? Was the seed of Abraham, the covenant people
of God, not going to inherit the promised land? Even more so, was
the seed of the promise going to be destroyed forever by Pharaoh's
great might? God remembered the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob and had sent Moses to deliver the people out of bondage (Ex.
2:24), had he now forgotten the covenant he had made? No! The LORD
told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch his hand over the sea,
and divide it, and the children of Israel shall go into the midst
of the sea on dry ground (Ex. 14:16). However, God would harden
Pharaoh's heart and the Egyptian army would follow the Israelites
into the sea upon his chariots and horses (Ex. 14:17). Then in Exodus
14:18 the LORD says, "Then the Egyptians shall know that I
am the LORD, when I have gotten me glory because of Pharaoh, upon
his chariots, and upon his horsemen" (NIV). Then the LORD
went before Israel through the Red Sea and the cloud moved from
in front of them, to behind them for protection (Ex. 14:19). Moses
was obedient to God's instructions concerning the crossing of the
children of Israel through the sea, and the LORD caused the sea
to divide (Ex. 14:21). Then the Israelites went through the sea
upon dry ground and the waters formed a wall on their right hand,
and upon their left hand (Ex. 14:22). Then the Egyptians, the wicked
who sought the life of God's people, pursued them; all of Pharaoh's
horses, his chariots and his horsemen. The LORD even caused the
Egyptian army's chariot wheels to come off to display his great
strength and glory. Then Moses did as the LORD had instructed and
he lifted his hands and the waters came down upon the Egyptians,
upon the chariots, and upon their horsemen (Ex. 14:23-28). Not one
of the Egyptians remained. Such a great event and epic such as the Exodus must end with a great work of God, and there is no greater or more central covenantal event than what is repeated from Ex. 14:22, and what is said in Exodus 14:29-31: "But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved (delivered) Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw the great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD: and they believed in the LORD, and in his servant Moses" (NIV). This is not
the case in the prophecy of Joel. In Joel 2:4 and 5 Joel describes
the apocalyptic army to come upon the land with imagery from the
Exodus. The Israelites who heard the prophecy would immediately
think about the great Egyptian army which their forefathers had
described to them when recounting the event yearly at the Passover
Supper. The Exodus story was a story of God's deliverance of his
people from bondage and into the land which he promised to Abraham.
It was a story to be told to every generation and at least yearly
at the Passover supper. The appearance of this army was great and
terrible, it had horses and chariots: mighty strength. God delivered
the children of Israel from the Pharaoh's chariots and horses and
great army, but in the Book of Joel he would send an army upon his
people with chariots and horses to humble and chastise his people.
This army was not to be a display of God's grace and merciful deliverance,
but an army which would display God's terrible wrath and anger with
his people (cf. Dt. 32). This apocalyptic army with chariots and
horses speaks not only of strength but great numbers as with the
imagery of locusts. The apocalyptic army would march through the
land in great numbers and destroy the Garden of Eden-like land and
make it into a desolate wilderness; a haunt of jackals and owls.
"Woe be unto Israel," warned Joel. For God's wrath is
coming and it is sure. He says to the people: "Remember the
Exodus; how great the devastation of Pharaoh's army, his chariots
and horses? Well, the LORD is sending an even greater devastation
upon the land. Whereas in the Exodus, God was bringing the children
of Israel out of bondage into the promised land (Garden of God),
he was now sending the Israel back into bondage through the sea
of a great army into a desolate wilderness ruled by people like
the Egyptians. Having considered the passages from Joel (Joel 2:3-5) from the perspective of the book's historical context and the overall redemptive-historical context which Joel would have interpreted to the people of Israel, it is necessary to consider the passages in Joel using a Christological interpretation. The simple historical meaning and significance of Joel's passage is found in the immediate context in which Joel prophesied, but those living in the last days of redemptive-history can interpret the great events which Joel describes in light of the whole of God's revelation, particularly as God has revealed himself with ultimate clarity of revelation in Christ (Luke 24:44-49; Acts 2:16-36; Rom. 15:4; Heb. 1:1,2; cf. 1 Peter 1:10,11). III. THE BOOK OF JOEL IN CHRIST Just as the historical occasion of the locusts gave the prophet Joel apocalyptic imagery to describe what is to come, so the historical occasion of the wrath of God upon Christ gives the New Testament writers apocalyptic imagery of what is to come. Just as Joel's apocalyptic imagery was two-fold; so is the apocalyptic imagery Jesus describes of what is to come: the wrath of God upon the wicked and the great salvation to the repentant people of the LORD who will be restored to the land eternally. Just as the army of the LORD's judgment was to come upon the land and the people in the Book of Joel, so the army of God and his Christ will restore the land and the people when the Kingdom of God dwells with men. Just as in the Book of Joel, the locusts were a type of the wrath to come-a shadow, the proleptic mighty army of the LORD which was the inauguration of God's wrath when he separates his people from the wicked; so in the New Testament, Jesus inaugurates the proleptic Kingdom of God which will eternally separate his people from the wicked. The Kingdom of God is not a new concept found in the last days of redemptive history, but one which was described in types and shadows to the Old Testament church which had not yet come of age. The Kingdom of God was to come into the land of Israel and permanently bring peace and prosperity to the people of Zion. The Kingdom of God was a promise which the children of Israel anticipated for the future. A time when God would invade history, overthrow the nations who had subjected Israel to bondage, and set up his Kingdom in the land. However, it would not be as they expected. A. THE KINGDOM
OF GOD IS NEAR IN THE LAND At the beginning
of redemptive history Adam is formed from the ground and given dominion
over the land, specifically the Garden of Eden (Gen. 1:28-31; 2:15-17).
Because of his disobedience to the LORD's commands, Adam subjects
all men and the creation (land) to the fall (Gen.3:17-19). God drives
Adam and his wife from the garden because of the sin that has corrupted
the creation (Gen. 3:23). However, God purposed to save a people
before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), and he soon called
out a man named Abraham whom he found in a desert land (cf. Dt.
32:9,10). God promised to be his God and to give to him a fruitful,
green, land, flowing with milk and honey (Gen. 15:7; Heb. 11:8-10).
Abraham's people, the Israelites were to obey the commandments that
God was to give to them so that they may dwell peacefully and with
prosperity in the land (Dt. 28:1-3). The Israelites were commanded
to drive out the inhabitants of the land and begin to rule and have
dominion over the land as God's chosen people, as Adam was told
to do (cf. Book of Joshua; Judges). However, the Israelites failed
in keeping God's covenant. Israel failed
to keep God's commandments and ultimately is subjected for a season
by other nations as a result of their disobedience. The suffering
of the Israelites is directly related to the blessings and curses
upon the land and themselves found in Deuteronomy 28:1-68 (cf. Dt.
32). God in his mercy saved a remnant from out of this people. Out
of this remnant would come one who would fulfill all righteousness
and return the people to the land eternally. In the Book of Deuteronomy,
after God had predicted Israel's covenant disobedience and the just
punishment they would receive, he proclaimed hope through Moses:
"Rejoice, O nations, with his people, for he will avenge the
blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and
make atonement for his land and people" (NIV) (Dt. 32:43).
When Christ came born of a woman, born under law (Gal. 4:4), he came as the true Israel who would obey the commandments of God by keeping the covenant (Mt. 2:14-21). Although Christ kept the commandments of God perfectly and fulfilled all righteousness, he was cursed on a tree (Gal. 3:13,14) as a substitute for his people. As a reward, God has made the earth his footstool and he rules over the land at the right hand of God (Ps. 2:6-8, 12; Ps. 110; cf. Eph. 1:20,21; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:13). Christ's work was not complete upon his work in his humiliation of suffering and death however. At the right hand of God, ruling and subduing the people, Christ delivers his people out of bondage, rescues them from their enemies, and brings them into his kingdom (Eph. 2:12-22; Col. 1:12-15; Heb. 2:14,15). The great work of Christ will continue until he restores the whole creation (land) and brings his people into his presence where he will dwell with them in the land for eternity. The people of God (and the creation) wait in anticipation of this great event when the curse will be removed and God's people will eternally dwell with God in the land he has promised them (Rom. 8:25; Rev. 21:1-5,7; 22:35). This is God's great epic, saga, story, or work which he has accomplished in his great mercy and grace. The promises he made to Abraham have been fulfilled in Christ, the true Israel who inhabits the land. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Mt. 5:5). The Kingdom of God was promised to rule over the land. As God ruled over the land of the Israelites, so he was to once more reign with his people |
