Getting Out Alive
Joel the Prophet • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsThe judgement of Yahweh upon the world is inevitable. Judah's sins were pilling up and in return Joel cries out a date in which God storms Jerusalem with his invisible army. In the midst of God's wrath who will stand?
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Retelling the prophetic book of Joel - Invasion of locus and severe drought
Retelling the prophetic book of Joel - Invasion of locus and severe drought
In ancient times, the Israelites knew the status of their relationship with Yahweh determined if whether they would receive blessing or curses. Times of agriculture success or times of famine and sufferings. When the people of God were living according to commandments, the Israelites would receive physical protection, favorable weather, and peace.
On the contrary, when Israel turned their backs on God in worshipping idols or false gods. Yahweh would then get their attention by unleashing unfortunate events for the purpose of turning back his people towards himself.
We read about a horrific wake up call for the exiled Judahites. One on fair morning, all is well until an unknown prophet Joel comes into town and then he utters prophetic words of unforeseen events that would eventually befall upon them. The first plague was an mighty invasion of flying locus. Who desecrate the land and consume all vegetation. Then afterward, Joel speaks about the Day of the Lord in which a serve famine will take place.
All seems lost. The people gather to wail and mourn as locus and fire as consumed everything! What could they do to change these series of unfortunate events? Perhaps they could retreat like in past days.
Preserving life through retreat - Retreating from a storm or war
Preserving life through retreat - Retreating from a storm or war
In the Exodus Israel flees by the help of Yahweh through the red sea. One way of getting away from a bad situation is just to run! That’s what happens to me when I’m playing paintball and I’m surrounded by tons of people rather than fighting back. I retreat to save my own life.
Maybe you recall a time when you had to retreat from a terrible event. Such as taking shelter from a thunderstorm, hail, or tornado. We run to the safest place we know and hunker down until the storm as past.
Yet, there are times when it absolutely necessary to flee in order to perverse your life for example in times of war. Such was the case in our Civil War in 1863.
After the horrible carnage and Confederate retreat at Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee wrote this to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy: "We must expect reverses, even defeats. They are sent to teach us wisdom and prudence, to call forth greater energies, and to prevent our falling into greater disasters."
To perverse life, the only option is to retreat to safety.
Surviving at Mount Zion - The impending army of God
Surviving at Mount Zion - The impending army of God
Which takes us back to the book of Joel. The Judahites were on their last leg. Witnessing the carnage around them, they knew deep in their hearts that they need divine intervention. Which takes us to Joel 2:1-11.
(1) Blowing of the horn signifies impending war and the invaders are coming soon.
(2) Joel calls everyone to holy mountain - mount Zion/Jerusalem. It's only holy because the temple is there with the presence of Yahweh.
(3) The enemies are described in a way that no man can forget them. Fire emits around them burning everything in its path. Their appearance and speed resembles horses. Chariots are not impeded the slope of a mountain, describing the mobility to clear all steep slopes.
(4) This invincible army marches relentlessly until it reaches its destination. There are no human fortifications that will prevent this army from entering.
(5) Even heaven is affected by this impending action that will befall upon Jerusalem.
(6) Yahweh is the leader of the army and Joel questions who can endure the coming wrath of God?
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.
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.
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?
The sweep of the Joel's description of the day of the Lord is quite terrifying. There is no place to hide from God's mighty army. "Who can endure it?" Is a valid question indeed.
This question is also begged in the book of Revelation 6:12-17.
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.
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,
calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Those in opposition to the Lord hide from him. John comments those of the world flee from inevitable judgement of God and then illustrates to us who is in control. Jesus Christ who reigns from his throne. There is none who can oppose him.
Who can endure? God's elect, his beloved church
Who can endure? God's elect, his beloved church
Returning back this serious question in Joel 2:11.
For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it? Those who died with Jesus will endure.
How can man survive against the infinite strength of the Lord Almighty? Only by lifting up the cross of Christ. Your survival is dependent on your willingness to completely die with Jesus on his cross. Through his death you are set freed.
By his grace, there is no condemnation against God’s forgiven members of his body. We have been made right through the gospel. But for the rest of the world, they must know that God’s judgement is coming. Retreat is not an option. We cannot hide from God's judgement.
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
The judgement of God is inevitable and we must turn to God for salvation. Salvation of the self will lead to eternal death. Accepting the death of Christ in our lives will lead to eternal life and bliss.
How do we survive this invasion? We die on the right side of history. We die in the one who freely gave himself up for us. Jesus describes what it means to die in this life.
(1) Submit ourselves to Christ through penitent faith in baptism.
Releasing our agenda for his and committing everything to the reign of Christ. Jesus shields us from eternal judgement.
(2) Choose the cruciform lifestyle of enduring for God.
Willing to sacrifice all things and becoming a disciple of Jesus daily i.e., forgiving others, giving generously, building up the next generation of believers.
The Day of the Lord will God making right every wrong.
The Day of the Lord will God making right every wrong.
While the Day of the Lord is terrifying to those who have fracture relationship with the living God. For us, his wonderful bride, we understand that through God’s righteous judgement all evil will be finished. It’s through judgement of Egypt that God delivered his people from the bondage of Pharaoh and so it will be the judgement of Jesus that all sin and death will be thrown into the lake of fire and all that will be left is you and me, and Jesus our savior, amen.