Joel Pt5 Blow a Trumpet in Zion
Introduction/Review
Continue study of Joel- Joel 2.
Testimonies from last weeks challenge-
Last Sunday- challenged us-examine our lives/ask God-
what adjustments we can make to respond to God’s call to repent/fast/pray- for our nation?
Joel 2 Outline
v2.1-11 military invasion (reiterate locust invasion)
v2.12-17 people’s response in times of judgment
v2.18-32 the promise of God’s blessing
v2.1-2
Some context for Joel 2- Moses-
prophesied what would happen if Israel rebelled-
Deut 28.38-42
prophesied- God would bring a military invasion-
Deut 28.47-55, 64-65
Timeline-
Moses- 1500bc
Joel/locust- 600bc
Babylonian invasion- 586bc
God uses military invasions to shake/judge nations-
see this in- OT/NT. (Mat 24.6-8, Lk 21.20-24, Zech 14.2-5)
Lk 19.43-44 (Roman invasion 40 years later)
Joel has a message for us today as well-
1 Thes 5:3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
Demonic deception- everything will continue as always.
Joel is saying- prepare yourself for what is coming.
Preparing is not storing food/water/guns so others starve and we live- (not saying do not store).
Joel- spiritual preparation- prepare- relationship w/God.
v2.1
Blow a trumpet- prophetic proclamation- alerts people to coming danger- so they repent/cry out to God.
Zion-narrow sense-Israel, broad sense-all Gods people- the trumpet blast is a call to God’s people.
Amos 3:7 (NASB95) Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.
If we know disaster is coming and we do nothing-
Ezek 33:6 (NASB) ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’
v2.2
Joel compares coming army to- morning clouds- it is sure to come and no one will escape seeing it.
A day of darkness is going to encompass Israel (Babylonian invasion) and eventually- whole earth.
As the morning light gradually increases in intensity, so will the gloom/darkness of the end-times.
A great and might people-looking ahead to-largest army the earth will ever see- anti-Christ army. (Joel 3.2)
No army will be able to defeat the anti-Christ army-
only Jesus will defeat the anti-Christ.
v2.3
This happened to Israel during Babylonian/Roman invasions- will happen again at the end of the age.
Picture of an army- shows no mercy- very destructive-
Nazis- WW2- bombed an area before invaded and burned everything when they left it.
v2.4-6
Terrible time for Israel- the people are in great anguish.
At end of the age- Jerusalem is- anti-Christ main target, but he will come against many nations. (Lk 21.26)
V2.7-9
Picture of Babylonian army but also a prophetic picture of the anti-Christ army- the army will be-
disciplined, courageous, invincible, invasive.
They will be- cruel army, not just satisfied w/conquering.
v2.10
Where else do we see v10?
Act 2.14-21
Partially fulfilled during Roman invasion- 70ad.
Earth did not quake before Babylonia army- now talking about an end-time event.
Jerusalem/nations/entire earth will be shaken-
Haggai 2:6–7 (NASB95)
6“For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.
7‘I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.
The end-time picture speaks to us about how God is in absolute control of everything- including-
the anti-Christ army and all of creation.
(Lk 21.25-28, Isa 40.15-17, 25-26)
Do we believe God is a good and just God?
What we believe will determine how we respond to the end-time message.
v2.11
His army- Babylonian army was God’s army in the sense that it fulfilled His purposes.
Isa 10:5 (NASB) Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,
God can use evil men to discipline evil or even discipline His own people.
God does not cause them to be evil, but He uses them.
God uses -righteous/unrighteous- bring about His plans.
v2.12-17 (do not read at this point)
Here we see a change in the message.
Again Joel addresses how people should respond in times of judgment and national crisis.
God thinks so highly of man that He-
1. gave him a free will- ability to make-
real choices that make real differences
choices for righteousness or sin
choices that provide doorways- angels/demons.
2. desires to govern Creation in partnership w/man-
this happens through intercession
we tell God what He tells us to tell him
Speaking of Jesus Christ-
Heb 7:25 (NASB) ... He always lives to make intercession for them.
We govern through our prayers in agreement w/God- we can affect geographical areas through- prayer.
Psa 2:8 (NASB) ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
There are obvious things we cannot change, things God has ordained from the foundation of the earth, but
there is much we can affect through prayer.
Through prayer we can affect our quality of life-
Jam 4:2 (NASB) ... You do not have because you do not ask.
Mat 17:21 (NASB) “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Too many times we wait on God- God is waiting on us.
We misunderstand- sovereignty of God- (Isa 30.18-19, Ex 32.9-14)
Ezek 22:30 (NASB) “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
v2.12
God- looking for a relationship of love-
Mat 22:37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
He loves us and wants us to love Him w/whole heart.
Return to me- confront- issues in your heart- separate you from God, that are not in alignment with God.
Break agreement w/darkness, agree w/God’s heart.
Coming into agreement w/God is an expression of love.
v2.13
Jews- would tear their garments to express their grief.
Rend- sever, split in two, tear
To rend your heart is personal/painful.
Mat 5:29 (NASB) “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
To rend the heart is to choose to turn from sin.
We will either tear our hearts in breaking our agreement with sin, or judgment and sin will tear this nation. Mike Bickle
v2.13
Why should we rend our hearts? Here we see a picture of God’s heart- God is-
1. gracious (Mat 11.30)
God’s grace makes His requirements possible for us-
Psa 103:10 (NASB) He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:14 (NASB) For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
2. compassionate (mercy) (Isa 55.7-10)
Mic 7:18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.
When God shows mercy-produces worship in our heart.
3. slow to anger (2 Sam 14.14, Rev 2.20-22)
God does not take pleasure in judgment-
Ezek 33:11 (NASB) ... “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live ...
4. lovingkindness (goodness or kindness)
Our repentance will never be met with rejection.
Rom 2:4 (NASB) Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
5. Relenting of evil (Ezek 22.30)
He desires to cancel judgment a nation deserves.
When we change our choices, He changes His plans.
We have an opportunity to gather together and pray to lessen/avert judgment.
v2.14
Who knows whether-God desires to turn from judgment.
The Lord will relent on bringing judgment to a geographical area through- prayers of God’s people.
Example of David’s sin w/Bathsheba-
2 Sam 12.16-22
David did not blame God for the death of his child nor did he get disillusioned with God.
v2.15-16
Blow a trumpet- why do we talk about- Day of the Lord?
Look again at- Joel 2.1
We talk about it to alarm people- cause them- tremble.
Tremble- cause their hearts to embrace the-
fear of the Lord and earnestly seek Him,
weightiness of the message- not- become fearful.
It should produce in us-desire-live a holy, committed life.
Part of the Good news is bad news- God is going to judge evil and confront man’s rebellion. (Act 20.27)
Rom 11:22 (NASB) Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
All people will live eternally- we must warn them-
A physician must tell the patient who has cancer they have cancer. Only then can they seek for a solution to their problem.
Some assume God was a God of wrath in the OT and a God of love in the NT- (Mal 3.6)
Heb 13:8 (NASB) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
God never changes-
God was as merciful in the OT as He is in the New, and as strong against sin in the NT as in the Old. Mike Bickle
When- proclaim- Day of the Lord is at hand- must face that it could be our generation- not some future one.
Proclaim a solemn assembly- God calls His people to assemble together in time of national crisis.
Sanctify the people- leaders have a responsibility to help people set their lives apart for God/prayer.
v2.17
God calls for two types of prayer-
Spare Your people- protect them from judgment.
Do not make Your inheritance a reproach- to not give unbelieving nations an opportunity to mock our God.
Conclusion
Examples of humility avoiding judgment-
1. Josiah Deut 28.47-64, 2 Chr 34.23-32
2 King Jehosaphat 2 Chr 20.3-4, 18-22
3. Ahab 1 Ki 21.25-29
4.Manasseh 2 Chr 33.9-13
Challenge
Come out to one corporate prayer opportunity this next week and pray for our nation-
Tues 7-9am
Wed 12noon to 1pm
Thur 7-9am, 7pm-8pm
Sun 7-9:45am
Day of prayer and fasting and a Solemn Assembly- Friday, 7pm-9pm, Sept 16th.
