We often face with ups and downs in our journey of faith. May we often rely on God to walk through the valleys, and strive to climb up the mountain.
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Tumbling loaf of bread
In Joel chapters 1 and 2, God pronounces judgment on Judah and calls on them to repent. Joel chapter 2 features two trumpets, a call for judgment (Joel 2:1), followed by a call for repentance (Joel 2:15).
From Joel 2:18 onwards, we see that their repentance brings about restoration from God.
Joel chapter 3 then turns to focus on the surrounding nations. With the return of God's people back to Him, the time has now come for God to judge the nations.
Judgment in the Valley
"Valley" appears in Joel 3:2, 12, 14, 18, often referring to the place where God's judgment against the nations will take place. Joel 3:2 tells us that God intends to gather all nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat to judge them there, for the sake of His people.
In Joel 3:4,7, we see a repetition of the words "retaliate" and "retaliation". If the nations tried to retaliate against God, God will return their retaliation back upon their heads. While the nations cast lots for God's people, selling His people off, removing them far from their borders (Joel 3:3, 5-6), God says He will sell the nations far off in return (Joel 3:7-8).
Our God is a God of justice, who will by no means let the guilty go free (Ex 34:7), and will execute justice for the oppressed (Psa 103:6; 146:7). Our God is also an Almighty God, where no nation or king is able to out-smart or overthrow His plans (Psa 2:1-12).
Interestingly, the mention of the sun and moon growing dark and the stars growing dim (Joel 3:15) first appears in Joel 2:10, when God is pronouncing judgment on Zion His holy mountain. Yet, after the people of God repent and returns to Him, this same description is now used when God pronounces judgment on the surrounding nations.
While God does punish and chastise His people, the true eternal punishment is reserved for His enemies. God chastises us with the heart of a Father (Heb 12:3-11), hoping for us to truly rend our hearts and return to Him (Joel 2:12-14).
Joel 3:13 describes a harvest as well as a winepress. This reminds us of the two harvests in Revelation 14:14-20 - harvesting the earth, and gathering the vine of the earth. Often, we say that the first refers to a positive and good outcome, while the latter refers to a negative outcome. In Joel 3, we do see these two contrasting ends - salvation for God's people, condemnation for others.
Here we see God's love and faithfulness to His people, as well as the righteousness of God. Though He punishes His people for their sins, He still preserves a remnant (Joel 2:32). Though God uses foreign nations as tools to execute His judgment, He still punishes them for their wrong.
Shelter in the Mountain
While God gathers the nations to the valley, He gathers His people to the mountain. This mountain is Zion, God's holy mountain, where God dwells in (Joel 3:17, Zech 8:3). God has specially chosen Zion as His dwelling place forever (Psa 132:13-14).
Often times, Zion in the Old Testament refer to the church established by Jesus Christ in the New Testament era (Heb 12:22-23). This means that all these prophetic messages have to do with us today!
This is a mountain that will endure forever, and be acquitted of bloodshed (Joel 3:20-21). Isaiah 4:3-4 describes how the remnant left in Zion will be holy. Through the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, the filth of Zion is washed away, and the blood of Jerusalem is purged.
Today, in the church we can all be holy, only because of the blood of Jesus washing away our sins in water baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16), and because of the work of the Holy Spirit in cleansing and sanctifying us (Rom 8:13, 2 Thess 2:13).
God promises to bless this mountain, causing it to drip with new wine (Joel 2:24; 3:18), something often associated with the blessing of God, and also to flow with milk, reminding us about God's promise of bringing them into a land flowing with milk and honey in the time of the Exodus.
A fountain flowing from the house of the Lord in Joel 3:18 reminds us of passages like Psalm 46:4, Ezekiel 47:1, Zechariah 14:8, and Revelation 22:1. This water that flows from the house of the Lord encourages us that the church and us members should be bringing benefit and life to others around us, especially when we are all led and guided by the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).
While physical mount Zion is far from the tallest on earth, spiritually this mountain is higher than all other mountains (Isa 2:2-4, Mic 4:1-3). Interestingly, while Joel 3:10 speaks of the nations beating their plowshares into swords, and pruning hooks into spears, Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 say the opposite. On God's holy mountain, God's people shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. While there's increasing wars and violence in this world, there should be increasing peace and love in the mountain of God (1 Thess 4:12-13).
This mountain is the place where God roars, proclaiming judgment upon the surrounding nations (Amos 1:2), while offering refuge to His own people (Joel 3:16). Indeed, this is what we have seen so far in Joel 3. As a mighty King, God shelters His people from the world, while rendering judgment on the surrounding nations.
Final Reflections
We often face with ups and downs in our journey of faith. At times, we feel like we are on the peak of a mountain, while at other times, it seems as though we are down in the valley.
The Book of Joel tells us that though the people of God are punished and chastised, what God desires is true repentance. And God will restore us accordingly. He brings us out of the valley, and reserving it for those who have hardened their hearts against God and rebel against Him.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
Psalms 23:4 NKJV
"Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah"
Psalms 24:3-6 NKJV
As we continue on life's journey, may we rely on God to walk through the valleys, and strive to climb up the mountain.