Special Post

For this special post, I have chosen to analyze the Book of Joel. There are many reasons why I selected this text to interpret, but the main reason is that I feel there is an urgent call to the world to wake up and realize God’s hand working not only in the past but also now in the present. Joel is a book written to Jewish people as a desperate call for them to repent before death and destruction fall upon the land. If repentance is not found, a horrible judgment was about to come. Joel was a prophet sent by God to tell the Jewish people that if they did repent God would find pity on them. This is not just an imminent call to the Jewish people but also to the present day people and nations. The plagues of the locust were the main source of destruction will come from is exactly what I will be interpreting. The locusts represent not only the source for the horrible things to come. But the locusts also represent the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord refers to the eminent help of God in Israel at that time, if the people were to repent, but it also refers to the returning of the Lord in our time. As Joel was urging the Jewish people to turn from their sins before death was to come, God is urging His people now to repent and come to God, before the destruction of the world. The locusts scream of the final judgment, but at first read you assume the locusts only pertain to Israel’s current condition. God says that his people will never be put to shame in Joel. Before Christ came his people extended only to the Jewish so at first read you assume the God has come to protect the Jews from any shame. Joel wants them to repent not only to be saved from the destruction, but also so that the enemy could not mock their God. But this whole concept of God not letting His people be put to shame applies to all of his children as soon as Jesus steps into the picture. Jesus came to save not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. When Jesus came to save the world, His people became everyone who accepted Him as their savior. So this original statement from God that He will never let His people be put to shame is pertinent to those Christians in the present day. God doesn’t leave our backs, ever because of that very fact He will never let his people step into places were they are doomed for failure. Getting back to the locusts, they refer to the final judgment in our time. That is why this passage is so crucial, yes there was a judgment back than, but the more important judgment is the one that hasn’t come yet. For all the people in the world now, God is calling out to each and every one of us to turn away from sin and repent. Just like the Jewish people, there is an eminent death upon our backs. There are locusts so close to us getting ready to swarm. So I guess there are two important things that this interpretation is trying to point out. The first is that the call for people to repent pertains to us. Joel was not only referring to the Jews, but to everyone. This is why we need to heed to this call and turn from our sins. If we turn from our sins, when the day of the Lord comes to pass, His children will not be put to shame. When this final judgment falls upon the world all the Christians who have been saved through Christ will be saved. And when we are saved, the world will not be able to mock our God, and His people will never be put to shame. The second point refers to the judgment of all nations in the final judgment. In Joel 3: 1-2 it says, "In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.” God is not warning His children and people of the world to repent, but also the nations. I believe that this refers to the final judgment that is to come upon nations and rulers of nations in the end times. God has always provided for Israel and the people of Israel. But I feel that this passage of Scripture is a warning to the nations that seek out to harm Israel, they will be more susceptive to destruction if they attempt to destroy Israel. For example, the United States helped Israel gain their independence and has been a big brother figure to Gods nation. But in recent days the United States has drawn away from Israel letting them fend for themselves in order to maintain peace with various other nations. I wonder if this passage seeks to warn nations like the United States who have begun to let go of their ties with Israel if God is going to look harsher upon the US in the end times. Maybe this is a reason for the recent decline and problems that have been going on in the United States, since we have forgotten about our little brother Israel in the past ten years. Either way, Joel is extremely important for everyone, not just the Jews. All people need to turn to God, repent, and seek the Lord with all their heart. If we do this, God will save us from the judgment to come all people and nations, that don’t belong to Him.