Joel 2.10 10 The earth quakes before them; the heavens
tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their
shining. (ESV)
Judgment is a fearsome thing. The prophet Joel prophesied
a coming judgment on Israel that he proclaim was going to be an awesome event.
(Awesome in this context means dreadful.) And that day is coming.
As with most Old Testament prophesies, Joel’s message is a
mixture of the immediate, the intermediate, and the future; some of it had already come to pass
and some of it remains to be. He talks about an infestation of locusts which
will come and devour the land. They will destroy crops and grasses and trees;
the land will be wiped clean of vegetation and left desolate. I think that
happened. I think it was a wake-up call to the people of Judah, HEY! Get your act together, you’re doomed!
The other part of it was the military invasions of the Babylonians
and the Assyrians. The locusts were going to destroy their means of economy:
their agriculture. The military invasions were going to destroy them as a
nation: they would simply become another vanquished people.
And then there is the part that is yet to come: the Day
of the Lord when all the wrangling and jockeying for position of the nations of
earth will cease and all will bow to the Lord Jesus Christ, to which all nature
will attest: the sun and the moon are
darkened and the stars withdraw their shining. It is one thing for our
star, the sun, to grow dark. What a dreadful time that will be – talk about
climate change! And it follows that the moon will darken as well because it
merely reflects our sun’s light. But to have the stars withdraw their light –
oh, that’s gonna be a tough time.
God is incessant in His pursuit of us – His plan for mankind
has never altered or ceased. God made us in His image that we may become His
sons and daughters and enjoy His company forever. He has never changed His mind
about that. There does appear however, when time will have run its course and
the party will be over: the sun and the
moon will darken and the stars will withdraw their shining. Then what?
Then Joel says:
“…it shall come to pass that everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Those who are not foiled or
spoiled by the light of the sun darkening and the moon reflecting its light
will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. Saved from what? Saved from
what those who cower and fear will receive because they refused – even in the face
of extraordinary natural events to humble themselves and give God glory.
Despite the whirling and swirling madness of all that is
abounding around me today: God is God and He won’t be foiled in His pursuit of
those who call upon His Name and be saved. And I won’t cower or back down.
“I will bless the
Lord forever. I will trust Him at all times… I will not be moved, and I’ll say
of the Lord, You are my strength, my shield, my portion, Deliverer; my shelter,
strong tower. My very present help in time of need.” – Miriam Webster
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