Joel 2
Today's Passage: Joel 2
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
As I thought about Joel 2, especially verse 1, I was reminded of Paul Revere’s midnight ride.
These words from Longfellow’s, Paul Revere’s Ride seemed appropriate to the message of Joel
2. Paul Revere rode, shouting in town to town that the British were coming. The “hour of
darkness and peril and need” had arrived. Yet, the listeners were not intended to roll back over
and go to sleep, the were supposed to rise up, to prepare, and to fight back—“The people will
waken and listen to hear…the midnight message of Paul Revere.”
Joel 2 describes a different invading army much worse than the British forces of the
Revolutionary War. The descriptive words and phrases are terrifying. Like the locusts from
chapter 1, before this army is lush greenery like in Eden, but behind them is desolate wilderness
(3). They consume and destroy everything in an unstoppable wave. Mountains don’t stop them
(5), walls don’t slow them (7), and nothing stands in their way such that they do not swerve or go
anywhere but straight ahead (7b–8a).
Joel declared this message of the coming Day of the Lord, not to helpless victims who must
sit and await destruction. Like Paul Revere, Joel was the messenger sent to wake people from
sleep to listen and hear his message. Verse 12 tells us what to do—“Yet even now” in the face of
utter annihilation, the Lord declares, “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with
weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
The Lord’s grace extends to the very last second. He doesn’t want a show of humble
repentance, don’t just tear your clothes, he wants sincere broken hearts grieved because of their
sin. Joel’s plea to the nation reminds us of Deuteronomy 30, that the whole nation would humble
their hearts, repent, and receive restoration.
Joel’s description in verses 28–32 is hard to date. We aren’t sure of the timing of any of the
events we’ve read about. Was this a description of Babylon and Assyria that would likely have
been in the past, even in Joel’s day? Or is this some future event to Joel, but behind us? It seems
most likely, that these events, at least starting in verse 28 are still future, even to us today.
However, Peter quoted this passage on the Day of Pentecost, and Paul quoted verse 32 in
Romans 10:13. I think we can view this that Christ has inaugurated God’s Kingdom, but the New
Testament only records a “first-stage” or partial fulfillment that will be ultimately fulfilled in the
future.
In either case, like Paul Revere’s ride, the reader isn’t encouraged to wait or hesitate in their
response. God has told us what we should do and we should not delay. Imminent destruction is
on the way for those with un-rended hearts. If all Creation is headed toward bended knee before
the throne of Jesus, let’s live that way now.
Written By: Tyler Short
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
As I thought about Joel 2, especially verse 1, I was reminded of Paul Revere’s midnight ride.
These words from Longfellow’s, Paul Revere’s Ride seemed appropriate to the message of Joel
2. Paul Revere rode, shouting in town to town that the British were coming. The “hour of
darkness and peril and need” had arrived. Yet, the listeners were not intended to roll back over
and go to sleep, the were supposed to rise up, to prepare, and to fight back—“The people will
waken and listen to hear…the midnight message of Paul Revere.”
Joel 2 describes a different invading army much worse than the British forces of the
Revolutionary War. The descriptive words and phrases are terrifying. Like the locusts from
chapter 1, before this army is lush greenery like in Eden, but behind them is desolate wilderness
(3). They consume and destroy everything in an unstoppable wave. Mountains don’t stop them
(5), walls don’t slow them (7), and nothing stands in their way such that they do not swerve or go
anywhere but straight ahead (7b–8a).
Joel declared this message of the coming Day of the Lord, not to helpless victims who must
sit and await destruction. Like Paul Revere, Joel was the messenger sent to wake people from
sleep to listen and hear his message. Verse 12 tells us what to do—“Yet even now” in the face of
utter annihilation, the Lord declares, “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with
weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
The Lord’s grace extends to the very last second. He doesn’t want a show of humble
repentance, don’t just tear your clothes, he wants sincere broken hearts grieved because of their
sin. Joel’s plea to the nation reminds us of Deuteronomy 30, that the whole nation would humble
their hearts, repent, and receive restoration.
Joel’s description in verses 28–32 is hard to date. We aren’t sure of the timing of any of the
events we’ve read about. Was this a description of Babylon and Assyria that would likely have
been in the past, even in Joel’s day? Or is this some future event to Joel, but behind us? It seems
most likely, that these events, at least starting in verse 28 are still future, even to us today.
However, Peter quoted this passage on the Day of Pentecost, and Paul quoted verse 32 in
Romans 10:13. I think we can view this that Christ has inaugurated God’s Kingdom, but the New
Testament only records a “first-stage” or partial fulfillment that will be ultimately fulfilled in the
future.
In either case, like Paul Revere’s ride, the reader isn’t encouraged to wait or hesitate in their
response. God has told us what we should do and we should not delay. Imminent destruction is
on the way for those with un-rended hearts. If all Creation is headed toward bended knee before
the throne of Jesus, let’s live that way now.
Written By: Tyler Short
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