Joel 2

The Explanation

Joel 2 opens with an alarm. "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain!" That trumpet was the ancient version of an emergency siren. Something is coming, and it is not good.

What is coming? An enormous army. Joel describes them almost like a nightmare: they run like warhorses, they leap over walls, they climb into houses through the windows. Before them the land looks like the garden of Eden, but behind them it is a desolate wilderness. Nothing green is left. Fire seems to devour everything. Even the sun, moon, and stars go dark. It is called "the day of the LORD," and Joel says it is great and very terrible. Who can endure it?

Then, right in the middle of the chapter, something surprising happens. God Himself speaks. And He does not say, "Too late." He says, "Even now, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." And then this beautiful line: "Tear your hearts and not your garments." In those days, when people were terribly sad, they would rip their clothes to show it. God says: do not just tear your shirt. Let something break open on the inside. Really come back to me.

Why? Because, Joel says, God is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness." He may still change His mind about the disaster.

And then the tone changes completely. God promises to send grain, new wine, and oil again. The land will be full. The animals will not have to be afraid. The trees will bear fruit. The rain will come at the right time. Everything the locusts have eaten, God will restore.

At the end of the chapter comes a promise that reaches far beyond Joel's own time: "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy." Old people, young people, servants, everyone will receive God's Spirit. And whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.

What Does This Mean?

Joel does not soften what is difficult. The judgment is real. But right in the middle of it stands an open door. God does not wait until people are perfect. He says: come back now, while there is still time. And He tells us what He is like on the inside: patient, kind, willing to forgive.

The most important sentence is perhaps "Tear your hearts and not your garments." God does not want a show. He wants you, really you.

The Common Thread

That last promise, about God's Spirit being poured out, comes back centuries later. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in tongues of fire, Peter stood up and said: this is what Joel spoke about. God kept His word.

And the line "whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved" is quoted by Paul in the New Testament, and applied to Jesus. Jesus is the name we may call on. Through Him, the day of the LORD is not only terrifying but also a day of rescue. He took the darkness upon Himself so that we could receive the Spirit.

So Joel 2 is like a signpost: it points forward to Jesus and to the church, to you and me.

For You

Sometimes you do something wrong, and you know it. You can then say sorry with your mouth, quickly, so it is done with. But God asks something different. He wants your heart. That means: really thinking about what you did, feeling that it was not good, and honestly turning around.

That sounds heavy, but it is actually good news. Because God is not standing there with crossed arms waiting to catch you. He is like a father who watches for you along the road. Whenever you turn back, He is there. Even now, Joel says. Not tomorrow, not once you have improved. Even now.

Talk About It

What do you think is the difference between tearing your clothes and tearing your heart? Can you think of an example?

Joel says God is "slow to anger." What does that tell you about who God is?

Praying Together

Lord God, thank You that You are patient and kind. Teach us to come to You honestly, with our whole heart. Thank You for Your Spirit, and for Jesus, whose name we may call on. Amen.