Salvation Day

In the midst of an entire chapter dedicated to the Final Judgment, the prophet Joel makes an important distinction between the wicked and the righteous. Just a few short verses after he has prophesied that the wicked will be trampled in the winepress of God's wrath, Joel says this: 

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

This is an important clarification that should affect how Christians feel about the coming judgment. Make no mistake about it, the Day of the Lord will be great and terrible, but the people of God will have a refuge. God’s judgment is for the wicked. It's for the unbeliever… not for Christians. I like the way the CSB Study Bible puts it. It says, “it is judgment day for Israel’s enemies but salvation day for the people of Yahweh.”* 

In other words, the Day of the Lord means something different for the people of God than it does for unbelievers. On that day, the wicked will be crushed but the righteous will prosper. Judgment Day means salvation for us… but it means condemnation for them.

If you are a believer, then that should affect how you think about the Judgment. The wicked ought to fear Judgment Day. But as Christians, we look forward to it! Because we know that even as God pours out His wrath on the sins of man… He will be a refuge for His people. That is what enables us to agree with the prayer that is presented in the next to last verse in all of Scripture. "Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20) Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, come and rescue us from this wicked world!

*Madden, Shawn C. “Joel.” In CSB Study Bible: Notes, edited by Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax, 1367–75. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017.

Going Through the Motions

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments.

Joel 2:12-13a

In biblical times tearing your robes was an expression of sorrow or grief. The closest analogy for us might be a person pulling at their hair in anguish. So, in biblical times, when people returned to the Lord, they often grieved over their sins by tearing their robes, and fasting and weeping and praying for forgiveness. 

But Joel makes plain that just tearing their clothes wouldn’t be enough. That was only the outward form. What God wanted was the inward reality. They needed to do more than simply go through the motions.

Have you ever had someone apologize to you and you could just tell they were only going through the motions. Their mouth said the words, “I’m sorry” but they weren’t really apologizing. Maybe, they said something like, “Well, I’m sorry that you got offended.” or “I’m sorry that you can’t take a joke.” Those aren’t real apologies. They don’t admit wrongdoing. They don’t express grief for how they hurt you. They use the words “I’m sorry” like a trump card or a magical incantation that somehow steals your right to be angry that they sinned against you.

Sometimes, we do something very similar with repentance. We think we can do whatever we want to do and then just say “sorry” to God and get off scot free.

Joel says, you can’t just tear your clothes and be forgiven. Forgiveness is possible, but it’s gonna cost you a lot more than a new shirt. God doesn't want to see repentant clothes. He wants to see repentant hearts. We need to be heartbroken over our sin.

Have you ever really stopped to think about how offensive your sin is to God? Have you ever stopped to consider how disrespectful, rebellious, and even hurtful your disobedience is to Him? Have you ever wept over your sin? Have you ever fasted and grieved over it? Have you ever been heartbroken over your sin? Let me put it a different way… have you really repented of your sin? Or were you just going through the motions?

Abusing Your Blessings

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.

Joel 1:5

Why should the drunkards weep? Because they won’t have any wine to drink.

In chapter 1 of his book, Joel has been describing a great invasion of locusts that has devastated Judah, consuming everything in the land. The destruction of Judah's harvest was so complete that the locusts had not only eaten the fruit, but had also stripped the bark off the vines and fig trees. Now, all that was left were naked, white branches and vines.

This affected everyone in Judah... from the richest and highest in the land to the poorest and lowest. But Joel pauses in verse 5 to specifically address the drunkard. Why?  

Well, it's certainly possible that in their drunken stupor the drunkards had not noticed what was going on around them and were now in for a rude awakening. But I also find it interesting, that drunkenness is the only sin directly mentioned in the book of Joel.* Perhaps, the drunkards serve as a warning to us of what can happen when we take God’s blessings (that He provided for our good and His glory) and we abuse them and use them for sin. If we do that, then we can't be surprised when He takes those blessings away from us.

Are you abusing any of the good things God has given to you? Are you turning any of God’s gifts into sin? Is wine, or money, or food, or sex, or your own comfort and prosperity becoming a source of sin in your life? If so, then don’t be surprised if He takes them away.

*Dillard, Raymond B. “Joel.” In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, 3:618–24. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995.

Refreshingly Unpleasant

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Joel 2:13

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord...

Acts 3:19

I know. These verses don't exactly lend themselves to the kid of uplifting, airy tone we come to expect from a devotional. I would probably get more readers writing about lighter fare.  So why share these verses?

Because I need to be reminded of them, and I am betting that at least some of you out there are like me. I tend to forget the importance of repentance and confession in my ongoing relationship with Jesus. Recently I have started using the ACTS prayer model when I pray. If you aren't familiar, it's an acrostic that helps you balance your prayers between four important types of prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (our requests). Before I started doing this I almost never spent any time in confession before God. Any prayer I offered up included requests. Oftentimes I had a smattering of thanksgiving. Occasionally I would offer up some praise. But I almost never of my own inclination turned toward confession and repentance.

I am guessing that you are like me. Maybe you think you are pretty good. You may even struggle to think of sin in your life that you need to confess. It's ridiculous how often I have found myself in this state of arrogance and delusion. If you struggle to think of sins you need to confess, trust me it isn't because you have none. Rather you should take it as a sign of just how blind you are to your own sin. The most sanctified among us have more sin remaining in their heart than they could easily fit into a single prayer time. If you really want help finding your sins out, ask your spouse or a close friend what sin they see in your life. But be prepared for an honest answer!

Maybe you aren't like me. Maybe you know your sin all too well. You feel the shame and the weight of it and it's unpleasant to you. You avoid this unpleasantness by refusing to deal with the sin. That's why you don't confess. You would rather ignore it. Or perhaps you know your sin but you aren't willing to repent of it. You love it and want to continue in the same path. You keep your conscience tamped down by trying not to think about your sin too much. So you cling to it and hope God doesn't notice.

Whatever your reason, trust me when I say that it's a shame that we don't spend more time confessing our sins to God. Your sin affects your nearness to God and your effectiveness in His kingdom. Who knows the ways it may be hindering you and your family spiritually, materially or financially. Greater levels of intimacy with the Lord lie on the other side of repentance. It is likely that greater blessing is there as well, for God loves to bless the righteous. And finally there is without a doubt, forgiveness and freedom waiting for those who will confess their sins and turn away from them. As I John 4:8 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Set aside some time right now to confess five sins to the Lord. Even though it may seem unpleasant at first, rest assured that this important Christian discipline will bring "times of refreshing from the Lord."