Tag Archives: Joel

Joel 2:32

I’m sure that you must have seen those posters that shops post into their windows at this tine of year; 50% OFF EVERYTHING!!* they proclaim in foot-high letters. HALF PRICE* SALE!! EVERYTHING MUST GO!! they shout on bright red posters. Should you inspect the signs more closely, perhaps with the aid of a magnifying glass, you’ll usually find, often running upside down along the edge of a poster, an asterisk and words along the lines of “Some stock half price but you’ll have to scour the store from top to bottom to find it.” We all know that these posters are just a cynical ploy to get us into the store, but they must work otherwise shops wouldn’t do it! I personally just find them intensely irritating and dishonest.

Interestingly, there is no asterisk next to today’s verse. EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED!! shouts Joel. Living in the capitalist society of today I keep expecting to find some exemptions hidden somewhere within this verse but I can’t find any. No small print along the lines of “applies to first one hundred believers,” or “management reserve the right to change the offer at any time without prior notice.” There’s not even a “no purchase necessary-simply send us all your contact details so that we can bombard you with spam emails, texts, phone calls and letters until the end of time and we’ll enter you into a free prize draw” disclaimer. Surely some mistake?

But no, there is no mistaking the promise in today’s verse. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. If we turn to God, repent of all our sins, and strive to live our lives day by day for him, we will be saved. If we only call on the name of the Lord we will be safe from death and will gain eternal life in God’s new creation.

What a fantastic promise this is! Give thanks today that we have an honest and trustworthy God who saves all who turn to him!

Joel 3:13

When I was little, I used to love watching the enormous combine harvesters cutting the wheat in the fields around my home.  I say when I was little – the truth is I still do!  They’re such fascinating machines, combine harvesters; enormous great things with giant rollers on the front that draw the ears of corn towards the rolling blade.  After the harvester has cut the wheat, it almost magically extracts the grain, and then periodically dumps a load into a trailer pulled by a tractor.  I really could watch all day!

Things have changed since the days of Joel the prophet, and also since Jesus told the parable of the sower.  In those times, grain was cut by hand using a sickle.  In this passage, Joel is prophesying of the “end times,” when the living and the dead will be judged.  At the judgement, the harvest will be made, and all those who have followed Jesus will be part of a new creation, whilst all those who have not will die.  In this particular passage, we have an image of a full winepress, and vats that are overflowing as a consequence of the large numbers of people who have turned from Christ, and dedicated their lives to following their own wicked ways.  This is a powerful reminder of the need to ensure that we dedicate ourselves to God’s teaching, renounce evil, and seek to live our lives in a way that honours Jesus.  If we do, then we will bear fruit, and be part of the great harvest.  If, instead, we prefer to dedicate our lives to following money, pleasure, and the evil ways of the world, then the winepress and eternal death waits for us.

I don’t know how you feel about this, but I reckon that’s a pretty good reason to ensure that we commit ourselves completely to God.  Less selfishly, I think it’s also a spur to personal evangelism.  As I’m sure you do, I have some very dear friends who are not Christians, who are destined for the winepress and the overflowing vats.  I don’t want to see them there.  I think it’s time I focused on praying for them and sharing my faith with them.