Coming Judgment

 There is much to learn from the book of Joel. He opens his message with a future event that has never happened before.

 Joel 1:2. "Hear this, ye old men, and attend, all ye inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing indeed happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?

You cannot turn on your television, pick up a newspaper, or surf the web without knowing we live in an abnormal time. Joel warned the older fathers to tell their children and grandchildren about the evil taking place.

 Joel 1:1. Ye shall tell your sons of it, and your sons their sons, and their sons the next generation. 

Joel used the locust to explain what had taken place to bring such evil into the world.

Joel 1:4. The leavings of the gnawer the multiplier ate, and the leavings of the multiplier the licker ate, and the leavings of the licker the devourer ate." 

Not only to call the hearers' attention to his address but still, more to set forth the event he is about to speak as something unheard of - a thing that has never happened before and therefore is a judgment inflicted by God. The prophet commences with the question addressed to the older men, whose memory went the furthest back, and to all the inhabitants of Judah, whether they had ever experienced anything of the kind, or heard of such a thing from their fathers; and with the command to relate it to their children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

(Note: "As he is inquiring concerning the past according to the command of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:7, he asks the old men, who have been taught by long experience, and are accustomed, whenever they see anything unusual, to notice that this is not according to the ordinary course of nature, which they have observed for so many years. And since this existing calamity, caused by the insects named, has lasted longer and pressed more heavily than usual, he admonishes them to carry their memory back to the former days and see whether anything of the kind ever happened naturally before. If no example can be found, the prophet's advice is that they should recognize this as the hand of God from heaven.

I realize Joel's message is directed to the inhabitants of Judah about the judgment of the LORD, but we can learn from this message. What we see today has not happened in our lifetime. God brings judgment in stages until there is nothing left but desolation and destruction.

Let me ask you, have you in your lifetime seen what is happening in America today? I could make a long list of events that have never happened in this country until recently. All we seem to do daily is shake our heads and say the world has gone insane.

 

The message of Joel is a progression of judgment: one swarm of locusts after another has invaded the land and wholly devoured its fruit. The use of several different words and the division of the locusts into four successive swarms, each devours what has been left by its precursor, belong to the rhetorical drapery and individualizing of the thought. The only thing that has any real significance is the number four. The four kinds of punishment in Jeremiah 15:3 and the four destructive judgments in Ezekiel 14:21 clearly show the number four, indicating the spread of the judgment over the whole of Judah in all directions indicate that judgment is worldwide. Four is the number of the earth.

Could you turn with me to Ezekiel 14?

13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.

15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:

18 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

21 For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the Sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

For thus saith the Lord God, how much more do you need to change your ways? We have the days of Noah, the prophecies of Daniel, and the story of Job. What more do we need to change our ways?

If the message of the Lord would not be believed given by such good men as those mentioned, for a land that had sinned against him, to whom he only sends someone of the above judgments, either famine, or dangerous beasts, or the Sword, or the pestilence, how much more inflexible and deaf to all entreaties must he be; or if any one of those judgments makes so great a desolation in the land, then how much more significant must that detraction be, when I send my four sore judgments on Jerusalem: or "evil" ones; as they are to men, though righteously inflicted by the Lord; when all these four are sent together, what devastation must they make! namely, the Sword, and the famine, and the, noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast; three of them, it is evident, were sent upon Jerusalem at the time of its siege by Nebuchadnezzar, the Sword, famine, and pestilence; and no doubt the other, even the dangerous beasts; and if not literally, yet figuratively, for Nebuchadnezzar himself is compared to a lion, ( Jeremiah 4:7 ) ( 50:17 )

For the next few minutes, let us look at the insects of judgment.

 Joel 1:4That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten, and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten, and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.

Joel 1:4. The leavings of the gnawer the multiplier ate, and the leavings of the multiplier the licker ate, and the leavings of the licker the devourer ate." 

The palmerworm-gnawer

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) Any hairy caterpillar which appears in great numbers, devouring herbage and wandering about like a palmer. 

2. (n.) In America, the larva of any one of several moths destroys the foliage of fruit and forest trees, which sometimes appear in vast numbers.

The locust-multiplier

locust (family Acrididae) is any group of insects (order Orthoptera) distributed worldwide. The common name generally refers to the group of short-horned grasshoppers that often increase greatly in numbers and migrate long distances in destructive swarms. 

The cankerworm-licker

The spring cankerworm (Paleacrita vernata) and the fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria) are native pests to the deciduous forest, shade, and ornamental trees of North America. Periodic outbreaks of these pests cause severe defoliation. The habits of these two pests are nearly identical, being named "spring" and "fall" cankerworms because of the season during which each lays its eggs. The larvae of each species are known variously as loopers, geometers, inchworms, or spanworms.

The caterpillar-devourer

In the Old Testament of the Bible, caterpillars are feared as a pest that devours crops. They are part of the "pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust" [37] because of their association with the locust. Thus they are one of the plagues of Egypt. Jeremiah names them as one of the inhabitants of Babylon. The English word caterpillar derives from the old French catepelose (hairy cat) but merged with the piller (pillager). Caterpillars became a symbol for social dependents. Shakespeare's Bolingbroke described King Richard's friends as "The caterpillars of the commonwealth, Which I have sworn to weed and pluck away." In 1790 William Blake referenced this popular image in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell when he attacked priests: "as the caterpillar chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lay his curse on the fairest joys." \

Joel uses this locust plague as both an illustration of their sin and a warning of God's future judgment on their sin.

One of the forgotten, if not dismissed, truths from God's word is that this world is on a collision course with Almighty God (Elohim). While it is true that God is a God of love, grace, and even mercy, what people of today may well need is a reminder of the truth that God is a God of justice & judgment.

 The Coming of Judgment – Notice the first two words of verse 2, "Hear this." Almost every translation and paraphrase says the same thing. However, this phrase is more like a "listen up" or "pay attention" as it carries with it the idea, and the message is essential. Judgment is coming & you want to know it so that you can be prepared. He identifies both the leaders and the people to say, "Listen up." There might have been a 'tone' (like the emergency broadcast system) to get attention if it were today.

a. The discernment – Of the many ways there are to discern things, asking rhetorical questions is very effective. Can you hear the inference in the tone of the question of "Has anything like this ever happened?" Considering whom it is asking this question, our minds and souls should be stirred to understand precisely what it is that Jehovah/Yahweh has in mind. But here is the startling truth; Obviously, God has something in mind that is unlike anything this generation sees. When we are reminded of some of the atrocities this generation has witnessed and then think that God will top all of these, we should discern that judgment is on the way.

b. The disclosure – To read verse 3 is to understand that we should disclose the fact as holders of the truth. Truth is not simply when we 'like it, but it is truth-no matter what! Part of the sad situation of the 21st century "Americanize church" is that we have discarded the truth of God concerning His judgment. His proper decision is based on justice.

The devastation: God compares His judgment to four types of locust. Let me say that the picture of the locusts is a picture of destruction. The HCSB uses the terms devouring-swarming-young-destroying to describe these insects. Some think these insects illustrate armies of humans going across the land, while others believe the prophet is speaking of the four stages of a locust's life, and others think it's four different types of bugs. Such are the arguments that make for meaningless talk and a great deal of debate, but let's not miss the truth; the land will be destroyed, and it will be the judgment of God on the wicked land & the wickedness of the land.

2. The Contents of Judgment – What is it that we see in this judgment? What is it that makes up this judgment? Just like we pick up a package of food and read the ingredients, we should look at this judgment's elements.

The aggressiveness of a godless enemy: With the Holy Spirit absent, evil has a new freedom to invade and devour. Look at verse 6 and give some thought to this picture. For a person who is under the judgment of God, we see several frightening word pictures; invaded, powerful, without number, teeth, and even fangs. Every one of these pictures paints a portrait of an unrelenting, vicious, and evil enemy. We can see the beginnings of this picture today in America. Now that God has been removed from daily life, many others are stepping to the forefront to attack this land in numerous and ungodly ways. We can talk of the radical Muslims who killed 3000 people just because they were Americans. We can name Al-Qaeda as one who preys on Americans. We can even name social and political groups in this land that pervert justice like BLM to have their way. However, the great attack is occurring by the people we have elected to lead us, people who should know better. It is getting more pervasive every day.

c. The effects of a great engagement – There is no way to do 'battle' without casualties and costs. When a country goes to war, a couple goes through a divorce, or a church has a fight, the total costs and the casualties are unknown for a long time. When God sends His judgment, the battle waged will be directed at anything perceived as good. Read Verse 7. This gives me a picture of the destruction of everything which God has designed to be good. The grapevine, fig tree, branches, and bark are all laid waste. When will this happen? I don't know. Just don't miss the fact that judgment is coming from God. His determination will be based on justice, truth & right.

3. The Consequences of Judgment – For those who are under God's judgment, let's see how all of this impacts them. Verses 10-12 give us this picture.

a. It destroys their provisions – Verse 10 tells us that everything humanity depends on for life will be destroyed. Frustration will be at an all-time high because nothing man can do to make the land produce. All will be dried up and laid bare. We are big on 'having plenty, but God's judgment will bring about a lack of everything a man needs to survive. Today's rat race will turn into a rat killing of global proportions as the human race wars over things that are believed to be necessary.

b. It disrupts their plans – Verse 11 – 12 gives us a picture of a drought that perplexes the farmers. They plan for a big harvest and for things to go on as usual, while God's judgment brings other plans. There will be a food shortage which makes the food shortage of today pale in comparison. God removes His hand of blessings, and when HIS hand of blessing is removed, nothing will bloom or blossom so that all plans will be laid waste. Perhaps this picture is why Jesus told us not to make plans that we couldn't make good.

c. It dries up their personal joy – The last line of verse 12 is staggering. To think that laughter will be gone, as will peace, hope, happiness, and love. Contextualize it this way; today in America, more people have more 'things' than ever before. We are wealthy people. Yet, we are a miserable people. Deep friendships are at a premium, lasting relationships are all but non-existent, and the culprit is that in our search for happiness, we have abandoned true inner 'joy.' Joy is a fruit of the Spirit! And since more time has been placed on the "I" in this culture, the Holy Spirit has been summarily dismissed. In principle, this is what happens with God's judgment; joy is removed along with the Holy Spirit of God.

4. The Call of Judgment – Let's read verses 13-15 again. To read this is to understand that the coming judgment requires a response from us. As I read these words, four calls come to mind.

a. Remember – We must remember who God is and who we are.

* We are God's creation, His crown creation. If we have a relationship with Him through His Son, we have cause to remember much more. Psalm 137 has a picture of remembrance. (READ vs. 1) If you are a believer today, give thought not to the place but the concept of ZION. For years we have sung, "We're marching to Zion, beautiful Zion. We're marching UPWARD to ZION, that beautiful city of God." Zion is the place where we see, know, and fellowship with the Lord. As a believer, can you remember the time you were closest to Him? Is it today? Or is it in the past? Remember when your heart was hottest, your fellowship was the closest, and faith was the strongest. Revelation 2:5 says, "First, remember how far you have fallen,"

b. Reflect – This is a step that, many times, is overlooked today. Why is it that I have fallen away from sweet fellowship with my Heavenly Father? Is it because of what someone else has done to me? Is it because God loves me less, pursues me less, or am I simply less valuable to Him today than when we first met? Please miss this truth: God went nowhere; He hasn't moved away from one step. "When you say, God seems so far away, who moved?" What caused it, and when was it that you moved away? This requires an honest self-examination & self-examinations can be painful, mainly if done under the watchful eye of the Holy Scripture and the Holy Spirit.

c. Repent – The promise of judgment on this world calls us to remember, reflect, and then repent. Look at all the words that display repentance's need and action; sackcloth, lament, the altar, and offerings. The people were being called to become broken enough to have a change of mind, direction, and heart. If I am not as close to God today as yesterday, it is my fault, and I need to repent before God. The initial call of John the Baptist, Jesus, and even Peter at Pentecost was "Repent." Without repentance, there is no renewal, refreshing, &/or regeneration. There is no heaven on the horizon, no Zion to look for, and there is no hope for tomorrow. Repentance is an essential ingredient and is a call of judgment.

d. Return – Let's read verse 14. Just like the Father in Luke 15 was praying, "Boy, come home," so the Heavenly Father invites us home. In verse 15, we read that the "Day of the Lord" is near, and we need to be close to the Father at home. Judgment is coming, like it or not. Every unconfessed sin will be judged. Judgment is calling, like it or not. It is calling sinners to come home, it is calling the lukewarm to get close to the fire of the Holy Spirit, and it is calling the carnal to return before it's too late. What will you do?