Joel: The Bitter the Sweet: The Day of the Lord

|For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.| Joel 3:14.  The book of Joel records “The day of the LORD” 5 times.{1:15,2:1,2:11, 2:31, 3:14} Joel 3:14 is its last mention. Each mention is a warning and an invitation to repent and turn to the Lord God. For the believer, the day of the Lord will be sweet. For those who do not believe this day will be bitter.

This post goes along with our study Reading Twelve Old Testament Books. You can purchase the workbook here: Study Guide for Reading Twelve Old Testament Books.

The Bitterness of the Day of the Lord

|Let the nations be aroused and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the winepress is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness, is great.| Joel 3:12-13

|Let the inhabitants of the land tremble.| Joel 2:1 The trumpet is blown and the horn is sounded. The wickedness of the land is fully mature and developed to the point of readiness. Joel uses the picture of harvesting to illustrate the awful day of the Lord. The sickle was a hand-held agricultural tool designed with sharp curved blades used to harvest the ripe grain crops. The men would come in swinging the sickle cutting down the harvest. Can you picture with me the dread of this day? I think of friends, loved ones, America who have turned their faces against our Holy God. Does this not put dread in our hearts? Does this not put fire in our bones to go out with the message of the gospel?

|For her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.| Revelation 18:5

The Sweet Day of the Lord

|The LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people and a stronghold for the sons of Israel.| Joel 3:16

Praise God for His kindness and mercy that lead to salvation. Thank Him that He gives ears to hear and eyes to see. For the true believer, the ones who truly repent, the day of the Lord is sweet. Christ Jesus protects His church from the mighty wrath of God. Today, we walk as pilgrims and strangers in a world, not our home. We suffer trials and tribulations. But our hope of salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. One day our faith will be made sight. We will dwell in a land where the mountains will drip sweet wine, and the hills flow with milk and honey. We will dwell in a well-watered land.

Today is the Day of Salvation

The Gospel of Mark portrays Jesus as constantly on the move. Mark records the word immediately 39 times in this Gospel. There is no time to wait. Jesus was about His Fathers business on the way to the cross to accomplish the work God sent Him to do. The cross was the beginning but there is a day, a final day of decision. God will no longer wait. He will sit and judge all the nations. Joel 3:12. After this day of decision, God’s decision, it will be a day of bitterness for some and a day of sweetness for others. There is no time to wait, Christian, we need to be Joel in our day. Constantly going, constantly telling of the day of the Lord, with the message to repent and believe!

This is not a message that most Ladies retreats or for that fact most churches will preach and teach today. However, it is truth. God’s recorded truth. It must be shouted among our family and our neighbors. There is a day, “The Day of the Lord”, it is coming and will not delay!

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