Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20100124.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Joel: Call To Revere Almighty God
Part III: God's Promised Blessing For Repentance Out Of Reverence For Him, Joel 2:18-3:21
D. God's Promised Renewal For His Repentant People
(Joel 3:18-21)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though God's punishment for sin in His people may be severe, His renewal following their repentance is overwhelmingly edifying in great contrast to His punishment.
    2. This truth is clarified in Joel 3:18-21 in view of the book's context, offering potent application for today:
  2. God's Promised Renewal For His Repentant People, Joel 3:18-21.
    1. Joel 3:18-21 briefly describes the great blessings of the Messianic Kingdom of Judah that will follow the traumatic Great Tribulation Period, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftns. to Joel 3:9-17 and Joel 3:18.
    2. As such, this blessed era is set in direct contrast to the troubles Israel faced or would face in judgment (Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 1423), and we examine this contrast as follows:
      1. The traumatic locust plague of Joel 1:1-20 was marked in part by (a) the loss of vineyard production (Joel 1:5), (b) the loss of pasture (Joel 1:18) and (c) the drying up of Judah's riverbeds (Joel 1:20).
      2. However, directly opposite these trials, in the coming Messianic Kingdom, Judah will enjoy God's blessings of (a) rich vineyard production even on the mountains (Joel 3:18a) where vineyards normally do not flourish, (b) abundant milk production due to rich pastures (Joel 3:18b) and (c) perpetually filled riverbeds unlike the seasonally dry wadis that currently abound in southern Judah (Joel 3:18c; Ibid.).
      3. In addition, adding a blessing Judah had never before possessed, a fountain will send water out from God's temple in Jerusalem that will eventually wind down to water the valley of Shittim, a valley near the north end of the Dead Sea, Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Joel 3:18 KJV; Numbers 25:1. This is a remarkable blessing in light of the fact that God had once judged this area, the realm of evil Sodom and Gomorrah, for its wickedness (Genesis 19), symbolizing the tremendous forgiveness and healing of God's grace!
      4. Picking up on the "healing" theme of this formerly judged, desert land by this new river from God's temple, His attention turned to the future of Egypt, a land that is today well-watered by the Nile, but that will no longer be well-watered, but will be a desert for Egypt's mistreatment of Israel, Joel 3:19a.
      5. The land of Edom, also one of Judah's perpetual enemies (Obadiah 9-10), would likewise be a desert land for its violence against God's people, for its shedding of innocent blood in their land, Joel 3:19b.
      6. In contrast to the plight of these nations that had abused them, the people of Judah would continue as a nation forever, and their capital, Jerusalem, would flourish as a city for all generations, Joel 3:20.
      7. This reverse of experience for Judah's enemies and for Judah will result from God's having taken vengeance in behalf of His people, for the Lord will then dwell in Zion with His people, Joel 3:21 NIV:
        1. The NIV has Joel 3:21 reading: "Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon."
        2. However, the sin of "bloodguilt" "is not mentioned elsewhere in the book of Joel," Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., so "(a) better reading is that of the NASB (following the LXX), which relates the passage to the judgment on the nations (v. 19) by portraying the Lord as the Avenger of Judah's blood ('I will avenge their blood')." (Ibid.) The ESV, a reputable version, agrees with this argument.
        3. Thus, in line with God's Joel 3:19 judgment on Egypt and Edom for their violence to Judah, God will avenge Judah's blood, for in the Messianic Kingdom, He will dwell in the midst of His people!
    3. Since these Joel 3:18-21 blessings of the Messianic Kingdom are set against the contrasting lack of them in Joel 1:1-2:11 during Israel's experience in sin under judgment, they teach us of our own great need to repent in order to be released from the curses of God's discipline into the blessings of His forgiveness!
Lesson: God will MATERIALLY and RELATIONALLY BLESS Judah in the Kingdom after her repentance in SHARP CONTRAST to her MATERIAL and RELATIONAL TRIALS before repentance.

Application: (1) If we face sharp trials in the realms of material goods or relationships, we must check Scripture to see if we must repent. (2) We must especially test if we are guilty of not trusting Christ as Lord versus trusting in some other god, a sin that will plague Judah in the Tribulation (Zech. 11-12).