KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Chapters: Joel 1-3
Message: Whosoever Calls On The LORD
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Joel contains three chapters, the author is Joel and it was written to the people in Judah. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 400–380 B. C. The purpose of the book was to warn Judah of their sin and need for repentance and to inform them of God’s future restoration for the entire nation. What we are to learn from the book is that even in the midst of God’s chastening, His plans always include restoration. “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” – Joel 2:32.
For years I have read this book and thought it was written during the time as Isaiah, many of the commentaries also lead to that same conclusion, but this morning I realized something, this could not have been during that time, it is more probable that it was when Ezekiel prophesied. I believe this because during that time God gave Ezekiel visions He showed Him the state of Jerusalem as it was desolate and corrupt. Through Joel, they were reminded of the judgment that God placed on them, but also that further judgment was coming.
“Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” – Joel 1:5-7,13-15.
“for the day of the LORD is at hand,” Jesus will return to claim His people, His throne, and put an end to sin and suffering for good. Those whom have died will be resurrected first and carried to safety, those whom are saved and alive will be raptured up in the clouds. The only ones left remaining on the earth will be those whom never accepted Christ as their Saviour and have to figure things out for themselves. Dead or alive, we will stand before Christ, which is why we must keep telling the lost the Gospel before that time comes. This warning was not just given to us today, it always has been, through Joel, God continues to give His warning of Judgment Day.
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:” – Joel 2:1-2,12-15.
“And rend your heart, and not your garments,” It is so easy to appear as though one is saved and knows Christ as their Saviour, but true faith comes from the heart, not our appearance. If we are saved and not ashamed of Christ we will not only boldly proclaim Him in public, we will also boldly proclaim Him in private as well. God knows who are is and whether or not they are sincere in their works or just appear to be His on the outside. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” – Matthew 7:15-17.
Zion is the hill in Jerusalem, on which the temple was built, God will dwell there and it will be the final gathering place for all His people, whether Jew or Gentile, none are strangers to God if they repented and asked Christ to save them. Through Joel, God assures His people that while He will allow the judgment He promises that He will restore all that has been lost to His people.
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” – Joel 2:28-32.
“that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;” The most amazing thing about receiving Christ is that immediately we receive the Spirit of God in us, and He does not leave us, ever. Before Christ gave His life on the cross, the Holy Spirit did not dwell permanently in a soul, and if God saw fit He would yank it right out, but today that does not happen, we are forever with the LORD, and we can talk to Him one on one, no need for a priest or prophet and no need for Him to answer us. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” – John 14:16-17.
What a day it will be when we as Christians can walk the earth and not be condemned, ridiculed, or falsely prosecuted because we choose Christ. People make the mistake of thinking that the only people of Israel are descendants of Jacob, this is incorrect. If you were thinking of flesh, then yes, but God does not think of the flesh, never has, He thinks of the soul. When Christ returns, the children of Israel will be all, Jew and Gentile those whom are saved. Israel has always had a need for the Saviour, today He is in the flesh of Jesus Christ. God confirms this several times, including here, through Joel, in which we discover all His people will join Him in Jerusalem.
“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.” – Joel 3:1-2,16-21.
“For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed:” How amazing is it that the second we receive Christ as our Saviour we are cleansed, stripped free from all the filth that sin had covered us with, no more strangers to God, but His children. This is the same promise given to us, reminding us that God never meant for just one nation to come to believe in Him and follow His Son, but all nations. “Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” – Romans 11:18-21,25-26.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” – Joel 2:11.
Today’s Prayer: God, Help me to look beyond now and see a deeper meaning of each day’s task. May the hope You place within this redeemed heart of mine stir up a joyful spirit and an overcoming attitude regarding the difficulties I encounter throughout the day. Restore unto me the joy of salvation and renew a Your Spirit within me as I rejoice in the unending hope I have in You. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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