The Lord is Our Refuge | Joel
By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
From Joel 3:9-21
3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!” 11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, Lord!
12 “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. 13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!”
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 16 The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. 18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias. 19 But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. 20 Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. 21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? No, I will not.” The Lord dwells in Zion!
The prophet Joel told God’s people that the Lord is their refuge, what a comforting message. But have we thought about why we need places of refuge? When there is no trouble, no difficulty, no one will go seek a place of refuge. Through the prophet, the Lord tells us about the approaching Day of the Lord and of the End. We can look at it from several aspects:
1. Wars will begin; get ready for the battle!
Joel 3:9 “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.” Joel 3:10 “Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, ‘I am strong!’” There will be a final battle in the world and it is inevitable, because it is part of the Day of the Lord.
2. God’s judgment is about to begin, come to the Valley of Judgment!
In verses 11-15, we see the surrounding nations gathering together in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the valley of judgment, where God will judge the nations. At that time, we will witness a terrifying scene, Joel 3:13 says, “Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!” Joel 3:15 says, “The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.”
3. God will be our refuge; come and take refuge in him!
Joel 3:16 “The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.” Joel 3:17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.” God is a gracious God. Even to the last minute, He wants people to repent and trust in Him. He will become a shield for all who belong to Him.
4. The promise of God’s presence, accept it by faith!
From verses 18-21, we see another picture: the mountains will drip new wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the ravines of Judah will run with water, a fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and water the valley of acacias. What a beautiful picture! The righteous God will judge on behalf of those who belong to him. God’s promise can be found in Joel 3:20 to 21: “Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged? No, I will not. The Lord dwells in Zion!”
The Day of the Lord is the most terrifying but it is also the most joyous of days. How you experience depends entirely on whether or not you are ready to meet the Lord.
Previous post: The Valley of Jehoshaphat
耶和華是我們的避難所 | 約珥書
張國強牧師
約珥書 3:9-21
3:9 當在萬民中宣告說, 要預備打仗, 激動勇士, 使一切戰士上前來。10 要將犁頭打成刀劍, 將鐮刀打成戈矛, 軟弱的要說: 我有勇力。11 四圍的列國阿, 你們要速速地來, 一同聚集, 耶和華阿, 求你使你的大能者降臨。
12 萬民都當興起, 上到約沙法谷, 因為我必坐在那裡? 審判四圍的列國。13 開鐮罷, 因為莊稼熟了, 踐踏罷, 因為酒醡滿了, 酒池盈溢, 他們的罪惡甚大。
14 許多許多的人在斷定谷, 因為耶和華的日子臨近斷定谷。15 日月昏暗, 星宿無光。16 耶和華必從錫安吼叫, 從耶路撒冷發聲, 天地就震動, 耶和華卻要作他百姓的避難所, 作以色列人的保障。
17 你們就知道我是耶和華你們的 神, 且又住在錫安我的聖山, 那時, 耶路撒冷必成為聖, 外邦人不再從其中經過。18 到那日, 大山要滴甜酒, 小山要流奶子, 猶大溪河, 都有水流, 必有泉源從耶和華的殿中流出來, 滋潤什亭谷。19 埃及必然荒涼, 以東變為悽涼的曠野, 都因向猶大人所行的強暴, 又因在本地流無辜人的血。20 但猶大必存到永遠, 耶路撒冷必存到萬代。21 我未曾報復 流血的罪, 現在我要報復, 因為耶和華住在錫安。
3:16 耶和華必從錫安吼叫, 從耶路撒冷發聲, 天地就震動, 耶和華卻要作他百姓的避難所, 作以色列人的保障。先知約珥告訴神的百姓神是他們的避難所, 這是何等安慰的信息, 但我們有沒有想一想, 為什麼我們需要避難所呢? 沒有患難, 沒有困難, 沒有人會到避難所裡去的。神藉著先知告訴我們耶和華日子的來臨與結局的情況, 我們可以從幾方面來思想:
1. 戰爭要開始了, 預備打仗吧!
3:9 當在萬民中宣告說, 要預備打仗, 激動勇士, 使一切戰士上前來。3:10 要將犁頭打成刀劍, 將鐮刀打成戈矛, 軟弱的要說: 我有勇力。世界最後終有一戰, 這是無可避免的事, 因為這是耶和華日子的一部份。
2. 神審判要開始了, 來到判決谷吧!
從 11-15節, 我們看見神使四圍的列國, 一同聚集約沙法谷, 約沙法谷就是判決谷, 神要在那裡審判四圍的列國。在那時候我們看見一個非常可怕的景像, 3:13說, 開鐮罷, 因為莊稼熟了, 踐踏罷, 因為酒醡滿了, 酒池盈溢, 他們的罪惡甚大。3:15說, 日月昏暗, 星宿無光。
3. 神要成為避難所, 來投靠祂吧!
3:16 耶和華必從錫安吼叫, 從耶路撒冷發聲, 天地就震動, 耶和華卻要作他百姓的避難所, 作以色列人的保障。3:17 你們就知道我是耶和華你們的神, 且又住在錫安我的聖山, 那時, 耶路撒冷必成為聖, 外邦人不再從其中經過。神是滿有恩慈的神, 在最後一分鐘, 祂作希望人們悔改投靠祂, 祂要成為所有屬祂的人的條障。
4. 神同在的應許, 憑信心接受吧!
從18-21節, 我們可以看見另外一幅圖畫, 在那裡大山要滴甜酒, 小山要流奶子, 猶大溪河, 都有水流, 必有泉源從耶和華的殿中流出來, 滋潤什亭谷。這是何等美麗的圖畫, 而且公義的神要為屬祂的人施行審判, 神的應許是3:20 但猶大必存到永遠, 耶路撒冷必存到萬代。3:21 我未曾報復 流血的罪, 現在我要報復, 因為耶和華住在錫安。
耶和華的日子是可怕的, 但也是可喜的, 在乎你預備好迎見你的神嗎？