Joel

We saw last week that in his opening chapters Joel responds to the crisis facing Israel less by condemning their behaviour, as many prophets rightly do, but by jumping straight to the core of the crisis: the People of God has forgotten the God whose people they were. Repentance means honouring God. It means change too - real change not just displays of change. “Rend your hears not your garments.” God’s voice enters with a promise: that where he is honoured fruitful life is restored. In our passage today God’s promise zooms out, to the biggest picture of all, to that moment when all creation is restored to full life – the age of the Spirit. Joel’s vision unfolds a sequence by which the mighty wind of God’s Spirit blow through all flesh and ushers in the day of the Lord. The NT combines this vision with others into the story of Christ and the revolution at Pentecost. But Joel is not finished. In chapter three he unfolds the consequence of encounter with God. The whole of creation and history is rent. The day of the Lord is terrible, as well as inspiring.