The Lord Delivers His People

Joel 3:16 has two parts. 1) He delivers His people. How? By 2) defeating His foes. Look at the first part of verse 16:

The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake…   Joel 3:16a (ESV)

Wow. The Lord decisively defeats His enemies.

You say, “Well, I’m not an enemy of God’s people. I go to church, man! I’m not God’s enemy. I’m just normal. I’m just human. I admit I’m lukewarm and little indifferent. But I never hurt anybody. I’m not an enemy.”

Jesus said, “If you aren’t for Me, you’re against Me. If you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of My mouth.” The Bible says that we are all naturally drawn to self-preservation and self-satisfaction. We are part of the problem. (I am my own worst problem.) We pursue our own agendas and not God’s. It’s why the Bible says that apart from the transforming power of Christ, we are God’s enemies.

The issue isn’t: Did you not hurt anybody? Passive people are part of the problem. The issue is: Has my heart been so changed that I am a positive force in this world? Do I help? Do I serve? Do I love? Am I really His? Am I really a follower of Christ?

The Day of the Lord is a dangerous day for people whose self-centered passivity marks them as enemies.

This coming Day of the Lord ought to stir in us a reverence, a respect, a fear of God so that we run. Not from Him, but to Him. And why should we run to Him? Look at the last part of Joel 3:16.

But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.  Joel 3:16b (ESV)

God is a safe place for His people. The Day of the Lord is a good day for His people.

The Lord won’t execute His justice when we want and how we want. But He will be our refuge and stronghold in His time and in His way. We have to trust. We don’t see as He sees. We don’t know what He knows. Delayed justice doesn’t mean denied justice.

Is God a bad God because He defeats His enemies and delivers His people? Think of the books, the stories, and the movies we love the most! The heroes after an epic struggle come to the rescue. We want to cheer for the heroes when justice prevails. We breathe a sigh of relief when the defenseless and the powerless get to live in safety and peace. It brings tears of joy to our eyes.

That’s what’s happening here.

Again some people don’t like this view of God. They say, “The Bible presents God as some kind of narrow-minded, prejudiced, bigoted, tribal God who only cares about a small slice of humanity – the Jews or the Christians. I just can’t worship a God like that!”

It does say here that He is a refuge to His people, a stronghold to Israel. But think with me. Who can be His people? Who can be Israel? I love what Joel says at the end of chapter 2.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.  Joel 2:32 (ESV)

Everyone. Whoever. Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever will may come!

Jews. Gentiles. Slave. Free. Male. Female. Any and all “whoevers” can be His person. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists, agnostics. It doesn’t matter. Everyone is invited to have the Lord as a refuge. It’s why we send missionaries. Asians. Africans. Europeans. North and South Americans. Antarcticans!

The Lord will deliver any and all who come to Him. God will turn any enemy into a friend if they will just come to Him. If we repent He relents. And He will decide for us and not against us. He delivers.