I think it’s healthy to be an introspective person, and it's wise to examine our longings, cravings, and desires. With that in mind, have you ever examined your longing for leadership and direction?
Humanity has a powerful craving for justice and good leadership. We long to see fairness exhibited in our cultural institutions, and we mourn when its absent. We crave the oversight, guidance, and good decisions of righteous leaders, and we grumble when our leaders seem inept, immoral, or dishonest.
In every generation, however, mankind ends up experiencing disappointment with their leaders. We elect leaders, or leaders are appointed to govern us, but in big ways and small ways, they often let us down. We have a perfect ideal of what a leader should do and how a leader should function in his role, but our human leaders never fully match our idealistic hopes.
There is one leader, however, who will finally satisfy our craving for righteous leadership. Scripture tells us that the day is coming when Jesus Christ will return to rule and reign from Jerusalem. He will rule with perfect wisdom, righteousness, and benevolence. He will satisfy the longstanding desire of the hearts of men for the perfect leader to guide them.
In Joel 3:17-21, we see this short prophetic book conclude with a glimpse of what this world will see when Jesus returns to reign. How will Christ's reign impact us? What will this world look like when He is worshipped and recognized as Lord?
I. We will know Him
“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.”
They say sometimes it's better not to meet the people you admire or look up to because odds are, you won't continue to look up to them after you meet them. Thankfully, I have had the opposite experience. I have always been an avid music fan, and on more than one occasion, I have had the privilege to meet some of my favorite musicians and discover that they were as kind as I imagined them to be. It's always fascinating to get to know people up close that you've only known from a distance.
I'm grateful for the picture of the future that our Lord grants us in this passage. He tells us that His people have a future of knowing Him on a deeper level to look forward to. The glories of eternity are described here through the lens of relationship. We're told that we will know the Lord, that we will recognize His leadership and sanctifying power, and we will see the restoration of this world that He will facilitate.
We're also told that those who live as "strangers" or distant from the Lord will not pass through the place of His reign. At present, there are many who pass through Jerusalem who don't know the Lord. There are many who walk those streets and fearlessly blaspheme His name. But such will not be the case when Christ returns and restores all things.
“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
When the Lord returns to reign, we will know Him. Those who trust in Him will not live as strangers to His presence or power. And since that's the case for our future, why live like a stranger to Him now? Let's live as men and women who know Him, worship Him, and will live with Him forever.
II. We will be sustained by Him
“And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.”
Mankind was not designed by the Lord to be self-sufficient. We are dependent on Him, and at present we're also dependent on each other. Children don't mature into adults without the help of adults to get them there. When we reach adulthood, we all adopt jobs to help meet each other's needs in specialized ways. And in our latter years, we often become just as dependent on hygienic care and feeding as we were in our infancy.
In recent years, I have watched this play out in my family. My step-mother has developed a severe form of dementia. She can no longer care for herself. My father spends the bulk of his time and energy providing for her care. He feeds her, looks after her, and takes care of her many physical needs on a daily basis. I have to say, even though it's sad to see her mental capabilities lessen, she seems happier than I ever remember her being. She is being sustained by someone else, and she's content.
I'm grateful that we worship a God who sustains us. Scripture tells us that one of the ministries Christ is actively doing is sustaining all things. He sustains creation and He sustains His people. He strengthens us. He supports us. He feeds our body, mind, and spirit. And He assures us that He will sustain us forever. That's the picture that's being painted for us in this passage.
The mountains will drip with sweet wine. The hills will flow with milk. The streambeds will flow with water, and a fountain will come forth from the house of the Lord. These verses give us a colorful picture of our Lord's desire to sustain His people.
I'm grateful that even though these verses describe our future hope, they're also giving us a glimpse of our present reality. The better I know Christ, the more I have come to realize and appreciate the ways He is sustaining me. The Lord has not hesitated to ask me to take steps of faith or do difficult things, but in each challenging experience, I can feel His power sustaining me and helping me to trust His guidance.
III. Those who oppressed His people will not prosper
“Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. ”
History is filled with examples of people oppressing or taking advantage of others. Powerful nations have oppressed weak nations. Nations that forged alliances have broken them for selfish reasons. And individual relationships have often exhibited some of those same traits.
Not long ago, I received a phone call from a ministry leader I've developed a friendship with over the years. He was upset about the ways in which he and some other leaders had recently been betrayed by some others they thought were going to help them. I said to him, "In the short term, they may believe they have pulled one over on you or secured some kind of twisted victory, but keep in my they did this to you at the expense of their integrity. In the long run, they lost your trust and respect, which isn't a victory at all."
Scripture tells us many stories about nations that have set themselves against the people that God was working through. This has happened to believers in all generations, but those short-sighted victories will have negative long-term implications. Joel prophesies that nations like Egypt and Edom, two groups of people that routinely harassed and hurt the people of Israel, will become desolate. The innocent blood that they shed in their land is going to call out for righteousness, and that plea is going to be heard and answered by the Lord.
I don't rejoice in anyone's demise. I would much rather see the fruit of repentance and restoration in a person's life than a fruitless persistence in wrong-doing. But it does comfort my heart at present to know that in the end, injustice will not stand. The truth will always be brought to light, and those who deceive, malign, or oppress God's people will not prosper. In fact, their temporary prosperity will be taken away from them for good.
IV. God will dwell among us
“But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
When houses go up for sale in our neighborhood, I often mention it to our kids or other family members. I think it would be enjoyable to live within walking distance of our kids when they start families, and I think we'd enjoy if our extended family lived a little closer as well. Generally speaking, we tend to appreciate living near those we love.
I like the fact that Joel's book ends with a reminder that the Lord will live with His people. He will dwell among those He loves. This is a fitting and hopeful way for this book to conclude. In fact, in the second to last chapter of the Bible, we see the same reminder given to us.
“ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
As we dwell with the Lord, we will do so as men and women who have been cleansed of our unrighteousness. Joel tells us that the Lord will avenge the blood of His people. The word the ESV translates as "avenge" is also sometimes translated as "cleanse." We will be cleansed and prepared for an eternity in the presence of our Lord.
“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”
In your heart, where do you believe God to be? Does He seem distant from you right now? Do you feel too filthy or filled with shame to come near to Him? Among the things the Lord is using His word to reveal to us, is His assurance that cleansing can be found through faith in Jesus Christ who bore our sin on the cross. And as we're cleansed, we're invited to come near to the Lord.
There is no joy found in living distant from Jesus. There is no joy found in running from Him or rebelling against Him. True joy, both in the immediate present and in the future, is found in His presence. Christ invites you to live near to Him and experience that joy. Is that a joy your heart desires to know?
© John Stange, 2019
