Visions and Dreams...the Wayfarer 7/18/14

Visions and Dreams
7/18/14

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:”

(Joel 2:28)

Today we return to another of the “minor” prophets that have drawn and continue to draw my attention over the past few months, and their relevance to us today.

I have heard many sermons taken from this particular scripture, many varying interpretations of its current relevance, many interpretations of the promise given by this opening verse.

For ME  to grasp any significance, to our times, and the world in which we live, I found I first had to read the entire prophesy given by this old prophet from the first chapter through the end.

As this is a lengthier piece of scripture than I could expect most to take in one bite, I ask that you also, at your own leisure, in your own time also read the entire book.

Joel was prophesying to a people, who had again left the path given them by God the Father, and had chosen their own way over His.  

This path was ruinous, as God’s judgment could not and cannot be avoided.

The opening Chapter and first few verses tell the older generation to let the younger know what was upon them, and that they had never experienced anything like the destruction to come if the path being followed was not abandoned!

Each section of their society is addressed from the vintner, to the shepherd to the priests and ministers. All are told to lament and make atonement to God for their failure to follow His laws.

The 15^th verse of that first chapter tells them why they should lament …and REPENT!

“Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.”

(Joel 1:15)

The second chapter, from which our opening scripture was taken, begins with a continuation of the warning begun in the first Chapter.

“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.

(Joel 2:1&2)

Joel warned that it was time for any who believed and feared God to heed this warning and pass it to others.

He goes on to describe the desolation to come, the army that cannot be overcome that will set upon them, an army of His own!

“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.

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.”

(Joel 2:11-13)

This people were reminded of the power held by God, and the fact that no man may withstand His wrath once it is unleashed.

Joel goes on to give them a way out, a way to turn aside the anger held by God for their sin and the inevitable destruction to come.

Note that they are told to rend their heart, and not their garments! This is another case of worshipping in spirit and in truth instead of the outward show of false righteousness. It was a means to give TRUE REPENTANCE!

“Well, preacher, you still haven’t said why a warning given to Israel by that old prophet so long ago, has any significance to US!”

I repeat again the absolute fact  that what was unacceptable to God then is still unacceptable now!

“Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people , Where is their God?”

(Joel 2:17)

Just as Joel told the priests and ministers of that time that it was time for gravity, repentance and time to LEAD God’s people to the same repentance then, it is time now for that same leadership, that same contrition, that same sorrow for the condition of a nation, any nation, that has turned away from God and to its own connivances and pleasures.

It is time that God's people stand up, gird their loins with their big boy pants, and BE God’s people again!

The majority of the remainder of the second chapter tells of the blessings that may be had by heeding the warning that has been given.

It promises far more than just prosperity and peace, It promises victory over the heathen that would otherwise devour this nation protected so long by God. It promises deliverance!

“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)

The third chapter continues its warning, but now that warning is directed at those enemies of Israel, particularly to Syria, whose sin had invaded the very society and people reserved for, and dedicated to, the worship of the One True God, and who continue in their attempts to eradicate that people and Christians as well!

It promises retribution for their crimes against Israel and God himself!

It promises retribution for the innocent blood shed both then and now!

It reminds all of the Day of Judgment that is at hand and what that judgment will be!

He tells his people to proclaim this promise to all of the world, including the Gentile as well as all other heathens!

He tells them to prepare for war, and to expect the needed strength to overcome the gathered enemies around them!

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up:

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say I am strong.

Assemble yourselves and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down O Lord. 

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow, for their wickedness is great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.”

(Joel 3:9-14)

It is the opinion of This  old  preacher, that we are now in that valley of decision! It is time to decide which way we follow, God’s way, and His laws, or man’s way and man’s paltry rules that violate those laws. 

All my life, I have heard the phrase, “The American Dream”.  At one time, that dream was in fact a vision of the future, one of prosperity, Godliness and of enjoying the blessings bestowed upon us because of our insistence that God’s laws be honored and obeyed. 

We, too, were blessed with that outpouring of the spirit that was promised in our opening, and our young did indeed have visions for a better nation and a better people. That vision was one of unity, not the divisiveness that exists today. That vision was grounded in faith in our God, that same God spoken of by Joel, that same God who told Joel what to expect when His people turned from Him. 

Have we come to the point where old men may only dream dreams of yesterday, and the richness we were blessed with, because of the path taken, or may those old men still dream of a nation that will continue in the blessings vested in us, and bestowed on us, by that God that Joel spoke of?

The answer lies in our response to the warnings issued by Joel, Amos , Haggai, and all the prophets, but particularly in response to the words of Christ Jesus, the greatest prophet of all, God’s own Son, who came in the flesh to issue once more the warning necessary to all peoples of all nations:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

I will conclude with the last few verses of this book of prophecy given so long ago that IS so pertinent today!

“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 dwellest in Zion”

(Joel 3:19-21)

That cleansing spoken of in that final verse of this book is still available through the blood already shed by a Savior come to render us redemption through repentance! That repentance demanded now is the same repentance demanded of Israel, as Joel wrote his prophecy.

That same judgment issued at that time, is still in effect, and will continue to be in effect until the FINAL day of judgment arrives!

 It is the only thing that could bring a nation back into God’s favor, and more importantly, the only way to attain the promised kingdom on that Day of Judgment, also promised still to come for all mankind!

Pursue your visions. Dream your dreams. Do so with the full knowledge that as you do so you are daily in that valley of decision, and that your decision determines how you spend eternity after those dreams and visions are achieved.

I leave you once more with the love of my Savior promised to you, as well as it was to me. 

 I remain, as I must, still an imperfect creature, striving toward that eventual perfection promised me, a simple sinner saved by the grace of God through Faith in His Son Jesus who alone may grant that perfection, still an unworthy, but willing soldier in His service, echoing the warnings given us over and over through the scriptures, and also echoing that given promise, if you are but willing to ASK for it!

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer