When the surrounding heathen nations saw the devastation wrought upon Y’hudah by the locust swarms, they laughed. Yo’el was especially hurt by their taunts when they jeered, ‘Where is your God now?’ (see 2:17). Those who serve the Lord often have to suffer derision from the ungodly people around them.

Punishment of Enemies

4(3) ¹ “For then, at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, ² I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Y’hoshafat [Adonai judges]. I will enter into judgment there for my people, my heritage, Isra’el, whom they scattered among the nations; then they divided my land. ³ They drew lots for my people, traded boys for whores, sold girls for wine to drink.

God will not leave his people to suffer forever. The people must have been feeling very disillusioned, but Yo’el gave them good news. God promised that ‘in those days and at that time’ they would be vindicated. However, He did not say that they would see justice done immediately. He spoke about this coming to pass in those days. This phrase obviously refers to the time when God would ‘pour out [his] Spirit on all people’ (Yo’el 2:28). We have already seen that, according to Acts 2:17, these are ‘the last days’ which began at Pentecost and will continue right up until the final last day—the day of the Lord when the Lord HaMashiach will return in great judgement.

⁴ “Moreover, what have you against me, Tzor, Tzidon, all parts of P’leshet? Are you paying me back for something I did? If you’re paying me back for something I did, then easily, quickly, I’ll pay you back right on your own head. ⁵ You took my silver and gold. You brought my good treasures into your temples. ⁶ The people of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim you sold to the Greeks, so that you could remove them far away from their land. ⁷ I will rouse them from the place where you sold them and pay you back right on your own head – ⁸ I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Y’hudah; and they will sell them to the men of Sh’va, a nation far off; for Adonai has spoken.

The poetry which Yo’el has so far employed now turns abruptly to stark prose as the Lord turned his attention to the fate of two groups of people who lived to the west of Jerusalem. To the north-west were the proud Phoenicians, specifically the people of Tyre and Sidon, and the lands of Philistia were situated to the east and south. In effect, the Lord said to these people, ‘Who do you think you are? Do you think you have the right to “get your own back” against me?’

Promise of Victor

⁹ “Proclaim this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men approach and attack.’ ¹⁰ Hammer your plow-blades into swords and your pruning-knives into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ¹¹ Hurry, come, you surrounding nations, gather yourselves together!” Bring your warriors down, Adonai!

First, he called them to wake up out of their sleepy lethargy; their warriors were to ‘rouse’ themselves (vv. 9, 12). Yo’el had already used this word in connection with the Y’hudah’s who had been sold into slavery, when God said through him, ‘I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them’ (v. 7). Now, in verse 9, he called ‘all the fighting men [to] approach and attack’.

No one would be excused from this battle; even the weak needed to be armed and were to declare, ‘I am strong!’

¹² “Let the nations be roused and come up to the Valley of Y’hoshafat [Adonai judges]. For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.” ¹³ Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, and tread, for the winepress is full. The vats are overflowing, for their wickedness is great. ¹⁴ Such enormous crowds in the Valley of Decision! For the Day of Adonai is upon us in the Valley of Decision! ¹⁵ The sun and moon have grown black, and the stars have stopped shining. ¹⁶ Adonai will roar from Tziyon, he will thunder from Yerushalayim, the sky and the earth will shake. But Adonai will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Isra’el. ¹⁷ “You will know that I am Adonai your God, living on Tziyon my holy mountain.” Then Yerushalayim will be holy, and foreigners will pass through her no more.

Once again, we read about the Valley of Y’hoshafat (see 3:2). The heathen nations would be roused from the complacency which had come upon them as a result of their power over the people of Y’hudah and Yerushalyim. They had assumed they were still in control of events, but now they would need to move forward into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where decisive events would unfold. An army, a nation, or an individual caught in a valley is in a vulnerable position because there are few places to hide; the enemy can look down from both sides and trap them in a pincer movement. This valley would be the place where God would ‘judge all the nations on every side’ (v. 12). The Lord God Almighty, whose honor these nations had impugned, would sit and do his work of judgment.

Restoration of Y’hudah

¹⁸ Then, when that time comes, the mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the streambeds of Y’hudah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of Adonai to water the Sheetim Valley. ¹⁹ But Egypt will be desolate and Edom a desert waste, because of the violence done to the people of Y’hudah, because they shed innocent blood in their land. ²⁰ Y’hudah will be inhabited forever, Yerushalayim through all generations. ²¹ “I will cleanse them of bloodguilt which I have not yet cleansed,” for Adonai is living in Tziyon. [1]

But the Lord will bless His people with deliverance, safety from invaders, and abundant supplies. The land of Israel would become fruitful and well-watered: the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Y’hudah shall be flooded with water. Egypt and Edom will become a desolate wilderness, … but Y’hudah will be inhabited forever. God will also acquit her of her guilt of bloodshed.

The book ends on a secure note with a reason: for Adonai is living in Tziyon.

In Yo’el 3:1-21, God promises restoration and justice. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and questioning your circumstances at home, take a moment to reflect on God’s faithfulness. Create a prayer space in your home where you can seek His guidance. Spend time praying not only for your own situation, but also for those in your home. Share stories of God’s faithfulness around the dinner table. This will reinforce the assurance that God is in control and will restore unity and peace within your family, fostering an atmosphere of hope and support.

In our next post, we begin to learn about the Prophecy of Amos.

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[1] Yo’el 4(3):1-21.