August 25, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Bring down your warriors, Lord.” (Joel 3.11b)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD TO US:

We dare not forget that all the world will be called into judgment before the Lord God. In Joel, that place of judgment is the Valley of Jehoshaphat. In Revelation, it is the Valley of Megiddo. Within the universe, it is on earth in David’s “valley of the shadow of death.” Regardless, it is the entire world who must stand before God the Judge of Righteousness. What is interesting in the third chapter of Joel is that God is issuing a “calm to arms.” That call stands in opposition to the one uttered in Isaiah, chapter 2. This may help to give us a sense of timing as to the writing and declaration of Joel. In Joel, God commands His scattered people from the nations to turn their plowshares and pruning hooks into weapons of war. Whether the Jewish “exiles/captives” had assimilated themselves into the local culture and practiced their practical skills of farming in acquiescence or whether they now were the servants under the commands of the local authorities to farm as the Hebrews in Egypt built bricks out of straw, the time for rebellion had come. They likely had no right to assemble apart from worship and even then perhaps not. Regardless, the time had come to raise an army out of the nations and march to Jerusalem. In Isaiah, the war had already been envisioned and the time for peace was being declared. The weapons were to be restored to their original purpose and an agrarian society which had been instituted by God reinstalled. It is here I would remind you, mighty ones of God, that for Isaiah this change was a reminder of the rebellion which broken humankind instituted themselves according to sin. To return to the “toil in the soil,” as I have coined the phrase of Edenic redemption, was to be in obedience to God who saved Adam and Eve from the death which was required for not heeding God’s word. Perhaps the taunt of the Serpent, the Fallen Lucifer, was a foreshadowing of such redemption, reconciliation and restoration which he knew God would provide. In Lucifer’s realm, such forgiveness was not extended to him and his followers of darkened angels and thus a license to sin. The extension of forgiveness to Adam and Eve showed “the weakness of God” and thus encouraged a license to sin. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The “toil in the soil” is the reminder to all of us that we derive our connection to God from the “ground of our being.” We were called out of all creation to be fashioned and formed in His image. We should never stray from it.

So, strangely, these two “armies” will be marching in one direction which is toward Jerusalem. One armed with rudimentary weapons of swords and spears. The other fashioned with the great weapons of war in mighty numbers. They do not conflict in their journey. Both have hope for final victory. The lesser army is spared in the moment because they pose no real threat. The hope may simply be to gather them all like “Custer at Little Big Horn” and rid the world of them once and for all. In so doing, they believe they would rid themselves of their God, the Yahweh Elohim. Interesting that the cry is as posted above “Bring down your warriors, Lord!” In Hebrew parlance, any journey toward Jerusalem from the human perspective is “up to Jerusalem” because it is a city set on a great hill. Could it be that those who have grown weary of the foreign oppression believe that only God’s angel army could provide the victory they desired? Oh they of little faith! God’s plans, ways and thoughts are most certainly higher that all others. It would be the evidence of faith, even the size of a mustard seed, that would provide the promised victory over the enemy. It is a battle of the mind, heart and soul. It is not a military conflict of arms. From this we get the reminder as spoken by Paul, “…for we do not fight against flesh and blood but of the dark forces of the world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6.12) We may surrender God’s belief in us or we must find confidence in God’s belief in us. This is the true battle that confronts us all. Do we dare believe God will do it all for us? Or will we believe in the God who has chosen us to do His will on earth as it is in Heaven?

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.