May 21, 2013 Two Promises

Read Joel 2-3 Two Promises Joel 2:1-3, 18-20 “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand — 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come…18 Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. 19 The Lord will reply to them: ‘I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. 20 I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.’” FROM the moment of the first sin recorded in Genesis 3, God has made two promises to mankind. First, he will judge the sin. Second, he will save us from our sin as we repent. This is the call from Joel. He tells Judah to repent, or a great army will come and destroy it – and, indeed, it does one day at the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He also promises this: I will bring salvation to the land. And, indeed, he does through Jesus Christ. Judgment, my friends is coming again. Jesus came to prepare you for the next judgment with his salvation. Are you prepared? It’s True! God will judge you in your sin; he will save you in your repentance.