Because the
LORD was to “judge” the enemy nations who opposed Judah
and let His “roar and voice” sound aloud, the people of Judah
would “know that” He is “the LORD” their “God”
who is “dwells in Zion”. In chapter three and verse
eighteen of his prophesy, Joel shared how “the mountains, hills,
rivers and fountains” would be affected by the LORD's judgment
where we read:
And it
shall come to pass in that day, that
the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with
milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a
fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water
the valley of Shittim.
The
verse begins, “And it shall come to
pass in that day, that
the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with
milk,...” Joel
began with the phrase, “And it shall
come to pass in that day”
which is all one Hebrew word “yown” and means “time, year or
division of time”, “that the
mountains”
which refers to “hill or range of hills” “shall
drop” or
“drip, distill, prophesy, preach or discourse” “new
wine”
which means “sweet wine or pressed out juice”, “and
the hills”
or “place lower than a mountain” “shall
flow”
which means “go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move or go away”
“with milk”
which literally means “white milk or cheese” and metaphorically
means “abundance of the land”. When the LORD “roars”, utters
His “voice” and
brings judgment, even the “mountains
and hills” shall
be affected by it.
The
verse goes on to say, “... and all the rivers of Judah
shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house
of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.” Joel
added, “and all the rivers”
which refers to “channels, brooks, ravines and streams” “of
Judah” which means “praised”
and is “the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin
which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split
upon the death of Solomon” “shall flow”
or “go away, depart, proceed and move” “with waters”
or “waterings, floods and
springs”, “and a fountain”
which literally means “a spring” and figuratively means “a
source of satisfaction” “shall come forth”
or “go out, come out, exit and go forth” “of the
house” which refers to
“dwelling habitation, shelter and abode” “of the
LORD” which refers to “Yehovah
or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one
true God”, “and shall water”
or “give drink to and irrigate” “the valley”
or “torrent, wadi, stream and valley where a brook runs” “of
Shittim” which means “the
acacias” and refers to “a place of Israel's encampment between
the conquest of the transjordanic region and crossing the Jordan into
Canaan which is west of Jerusalem”. The LORD's impact upon the
“enemy nations” to Judah, should understand, even the “rivers
of Judah” and the “fountain
of the house of the LORD” act
upon His words.
When
we meditate upon these words of Joel, we begin to see the affect of
the LORD's “roar, voice and judgment”
upon those who oppose His people. Sometimes, many times, people
“oppose” God's Son Jesus Christ, and those who do so will suffer
eternally for it. Let us remember, the “mountains, hills,
rivers and fountains” are
moved by God's “voice”,
and those who hear Him should be moved to action as well.
Next
time Joel shares concerning “Egypt and Edom”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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