Whosoever Shall Call upon the Name of the LORD Joel 2:32

As Joel the prophet continued to share about the LORD “pouring out” His “spirit” upon “all flesh”, he wrote about the “wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke”. In chapter two and verse thirty-two of his prophesy, Joel shared how “whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD” shall be “delivered”. We read:

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 has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

The verse begins, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:” Joel began with the phrase, “And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call” which is one Hebrew word, “qara'” which means “call out, recite, read, proclaim and utter with a loud sound” “upon the name” which means “the reputation, fame and glory” “of the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God” “shall be delivered” or “to slip away, escape, slip out and save”.

The verse goes on to say, “for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said,...” Joel continued, “for in mount” or “hill, mountain, country and range of hills” “Zion” which means “parched place” and refers to “another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books” “and in Jerusalem” whose name means “teaching of peace” and is “the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the spirit” “shall be deliverance” or “escape or an escaped portion”, “as the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah and is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God” “has said” or “spoke, uttered, answered, thought, commanded, promised and intended”. Not only among those who “call upon” the LORD's name shall be “delivered” but also “Zion” and “Jerusalem” will be as well.

Finally the verse says, “... and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” Joel ended the verse with, “and in the remnant” or “survivors and those who are left” “whom the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah and is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God” “shall call” which means “call out, recite, read, cry out and proclaim”.

When we consider these words of Joel, we see the benefit of “calling” upon the “LORD”. Paul the apostle wrote in the book of Romans in chapter ten and verse thirteen, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”, and this promise is for those who “call upon” the name of Jesus Christ as their Savior and LORD. Joel stated that “Zion” and “Jerusalem” “shall be delivered”, and Paul continued this idea with those “who call upon the name of the Lord”. Let all who read these words receive the blessing of being “delivered” as they “call upon” the LORD's name.

Next time we begin the final chapter of Joel's prophesy as he shares concerning bringing back “the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem”, 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.