Plowshares and Prunninghooks Joel 3:10

Joel the prophet declared, “Proclaim this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:” as he prophesied concerning the opposing “nation” to Judah, and in chapter three and verse ten of his prophesy, Joel shared what they should do with their “plowshares and pruninghooks” where we read:

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

The verse begins, “Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears:” Joel began with the word, “Beat” or “crush to pieces or fine” “your plowshares” which means “a hoe, digging implement or coulter” “into swords” or “knives or other sharp instruments like an axe, dagger, mattock or tool”, “and your prunninghooks” which refers to “pruning knives” “into spears” or “javelins, lancets or bucklers”. Joel desired for the people of Judah to raise weapons of war against the invading army by making “swords” and “spears” out of their normal farming tools.

The verse goes on to say, “ let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel added, “let the weak” which refers to “frail, decrepit or feeble” “say” or “speak, utter, command, promise and intend”, “I am strong” which means “mighty, brave and valiant like a warrior”. Joel continued to exhort and embolden the people of Judah as he called even the “weakest” among them to believe they are “mighty, brave and valiant”.

When we think about these words of Joel, we may think of verses where God told the people they would “beat their swords into plowshares” and “their swords into pruninghooks”. In other words, they would trade their weapons of war for farming tools. In this case, God Almighty is against the enemy nation who conquered Judah, and He is calling them to prepare for war. Should there be someone reading these words who does not have Jesus Christ as their Savior and LORD, let them remember, those who are opposed to God's only begotten Son Jesus are opposed to God Almighty Himself. People with this line of resistance should begin preparing for a war against God they are forever destined to lose.

Next time Joel tells the people to “assemble” themselves, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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