It’s no secret to many of you at this point that I really like baseball. It’s a beautiful game. And I get very frustrated when people are like, “I think it’s boring.” I would venture that if you think it’s boring, it’s likely because you don’t fully understand it. I mean, if you do understand and you find it boring, well, that’s a different conversation. But I would likely venture that if you say it’s boring, you don’t fully understand it.
Arguably, no team ever, though, in the history of baseball has been quite as dominant as the 1998 Atlanta Braves. They had four Hall of Famers on that team: Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones. Sorry, Andrew Jones is likely to be one as well. They also had three All-Stars in addition to those five Hall of Famers on that year’s squad. So, a third of the National League All-Star team that year was made up of Atlanta Braves. It was considered a foregone conclusion that they were going to win the World Series that year. They were what seemed to be like a completely unstoppable force until Game Six of the National League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres.
It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Braves were going to be hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of the World Series that year. But the unstoppable force had most certainly been stopped. History gives us plenty of other examples of things just like this. We think about how many historians would consider the Roman Empire to be the greatest empire, the greatest force of humanity ever known, until it wasn’t. Five hundred years of conquering pretty much the entire known world until they were disbanded by a group of sporadic Germanic tribes that really didn’t have a whole system of attack going on. They had become so flawed that the unstoppable force again had been stopped.
You can probably think of several other examples throughout human history, because even the most powerful human forces will, can, and are stopped. However, our God is not like that. He accomplishes what he sets out to do. If you’re a good Gideon, you know that Isaiah 55:11 says of God’s Word, “It will not return void unto him.” He accomplishes what he sets out to do each and every single time. Our God cannot be foiled.
That’s what we’re looking at in the text this morning. We continue our study through the Book of Joel. We’re going to be in Joel 2:1-11. The Lord’s power is unstoppable, and our three supporting points will help explain that further. We’re looking at how his power is coming, how his power is near, how humans cannot stand against it, and how his followers can share this power in Him. Our text is Joel 2:1-11. You can go ahead and turn there together now.
God’s Word there says this morning, “Blow the horn in Zion. Sound the alarm on my holy mountain. Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. In fact, it is near. A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness. Like the dawn spreading over the mountains, a great and strong people appears, such as never existed in ages past and never will again in all generations to come. A fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame blazes. The land in front of them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them it is like a desert wasteland. There is no escape from them. Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like war horses. They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war.
Nations writhe in horror before them. All faces turn pale. They attack as warriors attack. They scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path, and they do not change their course. They do not push each other. Each proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows, never stopping. They storm the city. They run on the wall, they climb into the houses. They enter through the windows like thieves. The earth quakes before them. The sky shakes, the sun and moon grow dark, and the stars cease their shining. The Lord makes His voice heard in the presence of his army. His camp is very large. Those who carry out his command are powerful indeed. The day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful. Who can endure it?”
Sounds like a delightful text to tackle. This morning, we study through the Book of Joel. We’re going to start with our big idea, which is also our title: that the Lord’s power is indeed unstoppable. Our first point is that his power is near.
In verses 1 and 2, we’re looking at his power. It’s coming. It’s close by. It’s not far off. It will not be denied. That was true for both Joel’s people then and us now. The Lord’s power does not change. As you read through your Bible, especially in the Old Testament, it’s helpful to know that the things that are true about God then are true about God now. Pastor Robert has also mentioned a few times that with prophecy, it can have both an immediate and later fulfillment, and sometimes it can be saying three things at once, and all of them are definitely totally true, which makes it tough for us on this side of the cross to kind of understand what’s going on.
But this appears to be one of those times because we’re not called to be fearful of God’s power if we know Him. We’re not called to do that, but rather warned of it. We’re also told a few things about this power in addition to when it’ll arrive. It’s described here too that his power is described as dark and gloomy. And that sounds like what it is. It sounds dark and gloomy, and that’s clear here in the text.
But in this particular phrase, this particular passage that was somewhat of a stock metaphor for the Old Testament, Bible scholar Dr. Duane A. Garrett, writing for the New American Commentary, says clouds and darkness are a stock metaphor for the day of the Lord. He references Isaiah 5:30, Jeremiah 13:16, Amos 5:18-20, and Zephaniah 1:15. But this fact should not blind us to the theophanic, which is just a word describing anytime that God intervenes personally in history, to this theophanic significance of the language.
In the Exodus, a pillar of cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptian chariots. When Yahweh gave the Ten Commandments at Sinai, the people were terrified of the thunder, lightning, and sound of the ram’s horn. Now Joel implied that Israelites who had failed to keep the covenant had to face the wrath of Yahweh. So disobedience here brought this on. This is not coming out of nowhere. We don’t land in Joel chapter two and just find a vengeful, wrathful God. No, this has been provoked; this has been brought on. In fact, this theme throughout all of God’s Word makes this clear. Just bear with me.
In Isaiah 28:21, we read, “For the Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim. He will rise in wrath, as at the valley of Gibeon, to do his work, his unexpected—some translations say his strange work—and to perform his task, his unfamiliar—and again, some translations say his strange task.” This highlights here the offense of what’s going on, this continual path of disobedience. God is not sitting in heaven just waiting to spring forth, ready to pounce on the wicked, ready to pounce on sin and bring about death and destruction. It has to be provoked. That’s why Isaiah calls it his strange work, his unfamiliar work. God does not want to do this to his people.
We’re highlighting here just how serious this is because when we sin against our God, it needs to be paid for. It will either be paid for by Jesus on the cross if we know him, or it will be paid for by the disobedient someday who never put their trust in Christ. Because this power, this wrath, it’s close. It’s not going to be denied. It’s unstoppable.
C.S. Lewis described God’s power in the Christ figure of Aslan in the Narnia books this way: “Aslan, or Aslan, if you love Narnia, you can correct me later, but he is a lion. The lion, the great lion?” “Ooh,” said Susan. “I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe, but he’s good. He’s the king, I tell you.” Our God is very good, but he is not safe. He is not tame. He is not to be messed with. Much like a lion, this power is not something to be toyed with.
So maybe you’re thinking, “Okay, in 21st century America, what do we do with this power? How do we interact with this?” Well, I think we respect it, we acknowledge it, and we humble ourselves before it. Because if we have not trusted in Christ, that power, that attack, that wrath is still very much on a course for us. If we have not trusted in Jesus, that’s where it has to start—by repenting and putting our faith and allegiance in Him. It starts from turning from a life of sin and self-worship and wanting to please anything but God, but turning to and saying, “Jesus, would you take that on for me? I want to trust in you. I want you to take care of my sin. I’m putting my faith in you.” If we haven’t trusted in him, it starts there.
But if we have, it’s a remembrance; it’s a call to sit and remember and be humbled by and say, “God, I praise you for what you’ve done for me. I praise you that the same power that is described here in Joel 2 is now at work for me.” That is good news. Followers of Jesus should humble themselves because they know they have been saved by this grace and this grace alone. And when we’re tempted to be boastful, we remember this was not of our own doing. Remember that God’s power is good, but it is definitely not safe.
We remember that his power is near. It’s also clear from the text that humans cannot stand against it. Moving to verses 3 through 10, starting in verse 3 and going all the way through 10, there’s this description of what this plan for this power is like. There are three different layers to this power, three different layers to this plan of destruction. The power of God is going to accomplish what it’s going to accomplish. We are on the same page. That’s clear here. Neither the ancient people nor any humans today can stand against or in the way of the power of God. We can’t stop him.
First, there’s the fire. It’s described as consuming everything in its path. You think about prescribed burns and how those can be devastating, but in a good way to an area, like the power of God setting out a fire that’s going to consume everything. You think of the scorched-earth plans of the Civil War, where they just burned everything in their path and there was nothing left standing. That’s what’s being described here. It’s a fire that’s rapid and devastating.
Next, we see it’s like a lightning war. Maybe you’re familiar with the term blitzkrieg from World War II. It happened so suddenly and almost overnight, in the blink of an eye, that nobody can stand against it. Nobody knows what hit them. Again, it emphasizes that it is so rapid and devastating; it’s completely unparalleled. Last, there’s the realization described in verse 6: “Nations writhe in horror before them; all faces turn pale.” It’s that moment of realization, that moment of, “There’s nothing I can do. I’ve been humbled. I can’t stand against this.”
Maybe you think of a time when you were a kid and you realized that the jig was up, that you hadn’t been caught, that you were so totally helpless. A pale face is like seeing a ghost. Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, great, but when will all this happen?” If we’re being honest, we don’t really know. I’ve studied this passage for 10-12 hours this week, and I don’t know. I think that’s okay to approach the Bible sometimes with that heart posture. There are some things in there that we just don’t understand.
This discussion, especially in verses like 3 through 5, raises questions. Some people think that it’s still the locusts that become like men. Maybe. I don’t know. But I think it’s important to focus on what is clear: that humans cannot, will not, and never will be able to stand against the power of God. We are no match for who he is, and we are no match for what he’s capable of. The moment will come when everybody will have this realization. Everyone who’s ever lived, whether they’re in Christ or not. Philippians 2:10-11 says it this way: “So at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
It says not many tongues, not some; it says all. Everyone, everywhere, at all times. At some point in human history, on that last day of history as we know it, everyone will come to know that Jesus is Lord. The invitation is there to have it either be now or when it’s forced. God wants our worship now. Everyone who has ever lived will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will see and recognize his power. On that day, it will be undeniable. It will be very clear. For some, it will be a day of regret. For others, it will be a day of praise and worship.
For those who know Jesus, it’s, “Yes, I’ve waited for this day.” For those who didn’t know Jesus, it’s that moment of instant regret, knowing that they should have put their trust in him sooner. A mere human trying to stand against the power of God is difficult to illustrate, but I would say it’s not even like a human standing against the world’s tallest ever recorded tidal wave, which was 1,720 feet, in case you’re wondering. It’s more like an ant trying to stand against that tidal wave times 10, but also that that tidal wave is on fire, and there’s a sharknado happening in the middle of it. Even that is too small of an illustration because we don’t have a full concept of how powerful God is.
He is very good, but he is not safe. Neither is his power. Because if humans could stand against him, or slow God down even a little bit, he would not be much of a God at all. This is not because God is some bloodthirsty, cruel jerk, but because he is the Alpha and the Omega. He simply is God.
How often do we try to take on his power, though? All the time. Maybe you think, “Well, Hunter, I know Jesus. I’ve been trusting him for a long time.” Okay, but we still have sin we’re struggling with. For me, it’s a number of small ways: “God, if I shot a 200-inch buck, my life would really be complete.” “God, if I had a Toyota Tacoma, man, I probably wouldn’t ever ask you for anything ever again.” “God, if I got the approval of my friends.” “God, if somebody thought I was really cool.”
In these little ways, we stand against God’s power instead of submitting to and knowing that that power is for us. Maybe you have a few that come to mind. Some people, I would argue, go their entire lives thinking they can stand against this power. You can live quite a happy life by earthly standards. You can have what the world would call a good life, but it won’t pay off.
When we try to stand against God’s power, it comes from a flawed view of Him. It comes from a flawed view of his laws because they’re not designed to keep us in a box, to keep us contained, or to keep us suppressed. I don’t know why people think that God is like that, but it’s not his design for humans. His design, his law, is for human flourishing. That’s God’s best design for you because there’s no flourishing that can happen apart from Him. He made us. He knows us. He knows what we’re supposed to be like.
Similar to our first point, we must either come to know Christ for the first time or confess an area of disobedience. That’s how we respond to this section of text. That’s how we respond to this incoming judgment. But it’s very clear here—nothing else is clearer than in verses 3 through 10—that judgment is coming, is it not? Humans cannot stand against the power of God, but His followers can share this power in Him.
Looking lastly at verse 11, the Lord makes His voice clear. His camp is very large. There’s a lot going on. And maybe as you’re reading this, you’re like, “This kind of sounds like more of the same. This sounds like what I’ve seen so far in the text. I don’t really… where’s the good news then?”
Halfway through the passage, the tone shifts. It says, “Those who carry out his command are powerful.” That’s good news. Maybe you’re thinking that’s a warped view of the Gospel. Just bear with me. It’s not saying that we get his favor by carrying out his commands, but it’s saying those who carry out those who truly are pleasing to God. We can only do that if we’ve put our trust and faith in Him. If we put our allegiance in him, if that has happened, then yes, we will come to obedience.
Maybe your second question is, “Okay, but it sounds like it’s talking about the verses 3 through 10. It sounds like that’s what it’s referring to, like the army.” That might be true, but is it still not true that those who put their trust in and follow God’s commands will be favored, that they will share in his power? It absolutely is. It doesn’t say that they join because they’re powerful, but because God is powerful. This theme runs throughout the entire New Testament.
Second Peter 1:3 is a great example of it. There we read, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” God does this by his power. If our hope, our faith, our trust, our allegiance is in him, then this power is on our side, and we get to join him in this—not by human power, DC power, solar power, coal power, gasoline, steam, or whatever kind of concoction we can come up with, but by the power of God and God alone.
It’s only accessible for his followers who live in obedience to Him. Everything that’s described—all the terror, all the wrath, all the power, all the glory, everything—all of that in verses 1 through 10. If we know Jesus, that is for us, that is on our side, if we follow the Lord. The same ferocity that God comes down on and with and toward obedience is working for believers whose allegiance is to him. That’s why Jesus is called both the lion of Judah and the Lamb of God.
He’s the lion with that incredible ferocity, that incredible power that’s at work, and the same power that is at work against disobedience and the wicked. That same power he takes and interacts with and comforts and is tenderly compassionate and kind in a lamb-like way to those of us who have trusted in him. Maybe your view of Jesus for a long time has been that he’s only the lion, that he’s only disappointed, that he’s only coming after me, and he kind of has to let me into heaven just because God said he had to. That’s an interesting conversation among the Trinity, you think. But he’s also the Lamb.
Maybe some of you think, “Well, Jesus wouldn’t have strong opinions. He wouldn’t make anybody uncomfortable.” Kevin DeYoung, a pastor in North Carolina, says, “If your Jesus never says hard things, he’s not the real Jesus.” So he’s the lion and the Lamb. He’s both. It’s a wonderful thing. That’s who our God is, and we can share that with him.
We’re not given clear instructions here as to what to do next. That’s why I think we really like reading the New Testament letters, especially the epistles in the Western world, because they say, “This is true, so go do this.” We don’t get that here, so we kind of have to read a little bit more, dig a little bit deeper, and look for some themes.
When we go from doing things in our own strength to doing things in his power, we sign up to join this power. In Ephesians 6:10-11, we’re commanded to do this: “Finally, be strengthened,” it says, “by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.” We share this power with God by asking for it and by putting it on. It’s a conscious decision when we stand in strong obedience with hearts that are right with our good God.
So it’s probably clear by this point, we’re several weeks into the study, that Joel is not neat and tidy. It’s not like we said—it’s not like the New Testament letters where it says, “Here’s this, here’s what’s true, and now go do this.” It’s not like that. We see a powerful truth, though. It talks all around how God is powerful, how he’s unstoppable, how we can join him in it.
Even though it doesn’t come out and directly say it, this passage makes clear that the Lord’s power is unstoppable. It’s undeniable. Nobody’s going to stand against it. The power is near, and humans certainly can’t stand against it. But it is accessible if we’re found in Him.
As we’ve talked about, if you’re a follower of Jesus, this should come with humility, respect, and acknowledgment of what’s going on here. When we’re tempted to feel superior, let us remember how easily things could be just the opposite. It’s by grace, not works, that we’re saved. What might that look like for you? Where might the Lord be needing to humble you? Where might the Lord be needing to show you some more reverence, some more respect for Him? What might it look like to walk in obedience to this good King, this good but not safe King, this unstoppable God?
For those of you who’ve never put your trust in this incredible God, I think this is an invitation. We’re shown, especially throughout the Old Testament, that this power is undeniable, this God is real, this God cares, and he wants to intervene in human lives. It might be today, might be the day you get the chance to put your trust in Him, a chance to have this power on your side.
And like I mentioned before, if you’ve never put your trust in him, it starts with repentance, which is just a fancy church word for saying turning away from and turning to—turning away from sin and self-worship and following anything but the Lord, and turning to and putting your trust and your faith and your allegiance to Jesus.
Let me just say to you, if you’re sitting there and you have questions about what you’ve heard this morning, maybe you’ve got the Jesus thing sort of figured out, or maybe it’s anything but figured out, you can find anybody here with a name tag on this morning, anybody you’ve seen on stage; you can ask them questions, and we’d be happy to point you in the right direction.
As we get ready for this final song, I want to encourage you to do one of a few things, at least one of these things. You’re welcome to remain seated if you’d like, or you’re welcome to stand. It’s really up to you. However you want to worship here this morning, but take time to do any business that you have yet to do with God. Anytime is a good practice. Anytime that you read God’s Word or hear it proclaimed or taught, God is always calling you to respond.
Maybe it’s something as simple as a deeper worship of him, or maybe there’s a sin area that needs to be confessed. Or maybe, like we’ve talked about, it’s the chance to put your trust in Jesus this morning. I want to invite you to take this time to do that business with him. If he’s calling you to repent, please do that. Maybe he’s calling you just to sit and be quiet because this is the only time of your week that can really be quiet.
What we want to make space for as the worship band plays the last song is simple. Please, even just for a brief moment, just ask God, “How do I need to respond? How should I respond to your Word proclaimed this morning?” I’m going to pray, and then we’ll give you the chance to do just that.
God, we love you, and we thank you for you. We thank you for your Gospel; it’s the power of salvation for all who believe. We thank you that lion-like ferocity is on the side of those who love you, who trust you, who have their allegiance to you. God, you are a good God whom we love and serve. We thank you that your power is indeed unstoppable. We pray that we would respond how you lead us to respond this morning. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. He’s been my fourth man in the fire time after time. Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood. And what he did for me on Calvary is all that he does. So I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. Perfect submission, all is at rest. I know the author of tomorrow has ordered my test. So this is my story, and this is my song. I’m praising my risen King and Savior all day long. So I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail.
I sought the Lord, and he heard, and he answered. I sought the Lord, and he heard, and he answered. I sought the Lord, and he heard, and he answered. That’s why I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God.”
It’s been good to be with you this morning. If you have signed up, you know the drill. But even if you haven’t signed up and you showed up this morning, we invite you to take part in the youth fundraiser that’s happening over in the multipurpose room afterwards.
But I figure since we’re all here, I just want to pray and then kind of give you some direction. So we’re going to pray, and about noon or so, 11:40, somewhere in there, we’ll start the township portion. Let’s just pray for that.
God, we love you, and we thank you for you. We thank you for this time. We thank you for what you’ve done here this morning. We praise you for the hearts that are being changed, the way that your Spirit is moving in and through your Word sung, your Word proclaimed, and your ordinances given. We pray for boldness for people to share if there’s something they need to share with somebody about what you’ve done in their hearts and lives during our time here.
We also thank you for what you’re going to do as we gather and have some fun next door as well, God. So we thank you for that food in particular. We pray that you bless it and bless the rest of that time. We pray that you bless us as we go. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. May God bless you as you go.