Having given His essential response to the people's repentance, the Lord now explained what He would do in more detail. This section is chiastic with the focus of emphasis on verses 21-24. Verses 19 and 26-27 promise a restoration of crops and a cessation of shame. Verses 20 and 25 promise the elimination of enemies, and verses 21-24 urge courage and encourage rejoicing.
2:19 Having interpreted the Lord's response (v. 18), Joel now relayed His instructions (vv. 19-27). Yahweh would restore all that the locusts had eaten: grain, wine, and oil (cf. 1:10). The people would enjoy plenty of these products in the future (cf. Deut. 6:10-11; 8:7-10; 11:13-15). Yahweh would also never again allow the nations to disparage His people, assuming that they would not apostatize again (cf. vv. 26-27). Another view, less acceptable from my viewpoint, is that this promise is unconditional and refers to Israel's eschatological future. The problem with this view is that the Jews will experience some antagonism at the very end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-10).
2:20 The prophet now revealed that this invader would come from the North. Both Assyria and Babylon, as well as all other eastern invaders, entered Israel from the north because of the impassability of the Arabian Desert to Israel's east.
"If the northerner' is yet future (eschatological), the army is possibly the army in Joel 3:9, 12; Daniel 11:40; and Zechariah 14:2."25
Instead of leading this army against Jerusalem (v. 11), the Lord would drive it from Judah. He would drive its soldiers into a parched and desolate land (Arabia?) and into the eastern (Dead) sea and the western (Mediterranean) sea (cf. Dan. 11:45). In other words, He would turn against them rather than leading them and scatter them rather than uniting them against Jerusalem. The dead carcasses of the many soldiers would fill the air because they had done many great things. In short, they had tried to overthrow God's people (cf. the Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea). Masses of dead locusts also smell terrible, especially after dying in the sea and then being washed ashore.26
2:21-24 Joel called on the land, personified to represent its people, to rejoice because the Lord had done great things (in contrast to the enemy army, v. 20).27Specifically, he had delivered His people from a much larger and more powerful enemy invasion, assuming the Judahites' repentance. The animals too could stop fearing because God's blessing had returned to the land. Green pastures had replace brown, and trees and vines had again become abundantly fruitful rather than dry and lifeless (cf. 1:7, 10-12, 19). Fall and spring rains, signs of divine blessing (cf. Deut. 11:14), had replaced drought, so the Lord's people could again rejoice rather than grieving (cf. 1:5, 8, 11, 13, 20).28The threshing floors would be full of grain and the vats would overflow with new wine and oil (cf. 1:17).
2:25 The Lord further promised that He would make up to His people for what they had suffered because of the locust invasion (cf. 1:4; Exod. 22:1; 2 Kings 4:7). Sin had resulted in covenant curses, but repentance would result in covenant blessings (cf. Deut. 28-29).
2:26-27 The people would have plenty to eat and would feel satisfied physically. They would also be full spiritually and praise Yahweh their God for working wonders for them (cf. Exod. 3:15; 15:11; 34:10; Josh. 3:5; Jud. 6:13; Ps. 77:14). They would never be put to shame, again assuming that they continued in their attitude of humble trust and obedience (cf. v. 19). God's blessings would evidence His presence among them and the intimacy of their fellowship with Him (cf. Num. 11:20; 14:14; Deut. 7:21). They would realize in their experience that He is the only true God (cf. Exod. 6:7; 16:12; Deut. 4:35, 39), and they would abide in that shameless condition (as long as they remained faithful to Him).
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