Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things.
Parallel Translations
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Land, don’t be afraid. Be glad and rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things.
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Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
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Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for the LORD hath done great things.
Cross-references (20)
Passages linked to Joel 2:21 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Zephaniah 3:16-17 In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, “Don’t be afraid, Zion. Don’t let your hands be weak.” Yahweh, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
- Isaiah 41:10 Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Isaiah 54:4 “Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth. You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.
- Psalms 126:1-3 When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad.
- 1 Samuel 12:16 “Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Yahweh will do before your eyes.
- Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know.’
- 1 Samuel 12:24 Only fear Yahweh, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.
- Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the dry land will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
- Jeremiah 30:9-10 but they will serve Yahweh their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them. Therefore don’t be afraid, O Jacob my servant, says Yahweh. Don’t be dismayed, Israel. For, behold, I will save you from afar, and save your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease. No one will make him afraid.
- Deuteronomy 4:32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything as great as this thing is, or has been heard like it?
- Psalms 65:12-13 The wilderness grasslands overflow. The hills are clothed with gladness. The pastures are covered with flocks. The valleys also are clothed with grain. They shout for joy! They also sing.
- Joel 2:20 But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things.
- Zechariah 8:15 so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid.
- Genesis 15:1 After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
- Psalms 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains sing for joy together.
- Isaiah 44:23 Sing, you heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.
- Hosea 2:21 It will happen in that day, I will respond,” says Yahweh, “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;
- Psalms 71:19 Your righteousness also, God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things. God, who is like you?
- Psalms 96:11-12 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy
- Isaiah 55:12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain Here he shows that God would have his turn…
Here he shows that God would have his turn to exalt himself, which the Assyrian presumptuously attempted to do. For God seems for a time to lie still, when he withholds himself, when he puts not forth his power, but waits to see the tendency of the insane conspiracies and the Satanic madness of those who rise up against him and his Church. But having for a time thus restrained himself, he at length comes forth; and this is what the Prophet means when he says, God has highly exalted himself to do his purpose. The Assyrian first attempted this; but now the Lord in his turn will raise up himself. God indeed could have done this before, but he would not; and we see this to be his usual mode of proceeding, to connive at the presumption of men, till the ripened time comes which he has predetermined; and then he dissipates in a moment their enterprises.
God, then, has now nobly exalted himself; therefore rejoice and exult, O Land. But he says first, Fear not, O Land; and then, Exult and rejoice For it was necessary, in the first place, to remove the fear with which the minds of all were now seized. The Prophet, then, begins with consolation; for the Jews could have hardly entertained any joy, except the fear that oppressed them was first shaken off. Hence the Prophet maintains due order by saying, “Fear not, O Land, but rather exult and rejoice.” He afterwards subjoins —
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Joe 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and…
Joe 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Ver. 21. Fear not, O land] O red earth, or O tilled land, that hast lain bedridden, as it were under the heavy curse of God, ever since the fall of Adam; and wast never beautiful on cheerful since that time, Gen 3:17. Thou that hast lately been under that great and very terrible day of the Lord, Joe 2:11, who hath made bloody wales upon thy back, and laid thee as a desolate wilderness, Joe 2:3, to thy great grief and terror, cheer up now, and fear not thine inhabitants are penitents, and repentance hath turned their crosses into comforts as scarlet pulls out the teeth of a serpent; as wine draweth a nourishing virtue from the flesh of vipers, as the philosopher’s stone, they say, turns all into gold. See 1Pe 1:7. God will turn all thy sadness into gladness: neither shalt thou any more lie to those that manure thee (as the Scripture phrase is, Hab 3:17), that is, disappoint and frustrate their expectation; but "thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee," Deu 33:29. Spem mentita seges (Virg.). Victum seges aegra negabat (Horat.).
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For the Lord will do great things] Magnificentius aget Deus; far greater things God will do for thee than the locust hath done against thee: so that thou shalt gain by thy losses and say, Periissem nisi periissem, I had been undone if I had not been undone. Wherefore be glad and rejoice with inward and outward joy. And because fear is a passion opposite to joy (for "fear hath torment," 1Jn 4:18. and that was a rare mixture in those good women that returned from our Saviour’s sepulchre "with fear and great joy," Mat 28:8 see Psa 2:11), therefore, "Fear not, O land," quit thine heart of that cowardly passion, and be as merry as mirth can make thee; for the Lord hath done great things for thee, whereof thou hast good cause to be glad. Faith in God’s power quelleth and killeth distrustful fears: filling the heart with unspeakable joys "and full of glory," 1Pe 1:8.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Fear not, O land. In Joe 2:10, the land…
Fear not, O land. In Joe 2:10, the land is said to quake at the approach of this devouring army; now at the approach of mercy it is encouraged, and commanded not to fear; by the same figure and in the same sense, it should not fear now as before it did quake.
Be glad and rejoice: this tells us that fear not was a meosis; shout for joy, express the greatest confidence.
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For the Lord, who is your God whom you seek, who by me assureth you it is his gracious purpose to do great things for your good,
will do great things: either this explains that last clause, Joe 2:20, or is antitheton to it; the locusts, God’s messengers and servants. did great things against, but now God will recall these, and do great things for Israel.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Fear not, O land,.... O land of Israel, as…
Fear not, O land,.... O land of Israel, as the Targum, and the inhabitants of it; neither of the locusts, who had so terrified them, and had done so much mischief, and threatened more; nor of their enemies, the Assyrians or Chaldeans, and their powerful armies, or any other; but, on the contrary,
be glad, and rejoice; at the removal of the locusts, and at the destruction of their enemies:
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for the Lord will do great things; good things, in opposition to the evil things done by the locusts, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe; or by the destroying army of the king of Assyria, by delivering the Jews out of the Babylonish captivity; and in the times of the Maccabees, and especially in the times of Christ, which are quickly prophesied of in this chapter; and which prophecies some interpreters begin here, it not being unusual for the prophets to pass directly from things temporal to things spiritual, and especially to the great deliverance and salvation by Christ, and also by temporal blessings to design spiritual ones.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 21. Fear not - for the Lord will…
Verse 21. Fear not - for the Lord will do great things.] The words are repeated from the preceding verse; Jehovah will do great things in driving them away, and supernaturally restoring the land to fertility.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Joe 2:21-22. Fear not, O land, &c. — “In…
Joe 2:21-22. Fear not, O land, &c. — “In the former part of this prophecy the land is elegantly represented as mourning, the beasts groaning, and the herds of cattle as greatly distressed; the rivers of water dried up, and the pastures of the wilderness as all consumed. In the same elegant strain he calls upon the land to rejoice, and the beasts of the field to be glad; because the rain should descend, the trees yield their increase, the earth its plenty, and every thing minister to the joy and comfort of the inhabitants: so that though the threatening ran, that the land (which looked, before the locusts invaded it, like the garden of Eden) should appear behind them like a desolate wilderness; the blessing intimated upon their repentance is, that the desolate wilderness should be again turned into a garden of Eden, and abound with every thing for usefulness and pleasure.” For the Lord will do great things — God will magnify himself, and show his power as much in acts of mercy as he did before in the strokes of his justice. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field — As the cattle and the wild beasts had their share in the dearth, (chap. Joe 1:18; Joe 1:20,) so now even they shall receive comfort, in the return of plenty. The fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength — That is, bear fruit according to their kind, in great abundance.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Fear not, O land - Before, they were bidden…
Fear not, O land - Before, they were bidden to tremble Joe 2:1, now they are bidden, “fear not;” before, “to turn in weeping, fasting and mourning;” now, “to bound for joy and rejoice;” before, “the land mourned;” now, “the land is bidden to rejoice.” The enemy had “done great things;” now the cause of joy is that God had “done great things;” the Almightiness of God overwhelming and sweeping over the might put forth to destroy. It is better rendered, “the Lord hath done great things.” If Joel includes herein God’s great doings yet to come, he speaks of them as, in the purpose of God, already in being; or he may, in this verse, presuppose that this new order of God’s mercies has begun, in the destruction of the Pagan foe.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain In an ascending gradation, the land destroyed by the…
In an ascending gradation, the land destroyed by the enemy, the beasts of the field, and the children of Zion, the land's inhabitants, are addressed, the former two by personification.
Lord will do great things--In contrast to the "great things" done by the haughty foe (Joe 2:20) to the hurt of Judah stand the "great things" to be done by Jehovah for her benefit (compare Psa 126:2-3).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 21. Land — In Joe_1:10, it is represented as…
21. Land — In Joe_1:10, it is represented as mourning; now the danger is past, therefore, it is time for rejoicing. The land rejoices when it greens and brings forth abundant harvest.
Jehovah will do great things — R.V., “hath done.” The same phrase as that applied to the locusts in Joe_2:20
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(Psa_126:2-3). The great thing is the change of purpose and the destruction of the foe that “had done great things.” The tense is the so-called prophetic perfect; the deliverance is not yet accomplished, but to the prophet it is as good as accomplished, since Jehovah has decided upon Joe_2:22.
Beasts — They had groaned on account of the destruction of all vegetation (Joe_1:18; Joe_1:20); all is changed now, food will no longer be wanting.
Pastures — Devoured by the fire (Joe_1:19).
Do spring — They bring forth new grass (Gen_1:11-12; Psa_23:2). The tenses as in Joe_2:21. The beasts are called upon to rejoice because the trees bear fruit once more.
The tree beareth her fruit — The fruit bearing of the trees, especially of the vine and fig, has no direct bearing on the happiness of the beasts; but they are to enter into sympathy with the inhabitants and rejoice with them over the new fertility. There is, however, another reason for their rejoicing. In Joe_1:20, the water brooks are described as dried up, producing great suffering among the beasts. Without water there can be no vegetation. On the other hand, vegetation presupposes plenty of water, and new growth of the trees implies abundance of water to relieve the thirst of the beasts; therefore, they may well rejoice.
Yield their strength — They produce fruit, not sparingly as in the past, but in accord with their full powers.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 21. O land] more exactly, O ground; i.e. the…
21. O land] more exactly, O ground; i.e. the soil which until now has been “mourning” (Joe_1:10) under the sore visitation.
for Jehovah hath done great things] exactly the same phrase as in Joe_2:20, the past tense, however, being here the “prophetic past” (comp. on Amo_5:2), and describing in reality what Jehovah will do. For the application of the phrase to Jehovah, see Psa_126:2-3.
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21–27. The prophet here speaks himself; and developing in jubilant tones the promise of Joe_2:19-20, first of all (Joe_2:21-23) bids in turn the land, the beasts of the field, and the children of Zion, exult on account of the deliverance vouchsafed by Jehovah; and then (Joe_2:24-27) proceeds to dilate upon the felicity which His people will subsequently enjoy.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (21) Fear not, O land . . .—The sentence…
(21) Fear not, O land . . .—The sentence of the reversal of judgment has gone forth, and all nature—animate and inanimate, rational and irrational—which had been included in the curse is summoned to rejoice in the blessing vouchsafed by the Lord.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 21-23. In these verses the land and beasts…
Vers. 21-23. In these verses the land and beasts and men are addressed respectively. Thus the promise is fully developed. In ver. 21 the prophet summons the earth; in ver. 22 the beasts of the field; and in ver. 23 the sons of Zion; all are called to joy and gladness on account of the great deliverance from destruction which the Lord had wrought for them. They are all called on to rejoice in the great deliverance; the land, personified, is summoned to exult and rejoice for the great things God now promises to do or is doing to it. If the locusts had done great things in destruction, God will do great things in deliverance. The beasts are also personified, and forbidden to be afraid; for whereas they had groaned and cried for want of herbage when the pastures were burnt up, those pastures are now beginning to spring, and the fruit trees yield their strength. The children of Zion are invited to rejoice, not only in the delivered land, or springing pastures, or fruitful figs, or blooming vines, or other trees however useful or ornamental; but, as became them with their superior intelligence, in the Lord their God, as the Father of mercies and the Giver of every good and perfect gift, whether temporal or spiritual. At the same time, their temporal wants would be attended to, and their land fertilized by the suitable and sustaining shower. The prophet individualizes the earth, the beasts of the field, and the sons of Zion.
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. The land had suffered severely from the drought connected with the locusts; but is now summoned to joy and gladness. The prophet assigns for this an appropriate reason: the locusts had done great things in damaging it; Jehovah now does great things in their destruction. When the earth clothes itself with verdure, and brings forth its fruits and flowers and various products, it is said, by a bold but beautiful personification, to rejoice and even exult. Thus the Latins said in like manner, Rident arva, ridet ager. Things are now reversed. Instead of mourning, is exultation; instead of mourning and its visible emblem in girding with sadness, there is joy and gladness; instead of the day of the Lord: very great and terrible or fearful, is "Fear not." Se-machi is fem. imper. Qal in pause for the ordinary simchi.
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Vers. 21, 22. Joy after sorrow.
In highly figurative language the prophet apostrophizes the very soil of Judah, the very cattle of the field. By poetic imagining he transfers the joy of the people to the objects, inanimate and animate, by which they are surrounded. General mercies awaken general joy.
I THE FAVOUR OF GOD BANISHES FEAR. If natural calamities have power to excite alarm and foreboding, much more is this the case with the displeasure of the Ruler and Judge of all. Men do indeed adopt various devices to silence the voice of fear, to persuade themselves that all will be well with them. But there is no true remedy for painful foreboding except the assurance of Divine reconciliation and acceptance.
II THE FAVOUR OF GOD CREATES GLADNESS. When the locusts were swept away, the scourge removed, and when the earth resumed its garb of fertility and uttered its promises of fruitfulness, a universal rejoicing took the place of mourning, distress, and alarm. And in the spiritual realm, when the grace and love of God are realized, it is felt that the blessing of God maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow. And the inspired admonitions are felt to be congenial: "Rejoice in the Lord alway;" "Rejoice evermore. T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for…
Joe_2:21
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.
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The influence of a repentant soul upon the universe at large
I. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to bring back to the material universe the forfeited joy it was destined to possess. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. The land is here said to have been in the mend of fear. It had abundant cause for terror. It had been stricken by the retributive hand of God. All its produce had been destroyed. It was desolate. It was yet threatened with more awful agencies of destruction. Sin has made the material universe to tremble. The mood of man is reflected in the material things by which he is surrounded; they reflect the terror of sin and the joy of repentance. Let man obey God, and Eden is a garden of the Lord. Let him disobey God, and earth becomes the abode of Satan. Let man be redeemed, and the earth begins to smile. Let man be glorified, and there is no more curse. When the race is saved, the Lord will do great things in nature. He will entirely change her moods. When the new earth dawns, she will know no fear.
II. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to render more fruitful the beneficent operations of nature. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
1. There is peace. Man has in his soul the key to the quietude of the universe; when his soul is at peace with God, then the entire world is at rest.
2. There is growth. When man is at peace with God, then the earth is most potent in the exercise of its vitalities. The fruits of the earth are not far removed from the fruits of the Spirit.
3. There is super abundance. When man turns to God, the earth in superabundant blessing turns to man. When repentant in soul our cup runneth over. Nature is rich in treasure to the pure in heart. Repentance is a good friend to commerce.
III. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to cause a spirit of holy satisfaction to rest upon the world. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and My people shall never be ashamed.
1. There is true enjoyment. Man shall eat in plenty. Nature shall not refuse to supply his want.
2. Here is real satisfaction. Not merely shall nature supply the need of man, but shall appropriately satisfy it.
3. Here is devout praise. The gifts of nature shall awaken men to holy thanksgiving. This is an ideal state of society. Thus will it be when all souls repose in the love of the eternal God.
IV. There is a tendency in the influence of a repentant soul to awaken men to a more thoughtful recognition of the presence of God in the midst of life. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else. When a nation is given over to a sinful method of life, it has no recognition of God in its midst. It forgets Him. But repentance opens the eye of the moral nature and renders it keen in vision, so that it sees God. To see God in the midst of life is the supreme joy of the pure soul, because all things around partake of the lustre of His presence. This gives a solemn view of life. Lessons--
1. That the joy of the universe is conditioned by the moral sentiments of man.
2. That a pure soul is often the most enriched by nature.
3. That God is in the midst of a repentant humanity. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
A years ministry
A prophecy of national adversity, a call to national repentance, and a promise of national blessing, are the three great topics of Joels prophetic ministry. The last is represented by the text. The adversity, the repentance, and the blessing indicate a Divine order. If there is reason to fear that days of darkness and gloominess are settling down upon our own land, let not the Israel of God despair; the people and the elders shall assemble before God; lift up the voice of penitential confession, and cry in faith; the vows of a covenanted land shall be remembered and renewed, and the light of Gods countenance shall scatter the darkness. Fear not, O land . . . the Lord will do great things. The great things of the Lords doing comprehend the mission of the Saviour in the fulness of the time; the subsequent mission of His Holy Spirit; the millennial glory; and the final triumph of truth and righteousness in the world. Looking far beyond the intervening clouds of calamity and penitential sorrow, we behold a glory; and by faith we can hear from the distant future, in the trumpet-tongued voice of some messenger of the Lord, that consoling prophecy of the worlds last resting-time of love. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. (T. Easton.)
Antidotes against the operation of desponding fear
Unto his beloved country Joel is not only the messenger of its misery, but the herald of its prosperity.
I. The promise of doing great things as an antidote to fear. The fear implied is desponding and unreasonable fear.
1. The causes and occasions of such fear are,--the enterprises of the gates of hell, the tyranny of the man of sin, the wrath of the kings of the earth, the bulwarks of superstition, the efficacy of delusion, the battering-rams of infidelity, and the fierce contentions for: dominion of empire with empire, and kingdom with kingdom.
2. Exemplify the strength and sufficiency of the antidote to this fear, in the promise of doing great things. Apply to the above several occasions and causes of the fear.
3. Enforce the caveat entered against this fear with the promise. In order that the strength and sufficiency of the antidote may be felt in experience, read the record of the great things which the Lord hath done: believe the promises of the great things which He will do; assure yourselves that before the Church be swallowed up by the world, the great things which He hath done shall be done over again; and observe that the caveat against desponding fear is entered, and its antidote prescribed and recommended, under the authority of the Lord who is both the doer and the promiser.
II. The promise of doing great things, which is the ground of the admonition, is an excitation to express the joy for which the admonition is given. Mention some great things which the Lord will do. Protect the reformed faith, furnish a ministry to preach it, raise out of every generation professors to hold it, reconcile the remnant of the seed of Abraham, gather in the fulness of the Gentiles, fill the earth with His glory, crush the insurrection of the last days, rend the heavens and come down, raise and judge the dead, dissolve the frame of the world, present the whole Church faultless in the presence of His glory, and reign over it for ever. Consider the nature of the joy for which the admonition is given, and unto which the promise of doing these great things is an excitement. The Father of glory is the fountain of it; the Saviour of the world is the medium of it; the Spirit of holiness is the author of it; the Scriptures of truth are the means of it; the city of God is the cistern in which it collects; the congregations of the citizens are the openings at which it breaks forth; and their lives the plains over which it flows. Then let us provoke ourselves to rejoice in His goodness and truth and power. In our island the Lord hath done great things, is doing great things, and according to our hope will do great things.
III. Excitation to rejoice needs to be accompanied with instruction concerning the expression of our joy. We shall set before your faith some expressions of joy which correspond to the admonition, and by which it ought to be honoured in the city of God. Particularly, by observing the works of the Lord in the administrations of providence; adoring His glory breaking forth in these works; honouring His name appearing in them with the obedience of faith; trusting in His promises; praying for the performance of the promises which remain yet to be fulfilled; and waiting for the performance of these promises. Then take care to express your joy in each of these forms distinctly. (A. Shanks.)
The Divine response to the challenge of evil
I. Our attention is arrested first by the great things of sin and judgment. Some scholars give the text and context literal interpretations; they construe it to mean that in consequence of the sins of Israel God will send upon the land swarms of locusts which shall destroy every green thing. Others give the text an allegorical interpretation. They say that God threatens to let loose upon Israel a fierce invading army, which like a swarm of locusts will eat up the nation. Be this as it may, the chapter unmistakably sets forth the terrible, devouring power of sin, and the retributions which arise out of sin, and this is a warning that all generations ought to consider and respect. The swarming locusts remind us of the multitudinousness of evil. Evil envelops us, attacks us, torments us on every side. You may crush a locust, you may crush a score, you may crush a thousand, it makes no appreciable difference, myriads more crowd in hungrily, and give you the sense of hopelessness. So the evils that afflict the world are manifold, and it seems useless to resist them; practically they are infinite and overwhelming. What a picture this chapter gives of the fiery energy, the swiftness, the restlessness, the practical irresistibility of the locusts! The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble. So there is an awful wrathfulness, facility, and effectiveness about evil passions, evil movements, and evil things. It takes a century to build up an oak, but the lightning flash blasts it in a moment. Again, these locusts remind us of the pervasiveness of evil. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. You cannot exclude evil; it penetrates everywhere, it defiles everything. It mocks at personal vigilance. The black locusts swarm on all the roses of our pleasure, they devour the golden fruits of our industry, they strip the vine and fig-tree of our domestic felicity, they defile the pomegranates and palms of our sacred places. These locusts suggest another terrible aspect of evil, namely, that it expresses a certain law, order, and government. They shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks. The New Testament makes this clear, that the world of iniquity is a realm of government. Finally, the locusts symbolise the destructiveness of sin. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness. We cannot to-day look upon this world without feeling how awful sin is, and how terrible its consequences are. How painful are the aspects of the world beyond Christendom, how painful,, the scenes on which we look! Sin has magnified itself to do great things, and it has done them. It has boasted itself against nature, and filled the earth with disorder, cruelty, and anguish. It has boasted itself against man, and covered him with dishonour, pierced him with misery, dug his grave. It has boasted itself against God, spoiling His works, thwarting His purpose, grieving Him at His heart. It has done great things. It is doing them, it is preparing to do them. We often stand appalled in the presence of evil; we are awed by it, staggered by it. There is something in it that is so mysterious, immeasurable, unfathomable, unaccountable. All our efforts to arrest it seem ridiculous. Scientists identify it with the cosmical force. Philosophers recognise in it the authority of necessity. Reformers and educationists faint as they struggle against the sea-power of evil. And the religious worker often feels the terrible chill of despondency and despair.
II. We dwell upon the great things of the Divine grace. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. The adversary has magnified himself, vaunted himself, to do great things, and God responds to his challenge: I, the Lord, will do great things; I will show that My strength prevails against the rage of evil, I will drive the locusts into the sea, I will destroy the destroyer, and bring his work to a perpetual end.
1. Let us notice the wonderful way in which God limits evil. But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate., with his face towards the cast sea, and his hinder part towards the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. If we look into nature we see that limits have ever been put to the destructive forces. The geologists tell us this. The wild, terrible, murderous dragons of the primitive age were held in check. According to the theory of some scientists, the stronger animals invariably destroy the weaker, but, if that be so, how is it that these awful primeval monsters, all teeth and claws, did not take possession of the earth and keep possession? It is certain that they did not; palaeontology answers us that the best armed species are those which have almost always disappeared. There were laws and forces which hedged in the wildest elements, and gave security and permanence to the weaker but nobler races. And we to-day see the same restraints put upon the noxious things of nature. The naturalist makes this clear. In New Guinea is a venomous bird known as the Bird of Death. Its bite causes excruciating pain, blindness, and lockjaw. No person bitten by it, it is asserted, has recovered, and death comes within a few hours. How is it that this bird of bad omen has not multiplied and taken possession of the forests? How is it that the birds of Paradise manage to survive by its side? Or, to come nearer home, how is it that the hawk does not exterminate the sweet singers of our woods? The devil plant of the Mississippi is most fatal; ii kills insects and cattle, and rich meadow lands shrivel at its insidious approach as if they had been touched with fire. How is it that the infernal thing remains within certain regions? In Nicaragua is the vampire vine, which seems literally to drain the blood of every living-thing, which comes within its deathdealing touch. How is it that this vampire vine does not prevail, and drive out the vine whose purple clusters make glad the heart of man? One of the old kings had a garden planted solely with poison flowers; how is it that the whole earth has not become such a garden? The fact is, there is a vigilant, benign law, a balance of nature, which keeps these formidable growths within limit beyond which they cannot pass, and, instead of sickly colours, vile odours, and deadly poisons dominating the panorama, the landscape is full of loveliness, fragrance, and health. The octopus, the alligator, the shark threaten the seas, but the same law prevails there that prevails on the land, shielding whatsoever passeth through the depth of the seas. And the physiologist tells us the same story. One would expect that diseases of the blood and brain would be transmitted from one generation to another, until the whole race would become infected, and the earth degenerate into a lazar house; but the physiologist answers us that there is a limit to the transmission of abnormal characteristics. And if you look into history you are taught exactly the same lesson. The Pharaohs, the Neros, the Attilas, the Mahomets, the Tamerlanes, the Alvas, the Napoleons now and again threaten civilisation; it lies helpless and bleeding at their feet; but the historian shows that there is always a rock on which their Armadas suffer shipwreck, a Moscow in which their armies perish. And it is thus to-day in this world of ours. All about us are horrible things, infectious literature, vile institutions, degrading practices, which threaten the very life of the nation. And prowling around are thousands of selfish, cruel monsters, ready to prey on their helpless fellows. It is a mystery that they do not eat us up. But they do not. Just as there is a secret law circumscribing the shark, the vampire, the corpse plant, the upas, so Gods eye is upon the drinking, saloon, the infamous press, the gambling club, the camera obscura of lust, the prize ring, the opium den, and all the rest of the terrible things which menace civilisation, and the proud, raging waves of hell foaming out their own shame are broken on unseen, mystic sands which God has fixed as the bounds over which they may not pass. He limits one bad thing by another bad thing; He limits one bad thing by a thing less bad; He limits all bad things by the golden ring of His perfect sovereign government.
2. But God does not merely intend to limit evil; He designs the full triumph of righteousness. It is not enough that He should restrain the force and fury of the devil within given breakwaters; He means to confound evil, to abolish it. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord hath done great things. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. The Lord hath done great things in the direction of this absolute victory. The Gospel is a revelation of great things. The advent of our Lord; His personal moral glory; His ministry; His passion; His atoning death; His resurrection; His ascension into heaven; His sending forth of the Holy Spirit; His session at the right hand of God,--these are the mighty accomplished facts of redemption which justify our boast that the Lord hath done great things. Over against the destructive things and methods of wickedness He has put a great salvation which was first spoken by the Lord, and which was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him. And in its application the great salvation has vindicated its name. At once in the actual world the first evangelists proved its efficacy. The great things of God at once assert themselves against the great things of darkness, against the rulers of this world. And is not Christianity the great force that overcomes evil in the world of to-day? It is the saving power in the heathen world. And here at home the great things of the Gospel are the hope of society. Not!ling goes to the root of the evil we bemoan but the doctrines of the Gospel; nothing really grapples with sin but the power of grace; nothing creates amongst us a living, organic righteousness except the truth and love and power of God in Jesus Christ. And it will continue to save and bless. Do not lose heart, do not be overwhelmed by the vision of evil. (W. L. Watkinson.)
Gracious promises
These promises are applied and amplified. Application is made to the land, that it should not fear, but rejoice seeing God was to do eat things; and to the beasts, that they should lay aside their fear, since the earth was to be blessed with pasture and fruit. Learn--
1. The Lord would have His promises and comforts applied to them to whom they are given, for their refreshment.
2. Gods kindness to penitents will be such, as not only to refresh themselves, but to gladden and refresh their land, their beasts, and all in their kind.
3. Penitents are instrumental to draw down blessings on themselves and on what they enjoy.
4. Gods care of the earth, and of the very cattle, may assure penitents of His respects to them.
5. God, when He pleaseth, can make fears end in joy, and the hope thereof should bring joy, when fear is vet on.
6. Gods great power who promiseth, and who hath given proof thereof in executing threatenings, may guard against fear, and afford ground of hope, were the thing promised never so great and difficult.
7. God can, and in due time will remove the fears of His people, by giving actual proofs of His love, for so are they encouraged by the promises made to the beasts for their sake and good. (George Hutcheson.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Joe_2:21. Fear not] as in ch. 1, on account…
CRITICAL NOTES.]
Joe_2:21. Fear not] as in ch. 1, on account of judgments, but rejoice in the destruction of the hosts.
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Joe_2:22.] Verdant pastures and trees laden with fruit shall be given. Beasts of the field shall no longer want.
Joe_2:23. Rain] The former moderately, lit. according to right, i.e. in due measure, not in extremes to injure (Deu_11:14; Pro_16:15). The rain] Generically, showers. The latter rain] to mature the crops; rain in season, rain in opposition to drought, and rain a type of all blessings.
Joe_2:24-27.] Effects of the rain—abundance of all kinds of food; reparation of damage by locusts; redemption of Israel from the heathen; vindication of God and gratitude for his grace.
HOMILETICS
THE GREAT THINGS OF GOD.—Joe_2:21-27
The locusts seemed to exult in the ruin they caused; but Jehovah doomed them to destruction, recovered the land from barrenness, and crowned it with beauty. The enemy had done great things against them; now God would do great things for them. No longer wasted fields and withered harvests. Joy is to succeed sorrow. The blessings are to be wide as the judgments, and man and beasts are to rejoice in the restoration of fruitful seasons and spiritual privileges.
I. Great temporal blessings. The seed shall be prosperous, and the vine give her fruit; the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens their dew again (Zec_8:12).
1. Copious rain. The plague of locusts and of drought had caused the land to mourn. “The garden of Eden” had become “a desolate wilderness.” The only hope of recovery was in abundant and copious rain. Rain is promised by words multiplied in wonderful emphasis. First, showers in general, then in due season, early and latter rain for autumn and spring. Rain in mercy and moderation. God sends or withholds the rain in sovereign wisdom. It comes not by chance, but Divine commission. It is given in due measure, and sent in special direction. “He causes it to rain upon one city, and not upon another.”
2. Fruitful seasons. “The pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength.” Grass will spring, tender herbs bud, and fruit-trees yield their fruit. Living pastures shall satisfy groaning beasts, and universal fear shall give place to universal joy. God never left us without witness of his goodness and mercy, “in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
3. Replenished granaries. “And the floors shall be full of wheat,” &c. Barns shall no longer fall into decay, but wine, grain, and oil shall be given in abundance. Every trace of ruin shall disappear. “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.” The devastation of former years shall be undone. Threefold blessings shall benefit the three departments of nature. The parched ground shall robe itself in living verdure, flowers adorn the field, and trees rustle with foliage. The herds of oxen and flocks of sheep shall no longer roam in agony and distress. Husbandmen, vine-dressers, and ministers of the altar must cease to weep, rejoice in God, and eat their bread in gratitude. “Your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely” (Lev_26:5).
II. Great spiritual blessings. “And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,” &c.
1. Restoration of national praise. Through the sins of the people and the consequent judgments of God, sacrifices had ceased to be offered and joy had been cut off from the temple (ch. Joe_1:16). The loss of religious privileges is a most grievous calamity. There is no place like the house of God to Christians. They prefer Jerusalem above their chief joy. Loss of bread is nothing to loss of the worship of God. It is a loss of social help and natural influence. Worship is man’s greatest dignity and supreme good. When a nation gives praise to God they reap the highest enjoyments. “They shall praise the Lord that seek him; your heart shall live for ever.”
2. Manifestation of Divine presence. “Ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel.” Men do not always know, nations do not often recognize God. In prosperity and plenty they forget him. Harvests are expected as a matter of course. Human ingenuity and natural laws produce results. Creation is a mere machine without maker and controller. Thus the blessings of God are received in a forgetful, selfish spirit. But God interrupts the sequence of events, judgments are sent, to bring nations to regard Him. He withdraws his presence and permits plagues to bring them to repentance. “Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?” The heathen taunts, “Where is their God?” But God is sought in distress and found, and loving fellowship is restored. God is in the midst of the nation; she shall not be moved; “God shall help her, and that right early.”
3. Revival of national joy. “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God.” Israel were not only to rejoice in God, but in God as the Lord their God. The world may be unable to rejoice, but God shall have their share of gladness. God promises and puts joy into their hearts; a joy greater than that created by corn and wine. Abundant crops and splendid seasons give uncertain gladness; but the manifestation of God’s presence is a source of pure and permanent joy. “In thy presence is fulness of joy.” Better empty barns than forsaken temples. Joy unspeakable and full of glory is the heritage and honour of that nation with whom God delights to dwell. “For, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.”
A Deity believed is joy begun;
A Deity adored is joy advanced;
A Deity beloved is joy matured;
Each branch of piety delight inspires.
4. Deliverance from national shame. “And my people shall never be ashamed.” Pitied, delivered, and honoured, the people would be free from reproach. God’s honour is linked with our honour, though we suffer reproach for a time; if we be ashamed of our sins against God, we shall never be ashamed to glory in him. He will never render his grace and purpose void. By the performance of his word and the destruction of his foe he will wipe away all dishonour. In Christ especially are these words realized. He suffers when we suffer, and relieves in poverty and tribulation. In him God returns to men, and turns again the captivity of Zion. Then we sing and cease to fear; we “obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
HOMILETIC HINTS AND OUTLINES
Joe_2:23. Rain a symbol of spiritual blessings. I. Their source. “He hath given you,” “he will cause to come down.” The laws of nature and heathen gods do not bestow rain. It comes from heaven (Act_14:17; Isa_55:10). II. Their method of bestowment.
1. In due season. The influence of the Spirit, like early rain in seed-time, waters instruction given, and like latter rain matures the soul in growth, and ripens it for heaven.
2. In rich abundance. Like copious showers, blessings shall descend and flow down to men. III. Their blessed results.
1. Barren land rejoices. Pastures revive and trees bring forth fruit. The little hills shout and sing for joy (Psa_65:12-13). Gospel blessings refresh thirsty souls and quicken desolate churches.
2. God’s people are glad. “Be glad then, ye children of Zion.” Joy springs from their hearts and harvests are reaped from their labours.
By heaven’s influence, corn and plants do spring;
God’s showers of grace do make his valleys sing.
Joe_2:26. Spiritual feasting.
1. The guests. “Ye shall eat.” God’s people shall never want, though sometimes poor and persecuted.
2. The provision. Not mere temporal blessings (Joe_2:24); but joy in God’s presence, all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Plenty of it; not the least scarcity.
3. The result. (a) Satisfaction. “Be satisfied.” Nothing but this will satisfy. “The meek shall eat and be satisfied” (Psa_22:26). (b) Praise. “And praise the name of the Lord.” Thanksgiving shall come after the fast. They shall never die of grief. Immortal joys shall be their portion. “Whosoever eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”
I. The wondrous dealing of God. Israel in the wilderness and Israel delivered from the plague a type of God’s dealings with us. He smites by wonders and he recovers by wonders. “God hath dealt wondrously with you.”
1. In the bounties of nature. How wonderful to quicken the earth and send the beauties of spring, to give sunshine and shower, bread and sustenance, manna from heaven and waters from the rock.
2. In the blessings of providence. (a) Common mercies. Health and habitations. Thousands worse off than you. Many in poverty, prison, and disgrace. You have a goodly heritage among men. (b) Special mercies. Removal of family reproach and personal shame, deliverance from sickness and judgment. You are a wonder to many (Psa_71:7).
3. In the gifts of grace. (a) In the gift of Christ. Wondrous love, &c. (b) In the gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten and teach. (c) In continued grace to renew and strengthen. “Thy love to me was wonderful.” II. The consequent gratitude of man. “Praise the name of the Lord your God.”
1. By acknowledging your obligations. “Your God.”
2. By remembering his works. Israel forgat God even at the Red Sea, the most signal spot of their pilgrimage. “Talk ye of all his wondrous works.”
3. By obeying his word. Show your gratitude in practical conduct. Let lips and life praise the Lord. “The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad.”
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 2
Joe_2:22-25. It is too clear for either argument or illustration, that if you change the moral character of any country from ignorance to intelligence, from indolence to industry, from intemperance to self-discipline, from sensualness to spirituality, from enmity to love, that the whole material region in which they live may abound with plentifulness and beauty. Such a change throughout the whole human population to-day will give to all a new heaven and earth [Dr Thomas].
Joe_2:26-27. In the midst. It was to induce this devout and thankful recognition of the Divine presence that the judgment had been sent. Dulled by routine, blinded by use and wont, the Jews had come to regard the succession of the seasons and the bounty of the year in a hard mechanical way, as though Nature were a mere engine or machine. It was to convince them of his presence in Nature, to make them pure, strong, and happy, that God interrupted the usual sequence of events, first by disasters over which they had no control; by plagues (literally “blows”), which they understood as judgments; and then by acts of grace and good will, which they understood as signs of his returning favour. Terrified by disasters, and attracted by blessings which seemed to them answers to repentance and prayer, as they “ate and were satisfied,” the people “praised the name of Jehovah their God,” who had dealt wondrously with them; they felt, they acknowledged that he was “in the midst of” them, in their fields and in their vineyards as well as in the temple, and that Jehovah was their God and none else, since only he could send them rain and fruitful seasons, and fill their hearts with gladness [Samuel Cox].
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Do not fear, land
Do not fear, land
Joel speaks to the people of the land as if he were speaking to the land itself. AT: "Do not be afraid, you people of the land" (See: Apostrophe)
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Do not fear, beasts of the field
Joel speaks to people who own livestock as if he were speaking to the animals themselves. AT: "Do not be afraid, you people who own livestock" (See: Apostrophe)
the pastures of the wilderness will sprout
The pastures are a metonym for the plants that grow in the pastures. AT: "plants good for food will sprout in the pastures in the wilderness" (See: Metonymy)
he will ... bring down showers for you
"he will ... cause much rain to fall so that you will live well"
autumn rain and the spring rain
the first rains of the rainy season in early December and the last rains in April and May
translationWords
fear
joy
Yahweh
desert
fig
vine
harvest
Zion
God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:21-22 Don’t be afraid: God’s great deliverance would be…
2:21-22 Don’t be afraid: God’s great deliverance would be full and complete.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.