Joel 2:1-2
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—
2 a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
nor will be again after them
in ages to come.
“… 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! …”
Atop the Presbyterian church behind our home in the town where I grew up, there was an air raid siren. Every day, at the same time, the siren would blast its searing sound across the neighborhood. Largely ignored by people because of its daily occurrence, should there have been an actual emergency, few of us would have noticed until it was too late. As far as I know that relic from the Cold War era continues to sound to this day.
Joel’s prophetic message anticipates an actual emergency. Rather than a nuclear attack, the trumpets of alarm announce the coming of the Day of the Lord. Seen by many at that time, that day was to be glorious. However, Joel envisions something less serene. For the prophet, the Day of the Lord is one of judgment – God’s judgment upon the people of Israel for their disobedience, idolatry, and faithlessness.
Rather than following the command of the Lord to do justice, love mercy, and walk in the way of the Lord, the people of Israel had oppressed the poor, reviled the lowly, and sought only their own welfare. Joel raises the alarm that God is dissatisfied with their ways and is about to bring about harsh punishment.
While we may not hear trumpets sounding the alarms from the mountaintops or rooftops of our land, we still need to heed Joel’s words. Judgment comes to those who fail to do justice, love mercy, and walk in the ways of the Lord.
Prayer: Almighty God, through the prophet You have sounded the alarm for us. Inspire us in Your ways that we may not fall under Your divine judgment. Amen.