Joel 3:4–8

He recounts all the grievances of His people as done to Himself. Through them He would pay the same evils back in judgment on the nations that inflicted them.

The Lord says of Sidon, together with Tyre, that they had taken His gold and silver and His precious things and carried them into their heathen temples, and had also sold the children of Judah to the Greeks, to remove them far from their own border.

The Phoenicians, that is, the people of Tyre and Sidon, who in the days of David and Solomon were allies, had in later times become the enemies of Judah. They too had been guilty of selling Jewish prisoners to the Greeks. Joel predicts that they also will be punished for this crime. That prediction came true in the time of Uzziah, 811–759 B.C. This proves that Joel must have prophesied before the days of Uzziah.

The Hebrew word, Pelesheth, occurs only four times. It did not refer to the whole land of Canaan, the way the name Palestine is used today. It covered only part of the Mediterranean coast, occupied by the Philistines. In Joel 3:4, Tyre and Sidon are not included in the term.

These people owned only a very small strip of the land of Canaan. Yet the land has taken its name from them, for Palestine means the land of the Philistines. But Scripture only gives the land this name when it foretells judgment on it.

In that day God will judge all the nations as nations in this world. So this passage lists the insults they had done to Israel, and the Lord declares that He will return their recompense. He holds to righteous retribution. What they caused Israel to suffer, they must suffer themselves. In God's eyes it is right that they should receive what they gave to the Jews. These nations wronged and insulted Israel not only under the law, but right to the end, after Christianity. "I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away."

And now we reach Joel 3. The Lord comes with a recompense. Now, as the end is in view, things are changed. The last are first. The captive is the spoiler. Israel is the head and not the tail.

The Lord visited the borders of Tyre. He declared that if the mighty works done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented.

In Joel 3 the Spirit describes the last days in more detail. These are the days when God would bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem. It is the judgment of the nations, a judgment needed to vindicate the rights of God towards His oppressed people... Israel is His inheritance. The word "Jehoshaphat" means "the judgment, or the sceptre, of Jehovah or Jah." There, in judgment, He pleads with the nations for His people, whom they had scattered. He pleads for His land, which they had divided.

He recounts all the grievances of His people as done to Himself. By the same means those same evils would be repaid in judgment on the nations that inflicted them.

Jehovah says of Sidon, together with Tyre, that they had taken His gold and silver and pleasant things and carried them into their pagan temples. They had also sold the children of Judah to the Greeks, to move them far away from their border.

The Phoenicians, that is, those of Tyre and Sidon, who in the days of David and Solomon were allies, had in later times become the enemies of Judah. They too had been guilty of selling Jewish prisoners to the Greeks. Joel predicts that they also will be punished for this crime — a prediction fulfilled in the time of Uzziah.

But the nations, all nations, will be judged as nations in this world in that day. So the prophet describes the various insults they had done to Israel, and Jehovah declares that He will repay them. He holds to righteous retribution. What they caused Israel to suffer, they must suffer themselves.

The same thing happens in our day. Men who have never entered the kingdom of God by being born again belong to it in name only, and they are now its accepted leaders and teachers. They have tacked the name of Christ onto their own philosophical fables. They have taken the good and pleasant things of our holy faith and attached them to man as he is in his fallen nature. They act as though there were no need for regeneration and redemption, and a new creation in Christ Jesus.

I turn again to this chapter, that is, Joel 2 (in Hebrew, chapter 3, in part)... Verses 30-32 (in Hebrew, chapter 3:3-5) come before the great and terrible day, and there is deliverance for those who call, and whom Jehovah will call.

The Lord says of Zidon, together with Tyre, that they had taken His gold and silver and pleasant things, and carried them into their pagan temples. They had also sold the children of Judah to the Greeks, to remove them far from their border. Joel 3:4-8.

The sons of Javan are the Greeks. Tyre and Sidon had sold the children of Israel to them. Joel 3:6.

The Phoenicians — that is, the people of Tyre and Sidon — were allies in the days of David and Solomon. In later times they became the enemies of Judah. They too had been guilty of selling Jewish prisoners to the Greeks. Joel predicts that they also shall be punished for this crime — a prediction fulfilled in the time of Uzziah, B.C. 811-759.

Critics also object to an early date because chapter 3:6 mentions the Greeks. But an inscription of Sargon (about 710 B.C.) mentions the Greeks too, and the far older Amarna letters mention a Greek as well.

He recounts all the grievances of His people as done to Himself. Through them the same evils will come back in judgment on the nations that inflicted them.

From the moment God is in Israel He identifies Himself with His people. So He treats the nations according to how they treated Israel. "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me," says the King. The moment they touch Israel, they touch the apple of His eye… In all these chapters we see the nations judged by God because they trampled on His people, though He also used them to punish His people.

But God will judge the nations, all nations, as nations in this world on that day. So the passage lists the insults they had done to Israel, and the Lord declares that He will pay them back. He holds to righteous retribution. What they caused Israel to suffer, they must suffer themselves. In God's eyes it is right that these nations should receive what they gave to the Jews. They wronged and insulted Israel under the law, and kept doing it to the last, after Christianity came.

In Joel's day people knew this wickedness only in part — casting lots for His people, and selling boys and girls. The Philistines had done this, as well as Tyre and Sidon. But these words came true during the Babylonian captivity, and in the great scattering that the Roman Empire brought about. After the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70, the very thing the prophet spoke of happened… Jews were sold for a price as small as a measure of barley. Thousands were sold off in this way.

The Phoenicians — those of Tyre and Sidon — were allies in the days of David and Solomon. In later times they became the enemies of Judah. They too had been guilty of selling Jewish prisoners to the Greeks. Joel predicts that they too will be punished for this crime — a prediction fulfilled in the time of Uzziah, between 811 and 759 B.C.

He recounts all the grievances of His people as done to Himself. By their means the same evils would fall back in judgment on the nations that inflicted them.

And now we reach Joel 3. The Lord comes with a recompense... Now, as the end comes into view, things change. The last are first. The captive is the spoiler. Israel is the head, and not the tail.

But God will judge the nations, all nations, as such in this world in that day. So the passage lists the various insults they had done to Israel, and Jehovah declares that He will return their recompense. He holds to righteous retribution. What they caused Israel to suffer, they must suffer themselves. In God's eyes it is righteous that these nations should receive what they had given to the Jews. They wronged and insulted Israel not only in the time of the law, but right up to the end, after Christianity came.

This is the judgment of the nations. That judgment is needed to defend God's rights concerning His oppressed people, and to show the nations what He is in His government of the earth... The word "Jehoshaphat" means "the judgment, or the sceptre, of Jehovah or Jah." There He judges. He pleads with the nations for His people, whom they had scattered, and for His land, which they had divided up.

Joel's own day had seen only part of the wickedness described here: casting lots for His people, and selling boys and girls. The Philistines had done this, as well as Tyre and Sidon. But these words came true during the Babylonian captivity, and in the great scattering that the Roman Empire brought about... And what else could we add from the history of centuries? God's heritage suffered cruel and terrible persecutions. Thousands and tens of thousands were massacred, tortured, outraged and sold as slaves... And that history is not yet finished.

In Joel 3 the Spirit sets out the circumstances of the last days in more detail. These are the days when God would bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem. This period comes before the time of peace and blessing, when nothing of the curse will remain. It is the judgment of the nations. That judgment is needed to defend God's rights concerning His oppressed people, and to show the nations what He is in His government of the earth... The word "Jehoshaphat" means "the judgment, or the sceptre, of Jehovah or Jah." There, in judgment, He pleads with the nations for His people, whom they had scattered. He pleads for His land, which they had divided.

He recounts all the grievances of His people as done to Himself. Through His people the same evils would be repaid in judgment on the nations that inflicted them.

The great sin of the nations, the Gentile world-powers, is the sin against Israel. God's prophets mention this again and again. The basis of the judgment of the nations which our Lord speaks of in Matthew 25 is likewise the treatment of the Jew.

The LORD says of Sidon, together with Tyre, that they had taken His gold and silver and valuable things and carried them into their pagan temples. They had also sold the children of Judah to the Greeks, to move them far from their own border.

Some of them were raiders who carried off the oxen and donkeys of Job. In Isaiah 45:14 they were travelling merchants. Joel 3:8 pictures them as a people "far off," to whom Judah will sell their enemies.

The prophecy describes the various insults they had done to Israel, and the LORD declares that He will pay them back. He holds to righteous retribution. What they caused Israel to suffer, they must suffer themselves. In God's eyes it is right that these nations should receive what they gave to the Jews. They wronged and insulted Israel not only under the law, but right up to the last, after Christianity.

The Phoenicians — those of Tyre and Sidon — were the allies of Judah in the days of David and Solomon. In later times they became her enemies. They too had been guilty of selling Jewish prisoners to the Greeks. Joel predicts that they also will be punished for this crime — a prediction fulfilled in the time of Uzziah.

In Joel's day such wickedness as described here — casting lots for His people and selling boys and girls — was known only in part. The Philistines had done this, as well as Tyre and Sidon. But these words came true during the Babylonian captivity, and in the great scattering the Roman Empire brought about. After the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 the very thing the prophet spoke of happened. Over 100,000 were taken prisoner. According to Josephus, those under seventeen years of age were publicly sold.