Joel Chapter 2 – part 3 of 9

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble…” We saw in chapter one verse two that “all the inhabitants of the land” included us, for this word of the Lord is addressed to “all ye inhabitants of the land.” As we come now to the hill Golgotha in reverence of spirit we hear the sound of an alarm, warning us that battle is about to begin. “Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble – ” is the solemn message, for if our Champion loses this battle we will live and die without God and without hope in this world. David once went up against Goliath, and the ‘trembling’ arose from the point that, if he lost, then Israel must serve the Philistines. Here is a far greater battle, and the Son of David knows the rules. If He loses, we are lost. If He cannot go all the way to death and hell, and return victorious the third day, then we are yet in our sins. One Man alone, bearing the sins of the whole world. One mighty Champion both for Israel and the Gentiles. One Saviour and One Lord, and God will forsake Him in His hour of deepest need. He must go it alone. He must go all the way. He must overcome, and He must return. The responsibility is awesome. The task is monumental. The risk is frightening. By what means can He do such a thing? By the Spirit of God – He, through the Eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot unto God. This is the promise of the Father, that we will have the same Spirit afterwards if He wins the battle. The Spirit of Christ, the Spirit that dwelt in Him, will dwell in us, and we can be overcomers likewise. But in verse one of our chapter we tremble, for the day of the Lord is come, it is nigh at hand, and our salvation, our eternal deliverance, our hope, and our safety rests with One Man, already scourged and bleeding, too weary to carry the Cross, crowned only with thorns, staggering to the top of the hill. Is this the Saviour of the world? Is this Christ the King? Is this the Son of the Living God? Yes, it is. Jesus is His name. Jesus Christ is His title. Jesus Christ – the Lord, we know Him as.