Recognition, not Denial
For the believer, the Day of the Lord (v 15) was a familiar, almost technical, expression for the day of God’s blessing. Destruction and devastation were traditionally things that happened to others, such as Babylon (Isaiah 13: 1, 6), but Amos (5: 18) had stood that notion on its head — one day it would happen to them — Joel follows suite. Now it has.
It puts them off their worship and their food (v 16). Nothing tastes the same. Reduced cropping diminishes variety and therefore choice (v 17), a scorched earth policy seems to threaten any hope of immediate recovery (v 19), and when they look out of the window on the fields even the animals seem to wander around with a sense of lostness (vv 18, 20). The dog is unhappy. The cat just curls up and goes to sleep. The natural rhythm of life is disrupted. Help can come only from God, and they are not all that sure even of him (v 19).
‘What have I done to deserve this?’ is probably the first question that comes to mind, and the need find someone to blame or identify guilt as the basis for a call for repentance cannot be far away. But it is specious. This is not something they have brought on themselves. In no way can they be held responsible and going down that road will only increase guilt and make things worse.
What is needed is a call to acceptance rather than denial; to see it as something to face and to overcome. That means coming to terms with feelings and handling painful emotions of disappointment, hurt, rejection, anger, misery and so on. Instead of reading their own feelings into the animals the victims need something fresh to which they can cling. Sharing their feelings in a ‘solemn assembly’ (v 14) may increase self-confidence and enhance the hopes of others.
Of course nothing will ever be the same again. How could it be? Even if it were possible to wave a magic wand nobody could be the same again after this experience. But those who cry to God (v 19) can focus not on what has gone wrong nor what has been taken away but on what they can do if they are to be the agents of renewal.