Joel 2:1 Blow you the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble… In the first eleven verses of this chapter we have a continuation of the address of the prophet to the priests of Judah. It was the duty of the priests to blow the trumpet for the assembling of the congregation, for the removing of the camp, and when they went forth to war; here the trumpet is blown to announce danger, and the consequent need of attention to certain moral requirements. I. THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE CHURCH IS IN ESPECIAL NEED OF A MINISTRY MORALLY AWAKENING. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain." Zion was the meeting-place of the people of God, and may be taken as a type of the Church of God; here the trumpet was used only for sounds of alarm and fear. There was need that those who dwelt in the holy mountain should be aroused to a sense of the impending danger; we should have thought that they would have been sensitive to the judgment of God without such an awakening cry. 1. The Church needs an awakening ministry when it is not solicitous for the moral rectitude of the nation in which it is placed. It would appear as if Zion were ignorant of, or as if it were indifferent to, the apostasy all around it. 2. The Church needs an awakening ministry when it is not alive to the peril of souls it should endeavour to instruct. 3. The Church needs an awakening ministry when it reposes undue confidence in external organisations. II. THAT AT SUCH TIMES THE MINISTRY MORALLY AWAKENING MUST BE CHARGED WITH THE SOLEMN TRUTHS OF ADVANCING JUDGMENT. "For the day of the Lord cometh, and is nigh at hand." Thus the ministry of the trumpet announced a terrible day of approaching judgment. The congregations of the present day are averse to these trumpet ministries, they prefer more gentle strains of truth, and prefer to be lulled to slumber rather than to be awakened to stern activity. The Church has need of its sons of thunder as well as of its sons of consolation. It announced these judgments as (1) Certain, (2) Near, (3) Terrible. III. THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF SUCH TRUTHS SHOULD HAVE A SOLEMN EFFECT UPON THOSE TO WHOM THEY ARE ADDRESSED. "Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble." 1. It should awaken solemn apprehension. The people would know that the sounding of the trumpet in Zion would foretoken evil to them, and would be deeply apprehensive of the nature and extent of the judgment to follow. 2. It should awaken deep repentance. The terrors of the Lord should persuade men to deep repentance, and should become a forcible argument for a renewed life. 3. It should awaken devout gratitude. While men mourn the advancing calamities they should indeed be devoutly grateful that their advent is so clearly made known, and that they do not come unexpected upon them.Lessons — 1. That the Church requires to be aroused to a sense of its duty. 2. That the pulpit must give utterance to solemn and awakening truths. 3. That an earnest Church may avert a national judgment. (J. S. Exell, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; |
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