Joel 3 foretells a time of judgment on all nations. This book begins were the description of the Day of the Lord leaves off. It is a classic prophetic message. This chapter is the counterpart or corresponding part of chapter 2’s Day of the Lord. At that time Yahweh will restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem. In other words the Day of the Lord will be a time of blessing and safety for a believer and a time of terror for a non-believer. We must understand that the basis for the way Yahweh judged other nations was how they behaved and acted towards Israel. If they acted poorly they were condemned for it and punished accordingly. One of the major thing to consider in this passage is verse 3. The casting of lots, trading of boys for prostitutes, girls for wine shows complete and utter contempt for Israel. They are considered of little or no value so to use them only as trades for intoxicants or sexual relations. This is in contrast to God who values them above all other things other them righteousness and holiness.So where is this judgment take place? Tyre, Sidon & Philistia. There are rhetorical questions asked of the surrounding peoples and nations (Tyre, Sidon, Philistia). Are these people repaying Him for something God has done? Is this vengeance? Of course not, these people do not even know the true God. God’s retort to this assessment is that He will quickly return the same behavior on them. These three nations seem to have profited handsomely from the misfortunes of Israel. They took the things of Israel and sold His people into slavery far from home. God would rouse the places His people were deported to to do the same to the nations under judgment. The same people that assisted in tormenting Israel would in turn be tormented by tormentor. They will also become slaves to Judah and they would be deported to the Sabeans (Southern Arabian trade routes). God is a champion for His oppressed people and will not let these injustices stand without judgment. He will and cannot because He is a just God and must judge the wicked.
In light of a prophecy of certain judgment that is certainly coming, a proclamation is issued to go through the “nations”. All those that can fight (warriors, fighting men) are to get on a war footing and prepare for war (v. 9). We see the famous verse/statement “Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears.” "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am a warrior." ~Joel 3:10
The Hebrew iron plow point (above) was used for plowing. The Hebrew farmer used an iron plow point with a collar into which a wooden shaft was thrust. Such a plow harnessed to an ox would cut a furrow rather than turn the earth as modern plows do. The term "plowshare" commonly used in English translations is a misnomer for it describes a plow with a blade. It is not difficult to imagine a sword being beaten from a plow point (Isa. 2:14; Mic. 4:3) or vice versa (Joel 3:10) . As for the pruning hook being hammered into a spear, the picture below is self-explanitory.
This verse is the image of a nation repartitioning its resources for an optimal use of them in a time of war. They are to take implements of agriculture, growth and food and fashion them into implements of killing and war and destruction. The Lord would also bring down His warriors, and He commands His warriors to destroy His enemies. There is a continued theme of agricultural imagery when Joel says the “harvest is ripe”, “trample the grapes” and “swing the sickle”. Judgment will then be passed by the Lord in the “valley of decision” (Valley of Jehoshaphat). A darkening (ominousness) will precede the Lord coming from His sanctuary in Jerusalem like a storm.
Inevitably we see the ever present promise of restoration of Israel come to fruition. And because of this restoration we and Israel will know that he is God and He dwells in Zion. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. They will prosper “mountains will drip new wine”, “hills will flow with milk” and “ all ravines of Judah will run with water”. Judah will be inhabited forever.
Ironically, the once great Egyptian empire will be desolate and Edom will be a desert waste because of violence done to the people of Judah.
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