Joel's Eclipse Calls Us to Turn from Darkness to Light

1Blow the trumpet in Zion;

sound the alarm on my holy hill.

Let all who live in the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming.

It is close at hand—

2a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and blackness.

Like dawn spreading across the mountains

a large and mighty army comes,

such as never was in ancient times

nor ever will be in ages to come.

10Before them the earth shakes,

the heavens tremble,

the sun and moon are darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

12“Even now,” declares the Lord,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting and weeping and mourning."13Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love,

30I will show wonders in the heavens

and on the earth,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

31The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

32And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved; (Joel 2)

Thoughts: Joel is not dated, but this eclipse referred to in Joel 2 could have been the great eclipse predicted by Thales 5/28/785.  This eclipse actually stopped a huge battle between the Lydians and Medians.  When they saw the darkness they stopped fighting.
      Joel was talking about locusts coming on the land, along with darkness and earthquakes.  It could be that the locusts were so many that they blocked out the sun, but it seems to be referring to an eclipse because the moon seems to turn to blood.  The blood red appearance of the moon or sun are often associated with eclipses.
The day of the Lord is the day God comes.  For those who refuse God and run away from His will, it is good to run away from Him.  For those who long to hear and see Him the presence of God is a wonderful thing. What Joel asks us to do is to return to Him- not on the surface, but in our hearts.  The signs, plagues and even miracles of the Bible were all meant to turn people back to God.  All who call on God will be saved.  The eclipse goes from darkness to light, and God calls us to leave darkness and go into the light of God's hope.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see you at work in the world.  Let me turn to you with all my heart.

5/16/13- Judgment and the Coming of the Spirit

“And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
²⁹ Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
³⁰ I will show wonders in the heavens
    and on the earth,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
³¹ The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
³² And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved; (Joel 2:28-32)

Thoughts: Before the Christian Pentecost, the Spirit is over all the earth, but especially poured out only in Zion.  Now the Spirit is poured out on everyone- men, women, all nations. When the Christian Pentecost came all people could come to God- of all nations.  "Whosoever will" becomes a reality.  This is illustrated in circumcision- where only adult males from Israel were made a part of the covenant in the Old Testament.  Baptism replaced circumcision as the initiation and cleansing ritual of our covenant with God. Baptism is open to both males and females of any race or people- only repentance ("repent and be baptized") and coming to Christ are necessary.  
The early Christians saw this verse fulfilled in the Christian Pentecost recorded in Acts 2.  
    It is interesting that the coming of the Spirit in power (the Comforter) is tied with judgment (the sun and moon and judgment Joel 2:31).  The early Christians believed Jesus' promise of judgment on Jerusalem (Mt. 24 et al) which was fulfilled when Jerusalem fell within a generation of Jesus' death- 70 AD.  Jesus quoted 2:31 in Mt. 24:29.  Often the awareness of judgment and the outpouring of the Spirit go hand in hand.  When we do not believe God blesses or holds us to account, then we do not call on Him to be saved from being held to account.  Many great movements of God occur when there is a deep awareness of our sin, or an awareness of God's judgment upon us.  If we do not believe there is a personal God who acts among us, then we will not likely turn to Him personally.  So perhaps the first step of seeking the Spirit is to be aware of your own sin and God's ability to bless or  hold to account.  The second step is to repent and be baptized- as Peter who said in Acts 2 after quoting this verse. 

Prayer: Lord, keep me from taking my sin for granted this day.  Help me to understand the gravity of my sin.  Prompt me to call out to you, Holy Spirit, and to have you poured out into my life.  

(Sun and moon darkened in an eclipse)