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.