Special Saturday Edition
Ethan Barton, Pastoral Resident, Tallowood Baptist Church
What do we think about when we think about God? According to theologian A. W. Tozer, The most important thing about us is how we answer. Most people lean toward one misunderstanding of God or the other: we think of him either as angry and condemning, or as tolerant and forgiving. But without both, his goodness would be severely lacking. Joel reminds us that God is simultaneously a God of perfect justice and perfect grace. He takes vengeance on the wicked, and yet he rescues and restores his people even when they betray him.
Naturally, this raises the anxious question: are we God’s people? A resounding yes is the answer! Our identity is in Christ, and as Paul writes in Romans 11, we have therefore been grafted into the people of Israel, and so God’s promises to them extend also to us. But that means we don’t think only about Christ in the past; we also await Christ in the future. Those promises will be fulfilled. Our Lord will come again, sin and death will be eradicated, and we will be restored to right relationship with him.
What will this great day look like? The end of Joel’s little book gives a sneak peak of the answer. He will come with a roar of mighty thunder than shakes the universe. He will be a refuge for us in which good things abound and the living water of eternal life flows eternally. He will unleash war and just vengeance on all the wicked who have committed evil against him and his people. But most importantly, he will dwell in Zion, reigning here on Earth. The Christian life is about anticipation of that day! All that we do—how we live, how we worship, how we evangelize, how we love—are in eager preparation for the day his justice are his mercy are perfected on the earth.
What should we think about when we think about God? He is our redeemer, our avenger, our refuge, and our just and gracious king for eternity. The Lord dwells in Zion!
