JOEL

The best strong hold against anti-Semitism is the study of the book of Joel.

If more of us would study the book of Joel, we would see more clearly that Israel is very much a part of the heart of God both in the past and in the future. There would be no anti-Semitism in the church if we would receive the proper understanding of God's dealings with Israel and His eternal purpose for Israel. The church never replaces Israel and never did they become spiritual Israel. The true believers in Jesus Christ become part of Israel adopted into the vine of Israel by faith in Jesus but we never replace or supplant Israel. Those that rejected the gospel were removed from the vine temporarily but they will be grafted in again as soon as they begin to repent of sin and recognize the Messiah that their ancestors rejected. Actually not all Jews rejected Jesus. On the day of Pentecost thousands received the Holy Spirit, not just the apostles.

The book of Joel needs to be studied along with the book of Acts because the book of Acts records the partial fulfillment of Joel. The latter rain or the latter part of the fulfillment of Joel takes place just before the Second coming of Jesus Christ. The beginning of this came to the Gentile believers just before the twentieth century and continues this present day but that is only a trickle compared to the latter day outpouring that will come upon Israel when they turn to Jesus Christ. Thousands of Jews are already coming to Christ and receiving the Holy Ghost. This started in the latter part of the twentieth century and continues now in the twenty first century. I rejoice in this. All true believers in Jesus will rejoice in the salvation of Israel. True believers will never reject Israel or join in armies surrounding Israel for their destruction.

Joe 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
Joe 1:2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
Joe 1:3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

God commanded Israel to always teach His word to their children and in turn the children were to pass it down from one generation to another. They didn't do this so as a result, many departed from God and started to mimic the nations around them and serve the gods of those nations. As a result they became slaves to other nations to whom they desired to copy.

We today will become slaves or in bondage to whatever we desire over and above our Lord Jesus Christ.
If we reject Christ and prefer to remain in sin, that sin will consume us. We literally become slaves to sin.

Joe 1:4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.

By departing from God, they did not have his protection and as a result the elements were against them. They were plagued with famine and loss of material blessings. Bad things do happen to try our faith but in the end we come out better off.  Many times though bad happens because we have departed from God and His hand of protection is not as strong with us as it was before.  A nation that fears God will be blessed materially but that doesn't mean that all poor nations are necessarily out of God's will.  There will be poor among us to see if we will help them.  The bible does not teach the modern day prosperity doctrine. We need to take heed the words of Jesus and seek the true riches which are spiritual, not material. He will supply our needs if we trust in Him but we need to be seeking the spiritual riches, not the riches which will pass away.  If we are blessed materially we have a great responsibility to do good for the poor and not despise them by assuming they are out of God's favor.

It is true that Israel lost their land many times because they strayed from the true God and served idols.  Without God they were prey to their enemies.  The enemy has more strength if we depart from God.  Whereever people fear the Lord, evil is restrained.  When those same people depart from God, He doesn't stay where He is not wanted.  If He departs evil becomes stronger.  Naturally we will not prosper spiritual or materially if that happens. 

Joe 1:5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
Joe 1:6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

Without God's protection, other wicked nations will be able to come up against a weak nation and overtake them. Only by God's power can the weak be stronger than the enemy whether the enemy is a real army or the enemy of our souls which is Satan.

Joe 1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.
Joe 1:8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

At one time a virgin without any hope for a husband would be considered without hope or in despair. This is also symbolic of a young bride without her bridegroom.  Israel without God or without the Messiah is like a virgin with no bridegroom.

Joe 1:9 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD's ministers, mourn.
Joe 1:10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
Joe 1:11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.
Joe 1:12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

They lost all joy, comfort, substance and hope because God allowed their destruction for a season.

The remedy is the same then as it is now.