THE VALLEY OF JUDGMENT
Sermon
God's Most Unmistakable Message
Sermons For Lent
Today as we enjoy the comfort of our church service, many
people are sitting in jail cells, serving time for various crimes
they have committed. This fact shocks us into a kind of stark
look at the reality of judgment. Certain actions have certain
consequences. That is what this day, Ash Wednesday, tells us
about also. Actions have consequences.
You see, we do not like the word judgment. We say, "We live by
grace." Yes, this is true. Equally true, however, is that even
grace is tempered by judgment, because judgment is always
corrective. God does not simply "punish" but rather corrects with
a view to improving our relationship with him. This is the truth
that the prophet Joel had perceived.
Joel wrote during a time of crisis in his country, ancient
Israel. He could see a time when his own people would have to
wake up to the reality of what would happen to them if they
continued on their path. Joel was probably a young and patriotic
priest. He wanted his people to be faithful to God. The book of
Joel was written when a terrible swarm of locusts had devastated
Palestine. Most of Joel's fellow countrymen and women probably
saw only the ravaged effects of swarms of grasshoppers. But Joel
saw much more than this. He saw the hand of God in the locusts.
For you see, this is what a prophet was -- someone who saw God in
all events of life. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a poem about
this way of seeing:
Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush
afire with God.
And only he who sees takes
off his shoes.
The rest sit round and pluck
blackberries.
Joel could see, and thus he took off his shoes.
And so he spoke of God's judgment. Many of us have problems
with the concept of judgment because we somehow imagine God
punishing people out of spite or from frustration. But judgment
is always redemptive. It comes to us for the purpose of bringing
us back to God's way of living.
Another problem we have is that we do not understand history.
Many of us look at history as the mere accumulation of time and
of the events which fill time. But for the biblical prophets
history was more than just time. It was the arena in which God
did his mighty acts. That is why a person like Moses, for
instance, could see God at work. Moses saw God as the one who
delivered his people out of Egyptian bondage. Jesus, too, was
certain of God's loving action because of the way he took care of
Jesus, despite all the circumstances.
And us -- what do we see as we look back over the years? Are
we not prone to think of history as worth what a recent ad for a
history textbook implied? This advertisement gave the price of a
book as "Only 25 cents per century." But our faith teaches us
that God is alive and active in the world today as in years gone
by. Even so, we still have trouble hearing Joel's message of
judgment because of our lack of appreciation for history.
Another problem we have with the idea of judgment is our
concept of science. In many modern circles science is itself a
religion. It is the sum total and explanation of life. Many
people think that science can solve any problem if it is given
enough time and money. Our science certainly can solve many of
our world's problems, but it is never a substitute for God!
Anyone who has ever been inside of a modern laboratory marvels at
the technological wonders there. But none of this is God!
10
The point is that while our science teaches us about the
interrelatedness of facts and events, it often leaves no room for
God, no room for judgment. It would have seen the locust plague
of the prophet Joel's day in terms of biology rather than
theology.
But forgetting God is no new problem. It is at least as old as
the Bible. That is why Joel, in 3:9-15, envisioned God calling
the nations together in the Valley of Judgment. God was calling
them to account for their national attitudes. Could it be that
God is trying to say something to us about our national
attitudes? Give some careful thought to it before you answer no.
Is inflation and the energy situation a judgment upon greed? Was
the Watergate affair and the Iran/Contra business judgment upon
our refusal to hold elected officials accountable?
A former defense secretary of this country was once quoted as
saying the Russians have a new submarine far superior to anything
we have. The first reaction of many people upon hearing this was
to say, "Aren't we ever going to learn?" That defense strategy
reminds me of a grizzly game some children used to play. It was
called knuckle bust. One boy would hold out his fist and another
would rap him on the knuckles. Then the first boy would hit the
second on the knuckles. Then the second would hit the first
again, and it would escalate in intensity and power until one
gave up. What we think of that silly game must be something like
God thinks of our silly international games. Joel's word is that
God will hold people who squander their resources liable to
judgment.
God's judgment comes when we are forced to face up to our
actions. This can best be explained by this true story. A lady
called a pastor to her home. Her father, who had been a tyrant
and had lived an ungodly life for his 75 years, was dying. He
wanted to make a confession so he could go to heaven. He was not
sorry for living as he had. He was only sorry that he had to face
the consequences of his actions. Before the minister could get to
the home an ambulance took the old man to the hospital where he
was put into the intensive
11
care unit. He died shortly afterwards without having had a chance
to repent. Whether we are talking about the life of a nation or
an individual life, we must realize that the judgment of God is
certain.
A popular country song on the radio a while back was titled,
"I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised." This song was a half-
brag about a tough guy who lived like a hellion and did not care
who knew it. This macho image is spread so that it seems that
every real man needs to wear a black hat and drink beer! But such
living judges itself.
If the prophet Joel could step out of the 5th century B.C.
into the 20th century A.D., what do you think he would say to us?
Perhaps his message would be a paraphrase of the old Black poem
from God's Trombones: "Young nation, young nation, your arms are
too short to box with God."
National Public Radio carried an interview with a stonecutter
who worked on a cathedral in Washington, D.C. This stone carver
was a fifth generation Greek craftsman. But he said in the
interview that he was the end of the line. There was simply no
more demand for stone carvers. That phrase -- the end of the line
-- bothers us. Let us work and pray together that for us
individually and as a nation this is not the end of the line. God
has called us into the valley of judgment. Can we answer and
defend ourselves? Not really. Our one chance is that the Galilean
carpenter who goes with us everywhere can change our hearts.
Really now, isn't that what we are after on this Ash Wednesday?
12
people are sitting in jail cells, serving time for various crimes
they have committed. This fact shocks us into a kind of stark
look at the reality of judgment. Certain actions have certain
consequences. That is what this day, Ash Wednesday, tells us
about also. Actions have consequences.
You see, we do not like the word judgment. We say, "We live by
grace." Yes, this is true. Equally true, however, is that even
grace is tempered by judgment, because judgment is always
corrective. God does not simply "punish" but rather corrects with
a view to improving our relationship with him. This is the truth
that the prophet Joel had perceived.
Joel wrote during a time of crisis in his country, ancient
Israel. He could see a time when his own people would have to
wake up to the reality of what would happen to them if they
continued on their path. Joel was probably a young and patriotic
priest. He wanted his people to be faithful to God. The book of
Joel was written when a terrible swarm of locusts had devastated
Palestine. Most of Joel's fellow countrymen and women probably
saw only the ravaged effects of swarms of grasshoppers. But Joel
saw much more than this. He saw the hand of God in the locusts.
For you see, this is what a prophet was -- someone who saw God in
all events of life. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a poem about
this way of seeing:
Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush
afire with God.
And only he who sees takes
off his shoes.
The rest sit round and pluck
blackberries.
Joel could see, and thus he took off his shoes.
And so he spoke of God's judgment. Many of us have problems
with the concept of judgment because we somehow imagine God
punishing people out of spite or from frustration. But judgment
is always redemptive. It comes to us for the purpose of bringing
us back to God's way of living.
Another problem we have is that we do not understand history.
Many of us look at history as the mere accumulation of time and
of the events which fill time. But for the biblical prophets
history was more than just time. It was the arena in which God
did his mighty acts. That is why a person like Moses, for
instance, could see God at work. Moses saw God as the one who
delivered his people out of Egyptian bondage. Jesus, too, was
certain of God's loving action because of the way he took care of
Jesus, despite all the circumstances.
And us -- what do we see as we look back over the years? Are
we not prone to think of history as worth what a recent ad for a
history textbook implied? This advertisement gave the price of a
book as "Only 25 cents per century." But our faith teaches us
that God is alive and active in the world today as in years gone
by. Even so, we still have trouble hearing Joel's message of
judgment because of our lack of appreciation for history.
Another problem we have with the idea of judgment is our
concept of science. In many modern circles science is itself a
religion. It is the sum total and explanation of life. Many
people think that science can solve any problem if it is given
enough time and money. Our science certainly can solve many of
our world's problems, but it is never a substitute for God!
Anyone who has ever been inside of a modern laboratory marvels at
the technological wonders there. But none of this is God!
10
The point is that while our science teaches us about the
interrelatedness of facts and events, it often leaves no room for
God, no room for judgment. It would have seen the locust plague
of the prophet Joel's day in terms of biology rather than
theology.
But forgetting God is no new problem. It is at least as old as
the Bible. That is why Joel, in 3:9-15, envisioned God calling
the nations together in the Valley of Judgment. God was calling
them to account for their national attitudes. Could it be that
God is trying to say something to us about our national
attitudes? Give some careful thought to it before you answer no.
Is inflation and the energy situation a judgment upon greed? Was
the Watergate affair and the Iran/Contra business judgment upon
our refusal to hold elected officials accountable?
A former defense secretary of this country was once quoted as
saying the Russians have a new submarine far superior to anything
we have. The first reaction of many people upon hearing this was
to say, "Aren't we ever going to learn?" That defense strategy
reminds me of a grizzly game some children used to play. It was
called knuckle bust. One boy would hold out his fist and another
would rap him on the knuckles. Then the first boy would hit the
second on the knuckles. Then the second would hit the first
again, and it would escalate in intensity and power until one
gave up. What we think of that silly game must be something like
God thinks of our silly international games. Joel's word is that
God will hold people who squander their resources liable to
judgment.
God's judgment comes when we are forced to face up to our
actions. This can best be explained by this true story. A lady
called a pastor to her home. Her father, who had been a tyrant
and had lived an ungodly life for his 75 years, was dying. He
wanted to make a confession so he could go to heaven. He was not
sorry for living as he had. He was only sorry that he had to face
the consequences of his actions. Before the minister could get to
the home an ambulance took the old man to the hospital where he
was put into the intensive
11
care unit. He died shortly afterwards without having had a chance
to repent. Whether we are talking about the life of a nation or
an individual life, we must realize that the judgment of God is
certain.
A popular country song on the radio a while back was titled,
"I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised." This song was a half-
brag about a tough guy who lived like a hellion and did not care
who knew it. This macho image is spread so that it seems that
every real man needs to wear a black hat and drink beer! But such
living judges itself.
If the prophet Joel could step out of the 5th century B.C.
into the 20th century A.D., what do you think he would say to us?
Perhaps his message would be a paraphrase of the old Black poem
from God's Trombones: "Young nation, young nation, your arms are
too short to box with God."
National Public Radio carried an interview with a stonecutter
who worked on a cathedral in Washington, D.C. This stone carver
was a fifth generation Greek craftsman. But he said in the
interview that he was the end of the line. There was simply no
more demand for stone carvers. That phrase -- the end of the line
-- bothers us. Let us work and pray together that for us
individually and as a nation this is not the end of the line. God
has called us into the valley of judgment. Can we answer and
defend ourselves? Not really. Our one chance is that the Galilean
carpenter who goes with us everywhere can change our hearts.
Really now, isn't that what we are after on this Ash Wednesday?
12
