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"Beat your plowshares into swords"

Text: Joel 3:10

INVOLVEMENT IN WAR

When a nation has to face war, everyone must be prepared to do his part. Even those who are not professional soldiers must not fail to do their part for the war effort.

“Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.'”
Joel 3:10

1. Patriotism was expected

a) Everyone is expected to help defend the nation.

b) This would mean forming the militia.

i) Non-professionally trained soldiers.

ii) Patriots who will take up arms to defend the country against invaders.

2. “Beat your plowshares into swords”

a) This would be a call to farmers.

b) Plowshares were made of strong iron.

c) These were used to till the hard ground!

d) To beat the plowshares into swords would mean:

i) The farmers cannot till the soil.

ii) They will have to learn how to fight for their land.

iii) The times were desperate and everyone was needed, including farmers!

iv) They must learn to be swordsmen.

3. “And your pruning hooks into spears”

a) Pruning hooks were used by people who work in orchards.

b) These hooks were used to pull down fruits that were too high to reach easily.

c) The pruning hooks were long poles that had hooks attached at the end.

d) These hooks must now be re-shaped into spearheads.

e) They must learn how to be spears-men.

4. “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong'”

a) Not everyone is born courageous.

b) Many feel weak rather than strong.

c) The call must go to even the weak. Encouragement must be given so that they feel strong enough to go to war to defend their nation!