“The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earthquake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel” (Joel 3:16).

The Lord never accommodates sin in any shade, but he acts to stop it and protects his people.

Like the prophet Amos, Joel portrays the Lord as a roaring lion (Amos 1:2). As the lion roars to make his presence felt, the animals in the forest tremble since any one of them could be his prey.

Amos, Joel, and all prophets remind us that the Lord should not be treated lightly; he is consuming fire (Deut 4:24). Both prophets describe the Lord’s judgment upon those who rebelled against him. Since the message of Amos is the roaring of this lion, it is the first verse of the book (after the title). While the Book of Amos introduces the oracles about the judgment of God against the pagan nations, Judah and then Israel, Joel sums up the details of the judgment in these verses.

The oracles of judgment in prophetic books comfort those who suffer because that marks the end of their misery; injustice and oppression have an end, and the Lord does it.

However, this verse also assures the people that the lion that roars in wrath, shaking his maze ready to pounce on, is a “refuge” for his people. A refuge is a strong hiding place, like a bomb shelter. When the bombs blow all around, those who are in the shelter are safe. Living in a world of conflicts, wars and destruction, we must remind ourselves that the Lord has plans to establish peace by countering forces of destruction. The Lord, who goes against evil, also assures his people are safe under his wings.