Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? Joel.1:2.
Declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly…and cry out to the lord. Joel.1:14.

Many scholars date the book of Joel to 835 BC. Prophet Joel prophesied to the southern Kingdom of Judah. God’s people sinned and went away from Him. God punished them by sending the pandemic of locusts on the whole country. Joel is calling for repentance. If God’s people repent and turn back to God, God will answer their prayers, deliver them from the pandemic and will bless them again.

A. God’s punishment by sending locusts.

1. Something terrible which never happened in the history of Israel. Joel.1:2.
2. Locusts which destroyed everything. 1:3.
   a. Powerful and without limits.1:6.
   b. Teeth of a lion and fangs of a lioness-fierce.1:6.
   c. Destroyed their trees- sources of fruits, oil, leaves. 1:7.
3. Nothing to offer in the place of worship – Income in the worship places dried up.1:9.
4. Priests are in mourning…1:9.
5. The fields are ruined – no more income…grain is destroyed; wine dried up; oil failed. 1:10.
6. The harvest of the field is destroyed.1:11.
7. The joy of the mankind is withered away. 1:12. Mourning, grieving,wailing..Joel.1:8,9,11.
   B. Effects of the punishment by locusts.
8. Food been cut off – scarcity for food.( famine). Joel.1:16.
9. Joy and gladness cut off – no celebration or feasts. 1:16
10. The seeds are shriveled – agricultural activities stopped.Joel.1:17
11. The storehouses are in ruins – nothing to store as the production of grain stopped. Joel.1:17.
12. Cattle moan – not getting food. 1:18.
13. Herds mill about searching for food. 1:18.
14. Flocks of sheep are suffering. 1:18.
15. Fire and flames destroyed the pastures and the trees. 1:19.
16. Wild animals pant- no food and water. 1:20.
    What is the situation today? What was the situation in the last one year?

No proper agricultural activities or harvesting in many places, could result in food scarcity or famine. Companies, factories, shops..were not working. No production, no jobs, no income for many,..Not enough food for domestic animals, poultry…Not enough food for dogs on the street, and for birds like crow, pigeon,…. celebrations, gatherings, competitions, entertainments..are affected.

Medical situation No medicine for some sickness, not enough medical people, not enough hospitals,…people in thousands were dying.

Not only the poor, even Kings, Presidents, Prime ministers, billionaires…whole countries were in lockdown. Billions were not able to come out of their home…

C. God’s solution for this pandemic.

1. Humble before the Lord. -Put on sackcloth. Joel.1:13.
2. Prayer with fasting, weeping and mourning.
3. “Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly; Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord.” Joel.1:14.
   “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Joel.2:12.
4. Consecrate. Joel.2:16.
5. Set apart for God and for His service. Let us dedicate ourselves as individuals, families and as churches..
6. Individual and collective prayer.
7. a. Elders b. Children c. bridegroom d. bride e. priests ….2:16,17.
8. What to pray-

Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord… Joel.2:17.
Our God is a prayer answering God and will rescue us from all our problems. Joel.2:18-27. He is able to remove all the pandemics.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Joel.2:32. Salvation is available to all those who repent about their sins, to all those who believe in Jesus and to all those who call on Him.

Are we willing to accept our individual and collective sins?
Let us repent about our sins, confess it to the Lord and pray with fasting, weeping and plead before Him to spare us and the world.
Let us pray as individuals, families, churches and as groups.
God will answer our prayers and is able to remove all the sufferings.

MAY GOD REMOVE THIS PANDEMIC.
Rev. C. V. Abraham.