Joel means Yahweh is God


Joel may have been God’s spokesman during the reign of Joash in Judah and a contemporary of Elisha, the prophet of Israel.

His frequent references to Zion, Jerusalem and the House of the Lord, suggest that he lived close to Jerusalem and may have been a priest and prophet.
Joel 1:9, 13-14/
2:15-17, 23, 32/
3:1, 16-17, 20-21.

Joel was a clear, concise and uncompromising preacher of repentance.

Joel stresses the sovereign power of God over nature and nations.
He points out how God uses nature to get the attention of people.

The occasion of the book was a devastating locust plague.
The locust plague provided Joel with a catalyst for God’s judgment, known as the Day of the Lord, that would come if God’s people did not repent.

The brief book of Joel develops the crucial theme of the coming of the Day of the Lord. Joel 1:15/ 2:1-2, 11,31/ 3:14.

It is a time of awesome judgment upon people and nations that have rebelled against God.

The theme of disaster runs throughout the book;
Locust plagues, famine, raging fire, invading armies, celestial phenomena;
But the promises of hope are interspersed with the pronouncements of coming judgment.

SURVEY OF JOEL.
THE DAY OF THE LORD IN RETROSPECT
. Joel 1:1-20.

Joel begins with an account of the locust plague.
The economy has been brought to a standstill by a drought and the people are in a desperate situation.

THE DAY OF THE LORD IN PROSPECT. Joel 2:1 to 3:21.

Joel makes effective use of the natural catastrophe of the locust invasion, as an illustration of a far greater judgment to come.
God promises that judgment will be followed by blessing upon Judah.

Joel’s greatest contribution to Christian thought is his teaching about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people;

“And afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
Even on My servants, both men and women,
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke…..
And everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. “
Joel 2: 28-32.

Peter quoted this prophecy in his Pentecostal Sermon, in Acts 2: 14-21.

Compiled by Shanti Jayanth, Madurai.

The trumpet of warning (1-11). The calamities that come to our lives should awaken us and remind us that the Lord is in control. The locusts were God’s army (Vs. 11, 20, 25), and the day was “the day of the LORD.” This is a sobering truth, but it is also a comforting truth (2 Samuel 24:14). The Lord who wounds will also heal (Hosea 6:1).

The trumpet of weeping (12-17). The prophet summoned the people to return to God with fasting and confession. Never be afraid to come to the Lord in honesty and humility because He is”gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Vs.13). As you pray, think about magnifying the glory of God (Vs.17) as well as escaping the suffering that sin causes.

The promise of blessing (18-32). God promised to.remove their reproach and restore His blessings to the land. “Monstrous things” (Vs.20) will be replaced by “marvelous things” from the Lord (Vs. 21), and joy will take the place of fear. Verses 28-32 refer especially to the future day of the Lord, but Peter’s use of them at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21) suggests that they have a spiritual application today.

Posted by brother Narayan

270 Days Bible Study Insights Joel 1-3
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Joel begins by describing a terrible plague of locusts that covers the land and devours the crops. The devastation wrought by these creatures is but a foretaste of the coming judgement of God, the “day of the Lord”. Joel, therefore, urges the people to turn from their sin and turn back to God. Woven into this message of judgement and the need for repentance is an affirmation of God’s kindness and the blessings he promises for All who follow him. In fact, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”.

The locust plague was only a foretaste of the judgement to come in the day of the Lord. This is a timeless call to repentance with the promise of blessing. Just as the people faced the tragedy of their crops being destroyed, we too will face a tragic judgement if we live in sin. But God’s grace is available to us both now and in that coming day.

Like a destroying army of locusts, God’s punishment for sin is overwhelming, dreadful, and avoidable. When it comes, there will be no food, no water, no protection, and no escape. The day for settling accounts with God for how we have lived is fast approaching.

God is the one with whom we all must reckon—not nature, the economy, or a foreign invader. We can’t ignore or offend God forever. We must pay attention to his message now, or we will face his anger later.

God stood ready to forgive And restore all those who would come to him and turn away from sin. God wanted to shower his people with his love and restore them to a proper relationship with Him.

Forgiveness comes by turning from sin and turning toward God. It is not too late to receive God’s forgiveness. God’s greatest desire is for you to come to him.

Joel predicts the time when God will pour out his Holy Spirit on all people. It will be the beginning of new and fresh worship of God by those who believe in Him, but also the beginning of judgement in all who reject him.

God is in control. Justice and restoration are in his hands. The Holy Spirit confirms God’s love for us just as he did for the first Christians(Acts2). We must be faithful to God and place our lives under the guidance and power of his Holy Spirit.

Joel began with a prophecy about the destruction of the land and ended with a prophecy about its restoration. He. Began by stressing the need for repentance and ended with the promise of forgiveness that repentance brings. Joel was trying to Convince the people to wake up and get rid of their complacency’s and realise the danger of living apart from God. His message to us is that there is still time, anyone who calls on God’s name
Can be saved. Those who turn to God will enjoy the blessings mentioned in Joel’s prophecy, those who refuse will face destruction.
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Clara Radhakrishn

Joel 1 The prophet gives us four instructions to follow when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, instructions that should be heeded by individuals and nations.

Hear (1-4). Listen to God’s Word and let Him interpret events for you. God raises up people to encourage us to turn to Him for help.

Awake (5-7). When Joel looked at the dying vines and trees, he addressed the drinkers and told them to wake up and weep. But they should shed tears not because the wine is gone but because their sins have brought judgment on the land.

Lament (8-18). The fields, orchards, vineyards, flocks, and herds were all ruined; and Joel called for the farmers to lament (Vs.11) and for the priests to repent (Vs.13-14). It is time to seek the Lord!

Cry out (19-20). The prophet set the example by crying out to God for His mercy and help. Perhaps he claimed God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14. It is not enough for us to weep over the sad consequences of our sins; we must also weep over our sins.

Posted by brother narayan.