Joel's First Day of the Lord

Introduction

This morning we are beginning a new study. For this study we are going to return to the Old Testament.

Now I know some of you just rolled your eyes, because it’s the Old Testament. And I’m about to make you role them again, because we are not only going to be in the Old Testament, but we’re going to study an Old Testament book of Prophecy!

Okay, Okay, I know what some of you are thinking! You’re thinking, “Really, a book of Prophecy? We’ll never get out of this study. We’ll be in this book for like a million years!”

Well relax! This book of Prophecy only has three chapters.

But more importantly, I believe it has a message for us today.

So, today we are going to begin the small, three chapter book of Joel.

If you have your Bibles I want to encourage you to turn with me Joel chapter one.

But before we begin looking at our passage, let me ask you a question.

How Does God Work?

How Does God Work in our world? You know there are a number of views about this question. Even among Christian there are several different views. For example:

Some Christians do not believe the creation story. This begs the question of whether they even believe in God or not.

Some believe that God created the world—or at least had something to do with creation—but then He went on about His business and left it alone.

Still others believe that God created the world, but then set it on the shelf to watch what happened. They might concede that once in a very great while He enters into the world and does something to or with His creation. But most of the time the world is just sitting there doing its own thing.

Finally, there are those who believe God created the world and that God is actively working to fulfill His purpose for the world.

Now this last view is my personal view, and it was also the view of the Prophet Joel.

So, as we study this book, we are going to begin with the view that God is intimately involved in the affairs of our world—even today! But especially in Joel’s day.

Overview

As we begin, let me give you a four point outline to the book.

Introduction (1:1)

A Past “Day of the Lord”:a locust invasion (1:2-20)

A Near Future “Day of the Lord”:a human invasion (2:1-27)

A Far “Future Day of the Lord”:another human invasion and deliverance (2:28-3:21)

This morning we are going to look at the first two points—the introduction and the past Day of the Lord.

So, let’s begin our study. Look at verse 1.

Joel 1:1 NIV

The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel.

The Author

This is the word of Yahweh—the Lord. So we know from the beginning that it is a prophecy of Yahweh.

NOTE:There are at least three other prophetic books begin in similar fashion (Hosah, Micah, Zephaniah).

The first problem with this book is that little is known about the author. There’s a lot we don’t know:

— Where he was from.

— Where he lived.

— When he lived (time period).

We know his name, Joel (Heb. literally: Yahweh is God—similar to the name Elijah).

He is the son of Pethuel (Heb. Literally: Persuaded by God, Open-heartedness of God, or Sincerity of God).

That is really all we know about Joel.

From the text, many scholars believe he lived in Judah (cf. 1:14; 2:1).

But that is about all we know and about all that we can speculate about.

A Past Day of the Lord: A locust invasion

An Initial Appeal

Joel 1:2 NIV

Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?

1. An Appeal to Take Notice

Joel calls for all the elders in the land to take notice.

He calls for everyone who lives in the land to take notice.

He asks if anything like this has EVER happened in their days.

Then he broadens the question out, has anything EVER happened like this in the days of your ancestors?

(The obvious answer to the rhetorical questions is, “No!”)

Joel 1:3 NIV

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

2. An Appeal to Remember

Joel challenges the people to not forget what they have seen:

— Tell it to your children!

— Have your children tell it to their children!

— And their children to then next generation!

Joel doesn’t want the people to ever forget what they have seen!

Joel 1:4 NIV

What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten.

3. What Israel was to Remember

Joel is going to give a visual for the reader of the vast devastation (physical devastation) that the locust caused to land.

A swarm of locust (Heb. lit. creeping or gnawing locust—caterpillar) came in and ate up the plants!

What the swarm left (gnawing locust), the great locust (swarming locust, a migratory locust) has eaten.

What the great locust (swarming locust) has left, the young locust (creeping locust) has eaten.

And what the young locust (creeping locust) left the other locust (stripping locust) has eaten.

Joel could be describing locust in different stages of development, or he could be describing different varieties of locusts. The truth is, we’re not completely sure what he is describing. Yet, even though we don’t know the true identity or kind of what the four types of locusts represented here; we do know this: The devastation was total and complete. NO plants were left alive! All of their agriculture was destroyed!

A Call to Mourn

Joel 1:5 NIV

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.

1. Drunks Should Mourn

The drunks should mourn because the wine is all gone.

Even more, they should mourn because no new wine can be made!

The vineyards have been completely destroyed by the locust. Nothing in the vineyards was left!

Joel 1:6 NIV

A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness.

The locusts are described as an invading army!

The army is mighty and can’t be counted.

This army has teeth like a lion!

And fangs like a lioness!

Joel 1:7 NIV

It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.

This army totally destroyed the vines of the vineyards.

The army totally destroyed all the fig trees.

—Stripped all the bark off the tree.

—It left the tree branches white

Healthy vineyards and healthy fig trees were signs of God’s blessing. In this verse, the locust have destroyed both of them!

2. Mourn Like a Virgin

Joel 1:8 NIV

Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the betrothed of her youth.

The question from this verse is who is supposed to mourn.

—It is not a reference to the drunkard in verse 5, because this verb is singular.

—For the same reason, it isn’t a reference to the farmers of verse 11.

Most scholars believe it is a reference to Jerusalem because this city is often referred to as a virgin.

2 Kings 19:21 NIV

This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him: “ ‘Virgin Daughter Zion despises you and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.

Jerusalem is to mourn, because of the death of her fiancé. Specifically, with all the wine, grain and oil destroyed, the worship of the Yahweh has been hindered. Look at verse 9.

Joel 1:9 NIV

Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord.

There are no grain offerings (because the grain has been destroyed).

There are no drink offerings (because the vines have been destroyed).

The priests are mourning—there is nothing to sacrifice to the Lord.

Things are bad—but look exactly how bad they are!

Joel 1:10 NIV

The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails.

The fields are ruined.

The ground is dried up.

The grain is destroyed.

There is NO new wine.

And there is No new oil being produced.

Joel 1:11 NIV

Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed.

3. Farmers Should Mourn

Farmers are to despair (Heb. be ashamed, embarrassed, be disappointed)

The vine growers (vinedressers) are to wail (Heb. cry out loudly).

(most likely the reference to “farmers” and “vine growers are the same person.

They are to grieve because the wheat harvest, barley harvest are all destroyed.

Joel 1:12 NIV

The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up. Surely the people’s joy is withered away.

They are to grieve because the vine is dried up.

The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees, are dried up.

In fact, all the trees of the field are dried up.

4. All the People Mourn

All the people’s joy is withered away.

5. The Priest should Mourn

Joel 1:13 NIV

Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

The priests are to put on sackcloth—A rough cloth made from animal hair, usually that of a goat or camel. Worn to indicated sorrow, grief, contrition, lamentation, mourning, supplication, or repentance.

The priests are told to mourn, and wail.

The priests are to spend the night in sackcloth.

Why? Because the grain offerings and drink offerings are being withheld from the house of God.

A Call to Repent

Joel 1:14 NIV

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.

They are to declare a holy fast.

They are to call a sacred assembly.

Finally they are to declare a holy fast.

Then they are to call a sacred assembly.

Calling the elders and all who live in the land to come to the house of the Lord your God!

All so they can call cry out to the Lord!

The Significance of the Plague

Joel 1:15 NIV

Alas for that day! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

The day of the Lord is near.

According to J. Dwight Pentecost in Things to Come, the Day of the Lord is a term that appears frequently in the Old Testament, especially in the Prophets. It refers to a day (or period of time) in which the Lord is obviously working in the events of man. Specifically, it is a day in which the Lord (Yahweh) intervenes to judge His enemies and/or His people. Judgment could be negative or positive.

In this case the day of the Lord is obviously one of destruction. “. . .it will come like destruction from the Almighty.”

Joel 1:16 NIV

Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— joy and gladness from the house of our God?

Haven’t they seen the food cut off before your very eyes.

The joy and gladness is gone from the house of our God.

Joel 1:17 NIV

The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up.

The seeds shriveled up beneath the clods—after the locust a drought came.

The barns and silos are empty, and have fallen into disrepair.

All the grain has dried up—ruined.

Joel 1:18 NIV

How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering.

All the cattle moan, because they are hungry!

There are no grass in the pastures for them to eat.

The flocks of sheep are suffering!

Joel 1:19 NIV

To you, Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.

Joel calls out to the Lord—since he is in the middle of the calamity with the people of Israel.

He calls out to the Lord because fire has devoured the pastures.

And the flames have also burned up all the trees.

Joel 1:20 NIV

Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness.

Joel suggests that even the wild animals pant after God.

Psalm 42:1 NIV

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

By the animals panting after the streams of water that have dried up—the are demonstrating how mankind should pant after God.

So What

What do we learn from this firsts chapter of the book of Joel.

First there will be a Day of the Lord. This is not to be confused with the Lord’s Day (like today, Sunday).

No the Day of the Lord will be both a day of judgment, and a day of blessing.

It is a day of judgment for those who do not know the Lord God.

It is a day of blessing for those whose God is Yahweh (the Lord!).

Joel wanted his readers to know that as bad as the locust plague was, the judgment in the Day of the Lord will be far worse!

Finally, Joel wants his readers to desire the Lord like the wild animals pant for water! That Psalm 42:1 passage.

Psalm 42:1 NIV

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

So here’s my question for you this morning:

Do you desire to know and relate to God like the deer pants after streams of water?

You see, our desire for God ought to come from the very deepest part of our lives—the depth of our soul!