Minor Prophets: Joel 2 of 2
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Previously in Joel
Previously in Joel
It is good to know where we stated so we can see where we are going. While our study is not extensive in context it is conceptional in context and there is much we have seen, are reminded of and help us to be prepared for the rest.
Prophesy given of judgment as illustrated by locusts (Joel1:2-4)
It was described in detail how total, how devastating it was going to be
Instructions on what to do to avert judgment (Joel1:5-14)
Awake, lament, be ashamed, gird yourself, consecrate a fast, call an assembly, gather the elders and all the people, then cry out to the Lord
A plague of warning from God declared (Joel1:15-18)
God Almighty’s judgment was going to come and bring destruction. Everything will be devastated, You joy taken, your food gone, your crops withered, even the animals groan
A cry from the prophet (Joel1:19-20)
Because of the severity of the judgment the prophet cries out to God, as do the beasts of the field.
Repent, sound the alarm, judgment coming (Joel2:1-11)
Blow the trumpet, sound the alarm the day of the Lord is coming, then goes on to describe some of what it will look like, Darkness, thick darkness, gloominess, fire locusts, and there will be no escape of this judgment when it comes.
Repent and receive blessings (Joel2:12-17)
God says turn to me, repent, fast, weep with mourning, rend your heart. Why? Because God is merciful, gracious, kind, slow to anger. Call everyone together, repent, ask the Lord together for Him to spare the people.
Blessings came (Joel2:21-27)
After judgment will come repentance, from repentance to refreshing and renewing
Lessons learned thus far
Value of natural calamities
Nature of true repentance
Character and nature of God
Day of the Lord here could be averted by repentance
(Transition) Now we get to the rest of the book, and there is a beautiful prophesy given and a dreadful one too.
Prophesy Given
Prophesy Given
We will see some spiritual blessings coming and some judgment on the ungodly that bring about a spiritual harvest.
And it shall come to pass “afterward” (Joel2:28-32; Act2:14-21)
we get to a section that you can find in the N.T. in Act2, you maybe familiar with it, and we will look in a minute at what Peter has say about it in the N.T. of this O.T. Prophecy about what was to come to pass afterward.
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
while we are surveying the book, we do not have time to develop everything, but some things we need to lean on, glean from contextually too.
Question: Look at (v.28) it says afterward, after what? (hint look back to intro notes, chapter 1:1-2:27)
We can know what happens afterward for you find this in the N.T. Act2:17-21 too. but, before we grab from the passage I want to bring in another verse to consider and why it was said.
16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
wait, wait, wait, cannot just use one verse, that is not fair.
14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15 “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day;
16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
So the afterward was spoken to address the allegation made by the Jews about the outpouring of the Spirit was not men being drunk at all. Peter says “this is that” that which Joel spoke about is fulfilled here, now.
(Transition) Now, back to Joel2:28-32 and glean from what shall come to pass afterward.
I will pour out My Spirit (v.28) and it will be on all flesh.
Sons, daughters will prophesy, Men will dream dreams, have visions (v.28)
The outpouring will be all inclusive, available to all (v.29) - now we know it was to the apostles were given the empowering to do signs, wonders, but the Spirit was available, the saving Spirit was available to all.
A note on this, this passage is the beginning to be fulfilled on Pentecost. Some then thing that (vv.30-31) were fulfilled in AD70, others on what will the great and dreadful day of the Lord at the end of time.
In the midst of the judgment. God gives a means of escape.
It shall come to pass, all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (v.32)
A side note on this, this passage is the beginning to be fulfilled on Pentecost. Some then thing that (vv.30-31) were fulfilled in AD70, others on what will the great and dreadful day of the Lord at the end of time.
Question: What was the means of escape given on Pentecost (you can find answer Act2:38-39)?
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
Way of escape is repent, be baptized
For as many as the Lord will call to Himself
God’s will is all to be saved, to come to repentance but you have to answer the call.
So how does the Lord call today?
For in “those days” (Joel3:1-17)
This next section is a long section, so, look at your bibles, follow along with me, and will make a few little points afterwards, if anything sticks out, well, you know the question that is coming.
1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.
3 They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink. 4 “Indeed, what have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? Will you retaliate against Me? But if you retaliate against Me, Swiftly and speedily I will return your retaliation upon your own head;
5 Because you have taken My silver and My gold, And have carried into your temples My prized possessions. 6 Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem You have sold to the Greeks, That you may remove them far from their borders.
7 “Behold, I will raise them Out of the place to which you have sold them, And will return your retaliation upon your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the people of Judah, And they will sell them to the Sabeans, To a people far off; For the Lord has spoken.”
9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ”
11 Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. 12 “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow— For their wickedness is great.” 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness. 16 The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.
17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
God will judge all nations on account of His people (Joel3:1-3)
God calls out some, Tyre, Sidon and Philistia, you will get what you gave (Joel3:4-8)
Get ready nations, prepare for war, God is going to war against you, judge you. (Joel3:9-12)
The outcome, there will be a ripe harvest (judgment) , for the day of the Lord is near, But the Lord will utter His voice from Jerusalem, and will be a shelter for His people.
(Transition) just as in the first part that we looked at, last week, and the into to today about the judgment, what comes next is the refreshing, the renewing, the blessings in our last section today, but not the last thing we will talk about tonight.
And finally, “in that day” (Joel3:18-21)
18 And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the Lord To water the valley of Shittim. 19 Egypt will become a waste, And Edom will become a desolate wilderness, Because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will be inhabited forever And Jerusalem for all generations. 21 And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged, For the Lord dwells in Zion.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
A blessing of flowing fountain from the house of the Lord (v.18)
While judgment is seen again Egypt and Edom, it happen because of innocent blood shed. (v.19)
Jerusalem and Judah will abide forever, acquitted of their guilt (vv.20-21)
(transition) whew, that is a lot to take in, the words are clear, but the meaning, well it can be confusing so may we finish tonight with some collective thoughts of my own and several commentators I have read.
Interpreting Joel’s prophesy
Interpreting Joel’s prophesy
Our desire is to rightly divide the word of God, to have knowledge, understanding and application of God’s Word. We have to be honesty sometimes scripture does not define scripture and we are not given a clear “this is that.”
Defining terms:
It “shall come to pass afterward” (2:28)
We can know this is that that Peter mentions in (Act2:16-21)
For Peter tells us “this is that” so no further interpretation is needed it is clearly given.
In those days and at that time (3:1)
This goes hand in hand with the fulfillment of 2:28-31 since that is the matter at hand right then.
We do not know the exact date of the total fulfillment but we know what the fulfillment is.
In that day (3:18)
In context it would appear this is after day of the Lord (judgment)
Varying opinions on time frame
Day of the Lord
Could be AD70 destruction of Jerusalem
Is it the final coming of the Lord
Place/location
Says valley of Jehoshaphat (3:1-17)
Some believe literal; while others figurative
Some specific judgment at some time, others no specific judgment, but still to come.
AD70, battle of Armageddon
People/nation
identified as Judah and Jerusalem (3:18-21)
It is this literal (Israel)
Is this figurative of God’s people
So drawing a conclusion on what we know and what we don’t know. We know not all scripture useful, not all scripture is literal, some is defined, other is not. We should not be dogmatic about something the scripture does not clearly define. - To the people of Joel’s day that received the prophesy, they received the warning, the judgment, the blessings, and the comfort from it.
Other things we can conclude.
Salvation did come out of Zion and Jerusalem (2:32; Lk24:44-47)
God will judge the enemies of His people (3:18-21; Rev20:7-10)
We need to know the day of the Lord is coming
(Encouragement slide: Day of the Lord is coming)
Church, blow the trumpet, sound the alarm Jesus is coming and the judgment is going to be handed out to those who are enemies of the cross. Those who are not in Christ Jesus.
You have the solution to lead people safely out of the coming judgment and to have you own assurance!
(Invitation- Today is the day of salvation)
Give the invitation
(Song) (Prayer) (Exit)