The Day of the Lord Past

Lesson 2 – The Day of The Lord Past

"At the beginning, he reproves the stupidity of the people, who, when severely smitten by God, did not feel their evils, but on the contrary grew hardened under them :"(Calvin)

I. Listen & Tell 1-3

a. The Day of the Lord in the Past 1

i. The Prophet is talking about judgments that have happened in the past and Judah's attitude toward them. I heard of a sister who used to feel keen conviction when the preachers would preach, but because she let sin have its way in her, she one day woke up to the fact that those stories the preachers told no longer scared her. She was no longer convicted or afraid of going to hell. It was sort of a wake up call to her. That what these people were like. Look what God has done and you have still not changed your ways. What is going to happen to you?

II. Yesterday’s Plague of Locust 4 (LOOK FOR Raymond Dillard, The Minor Prophets, “Joel,” p. 255-56). Most of this information comes from Raymond Dillard. The Major consensus is that this was an actual locust plague. Some have thought that this was symbolic of an army some have even used the various words that Joel used to symbolize different armies or stages of time. I tend to think that this particular portion of scripture is Joel reminding them of what God can do, and calling them to repentance.

a. Locust discovery and development - Have only discovered swarm development in 1921. Now we Monitor outbreaks with international agencies via satellite and other technology.

i. Aircraft and trucks with powerful pesticides will often go after swarms. However if locusts aren’t killed before the swarm forms efforts are not very effective.

1. In 1988, a civil war stopped international work in destroying a locust hatch and a terrible swarm passed through North Africa bringing devastation to already poor nations and threatening Europe.

b. Locust swarm problems - (We don’t always grasp what this was like)

i. Would affect food supply, health, & economy of the people

1. Locust would take everything they could (lets look at these creatures a little closer.)

a. These are really a form of grasshopper

i. Due to climate, (moisture, temperature) that favors a large hatch

ii. The constant contact with one another and jostling stimulated a migratory effect on these grasshoppers and they would begin to swarm.

1. A swarm is when a large group of locust moves about together. Estimated to be about 120 million insects per mile.

2. They have been seen twelve hundred miles at sea. And in 1889 a swarm across the Red sea was estimated to cover two thousand square miles

c. Locust Plague Effects – George Robinson describes a 1915 locust swarm like this, “A loud noise was heard before the locusts were seen, produced by the flapping of myriads of locust wings and resembling the distant rumbling of waves (cf. Rev. 9:9). The sun was suddenly darkened. Showers of their excrements fell thick and fast resembling those of mice. Their elevation above the earth was at times hundreds of feet; at other times they flew quite low, detached numbers alighting. “in Jerusalem at least,” Mr. Whiting said, “they inevitably came from the northeast going toward the southwest, establishing the accuracy of Joel’s account in chap. 2:20.” Tons were captured and buried alive; many were thrown into cisterns or into the Mediterranean Sea, and when washed ashore were collected and dried and used for fuel in Turkish baths…Mr. Aaronsohn, another witness of the plague in 1915, testifies that in less than two months after their first appearance, not only was every green leaf devoured, but the very bark was peeled from the trees, which stood out white and lifeless, like skeletons. The fields, he says, were stripped to the ground. Even Arab babies left by their mothers in the shade of some tree, had their faces devoured before their screams were heard. The natives accepted the plague as just judgment because of their wickedness.” “Beacon Bible Commentary Joel P. 90

i. The wake of destruction these locusts left behind were astounding. Fig trees and grapevines were left without anything on them. Often the bark is even shredded so the damage lasts for more than one year or season.

d. What are these locusts? – There are nine words in the Hebrew language for locust. Joel uses four in this chapter. (Not four different types of locust but different stages in the locust’s life.)

i. Palmerworm - Gazam – Cutting locusts

ii. Locust - Arbeh – swarming locusts

iii. Cankerworm - Yeleq – hopping locusts

iv. Caterpillar - Chasel – destroying locust

III. Yesterday - A Call For Repentance Today 5-7 – Joel sees this devastation as the judgment of God, and calls Judah to repent.

a. Give three short commands in this chapter

i. Awake 1:5-7

1. Calls drunkards and drinkers of wine to sober up

a. Their demand for drink can no longer be filled because the locusts took everything.

i. We are somewhat in a state like this today. While the world rolls along pleasure mad every day, the devil is taking their tomorrows right out from under their noses.

ii. Lament 1:8-12 To beat the breast as a sign of grief

1. Verse 8 Suggests that Israel should mourn their separation from God as a young virgin for the husband of her youth that is gone. Presumably tragically.

2. Verse 9 which should be an even greater cause for mourning the stopping of the worship at the temple.

a. Meat offerings were not necessarily flesh but the unbloody offering as well. Both suffered as grain would not be available

b. Priest mourn – because they could no longer minister in the temple.

3. Verse 11-12 The husbandman and vinedressers are called to mourn because their occupation is gone meaning in essence there is no food.

iii. Gird yourselves with sackcloth 1:13-14 Priests as leaders were commanded by the prophet to;

1. Humble yourselves

2. weep, cry, mourn

3. howl

4. lie all night in sackcloth

5. call a fast

6. call al solemn assembly

7. call everyone to the temple

8. cry unto the Lord.