Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week.....

Plague of Locusts

Prophets emphasis on remembering what God did, how God brought them through, that God is their anchor

Dangers we talked about

Apathetic, comfortable in our sin, lax when times are good, lax in caring for and serving others

Empty religion - going through the motions - don’t get concerned until something is no longer there, like for the sacrificial rituals from our text this morning or when something goes wrong, like the locust plague.

Turn with me this morning to:

As we continue in chapter one, we see this idea of mourning pop up.

You might be going, wait a minute, what are they mourning?

Loss, devastation would be obvious answers, however, I believe it goes deeper.

God wants them to mourn over their sin.

To mourn over their inability to offer the daily grain and drink offerings.

God wants repentance and without it, these offerings are meaningless.

They are essentially going through the motions or checking off a box.

Mourning was something that was done publicly in that time.

The image of the virgin grieving is one that we do not know for sure the exact circumstances of the virgin, but just that she is mourning.

NBBC - not to grieve publicly was a sign of disrespect to the dead and to their relatives.

For the priests, the inability to offer drink and grain offerings also meant they would go hungry.

The priests would have mourned the loss of communion with God while also realizing that their portion of those that provided nourishment would also be no more.

Friends, God is more concerned with our hearts and our obedience than checking items off a to do list to feel good about ourselves.

In the western church, I fear that all to often we have reduced the things of God to a checklist of things to do versus a completely surrendered and obedient lifestyle.

In verse 10-12, we see the image that this devastation of the land would have a spreading and lasting effect on the entire nation.

It would have:

Ruined produce- grain, fruit, olives, figs, dates.

Trees destroyed- years to re-grow before they can produce - you don’t just plant a tree and expect it to bear fruit right away, it would take years to replace.

Commerce and Trade- severely crippled and even stopped.

Lost joy- b/c they had lost God’s blessing.

Their way of life was completely destroyed - complete loss of agricultural products would have been more devastating than we probably realize.

The title of this next part of the passage starting in verse 13 in the NIV is “A Call to Lamentation.”

The word lament is both a noun and a verb.

As a noun it means a passionate expression of ones grief or sorrow.

As a verb, it means to mourn.

All were being called to grieve.

But then we get to verses 13 and 14, as see again this call of God for remorse and repentance.

However, there must be remorse and grieving before repentance.

Getting anything turned around before God involves being remorseful, but that alone is not enough, it must be followed by repentance.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the British painter and poet, was so desolate when his wife committed suicide after only two years of marriage that he vowed to bury the poems he had written for her.

He placed the book in the coffin, wrapped in the tresses of her long hair.

But after a few years Rossetti regretted his decision.

He believed that the poems were some of the best he had ever written.

It seemed senseless to leave them buried.

After a lengthy court battle Rossetti won the legal right to open the grave and recover the book.

Rossetti’s change of heart is similar to the way some people approach repentance.

They may resolve to make changes or take action.

But when the initial discomfort of their guilt dies down, they may have second thoughts and regret their decision.

Others would prefer to avoid the discomfort of repentance altogether.

They prefer a painless faith without the anguish of repentance.

God, however, values repentance.

One reason He allowed the people of Joel’s day to experience the devastation of the locust plagues was to bring them to a point of genuine grief over their sins (Joel 1:8).

The resulting cessation of grain and drink offerings served as a painful reminder of the way their sins had hindered their fellowship with God (cf.

Nu 29:39).

These were hard measures designed to shatter their complacency.

God intended for His people to feel remorse for their sin.

The Hebrew term that is translated “despair” in Joel 1:11 might also be translated “be ashamed.”

But this was not His only purpose.

He did not merely hope that these experiences would make people feel badly about their sins.

He also wanted them to “wail” or lament (Joel 1:11).

True repentance expresses sorrow for sin.

https://www.preceptaustin.org/joel-devotionals-and-sermon-illustrations

In verses 13 and 14, Joel’s attention goes back to the priests.

The prophet calls them to put on sackcloth, which would have been a course garment made of goat or camel hair.

It was common while mourning in that day.

They were to mourn because they were not able to offer the sacrifices at the altar, which is a primary part of their service before God.

It is important to note that word “your” before God at the end of verse 13.

The prophet is pointing out that the God on whose behalf he is speaking is the same God the priests serve at the altar.

It is an important distinction on the validity of the prophet’s message.

Verse 14 is likely one we’ve heard quoted at various times in the life of the church.

A communal fast often accompanied a time of mourning or loss.

It was observed usually by a day long deprivation of food and maybe water.

Joel is encouraging the priests to call on all to be participatory in the public grief.

The solemn assembly was to be in the house of the Lord Your God to mourn the loss of the fertility of the land and where offerings are no longer able to be offered, while also hoping for the restoration of the land and the restoration of offerings.

Crying out to God is symbolic to the covenant God had made with their ancestors and to help them to remember God’s faithfulness in the past.

• Vs. 15 The Day of the LORD.

There are many ways the day of the Lord is interpreted, but Israel saw it as when God would pour out His judgment on all their enemies.

However it is important to note that God’s judgment is reserved for all who are in rebellion against Him(including Israel) - while not linked to the people’s sin directly, it should motivate us all to turn to Yahweh for security - we can trust and rely on him no matter what else is going on.

• Vv. 16-18 The effects of God’s wrath on sin are even seen in nature.

o No more seeds.

o Beasts have nothing left to eat - the cattle moan....

Even the animals are impacted by the calamity, not just the humans.

It shows us how utterly dependent we are on God as human beings.

We must remember that as humans we are not separate from creation, but interconnected with it.

Human suffering and creation suffering occur side by side.

We are all in need of the redemption that is to come.

o Even this God will restore when He brings forth the New Heaven and the New Earth.

• Vv. 19-20 Fire, severe drought (both).

These verses are seen as a prayer to Yahweh and utter dependency on Yahweh.

The remainder of the verses talking about fire and drought point back to the previous verses and these experienced realities become expressions of prayer.

They bring their situation before God.

Sin can also leave our lives dry and bare and nothing on this earth is able to quench it and make it new again, however Jesus made us this promise.

We are to long for the living water we find in John 4:

So what do we do about it in our lives?

How does this apply to us?

o Getting back to the basics - get ourselves in right relationship with God - don’t become complacent or apathetic.

o Putting God and His Word first in our lives

• God wants renewal and revival for all

It has to start in the church - with God’s people who are already members of God’s Kingdom - we need to take the call to repentance seriously, and I’m afraid we do not always do this - we have become comfortable.

A mother was working in the kitchen when she heard the sound of whimpering on the back porch.

When she opened the door, she saw her small son sitting on the steps nursing a bruised finger and crying.

He and a friend had been loading rocks in a basket when one of the rocks had landed on his hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” his mother asked.