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TTHE MINOR PROPHETS

 

The Prophet Joel

The Day of the Lord

Lesson #3

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Joel is a short, three-chapter book.  It only contains 73 verses.

 

B.      Still, it is a very unique book.

1.       It mentions no king.

2.       It says nothing about the Northern Kingdom.

3.       It does not have anything to say about Assyria.

4.       It contains the most detailed description of a locust plague.

5.       It prophesies about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

6.       It contains the first reference in the Bible to the Greeks (Joel 3:11).

 

C.     The book begins with words similar to the ones found in Hosea (Joel 1:1).

 

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

 

1.       The words that Joel is about to speak did not spring from his mind.  They came forth from the mind of God.

2.       This is the only mention of Pethuel in the Bible. 

a.       He was the father of Joel.

b.      His name means:  “enlarged of God.”

3.       Joel’s name means:  Jehovah is God.”

 

D.     The date of the book:   (Handout)  Most believe the book was written early in the history of the monarchy of Judah.  (The proofs below are from The Hebrew-Greek Study Bible edited by Spiros Zodhiates, The Introduction to the Book of Joel, p. 1108).

1.       The enemies that are named:  Phoenicians, Philistines, Egyptians, and Edomites (Joel 3:4, 19) were early enemies of Judah.

2.       The position of the book in the list of the prophet indicates that the Jews thought it was the oldest book addressed to Israel.

3.       There is no mention of a reigning king, and an emphasis on elders and priests.  Thus, many believe it was written when Joash became king as a young boy and under the guardianship of the high priest (2 kings 11:1-21; 2 Chron. 22:10-23:15).

 

E.      Interesting passages of the book we will not have time to study.

1.       “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation” (Joel 1:3).

2.       “…for he is strong that executeth his word…” (Joel 2:11).

3.       “And rend your heart, and not your garments…” (Joel 2:13).

4.       “Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him…” (Joel 2:14).

5.       “…that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh…” (Joel 2:28).

6.       “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood…” (Joel 2:31).

7.       “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered…” (Joel 2:32).

8.       “Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears…” (Joel 3:10).

9.       “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:  for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14).

10.   “But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation” (Joel 3:20).

11.   “For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed:  for the Lord dwelleth in Zion” (Joel 3:21).

 

I.                    THE THEME OF JOEL

 

A.     A phrase is found five times in the book of Joel.  It is the theme of the book.  “The Day of the Lord.”

1.       “Alas for the day!  for the day of the Lord is at hand…” (Joel 1:15)

2.       “…for the day of the Lord cometh…” (Joel 2:1).

3.       “…for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible…” (Joel 2:11).

4.       “…before the great and terrible day of the Lord come” (Joel 2:31).

5.       “…for the day of the Lord is near…” (Joel 3:14).

 

B.      The day of the Lord carries three meanings.

1.       Three of the verses are referring to the day of judgment to come upon Judah by the Babylonians.

2.       Two of the verses refer to “the day of the Lord,” that is the coming of the Holy Spirit and the introduction of the New Covenant to the world.

3.       All judgments found in the Bible are pictures of that Final Day of Judgment to which all men will be subject.

 

C.     There are several things attached to the day of the Lord that describe it in the book.

1.       It “is at hand” (Joel 1:15).

2.       It is “as the destruction from the Almighty shall it come” (Joel 1:15).

3.       All need to be warned (Joel 2:1).

4.       “…it is nigh at hand” (Joel 2:1).

5.       “A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness (Joel 2:2).

6.       “…there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations” (Joel 2:2).

7.       “…for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” (Joel 2:11).

8.       “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood…” before that day comes.

9.       “…for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14).

 

D.     The Key Verse for Joel is Joel 1:15.

 

Alas for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

 

II.                 THREE PICTURES OF DESTRUCTION

 

A.     The plague of locusts (Joel 1:4; 2:25).

 

That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hat left hath the caterpillar eaten.

 

1.       There are 12 terms for locust found in the Bible.  Joel mentions four of them:  palmer worm, locust, cankerworm, and caterpillar.

a.       These could be four different types of locusts.

b.      They might be four different growth stages of a locust.

2.       The plague of locusts is called the “destruction from the Almighty” (Joel 1:15).

3.       This book describes the destruction of the locusts in great detail (Joel 2:2-10).

 

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.  A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:  neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.  They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.  The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

 

B.      A destroying army (Joel 2:4; 7, 11, 20)

 

The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen so shall they run.

 

1.       Two times they are referred to as an army.

a.       “And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army…” (Joel 2:11).

b.      “But I will remove far off from you the northern army…” (Joel 2:20).

2.       “The locusts were emblematic of an invasion of the land by hordes of enemies” (Know Your Bible, Frank Dunn, Joel, p. 319).

 

C.     The reaping of a field (Joel 3:13)  NOTE:  This involves the destruction of Israel’s enemies.

 

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe:  come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

 

III.              THE CALLS FOR REPENTANCE

 

A.     They are called upon to weep (Joel 1:5, 8, 13; 2:17).

 

B.      They are exhorted to be ashamed (Joel 1:11).

 

C.     They are commanded to lay all night in sackcloth (Joel 1:13).

 

D.     The Lord admonishes them to call a solemn assembly and cry unto the Lord (Joel 1:14; 2:15-16).

 

E.      They were to turn to the Lord will “all” their heart with fasting, weeping, and mourning (Joel 2:12).

 

F.      The Lord tells them to rend their hearts and not their garments (Joel 2:13).

 

IV.              THE NATURE OF GOD

 

A.     God is “Almighty” (Joel 1:15; 2:11; 3:16).

 

B.      “…for he is gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil” (Joel 2:13; 3:21).

 

C.     A God who is jealous for His land (Joel 2:18)

 

D.     A God who will pity His people (Joel 2:18)

 

E.      A God who can do great things (Joel 2:20)

 

F.      God is a God of vengeance upon His enemies (Joel 3:4, 7).

 

G.     A God of hope (Joel 3:16)

 

V.                 JUDGMENT AND RESTORATION

 

A.     In chapters 1 and the first half of chapter 2, the Lord tells Israel about all of the things that will be taken from them and destroyed when their enemy comes upon them (See Joel 2:2b).

 

…there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

 

B.      In the last half of chapter 2 and the last portion of chapter 3, God reveals to Judah how He will bless them.  He will restore all that as taken away from the swarm of locusts

1.       Joel 2:25

 

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent unto you.

 

2.       Joel 3:1

 

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem.

 

C.     It would be an interesting study to write down all the things taken from Israel during their judgment and contrast that will all the things God would give back to them when they are restored.

 

D.     There is a purpose to both the judgment and the restoration (Joel 2:27; 3:17a).

 

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else:  and my people shall never be ashamed…So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain:  then shall Jerusalem be holy…

 

E.      The ultimate restoration would come in the Christian dispensation.

1.       It was prophesied by Joel that God would:

a.       Pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28).

b.      And that “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered” (Joel 2:32).

2.       Peter affirmed on the Day of Pentecost that Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled that day (Acts 2:14-16).

 

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken unto my words:  for these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     The Lord is serious when it comes to serving Him faithfully.

 

B.      Those who rebel against Him will face severe judgment from His mighty hand.

 

C.     We need to be faithful to our God in order to receive His rest and not His wrath (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

 

D.     Too, we need to warn others of the impending judgment of God to come.

1.       “Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land…” (Joel 1:2).

2.       “Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain…” (Joel 2:1).

3.       “Blow the trumpet in Zion…” (Joel 3:15).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).

 

benheliles.com - Calvary's Cross: Bearing Each Other's Burdens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I CAN bear another’s burdens

because…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God has taken mine.Camels with saddles on them

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“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).