THE BOOK OF JOEL #1

 JOEL BIBLE STUDY

The Prophets

Before we begin our study of Joel, here is a short primer on the Old Testament prophetic writings to keep in mind.

The prophets were spokesmen for God. They spoke within the context of the Mosaic Covenant. They called God’s people back to obedience to the covenant. They reminded them of the curses for disobedience. They also reminded them of the blessings of obedience.  The announcement of curses concerned things soon to happen or actually happening. The blessings were often looking toward end time fulfillment, especially those that promised restoration. 

Joel is considered a “minor prophet”. The books of the minor prophets are found at the end of the Old Testament. It is often said that these prophets and their books are seen as minor not because they are less important but because their books are shorter. Yes, the Book Of Zechariah has more chapters than the Book of Daniel. But, it has only two thirds the number of words. The original writings did not have chapter divisions. 

In the Hebrew Bible, the Minor Prophets are grouped together in a book called “The Twelve”. They were originally collected as a single book. Joel is the second book of The Twelve.

The arrangement of the “Book of the Twelve,” or the Minor Prophets as we know them, is loosely chronological. They begin  with the pre-exilic (before the Exile to Babylon) books followed by the post-exilic books. 

Background Of The Book Of Joel

Joel was an Old Testament prophet. His name means “The Lord (Yahweh) is God”. Little is known about the prophet himself, except that he was the son of Pethuel (Joel 1:1). There is much debate about the dating of the book, whether pre or post exhale. 

The theme of Joel is the “day of the LORD.” This phrase refers to a time when God supernaturally intervenes in the course of human history, pouring out his righteous judgment on sinners and his blessing on the penitent. The prophet ties this current event with the future, giving the people a preview of the future, eschatological day of the LORD. 

No biblical prophecy is ever given in a historical vacuum, with no meaning to the original audience. Rather, each prophecy addresses the need present at the time it was given, which provides a historical event from which to understand the eschatological event. 

The best known example of this is the prophecy of a virgin birth given by Isaiah to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7. The Lord promised Ahaz that the partnership of Israel and Syria against Judah would not lead to Judah’s defeat. Ahaz, however, was still afraid. So, the Lord gave king Ahaz a sign that a virgin would conceive and bear a son and call him Immanuel. And before the boy could attain the age of discernment of good and evil, Syria and Israel would be defeated. 

Matthew then said the Lord’s words were fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. (Matthew 1:22-23) Matthew shows that the time had come for the savior of Israel to be born and that Mary, a virgin, would bear him. 

The book of Joel is composed of three chapters of prophetic poems. The Jews in Jesus’ time knew the books, as shown by Peter quoting one of its famous passages in his sermon on the day of Pentecost: “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28; cf. Acts 2:16–18).

Finally, Joel never accuses Israel of any specific sin. Like the other prophets, he announces that God’s justice is coming to confront Israel’s sin, but he never says why. This is because Joel assumes that, like him, you’ve been reading the books of the prophets and already know all about Israel’s rebellions.

In chapters 1 and 2, Joel focuses on “the Day of the Lord.” This is a key phrase in the prophets that describes events in the past when God appeared in a powerful way to save his people or to Judge, as with the plagues in Exodus. 

But these past events also point to a future time when God will once again judge, confronting evil and bringing salvation to the entire world. These opening chapters bring two parallel poems that focus on this theme.

Let’s look at chapter one. 

The Prophet

1:1

The book begins by saying the word of the Lord came to Joel, identifying him by his father’s name. This is a claim that Joel is a prophet, speaking the word of the Lord. It is a common introduction for the Minor Prophets. See, for example, Hosea 1:1. 

Verse 2 then begins the prophesy, the word of the Lord. 

The Word

1:2-4

The Lord, through Joel, begins by calling the leaders (elders) and the people to hear God’s message. (2)

Joel pointed to an event not yet named or described, calling it something that had not happened before. He instructed them to tell their children about it and for them to tell their children about it. They were to teach the message to future generations. That was the same instruction God gave Israel about the law. It was to be taught to each generation. (Deuteronomy 6:1-2)

This tells us that the current event is unique and important.

Verse 4 tells us that the current event is a plague of locusts. Four kinds of locusts are named, resulting in the total destruction of the crops. The description alludes to the Day of the Lord against Egypt, specifically the eighth plague from Exodus chapter 10, except now the locusts are sent against Israel!

This is also something God said he would do as part of the covenant curses for disobedience. Deuteronomy 28, like Leviticus 26, contains these curses. For example, Moses said: “You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it. You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them.” (Deuteronomy 28:38-39)

From Partiers To Mourners

1:5-7

The Lord calls for the drunkards to mourn because the supply of wine has been cut off. This likely means the locusts have destroyed the grape vines. It reminds me of our three year drought which brought many grasshoppers into the area. They ate vegetable gardens, flowers, shrubs, and other plants, leaving many areas bare of vegetation. 

The Army of Locusts

1:6-7

The Lord likens the locusts to an attacking nation with a vast army. It laid waste to the grape vines and the fig trees, stripping them of even their bark and killing them. 

A Cause for Grief And Sadness

1:8-12

The Lord calls on the Israelites to grieve and mourn their situation. They should be as sad as a young woman whose fiancé has died. They cannot worship with their grain and drink offerings because the fields have all be destroyed. There is no grain and no wine. (10)

All of the edibles of the land are gone, including the grains of wheat and barley, the grape vines, and the trees, including the figs, pomegranates, palms, and apples. As the fields have dried up, so has the gladness of the people. (12)

 

A Call To Repentance

1:13-18

The Lord called for repentance from the priests. They should wear  sackcloth, the clothing of mourning, because there are no offerings to be made for worship. 

They should also declare a fast and an assembly so the people can pray, calling out to the Lord for relief. As their food supply is cut off, so is the joy of worshipping the Lord. (16)

The Prophet attributes this plague to God. He said the Day of the Lord is near, coming like destruction. So, this Day of the Lord is judgment. 

The Prophet’s Prayer

1:19-20

The chapter closes with the prayer of the prophet, calling on the Lord for help and confessing that their plight is desperate. Since God brought the calamity, only he can end it.

As the Day of the Lord approaches, repentance is necessary. John the Baptist called for repentance before the arrival of Jesus. (Matthew 3:2) And we must preach repentance to the lost before the ultimate Day of the Lord.