AIM: God's generously gives his Spirit and offers salvation to all
A) Joel is given a message from God during double plague of locus and drought (Joel 1:1-12)
(1:1) Lord gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel(2-4) Hear you leaders, pass down to the generations, cutting locus took crops, swarming locus took what what's left after that hopping/stripping locus too!
(5-7) Wake up drunkards and weep! locus have invaded, destroyed, ruined vegetation leaving it bare
(8-10) Weep like a widow, no grain or wine offering at the Temple of the Lord (x5 Joel 1:9,13-14; 2:17;3:18), so priest/ministers of the Lord are mourning - land is barren
(11-12) Despair farmers, crops are ruined, dried up (x3), withered
Application: What is happening to your land, family, finance or health that is causing you distress and sorrow? How is God use these things to bring you closer to himself (Joel 2:25-27)?
B) Priest and ministers called to proclaim the awful the day of the Lord (Joel 1:13-2:11)
(13-15) Priest, ministers of God, burlap and weep nothing for offering at Temple of your God, announce fasting, call people together (leaders, everyone) to Temple cry out to him there (15) The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be!(16-18) food disappears before our eyes, no joyful celebration in house of our God (i.e. God doesn't enjoy our suffering either) seeds die parched in the ground (drought), flocks suffer without pasture
(19-20) Lord help us! fire consumed wilderness, streams dried up (drought)
(2:1-2) Sound the trumpet, let everyone tremble in fear day of the Lord is upon us, darkness, gloom, deep blackness (Exodus 10:21) - like dawn spreading across mountains, mighty army like nothing has been seen before or again (Matthew 24:6-14,29-31; Joel 2:10-11)
(3-5) Fire burns in front of them and flames in back, ahead land as beautiful as Eden, behind desolation, nothing escapes - look like horses, leaping along mountaintops, roaring like fire or an army
(6-10) Fear grips people, attackers overcome every spot in every house, earth quakes and heavens tremble sun and moon grow dark.
(11) The Lord is at the head of the column, leads them, they follow his orders. "The day of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing.
Who can possibly survive?"
Application: How do I proclaim the terrible day of the Lord and call others to see the end?
C) God's call for repentance if obeyed, brings joyful restoration to His land and people (Joel 2:12-27)
(Joel 2:12-13) Lord says, "turn to me now while there is time. Give me your hearts, rend your heart - not your clothes." Return to the Lord your God, he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love, eager to relent and not punish.(14) Who knows? Perhaps a blessing instead of a curse, you may be able to give offering to the Lord your God as before.
(15-16) Get all the people to together, announce time of fasting, solemn meeting
(17) Let the priests, who minister in the Lord's presence, stand and weep between entry room and alter. Praying "Spare your people, Lord!... don't let them become a joke to unbelievers..."
(18) Lord will pity (compassion) his people (Psalm 103:13,17), jealous for the land (Zechariah 8:2 and others, He is ready to defend it since it is rightfully and uniquely His).
(19-20a) Lord will reply (conditioned on repentance, Joel 2:12-13), "Look! I am sending grain, new wine, olive oil - enough to satisfy your needs, no longer object of mockery...(I will x13) armies driving away, dead"
(20b-24) Surely the Lord has done great things! don't be afraid (x2), Land and people rejoice in the Lord your God, animals fed, wilderness pasture, trees filled with fruit, the rain He sends demonstrates his faithfulness. threshing floors, presses overflow with new wine, olive oil
(25-27) Lord says, "I'll give you back what you lost - as I sent this great destroying army against you.
you will 1)have all the food you want, 2)praise the Lord your God, who does miracles for you, 3) know I am among my people Israel, 4) I am the Lord your God, there is no other
Application: How am I obediently answering God's call to repent? What evidence of joyful restoration can I point to in my life? How will I use daily recognition of God's faithfulness in nature to help me trust him more and develop more habitual obedience to him?
D) God's Holy Spirit poured out on all and salvation or judgement is offered at the valley of decision (Joel 2:28-3:21)
(28) Lord says, "Then, after doing all those things, I'll pour out my Spirit upon all people, sons, daughters, old men, young men, prophesy, dreams, visions(29-30) In those days I will (5 of 13) pour out my Spirit, servants, men and woman alike, I will (5 of 13) cause wonders in heaven, earth, blood, fire, columns of smoke
(31-32) sun will become dark, moon blood red before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives, but everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved just as the Lord said, whom the Lord has called (Romans 10:8-13)
(3:1-2) "At the time of those events," says the Lord, when I restore prosperity of Judah, Jerusalem - I will (8 of 13) gather armies of the world, valley of Jehoshaphat I will judge them for harming my people, dividing my land
(3) "lottery decision for who would be slaves, traded boys for prostitutes, sold girls to get drunk
(4) "What do you have against me, trying to take revenge on me?
(5-6) you took my silver, gold, treasures carried them of to pagan temples, sold people of Judah, Jerusalem to Greeks
(7-8) I will (10-12 of 13) 10) bring them back, 11) pay you back, 12) sell your sons and daughters to them, they'll sell them to people of Arabia
(9-11) say to all nations, "get ready for war, plowshares into swords, train weaklings to be warriors
(12-14a) come to valley, I the Lord will sit and pronounce judgement on them all, the harvest is ripe, storage vats overflowing with wickedness of these people, Thousands upon thousands wait in the valley of decision (Luke 10:2)
(14b-16) the valley of decision the day of the Lord will soon arrive, sun, moon grow dark, stars no longer shine, Lord's voice will roar like thunder, heaven and earth will shake but the Lord will be a refuge for his people
(17) Then you will know I the Lord your God live in Zion, my holy mountain, Jerusalem holy forever
(18-19) mountains will drip with sweet wine, hills flow with milk, water fill stream beds of Judah, fountain will burst forth from Lord's Temple (Isaiah 41:17-18, 55:1-2, 58:11; John 4:14; 7:38; Rev 21:6)
(20-21) Judah will be filled with people forever, I will (13 of 13) pardon my people's crimes, yet to pardon (future) I will make my home in Jerusalem with my people
Application: How is God using me as a fountain of living water to bring healing and restoration? How do I view suffering in others as a decision point to trust God for salvation? How do I communicate salvation in terms of heavenly reward and peace with God forever?
The Occasion: plague of drought and locust
The time Reign of Uzziah (or earlier), Amos similarities (Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2 and Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13)
The call to repent and it's conditional promise of restored land, God's Spirit (Pentecost Acts2:16:21; Joel 2:28-32), victory and universal holiness and peace.
Helps
http://biblehub.com/library/barrows/companion_to_the_bible/chapter_xxiii_the_twelve_minor.htm
