September 6, 2025
The Day of the Lord Is Near
Joel 1-3
Cayce Davis
Big Book Idea
The day of the Lord is near.
Key Verse | Joel 1:4
What the cutting locust left,
the swarming locust has eaten.
What the swarming locust left,
the hopping locust has eaten,
and what the hopping locust left,
the destroying locust has eaten.
Joel 1-3
Chapter 1
1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:
An Invasion of Locusts
2
Hear this, you elders;
give ear, all inhabitants of the land!
Has such a thing happened in your days,
or in the days of your fathers?
3
Tell your children of it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children to another generation.
4
What the cutting locust left,
the swarming locust has eaten.
What the swarming locust left,
the hopping locust has eaten,
and what the hopping locust left,
the destroying locust has eaten.
5
Awake, you drunkards, and weep,
and wail, all you drinkers of wine,
because of the sweet wine,
for it is cut off from your mouth.
6
For a nation has come up against my land,
powerful and beyond number;
its teeth are lions' teeth,
and it has the fangs of a lioness.
7
It has laid waste my vine
and splintered my fig tree;
it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down;
their branches are made white.
8
Lament like a virgin
1
1:8
Or young woman
wearing sackcloth
for the bridegroom of her youth.
9
The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
from the house of the LORD.
The priests mourn,
the ministers of the LORD.
10
The fields are destroyed,
the ground mourns,
because the grain is destroyed,
the wine dries up,
the oil languishes.
11
Be ashamed,
2
1:11
The Hebrew words for dry up and be ashamed in verses 1012, 17 sound alike
O tillers of the soil;
wail, O vinedressers,
for the wheat and the barley,
because the harvest of the field has perished.
12
The vine dries up;
the fig tree languishes.
Pomegranate, palm, and apple,
all the trees of the field are dried up,
and gladness dries up
from the children of man.
A Call to Repentance
13
Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;
wail, O ministers of the altar.
Go in, pass the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
Because grain offering and drink offering
are withheld from the house of your God.
14
Consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly.
Gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the LORD your God,
and cry out to the LORD.
15
Alas for the day!
For the day of the LORD is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty
3
1:15
Destruction sounds like the Hebrew for Almighty
it comes.
16
Is not the food cut off
before our eyes,
joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
17
The seed shrivels under the clods;
4
1:17
The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
the storehouses are desolate;
the granaries are torn down
because the grain has dried up.
18
How the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle are perplexed
because there is no pasture for them;
even the flocks of sheep suffer.
5
1:18
Or are made desolate
19
To you, O LORD, I call.
For fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,
and flame has burned
all the trees of the field.
20
Even the beasts of the field pant for you
because the water brooks are dried up,
and fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.
Chapter 2
The Day of the LORD
1
Blow a trumpet in Zion;
sound an alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near,
2
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful people;
their like has never been before,
nor will be again after them
through the years of all generations.
3
Fire devours before them,
and behind them a flame burns.
The land is like the garden of Eden before them,
but behind them a desolate wilderness,
and nothing escapes them.
4
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
and like war horses they run.
5
As with the rumbling of chariots,
they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of a flame of fire
devouring the stubble,
like a powerful army
drawn up for battle.
6
Before them peoples are in anguish;
all faces grow pale.
7
Like warriors they charge;
like soldiers they scale the wall.
They march each on his way;
they do not swerve from their paths.
8
They do not jostle one another;
each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
and are not halted.
9
They leap upon the city,
they run upon the walls,
they climb up into the houses,
they enter through the windows like a thief.
10
The earth quakes before them;
the heavens tremble.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
11
The LORD utters his voice
before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
Return to the LORD
12
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
14
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD your God?
15
Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16
gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17
Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O LORD,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations.
6
2:17
Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
The LORD Had Pity
18
Then the LORD became jealous for his land
and had pity on his people.
19
The LORD answered and said to his people,
“Behold, I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
20
I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard
7
2:20
Hebrew face
into the eastern sea,
and his rear guard
8
2:20
Hebrew his end
into the western sea;
the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
21
Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the LORD has done great things!
22
Fear not, you beasts of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
23
Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the LORD your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.
24
The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25
I will restore
9
2:25
Or pay back
to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
26
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
The LORD Will Pour Out His Spirit
28
10
2:28
Ch 3:1 in Hebrew
And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.
Chapter 3
The LORD Judges the Nations
1 11 3:1 Ch 4:1 in Hebrew For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.
4 What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. 5 For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. 12 3:5 Or palaces 6 You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. 7 Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the LORD has spoken.”
9
Proclaim this among the nations:
Consecrate for war;
13
3:9
Or Consecrate a war
stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near;
let them come up.
10
Beat your plowshares into swords,
and your pruning hooks into spears;
let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”
11
Hasten and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O LORD.
12
Let the nations stir themselves up
and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
for there I will sit to judge
all the surrounding nations.
13
Put in the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Go in, tread,
for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
for their evil is great.
14
Multitudes, multitudes,
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
15
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
16
The LORD roars from Zion,
and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the LORD is a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the people of Israel.
The Glorious Future of Judah
17
“So you shall know that I am the LORD your God,
who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem shall be holy,
and strangers shall never again pass through it.
18
And in that day
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the streambeds of Judah
shall flow with water;
and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD
and water the Valley of Shittim.
19
Egypt shall become a desolation
and Edom a desolate wilderness,
for the violence done to the people of Judah,
because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20
But Judah shall be inhabited forever,
and Jerusalem to all generations.
21
I will avenge their blood,
blood I have not avenged,
14
3:21
Or I will acquit their bloodguilt that I have not acquitted
for the LORD dwells in Zion.”
Footnotes
[1] 1:8 Or young woman[2] 1:11 The Hebrew words for dry up and be ashamed in verses 10–12, 17 sound alike
[3] 1:15 Destruction sounds like the Hebrew for Almighty
[4] 1:17 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
[5] 1:18 Or are made desolate
[6] 2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them
[7] 2:20 Hebrew face
[8] 2:20 Hebrew his end
[9] 2:25 Or pay back
[10] 2:28 Ch 3:1 in Hebrew
[11] 3:1 Ch 4:1 in Hebrew
[12] 3:5 Or palaces
[13] 3:9 Or Consecrate a war
[14] 3:21 Or I will acquit their bloodguilt that I have not acquitted
Table of Contents
Introduction to Joel
Timeline
Author and Date
Little is known about Joel, a prophet from Judah (perhaps Jerusalem). Most scholars date the book after the exile to Babylon (586 B.C.).
Background
Joel calls the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to lament and return to the Lord during a time of national disaster. A locust plague has destroyed both wine (1:5, 7, 12) and grain (1:10). This threatens the people’s ability to present offerings in the temple (1:9, 13, 16).
Key Themes
- Day of the Lord. The dominant theme of the book is the “day of the Lord.” This describes a time when the presence of the Lord brings judgment and/or deliverance and blessing, depending on the circumstances. Therefore, although the “day” results in destruction for the nations, it can also be seen as a time of salvation for God’s people. The Lord remains a refuge in the chaos of judgment (3:15–16).
- Repentance. If the whole community would cry out to the Lord (1:13–20) and look to him—not merely with external actions but in sincerity and commitment (2:12–13)—then judgment may be prevented. However, the Lord is not bound by the acts of the community (2:14). It is his decision to either send or withhold the destruction by the locusts (1:15), just as the army is his to command (2:11).
- The Lord in their midst. The reason the Lord will turn from judgment to blessing is to express his covenant-keeping character (2:13, 18–26; 3:18). His promise to dwell in the midst of his people is prominent not only in Joel (2:27; 3:17, 21) but also throughout the OT (Num. 35:34; Isa. 12:6; Zeph. 3:15, 17; Zech. 2:10–11). God restores what the locusts have destroyed (Joel 2:27) and protects Israel as the world crumbles (3:16–17) so that the people will know his presence. This theme is restated at the end of the book (3:21), showing how important it was for Joel.
- These three themes come together in the promise of the future outpouring of the Spirit (2:28–32). This outpouring is associated with the day of the Lord (2:31) in both its judgmental (2:30–31; see 2:10; 3:15) and its saving (2:32) roles. The outpouring of the Spirit is also related to repentance: those who are saved call “on the name of the LORD” (2:32). The giving of the Spirit is the ultimate evidence of God “in the midst of” his people (Isa. 63:11; see Hag. 2:5).
Outline
- The Judgment against Judah and the Day of the Lord (1:1–2:17)
- The Mercy of the Lord and Judgment against the Nations (2:18–3:21)
The Setting of Joel
c. 500 B.C.?
Though there is much debate about the date of Joel’s prophecies, it is likely that they occurred during a national calamity sometime after Judah returned from exile in Babylon.
Fact: Desert locust
The desert locust has been a destructive force that has plagued agricultural production for thousands of years. Winds from the Sahara have been known to carry them across oceans. Their devastation of crops often leads to famine. Joel compares them to a great army.
Fact: The sun shall be turned to darkness
The sun shall be turned to darkness could be describing a solar eclipse, but more broadly this refers to the disintegration of the cosmos, which was understood by Jews to be a sign of God’s judgment. Note that when Jesus was on the cross, the earth became dark for three hours, indicating God’s judgment (see Mark 15:33).
Fact: Slave trading
Slave trading (3:3) was a big business during wartime. Prisoners of war were regularly sold to slave dealers, who often took them far from their native lands. Most likely they would then be sold to the highest bidder.
Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets
| Isaiah | Jeremiah | Ezekiel | Joel | Amos | Obadiah | Jonah | Nahum | Zephaniah | Zechariah* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammon | 49:1–6 | 25:1–7 | 1:13–15 | |||||||
| Arabia | 21:13–17 | |||||||||
| Assyria (Nineveh) | 10:5–19; 14:24–27 | (Nineveh) | (Nineveh) | |||||||
| Babylon | 13:1–14:23; 21:1–10; 46:1–47:15 | 50:1–51:64 | 2:9–12? | |||||||
| Damascus | 17:1–6? | 49:23–27 | 1:3–5 | 9:1 | ||||||
| Edom | 21:11–12 | 49:7–22 | 25:12–14 | 1:11–12 | 1–14? | |||||
| Egypt | 18:1–20:6 | 46:2–26 | 29:1–32:32 | |||||||
| Elam | 49:34–39 | |||||||||
| Ethiopia | 2:12–15 | |||||||||
| Gaza | 1:6–8 | 9:5 | ||||||||
| Kedar and Hazor | 49:28–33 | |||||||||
| Lebanon | 11:1–3? | |||||||||
| Moab | 15:1–16:14 | 48:1–47 | 25:8–11 | 2:1–3 | 2:8–11 | |||||
| Philistia | 14:28–32 | 47:1–7 | 25:15–17 | 3:4–8 | 2:5–7 | 9:6 | ||||
| Tyre Sidon | 23:1–18 | 26:1–28:19; 28:20–23 | 3:4–8 | 1:9–10 | 9:2–3 |
*Additional cities /states are denounced in 9:1–8: Hadrach, Aram (v. 1); Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 5); Ashdod (v. 6)
Joel
The name Joel means “Yahweh is God.” Little is known about the prophet, who was probably from Judah. It is likely that he ministered during a national calamity sometime after Judah returned from exile in Babylon. The primary theme in the book of Joel is the “day of the LORD”—a time when the presence of the Lord will bring both judgment and deliverance. Joel teaches that, while the day of the Lord will bring destruction on the nations, it will also be a time of salvation for God’s people. Judah will be the means through which God pours out his Spirit on all people (2:28–32), and he will preserve them against all who seek to destroy them. (Joel 2:11–14)
Joel 1:1 The word . . . came to. This message is from God. The prophet is given the privilege of delivering that message to the people.
Joel 1:2 Elders likely refers to older members of the community.
Joel 1:3 Tell your children. See Deut. 6:4–9.
Joel 1:4 The locust is a kind of grasshopper. Under the right conditions they travel in large swarms and destroy all plant life in their path (cutting . . . swarming . . . hopping . . . destroying).
Fact: Desert locust
The desert locust has been a destructive force that has plagued agricultural production for thousands of years. Winds from the Sahara have been known to carry them across oceans. Their devastation of crops often leads to famine. Joel compares them to a great army.
Joel 1:5 drunkards, drinkers of wine. Both groups are unaware of the coming chaos. They will have no sweet wine to drink when the locusts destroy the vines.
Joel 1:6 Locusts are compared to a nation, powerful as a great army.
Joel 1:7 The vine and fig tree are symbols of a prosperous and peaceful life for Israel, which the Lord who provides it sees as his property.
Joel 1:8 bridegroom of her youth. The people are called to grieve as deeply as a betrothed virgin whose promised husband dies before they are married.
Joel 1:9 offering. Nothing is left for the offerings that accompany the daily burnt offering (see Lev. 1:3–17). priests mourn. Their loss is personal, since they would ordinarily eat a portion of the offering.
Joel 1:10 ground mourns . . . oil languishes. Joel poetically personifies these things as experiencing grief. The presence of grain, wine, and oil is evidence of God’s covenant blessing, and their absence is evidence of his judgment.
Joel 1:14 Consecrate and gather are further tasks for the priests. a fast . . . cry out. Old Testament fasts are a sign of mourning, repentance, and humility. They are a way of seeking God’s help.
Joel 1:15 The day of the LORD is a major theme in Joel. It can refer to a particular act of judgment, like the devastation of the locusts, or it can refer to the future final judgment. “That day” can also be a blessing. For God’s people, it is also associated with his presence, blessing, and salvation.
Joel 1:17 seed shrivels . . . clods. The precise meaning of these three words is uncertain. Nevertheless, it is clear from what follows that a drought has also come upon the land.
Joel 1:18 the flocks of sheep suffer. Creation suffers because of Israel’s guilt.
1:1–20 Locust Invasion: Forerunner of the Day of the Lord. The first unit (vv. 1–14) describes the devastation that has come upon Judah. This is the reason for the call to lament in the second unit (vv. 15–20).
Joel 1:19–20 To you, O LORD, I call. The devastation brought by the Lord can be relieved only by him.
Joel 2:1 Zion is the place of the Lord’s throne. The name can refer to the temple area or to all of Jerusalem.
Joel 2:4–5 like . . . horses. Joel compares the threatened locust plague to a powerful army.
Joel 2:7–9 they do not swerve. . . . They do not jostle. This army cannot be moved from its assigned course.
Joel 2:10 quakes before them . . . tremble. . . . darkened. Only the day of the Lord could produce this effect on the earth. In many cases in the Prophets, the Hebrew verb for “tremble” was associated with the end of the age and God’s final judgment.
Joel 2:12 Yet even now . . . return. There is still time for the people to repent.
Joel 2:13 Rend your hearts is an expression of internal anguish. This response, along with wholehearted devotion (v. 12), is similar to the circumcised heart described in Deut. 30:6.
Joel 2:14 Who knows. The sovereign God acts according to his own purposes. Turn and relent suggests that the Lord, in keeping with his revealed character, will bring blessing instead of disaster.
Joel 1:1–2:17 The Judgment against Judah and the Day of the Lord. This first part of Joel introduces the Lord’s judgment in the form of a locust infestation, drought, and the coming of a great army. These events on the “day of the LORD” are followed by a call to seek the Lord.
2:1–17 Army Invasion: The Arrival of the Day of the Lord. Joel describes the coming of an army, whose arrival may yet be prevented by a wholehearted return to the Lord. Verses 1–11 describe the coming of this great army, and vv. 12–17 describe the command to return to the Lord.
Joel 2:17 The place of prayer was between the entrance to the temple and the altar. Your people is an appeal to God’s covenantal care for his people. A byword means a common saying, often used in scorn. See also ESV footnote.
Joel 2:18 jealous. Jealousy here is a deep devotion that leads the Lord to intervene, saving his people for the sake of his own glory.
Joel 2:20 The northerner is probably a final apocalyptic enemy of Israel. The words vanguard . . . rear guard show that destruction is complete and final.
Joel 2:25 Being human often means bearing loss. Yet the same Lord who brings disaster when his people sin is also the Lord of mercy and abundant grace. He is fully able to give back what was taken: I will restore to you.
Joel 2:27 You shall know. The great purpose of the nation’s trauma is that they will know God’s presence, know that he is the covenant-keeping God, and know that he will remove their shame.
Joel 2:28–29 pour out my Spirit. Just as God will send life-giving rain (vv. 18–27), so also will he pour out his Spirit on his people in the future. all flesh. All God’s people will share this experience. All will prophesy and dream dreams and see visions.
Joel 2:30–31 Some scholars believe that the events of judgment described here, which did not take place at Pentecost (see notes on Acts 2:17; 2:19–21), will still take place sometime in the future, at the return of Christ. Others believe that these verses should be understood as prophetic symbolism for God’s judgment, and that no specific literal fulfillment is intended.
Fact: The sun shall be turned to darkness
The sun shall be turned to darkness could be describing a solar eclipse, but more broadly this refers to the disintegration of the cosmos, which was understood by Jews to be a sign of God’s judgment. Note that when Jesus was on the cross, the earth became dark for three hours, indicating God’s judgment (see Mark 15:33).
2:18–32 Mercy: The Lord Responds by Restoring His People. The Lord answers the prayer of v. 17. He restores the reputation of his people (vv. 18–20), the land (vv. 21–27), and his presence through pouring out the Spirit (vv. 28–32).
Joel 2:32 everyone. Salvation is extended beyond the devastation caused by the locusts. calls on the name. Paul quotes this in Rom. 10:13. He understood these verses to describe events in the messianic age, when Jews and Gentiles alike would be saved.
Joel 3:2 all the nations. That is, all oppressors of God’s people. Valley of Jehoshaphat refers to a place of final judgment. Scattered refers to deportation associated with exile.
Joel 3:3 cast lots for my people. In order to take them away as slaves.
Fact: Slave trading
Slave trading (3:3) was a big business during wartime. Prisoners of war were regularly sold to slave dealers, who often took them far from their native lands. Most likely they would then be sold to the highest bidder.
Joel 3:4 Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities along the Mediterranean coast. Relations between Israel and Phoenicia were occasionally good. Philistia, on the other hand, was a longtime enemy of Israel. I will return your payment on your own head. God will judge, or pay back, the Phoenicians and Philistines for stealing Judah’s silver and gold.
Joel 3:6 sold . . . to the Greeks. Both the Philistines and the Phoenicians are accused of selling slaves to the Edomites.
Joel 3:7–8 stir them up. The enslaved will become the enslavers. Sidon was destroyed by Artaxerxes III in 343 B.C., and Tyre was defeated by Alexander the Great in 332. Sabeans. Most commentators identify this people as inhabitants of the land of Sheba or Saba, located far away in southern Arabia.
Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets
| Isaiah | Jeremiah | Ezekiel | Joel | Amos | Obadiah | Jonah | Nahum | Zephaniah | Zechariah* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammon | 49:1–6 | 25:1–7 | 1:13–15 | |||||||
| Arabia | 21:13–17 | |||||||||
| Assyria (Nineveh) | 10:5–19; 14:24–27 | (Nineveh) | (Nineveh) | |||||||
| Babylon | 13:1–14:23; 21:1–10; 46:1–47:15 | 50:1–51:64 | 2:9–12? | |||||||
| Damascus | 17:1–6? | 49:23–27 | 1:3–5 | 9:1 | ||||||
| Edom | 21:11–12 | 49:7–22 | 25:12–14 | 1:11–12 | 1–14? | |||||
| Egypt | 18:1–20:6 | 46:2–26 | 29:1–32:32 | |||||||
| Elam | 49:34–39 | |||||||||
| Ethiopia | 2:12–15 | |||||||||
| Gaza | 1:6–8 | 9:5 | ||||||||
| Kedar and Hazor | 49:28–33 | |||||||||
| Lebanon | 11:1–3? | |||||||||
| Moab | 15:1–16:14 | 48:1–47 | 25:8–11 | 2:1–3 | 2:8–11 | |||||
| Philistia | 14:28–32 | 47:1–7 | 25:15–17 | 3:4–8 | 2:5–7 | 9:6 | ||||
| Tyre Sidon | 23:1–18 | 26:1–28:19; 28:20–23 | 3:4–8 | 1:9–10 | 9:2–3 |
*Additional cities /states are denounced in 9:1–8: Hadrach, Aram (v. 1); Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 5); Ashdod (v. 6)
Joel 3:9 Consecrate. The nations are told to spiritually prepare themselves for war, unaware that the Lord of heaven and earth is their opponent.
Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords. The warfare preparation is so thorough that agricultural tools must be transformed into weapons. the weak. The great need for soldiers means that even those unfit for battle must become warriors.
Joel 3:13 harvest is ripe. . . . winepress is full. . . . vats overflow. The nations’ evil is compared to grain and wine, and judgment to harvest and wine making. Their evil is full-grown. It is time to harvest (that is, to judge).
Joel 3:16 roars . . . utters his voice. God’s voice alone causes the world to quake. refuge, stronghold. Amid the confusion, the people of God are secure.
Joel 3:17 you shall know that I am the LORD your God. Judgment and salvation lead to knowledge of the covenant Lord and the removal of the people’s shame. Zion stands for the promise of God’s presence among his people. Jerusalem shall be holy. Where God is present, all is purified. strangers. Those who do not worship the Lord.
Joel 3:18 in that day. That is, the day of the Lord (2:2; 3:1). wine . . . milk . . . water. This and other descriptions of God’s provision recall the earlier absence of these things. a fountain . . . from the house of the LORD. Compare Ezek. 47:1–13.
Joel 3:19 Egypt and Edom were ancient enemies of Israel, representing all of those opposed to God’s people. Desolation was prophesied against Egypt and Edom. The nations shed, that is, “poured out” blood, but the Lord will “pour out” his Spirit.
Joel 3:20 The Lord’s residence in Zion ensures that his people live in unending security.
Joel 2:18–3:21 The Mercy of the Lord and Judgment against the Nations. The change from prophetic utterances to more of a conversational tone marks the beginning of the second half of Joel.
3:1–21 Judgment: The Lord’s Judgment against the Nations and His Dwelling with His People. The Lord provides reasons for judgment (vv. 1–8), a description of the climactic judgment on the day of the Lord (vv. 9–16), and certain hope of the Lord dwelling with his people (vv. 17–21).
Joel 3:21 The verse brings together the two primary themes of Joel: judgment on the day of the Lord, and the fact that the Lord dwells in Zion.
Introduction to Joel
Timeline
Author and Date
Little is known about Joel, a prophet from Judah (perhaps Jerusalem). Most scholars date the book after the exile to Babylon (586 B.C.).
Background
Joel calls the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to lament and return to the Lord during a time of national disaster. A locust plague has destroyed both wine (1:5, 7, 12) and grain (1:10). This threatens the people’s ability to present offerings in the temple (1:9, 13, 16).
Key Themes
- Day of the Lord. The dominant theme of the book is the “day of the Lord.” This describes a time when the presence of the Lord brings judgment and/or deliverance and blessing, depending on the circumstances. Therefore, although the “day” results in destruction for the nations, it can also be seen as a time of salvation for God’s people. The Lord remains a refuge in the chaos of judgment (3:15–16).
- Repentance. If the whole community would cry out to the Lord (1:13–20) and look to him—not merely with external actions but in sincerity and commitment (2:12–13)—then judgment may be prevented. However, the Lord is not bound by the acts of the community (2:14). It is his decision to either send or withhold the destruction by the locusts (1:15), just as the army is his to command (2:11).
- The Lord in their midst. The reason the Lord will turn from judgment to blessing is to express his covenant-keeping character (2:13, 18–26; 3:18). His promise to dwell in the midst of his people is prominent not only in Joel (2:27; 3:17, 21) but also throughout the OT (Num. 35:34; Isa. 12:6; Zeph. 3:15, 17; Zech. 2:10–11). God restores what the locusts have destroyed (Joel 2:27) and protects Israel as the world crumbles (3:16–17) so that the people will know his presence. This theme is restated at the end of the book (3:21), showing how important it was for Joel.
- These three themes come together in the promise of the future outpouring of the Spirit (2:28–32). This outpouring is associated with the day of the Lord (2:31) in both its judgmental (2:30–31; see 2:10; 3:15) and its saving (2:32) roles. The outpouring of the Spirit is also related to repentance: those who are saved call “on the name of the LORD” (2:32). The giving of the Spirit is the ultimate evidence of God “in the midst of” his people (Isa. 63:11; see Hag. 2:5).
Outline
- The Judgment against Judah and the Day of the Lord (1:1–2:17)
- The Mercy of the Lord and Judgment against the Nations (2:18–3:21)
The Setting of Joel
c. 500 B.C.?
Though there is much debate about the date of Joel’s prophecies, it is likely that they occurred during a national calamity sometime after Judah returned from exile in Babylon.
Joel
The name Joel means “Yahweh is God.” Little is known about the prophet, who was probably from Judah. It is likely that he ministered during a national calamity sometime after Judah returned from exile in Babylon. The primary theme in the book of Joel is the “day of the LORD”—a time when the presence of the Lord will bring both judgment and deliverance. Joel teaches that, while the day of the Lord will bring destruction on the nations, it will also be a time of salvation for God’s people. Judah will be the means through which God pours out his Spirit on all people (2:28–32), and he will preserve them against all who seek to destroy them. (Joel 2:11–14)
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Listen NowDive Deeper | Joel 1-3
While the book of Joel is short, its message spans from tragedy in the past to calamity and redemption far in the future. In the fallout of a devastating locust invasion, the prophet Joel warns God's people of a future locust invasion that will be even more bewildering, part of a series of future events, initiated by God himself, called the day of the Lord. During this terrifying time, God will judge, purify, and ultimately redeem the world. He will rid the world of sin and impurity.
Through Joel, God calls his people to repent of their disobedience and to beg God for forgiveness. He even tells the priests to humble themselves, take off their special clothes, and put on sackcloth! (Joel 1:13)
Ultimately, as with all prophecy, we witness God's goodness and mercy. If the people of Judah acknowledge their sinfulness and idolatry, giving glory to God where it belongs, their faithful God will rescue them from the consequences of their sin. "'Yet even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.' Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster." (Joel 2:12-13)
We know from Joel that the day of the Lord will be an awe-inspiring time. In fact, plagues of locusts and the moon turning to blood sound like the stuff of nightmares. But for those who have given their hearts to God, the day of the Lord will end in clarity, cleansing, and purification. Only when we take our sinfulness seriously does God cleanse us from it. We see in Joel that he desires to rescue us, to be there for us, just as he promises to do for Judah in the future.
This month's memory verse
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV)
– Matthew 11:28-30
Discussion Questions
1. Think of a hard time you've been through. Did you trust that God was going to teach you something through it? Did you grow closer to him in the end?
2. What can hold you back from repenting of sin and returning to God? Is it pride, indifference, or hopelessness?
3. In Joel 2:13, God says to "rend your hearts and not your garments." What from your heart, and not from your external deeds or service, do you need to give to God?
4. What is something impure or unholy that God has redeemed you from?
5. What is something that he is currently redeeming you from?