Joel 1 Exhibits Us That It Is Not Too Late to Search the Lord

Disastrous Occasions

I believe I’ll all the time bear in mind 2011 as a yr of disasters.¹ Early within the yr, we noticed movies of the earthquake and floods in Japan. It was sobering to see raging waters sweeping away properties, vehicles, and human beings. Individuals entered eternity swiftly, in a matter of seconds. In April, we had an evening of tornadoes in Alabama, the place I dwell. A number of cities have been struck. Greater than 200 individuals died throughout our state. The dimensions of the twister that landed 100 miles west of my house was staggering. The very subsequent month, a twister of comparable measurement hit Joplin, Missouri, the place my sister lives. The trail of destruction was large, and many individuals died. These locations all realized that nature isn’t all the time form. It may be a supply of demise in addition to a supply of life.

How ought to we take into consideration such occasions? Ought to we merely take into account them a little bit of unhealthy luck? Ought to we predict they punish unhealthy individuals? Ought to we predict God isn’t answerable for such occasions? Ought to we simply put such horrible occasions out of our minds? How can we predict Biblically about what appear to be freakish acts of nature? I wouldn’t have all of the solutions to those questions.

I don’t totally perceive God’s methods. However I imagine that finding out Joel 1 will assist us start to seek out solutions.

Right here, Joel describes a horrible locust plague. Actually, he states that it’s a plague for the ages. It’s one which individuals who expertise it would always remember. Greater than that, Joel writes, it is a chance to hunt God and return to him. This chapter invitations us to see pure disasters as instances when our religion in God can develop. Joel makes use of a plague for the ages to construct religion for the ages.

Joel 1 is a tightly linked message. We can not separate its contents the way in which we will another Biblical passages. Nonetheless, a couple of clear themes emerge. This passage stresses the day of catastrophe, the day of the Lord, and the day of prayer.

The Day of Catastrophe (Joel 1:1–12)

In Joel 1:2, he declares that each elder and inhabitant of the land should hear. Joel is about to announce an unprecedented occasion. Clearly, that is an pressing message that impacts the entire land. It’s just like the twister sirens that warn Individuals when a storm is approaching.

Verse 4 reveals the good hazard. A locust plague would quickly descend on the land. Joel lists 4 varieties of locusts that can eat away the nation’s meals provide. No matter one sort of locust leaves, one other sort will devour. Verse 6 compares these locusts to an unstoppable, mighty military.

It could be onerous for residents of nice cities to understand what the textual content envisions. Think about that you’re in a rural place. Think about all of the crops and bushes destroyed. Think about livelihoods worn out. Think about financial catastrophe and panic, hunger, and desperation. Maybe older individuals who have skilled struggle recall comparable horrible photographs. Israel was an agricultural nation. It trusted its crops to outlive. Joel’s message implies that every little thing the individuals knew and cherished was in danger.

This catastrophe will have an effect on everybody.

Joel 1:1–12 demonstrates creation’s complete dependence on God. Every little thing we now have—each good reward—comes from God (James 1:17). We should make plans. We should plant crops and conduct enterprise. It’s proper to make use of our information and items to offer for our households. But we should understand how fragile life actually is. We might act like we’re impartial and self-reliant. We might dwell in nice nations and have positive allies. However God guidelines the universe. We should bow to his authority. We should acknowledge that we’re however babies, helpless with out our Father’s assist. We should bow earlier than him, and he’ll carry us up.

The Day of the Lord (Joel 1:15)

Joel 1:15 explains that the plague has not come by chance. God has despatched it. Joel reveals that this plague is “the day of the Lord.” This can be a acquainted Biblical time period we should examine if we need to perceive the prophetic books.

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The day of the Lord is an idea that describes the totally different ways in which God judges. The Biblical roots of this idea goes again to Moses. In Deuteronomy 27–28, Moses tells Israel the advantages of protecting their covenant commitments to God. He additionally explains the results of breaking their covenant guarantees.

Joel informs the people who God will self-discipline them after they sin. God guarantees to deliver hardships on them to cause them to repent. In the event that they refuse to repent, God guarantees worse issues, together with crop failure and plague. In the event that they nonetheless don’t repent, Moses warns, God will drive them from the promised land. He’ll ship them into exile. Clearly Moses taught that God cherished his individuals sufficient to cause them to repentance (examine Deuteronomy 7:6–11). He additionally taught that God wouldn’t let sin go on without end. Thus, he taught that God is righteous and can subsequently decide sin.

By the point Joel wrote his guide, the idea of the day of the Lord was in all probability well-known (see Amos 5:18–20). The Biblical writers believed in just one God. They believed that this one God made the world. They believed that he guidelines the world and judges the depraved. They taught not less than three sorts of the day of the Lord. Context determines which kind a textual content describes.

First, they taught that arduous instances could possibly be a day of the Lord. God makes use of historic occasions to punish sin and lead individuals to repentance. The plague in Joel 1:1–12 is an instance of this. Second, they taught that wars could possibly be a day of the Lord—God can use armies to punish depraved individuals and societies. God sending Babylon to destroy Jerusalem in 587 b.c. is an instance of the sort of day of the Lord. Third, the Biblical writers taught there could be a closing day of the Lord. On that day, God will decide all nations and all individuals. Then there might be new heavens and a brand new earth. Isaiah 65–66 describe the sort of day of the Lord. When this closing day of Yahweh comes, there might be no extra sin, illness, sorrow, or demise (Isaiah 65:17–25; cf. Revelation 21:1–7). All issues might be made new.

Joel 1:15 signifies that the individuals in his day confronted the primary sort of day of the Lord. God is sending them a message: they should flip to him. Amos additionally notes that God despatched circumstances that led to an absence of meals, and but Israel didn’t repent ( Amos 4:6). He writes that God withheld rain, despatched plague and defeat in struggle, and but they didn’t return to him (Amos 4:7–11). Subsequently, they need to put together to satisfy their God, the Maker of heaven and earth (Amos 4:12, 13). They ignored each signal that they wanted to return to the Lord. They left themselves open to a worse form of day of the Lord.

How ought to we take into consideration and reply to instances like Joel 1 describes? First, Hebrews 12:3–11 states that God disciplines these he loves. The Bible signifies that we must always take into account instances of self-discipline alternatives to attract nearer to God. A few of us stroll with God each day. But we’re nonetheless not sinless. We must always search our hearts for methods God desires us to develop. Second, we must also pray for others. God can use such onerous instances to deliver unbelievers to Christ or to deliver straying Christians again to God. Third, a few of us might know we now have walked away from our covenant commitments. In that case, then we have to see onerous instances as God’s manner of bringing us again to him. We should not insurgent additional. We should do as God says. He loves us sufficient to self-discipline us. Allow us to reply obediently to his love. Fourth, pastors should preach this stuff. In the US, many pastors by no means converse of God’s self-discipline or God’s judgment. God expects pastors to look after individuals’s souls. We should achieve this in a Biblical manner. Sin is rise up in opposition to the King of the universe. It’s disrespect for his particular person. Regardless of such disrespect, God nonetheless loves individuals. He does forgive them after they ask. Pastors should educate these truths.

The Day of Prayer (Joel 1:13, 14, 16–20)

Joel concludes chapter 1 by telling the individuals what steps they need to take of their state of affairs. The individuals have heard that the locust plague is a day of the Lord. Now they hear that they need to name for a day of prayer. Simply because the “day” of plague will last more than twenty-four hours, so the prayers might must final for some time.

Verses 13, 14 clarify who ought to pray and the way they need to pray. The clergymen should take management. They have to “consecrate” or “make holy” a time for prayer. This time of prayer will embody placing on tough clothes (“sackcloth”) (Joel 1:13) often worn throughout instances of mourning. Actually, they’re to put on these clothes all night time. This time of prayer will embody fasting. Carrying sackcloth and fasting point out the clergymen’ seriousness. The mix reveals that God has their consideration. However they don’t seem to be to hope alone. The clergymen are to assemble “the elders,” which almost definitely refers back to the neighborhood leaders (v. 14). They’re additionally to name “all of the inhabitants of the land” to prayer. The plague entails everybody, so everybody ought to pray. All ought to come to God’s home and cry out of their time of want. As soon as once more, Joel teaches us our dependence on God.

We must always search our hearts for methods God desires us to develop.

We should be cautious to see what verses 13, 14 educate and don’t educate. They educate us that prayer is the correct response to the troubles that God sends to awaken us. In fact, prayer can also be the correct response to life typically. Paul tells us to “pray with out ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). This implies, I believe, that we should pray always, in all circumstances. But instances of bother particularly name for severe prayer. Thus, these verses additionally educate us that organized prayer and worship matter. It’s good for God’s individuals to come back collectively in regular and strange instances. These verses educate that prayer needs to be severe and that it could be expensive and time-consuming.

We additionally must see what these verses don’t educate. There’s nothing magical about prayer. God doesn’t give us particular blessings if we pray a sure variety of hours. God doesn’t hear us after we quick, and never hear us when we don’t. God doesn’t reply solely after we put on sackcloth. God appears to be like on the coronary heart. He wishes a humble and submissive spirit (Micah 6:6–8). God hears severe prayer, nonetheless lengthy it lasts.

What’s severe prayer?

Joel 1:15, 16 point out that severe prayer acknowledges God’s hand in each day life. Verses 17, 18 present that severe prayer addresses particular wants. In addition they present that severe prayer consists of having pity for all God’s creatures. Most significantly, verses 19, 20 present that severe prayer focuses on God. Severe prayer cries out, “To you, O Lord, I name” (Joel 1:19). It cries out, “Even the beasts of the sphere pant for you” (Joel 1: 20). Prayer is in the end about God, not about us. Prayer isn’t primarily about us getting what we wish. Prayer is about God’s kingdom coming and his will being performed on earth as it’s in Heaven (Matt. 6:10). It’s about God’s glory filling the earth (Isa. 6:3). If God is glorified, then all might be nicely. Plagues will finish, and the earth might be healed.

Conclusion

Joel 1 is however a starting. We cease right here with the individuals known as to prayer. The plague has not stopped, and worse instances might come. However nice guarantees stay over the horizon.

We should acknowledge our dependence on God. We should come to him, for he alone can save us, present for us, and educate us. Our prayers ought to mirror our belief in him. An woke up individuals might be a prayerful individuals. Joel 1 reveals us that it isn’t too late to hunt the Lord. We could also be in the course of a private plague. We might have almost ruined our lives. Nonetheless, God sends his phrase to us by means of Joel. The Lord calls us to come back again, simply as he known as the Israelites. Could God assist us see at present as his day and thus see it because the day to hope.

This text is customized from The Minor Prophets: Search the Lord and Reside by Paul R. Home and Stephen M. Coleman.

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