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Joel Overall

 
Joel - The Day Of The Lord (1:1-2:27)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. We now turn to the book of Joel
and this will be the first of two
 lessons
 
2. The name "Joel" means "Jehovah is God"
and we know very little
 about the author...
 a. The name appears frequently
with at least a dozen men sharing
 the name in the O.T.
 b. Described as "the son of Pethuel" (1:1)
there is no reason to
 associate him with any other Joel mentioned in the Bible
 
[As we begin our study
let's do so with some...]
 
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
 
 A. THE DATE...
 1. The date of the book is uncertain
 a. Some place it as one of the earliest of the "literary 
 prophets" (ca. 900 B.C.)
 b. Some believe it was written after the Exile (ca. 400 B.C.)
 2. Hailey
Young
and other scholars defend the early date
 a. Suggesting a date of 830 B.C.
 b. Which is the date I am presuming for our study
 
 B. THE OCCASION...
 1. Joel's prophecy was occasioned by a calamity that had struck
 the land
 a. Literally
it is described as a locust plague
 b. Some suggest that the locusts were symbolical of an army 
 that had invaded
 2. I take the description of the plague as literal
 
 C. THE MESSAGE...
 1. Joel sees the locust plague as a warning from God
 a. That the calamity was heralding "the day of the Lord" which
 was coming
 b. That if the people did not repent
this "day" would bring
 even more destruction
 2. So Joel's message is "Seek the Lord through repentance!"
 (1:1-2:27)
 3. Joel also has some things to say about what shall come to pass
 "afterward" (2:28-3:21)
 
[With this brief background as an introduction
let's now begin reading
the book with the aid of the following outline...]
 
II. OUTLINE OF THE BOOK (1:1-2:27)
 
 A. THE LAND IS LAID WASTE (1:1-12)
 1. Joel provides a graphic description of the locust plague (1-4)
 2. He calls for people to weep over the devastation (5-12)
 
 B. A PLEA TO CRY OUT TO THE LORD (1:13-20)
 1. To be led by the priests
consecrating a fast and calling the
 people together (13-14)
 2. For the present destruction is heralding the coming "day of 
 the Lord" (15-18)
 3. Joel and the beasts take the lead
with their own cry to the
 Lord (19-20)
 
 C. THE COMING "DAY OF THE LORD" (2:1-11)
 1. A cry to warn the people
for the day is coming! (1)
 2. This particular "day of the Lord" is vividly described (2-11)
 a. It will be a recurrence of the locust plague
 b. Described as an invading army
an army led by God!
 
 D. A CALL TO REPENTANCE (2:12-17)
 1. Voiced first by God Himself (12)
 2. Then elaborated upon by Joel (13-17)
 a. Repent
for God Who is gracious may relent and provide a 
 blessing
 b. Make it a national repentance
led by the priests
 
 E. THE LORD'S PROMISE IF THERE IS REPENTANCE (2:18-20)
 1. He will be zealous for His land
and show pity to the people
 (18)
 2. He will bless them with grain
wine
and oil (19)
 3. He will remove the "army" (locusts) from the north (20)
 
 F. A CALL TO COURAGE AND GLADNESS (2:21-24)
 1. A call directed by Joel towards:
 a. The land
for the Lord has done marvelous things (21)
 b. The beasts of the field
for the pastures and trees are 
 fruitful once again (22)
 c. The children of Zion
for the Lord is blessing the land 
 with rain and a full harvest (23-24)
 2. This passage implies the people repented
and the Lord was 
 keeping His promise!
 
 G. THE LORD'S REASSURANCE (2:25-27)
 1. God will restore what His "army" (the locusts) had destroyed
 (25)
 2. They will be blessed with plenty
and praise God for His grace
 (26)
 3. Then they shall truly know that God is over them (27)
 
[This ends the first part of Joel's prophecy. It clearly pertained to
the people of his day. The rest of the book looks forward to a period
described as "afterward" (2:28)
"in those days and at that time"
(3:1)
and "in that day" (3:18). This section we will examine in
our next lesson.
 
But from what we have read thus far
what lessons can we learn from 
Joel?]
 
III. LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF JOEL
 
 A. THE VALUE OF NATURAL CALAMITIES...
 1. They can serve to turn men back to God
 2. God certainly used them to reach out to His people in the O.T.
 - cf. Amo 4:6-12
 3. But not all calamities come from God; some came from Satan 
 - cf. Job 1:6-19
 4. Whether calamities come from God
Satan
or are purely 
 coincidental
they should be times of reflection concerning
 life and our relationship to God - e.g.
Job 1:20-22
 
 B. THE NATURE OF TRUE REPENTANCE (2:12-13a)
 1. It must be with all our heart (12a)
 2. It must be inward
not just outward (12b-13a)
 
 C. THE NATURE OF GOD (2:13b)
  1. He is gracious and merciful
slow to anger and of great 
 kindness - cf. Psa 103:8-14
 2. He relents from doing harm when we repent - cf. Jer 18:7-8
 
 D. "THE DAY OF THE LORD" CAN BE AVERTED...
 1. "The day of the Lord" often refers to God's judgment upon a 
 nation
 a. Such judgments were many
and often described in terms 
 indicative of the final judgment at the end of time - cf. 
 the judgment of Babylon
Isa 13:1-13
 b. In the first part of Joel's prophecy
it referred to a 
 plague of locusts that would be greater than what they had
 already experienced - Joel 2:1-11
 2. But such judgments could be averted - cf. Jer 18:7-8
 a. Such happened with the city of Nineveh - cf. Jonah 3:1-10
 b. And when we compare Joel 1:11; 2:1
11 with 2:13-14
18-23

 it appears to have been averted in Joel's day!
 3. Of course
this does not pertain to the "ultimate" day of the
 Lord at the end of time
but to the "preliminary" judgments 
 that God often brings upon a nation
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Our next lesson will complete our survey of the book of Joel
in 
 which we will find...
 a. Joel writing of events that heralded the beginning of the 
 Christian dispensation
 b. More lessons that are of value to the Christian
 
2. But in closing
may I remind you of that "day of the Lord" which is
 yet to come?
 a. A day vividly described in 2 Pe 3:7-10
 b. A day which cannot be averted
but for which we can prepare 
 - 2 Pe 3:11-14
 
For those who prepare themselves for this coming "day of the Lord"

they will find that indeed the Lord is "gracious and merciful
slow to
anger
and of great kindness" (Joel 2:13). But for those who continue
in their sins
we can only say along with Joel...
 
 "Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand; It shall
 come as destruction from the Almighty." (Joel 1:15)

－－《Executable Outlines》

 
Joel - The Day Of The Lord (2:28-3:21)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In our previous lesson on Joel
we saw that...
 a. Joel's prophecy was occasioned by a plague of locusts - 1:2-4
 b. He proclaimed the plague as a warning from God - 1:15-16
 1) If the people would not repent
"the day of the Lord" would
 come and bring greater destruction - 2:1-5
 2) If they did repent
then material blessings would follow 
 - 2:12-14
 c. Joel therefore called for a national repentance - 2:15-17a
 d. Evidently his work was effective
for he describes the blessings
 that had come - 2:21-27
 
2. We also noticed some lessons to be learned from the book...
 a. The value of natural calamities (can serve to turn men to God)
 b. The nature of true repentance - 2:12-13
 c. The character of the Lord - 2:13b
 d. "The day of the Lord"
when referring to God's judgment on a city
 or nation
can be averted - cf. also Jer 18:7-8; Jonah 3:1-10
 
3. In this lesson
we shall complete our survey of Joel by reading 
 2:28-3:21...
 a. With attention to the prophetic element of this passage
 b. Offering comments concerning its interpretation
 
[Let's begin with a careful reading of this passage...]
 
I. JOEL'S PROPHECY OF THE FUTURE
 
 A. WHAT SHALL COME TO PASS "AFTERWARD" (2:26-32)
 1. God's Spirit will be poured out on all flesh - 2:28-29
 2. Wonders in heaven and earth to appear before the coming of 
 "the day of the Lord" - 2:30-31
 3. There shall be deliverance in Mount Zion and Jerusalem - 2:32
 
 B. WHAT SHALL OCCUR "IN THOSE DAYS" (3:1-17)
 1. God will judge all nations on account of His people - 3:1-3
 2. Specifically mentioned are Tyre
Sidon and Philistia - 3:4-8
 a. Who had mistreated God's people
 b. Who shall be treated as they treated others
 3. The nations are called to do battle - 3:9-12
 a. "Prepare for war!"
 b. Come to the "Valley of Jehoshaphat"
where the Lord will
 judge the nations
 1) Jehoshaphat means "God shall judge"
 2) The valley referred to may be the Kidron near Jerusalem
 4. The outcome - 3:13-17
 a. There will be a great harvest
 b. "The day of the Lord" is described...
 1) As near in this "valley of decision"
 2) In which the heavenly bodies are diminished and shaken
 c. While God's people find shelter and strength in Him
 d. The Lord will be known and dwell in Zion
Jerusalem forever
 remaining holy
 
 C. WHAT SHALL COME TO PASS "IN THAT DAY" (3:18-21)
 1. Judah shall be blessed by a "fountain...from the house of the
 Lord" - 3:18
 2. Egypt and Edom will be desolate because of their violence 
 - 3:19
 3. Judah and Jerusalem shall abide forever
acquitted of their 
 guilt - 3:20-21
 
[Such is the prophetic message of Joel. What he SAYS is clear enough.
What he MEANS is something else! Here are a few thoughts on...]
 
II. INTERPRETING JOEL'S PROPHECY
 
 A. THERE ARE THREE KEY PHRASES...
 1. "it shall come to pass afterward" - 2:28
 a. This period of time is clearly defined by Peter in Ac 2:
 14-21
 b. In which he applies it to the events on the Day of 
 Pentecost
 2. "in those days and at that time" - 3:1
 a. The same period of time as described in 2:28-32
 b. I.e.
at some point during the Messianic age
 3. "in that day" - 3:18
 a. The context places this AFTER "the day of the Lord"
 b. I.e.
at some point during the Messianic age
but not until
 AFTER the judgment of the nations in the "Valley of 
 Jehoshaphat"
 
 B. DETERMINING THE TIME AND EVENTS...
  1. Certainly 2:28-29 refers to a period beginning with the 
 events described in Acts 2
 a. Peter said "this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel" 
 - Ac 2:16
 b. An inspired statement pinpointing when this prophecy began
 to be fulfilled
 2. However
there are different opinions regarding Joel 2:30-3:21
 a. "The day of the Lord" in 2:30-31 is variously interpreted
 as:
 1) The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD
  2) The final coming of the Lord
 b. The judgment in the "valley of Jehoshaphat" in 3:1-17 is
 variously interpreted as:
 1) Figurative
by some; literal
by others
 2) Referring to no specific judgment
by some
  3) Referring to a specific judgment at some time
by 
 others...
 1) E.g.
after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD
 2) E.g.
The "Battle of Armageddon" prior to the 
 "millennium" - Re 16:14-16
 3) E.g.
the battle after the "millennium" described in
 Re 20:7-10
 c. Various views are also offered for the blessing of Judah 
 and Jerusalem in 3:18-21
 -- With such differences in interpretation
one should not be 
 dogmatic
 
 C. HERE IS MY OWN UNDERSTANDING OF 2:30-3:21...
 1. The passage is not to be taken literally
 a. It would be physically impossible for ALL the nations to 
 gather in the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" - 3:2
12
 b. The "Valley of Acacias" is located on the other side of 
 the Jordan River
making it geographically impossible to be
 watered by a stream from Jerusalem - 3:18
 2. This passage speaks in terms meaningful and comforting to 
 Israelites in Joel's day
 a. The prophecy was initially given to comfort them
give them
 hope for the future
 b. Therefore prophetic elements are described in terms to 
 which they could relate
 1) E.g.
deliverance in their capital
Jerusalem - 2:32
 2) E.g.
judgment upon those enemies who oppressed them 
 - 3:1-8
 3) E.g.
desolation of such enemies as Edom and Egypt 
  - 3:19
 4) E.g.
blessings to befall the nation and the land 
 - 3:18
20-21
 3. But it refers to spiritual realities fulfilled with the coming
 of the Messiah!
 a. Salvation and deliverance will indeed come out of Zion and
 Jerusalem - cf. 2:32 with Lk 24:44-47; He 12:22-24
 b. God will judge the enemies of His people - cf. 3:1-17 with
 Re 4-20 (esp. Re 20:7-10)
 c. In the end
God's people will prosper and the wicked will 
 be desolate - cf. 3:18-21 with Re 21-22 (esp. Re 22:1-2)
 4. This is true whether or not any particular event is referred 
 to in this passage
 a. I lean toward the view that "the day of the Lord" in this
 passage is the FINAL JUDGMENT when the Lord comes again
 b. Others think that it refers to the DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
 in 70 A.D
 c. Whatever one's interpretation
the application is the 
 same...
 1) The means and source of salvation: The Lord Himself 
 - 2:32
 2) The day of the Lord is coming!
 a) A terrible day for the wicked - cf. 3:14-16a
 b) But for God's people there is shelter and strength 
  - cf. 3:16b
 c) And in the end
blessings for the people of God

 while their enemies lie desolate - cf. 3:18-21
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. In studying "The Minor Prophets"...
 a. Determining the proper INTERPRETATION is certainly a worthy goal
 b. But determining the proper APPLICATION is our essential task!
 
2. If this be true
then the crucial question is this: Have we found
 that salvation
deliverance
shelter and strength which only the Lord
 can provide when the final "day of the Lord" comes?
 
To know where to look
one should carefully read Peter's sermon on the
Day of Pentecost
after he had quoted Joel - cf. Ac 2:22-39

－－《Executable Outlines》