Day #256

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Joel 1-3

Joel 1 – This first part of Joel introduces God’s judgment against Judah in the form of a locust infestation, drought, and the coming of a great army.

v. 2 – Elders likely refers to older members of the community rather than a formal office.

v. 4 – The locusts most likely reflect a real locust plague that comes because of Israel’s disobedience. Some, however, have seen this plague as a metaphor for the nations that would invade, ravage and rule over Judah.

v. 7 – The picture of peace and prosperity is every man under his vine and fig tree. The people of Judah watch as both of these are stripped away.

v. 8 – The second half of this verse is used in a poetic lament on the 9th of Av (a Jewish month) which grieves over the destruction of both the 1st and 2nd temples. Jewish tradition holds that both temples were destroyed on the 9th of Av (July/August). They hold that the first temple was destroyed because of idolatry, the second because of fighting and a lack of love between fellow Israelites.

v. 9 – There are no offerings because of the plague and the drought. This is a disaster because offerings are the way that the people are reconnected to God after sin.

v. 15 – “Day of the Lord” is not God coming after the other nations, but after the people of Israel. The people of Israel assumed that simply being part of God’s covenant guaranteed them safety. But God points out that true people of Israel are those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

v. 16-18 – The entire creation is in desperate straights because of the sin of Israel. These words foreshadow the words of Paul in Romans 8 where he speaks of the entire creation groaning and waiting for the day of redemption.

Joel 2 – Joel describes the coming of an army whose arrival may be averted by wholehearted return to God.

v. 11 – This terrible and terrifying army is God’s army. The picture of Joel is not only a picture of what will happen to Israel in the near future, it is also a picture of what will happen at the end times.

v. 12 – What is striking about this is that heart is not the seat of emotions as it is in western thinking, but the seat of intellect. Heart does not = emotions, rather heart = mind. The word heart also refers to the totality of a person’s inner nature. What this tells us is that God isn’t looking first for an emotional return. Instead He wants us to repent in our thinking. Beyond that He wants us to repent with all that we are; body, soul, mind and strength.

v. 14 – Leaving behind a blessing that makes sacrifice possible means that God has restored the crops to this land devastated by locusts.

v. 18 – God’s jealousy for His land is also reflected in 2 Chron. 36:21 where we are told that the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest. These rests were supposed to be part of the regular cycles of life (Sabbatical years and the year of Jubilee), but Israel did not follow them. God imposes this rest by sending Israel into exile.

v. 19 – New wine and an abundance of wine is a symbol of God’s prosperity. The overflow of new wine was also a symbol of the messianic age. So when Jesus turns water into wine it is a declaration that the messiah and the messianic age has begun.

v. 28 – Prophesy is connected to the Hebrew word for prophets. Sons and daughters will be prophets receiving and speaking God’s word. What causes a pause here is that God makes no distinction between male prophets and female prophets. In the last days we will all receive and speak God’s word (Gal. 3:28).

v. 30-31 – The cosmic events are connecting with the return of God (Rev. 6:12-17).

v. 32 – “calls” refers to those who worship God and who speak of Him to others, especially those who don’t know God. The survivors are not those who stay on the island, but those who have been called by God and respond in faith.

Joel 3 – God restores the fortunes of Israel and at the same time judges the nations for their abuse of His people.

v. 14 – “valley of decision” is not the last opportunity for people to make a decision for God. Instead this valley is the place where God has spoken His final decision on those who have harmed His people and rejected them. By the time a person is in this valley, God’s decision has already been made and there is no change possible.

v. 18 – All these – wine, milk, water – are signs of prosperity and grace. “new wine” is literally “sweet wine”. This type of wine is of the stronger, more alcoholic content variety. The fountain from the temple is a picture we find in other places such as Ezekiel 47. That the fountain waters, the valley of Acacias, tells us that water is flowing out into the desert since that is where the Acacias flourish. This picture is also reflected in Isaiah 35 where God causes the desert to bloom.

v. 19-21 – The enemies of Israel will be punished, but Judah will be inhabited forever and her people will be pardoned. This picture is finally fulfilled in Revelation 21-22