Tonight we will begin our quick walk through Joel. In all honesty this is one of easiest and yet difficult books to walk through. It is easy in that the wording and description is so perfect and yet it is difficult because this small three chapter book contains so much in it.
We should start with a small introduction to this book. The first question we must answer is who Joel is. In truth there are many individuals all throughout the Bible with the name Joel. However, we do not know who Joel the Son of Pethuel is. We know Pethuel means the mouth of Jehovah while Joel means Jehovah is God, in our modern vernacular that means Jesus is Lord. We unfortunately cannot tie him down to any one person in history. He is a man of God, and he brings the word of God. We do believe because of the context that Joel writes to the Southern nation, and specifically Jerusalem. It would seem that he is either a resident of Jerusalem or at least familiar with Jerusalem. The argument often arises not over who Joel is but rather when did Joel write this.
Most individuals argue one of two things. Either this is an early book or this is a Post-exilic book. The argument for it being an earlier book is found in what is not in the passage of scripture. When we read through Hosea he gave us the mention of the kings he prophesied under. However, Joel gives us no king. We also note that temple worship is still in place due to all of the mentions of different sacrifices. Also can take note that there is not one mention of Syria, Assyria, or Babylon, yet there is mention of Philistines, Edomites, Egyptians and even Phoenicians. Most people argue because of this they are convinced that this is written in a very hazy period of Jewish History. There was a small period of time when Israel had no king or rather a king who was too young to accept the responsibility of being king. If you will remember after the death of King Amon, his mother had all of the heirs to the throne killed with the exception of Josiah. It is during the period after her immediate death and the period of his age being too young to assume full role as king that most people believe he wrote this passage. On the other side of the argument there are those who say this takes place during the post-exilic days when the mention of Assyria or Babylon would have been pointless because it had already taken place and the nation was rebuilding. In truth whether it is early or post-exilic in nature it does not change the message.
While Hosea deals with many of the current things taking place in Israel, Joel is mostly prophetic in a future sense. While he uses current events to draw their attention it is mostly looking forward. It is interesting because it points out three interesting subjects, and these may be the three we take a look at as we go through this.
- First, he mentions the day of the Lord. This would be the advent of the Messiah.
- Secondly, he mentions the Pouring out of the Spirit. Peter actually says that the day of Pentecost is in fulfillment of this.
- Thirdly, he mentions the battle to take place in the valley of Jehosaphat. There is an argument as to whether this is the battle that takes place at his return or this is the battle that takes place during the revolt of Satan.
Tonight I want us to examine chapter one. While chapter two and three seems to be a mixture and mostly future in nature. Chapter one is actually Joel using current events to bear pressure into their hearts about what is to come. Joel one is a recollection of a natural event of Locust swarming. Now we have never had to deal with the swarming of Locust but from what I read here and what I read in history this is nothing to joke about. We do not necessarily deal with these problems but in the middle east it has been known to create great issues. I was reading about this and came across the last great issue that took place in 1915. In 1915 the land of Israel which was Palestine at the time was overrun with Locust. It was said that they arrived as dark clouds darkened the sky. They laid so many eggs that the men were commanded to collect the eggs or face jail time. So they began to collect but the eggs were too numerous. Once they reached the next stage it was too late. They consumed everything. They moved from home to home, from vineyard to vineyard. They ate everything green, everything sweet. They would attack trees, cacti, and every plant they could consume. It was so bad that individuals were getting motion sickness watching them crawl on the ground. If you do not think it is that bad we should read the record of the plague of Egypt.
Exodus 10:12-20
Look at this plague of locus on Judah.
- We find the Magnitude of the locust
- Vs 4 everything is destroyed
- Vs 10 The field is wasted
- Vs 11 It is perished
- Vs 12 everything is withered away
- We find the Multiplicity of the locust
- Vs 5 The Drunkard
- Vs 11 The Husbandman
- Vs 13 The Priest and Ministers
- We find the Moaning of the Problem
- Vs 5 Howl
- Vs 8 Lament
- Vs 11 Howl
- Vs 12 Joy withered away
- Vs 13 Howl, Lament
- Vs 18 The Beast Groan
- Vs 19 Will I Cry
- We find the Meaning of the Locust
- Vs 15 Alas for the Day! For the day of the LORD is at hand
What we find here is this truth. A great and terrible day has taken place. There are bad people affected and there are good people affected. There are rich people affected and poor people affected. There are intellectual and non-intellectual people affected. At the end of the day This is a very bad thing. I am reminded of what has just taken place. I sat in my home Sunday night only to read that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake had rocked Turkey. I read today that nearly 11,000 people have lost their lives. While I know that that area is mostly muslim, could it be that there were good people, people who were not immoral, people who were kind, people who were not criminals. Could it be that there were even Christians there. The question is always asked, how could a good God allow something bad to happen. Why do bad things happen to us? This is a question that many individuals cannot get over. I think we should establish three truths first.
- First, I want you to understand that bad things happen or difficult things happen because we live in a sin cursed land.
- Genesis 3:17
- Romans 8:19-22
I think we should establish this fact first. I think you should note this. God did not plan for murder, sickness, earthquakes, floods, locusts when he created this earth. These things are a result of the curse of sin. Cancer that is a result of sin. Earthquakes that are a result of sin. The problem is we get so upset at God and we should grow more and more upset and fed up with sin and the results of sin. Let me see if I can break this down to a very small problem. I know some people say, oh I am having a bad day because this happened or that happened, God must be testing me. Let’s say you woke up this morning and your hot water heater quit working. Maybe it is older and the bottom rusted out, maybe the element went out on it. You cannot blame that on God, you cannot say oh God is testing me because my heater went out. Your heater went out because the water you put in it has minerals in it. Those minerals cause your elements to eventually go bad or your heater to rust. This is not a result of God judging you or testing you, this is a result of living in a sin cursed world. Some bad things are simply that. Did God send Covid to judge the world, I don’t know. Did he send it to test the church, I don’t know. I do know that if there was no sin, there would be no sickness, there would be no death and there would be no covid. Some things are simply the result of living in a sinful world.
- Secondly, and the one most people always jump to is that God does at times have to judge sin.
- Genesis 6:5-7
- Genesis 18:17-22
- Jonah 1:2
- Isaiah 26:21
- Isaiah 13:11
I think we should make this very clear that God will one day have to ultimately judge sin. However, there are times when God does currently judge sin. We will deal with this in the life of the believer but he also has the right to do so with the life of the sinner and this world as well. Many have said, Katrina was a judgment on sin in Louisiana. It is interesting that there is great sin in that area of the nation. Many have said that the sin taking place in Las Vegas is the reason why their water is running dry. I cannot say for sure these things are accurate, but I can say for sure, God does judge sin and at times it is interesting why difficulties come to areas that are full of Sin.
- The third truth we should make note of is this, whether you are saved or not trouble will come in your life.
We find this in three areas. First, we find this in the example of his life. He said if they hate me they will hate you, John 15:18. We are told that he was touched with our infirmities. We are told he was tempted as we are. Could we not guarantee that through his example we would also be tested. Secondly, we find this in the example of the Apostles. I am not sure why individuals believe that once a person comes to Christ their life is filled with joy, and pleasure. There is no sickness or hardship. There is nothing difficult. Take every believer found in Acts, without fail you can find that 99% of the time they endured great problems. Peter and John were arrested and beaten. Stephen was stoned to death. Paul was shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, hungry, destitute. History tells us that everyone except John was martyred. Why does Christian mean wealthy, healthy, and wise? Thirdly, scripture is clear upon this. Job writes, man that is born of woman is a few days and full of trouble (Job 14:1). James writes, Count it all joy when ye enter into divers temptations (James 1:2). Peter writes, think it not strange (I Peter 4:12).
Now the question is if there are going to be difficulties why do they come. I have 8 things I want us to look at and then we will be finished. I have given these before but I want you to see them.
- First, we endure difficulties because God does have to chastise his own at times. (Hebrews 12:6-8)
- Secondly, we endure difficulties because God desires to strengthen our faith. (James 1:3)
- Thirdly, we endure difficulties because God wants to remind us of our relationship. (2 peter 4:12-14)
- Fourthly, we endure difficulties because God needs to keep us humble (2 Corinthians 12:7)
- Fifthly, we endure difficulties because God desires for us to be reliant upon his strength. (2 Corinthians 12:18-10)
- Sixthly, we endure difficulties because God desires to mold us into the image of his son. Romans 8:28-29)
- Seventh, we endure difficulties because God desires to work through us for the world to see. (John 9:3)
- Eighth, we endure difficulties so that we can be used in others’ lives. (Genesis 50:3)
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