Joel Part 02
Joel shares the word of the Lord with the people of his time and by extension, us. He calls out to the elders, and the people and encourages everyone to teach our children about what we hear, and to pass it on to the next generations. Joel 1:13 says that the spiritual leaders should set the example in seeking God, and implies that they had NOT done so. He encourages fasting, mourning and seeking God which are opposites of the self-centeredness and indulgence Joel discusses.
In Joel 1:2–3, the appeal to “Hear this you elders!” refers to those who are older and should be an example, not to “Church elders.” The prophet opens with a rhetorical question regarding the occurrence of the locust plague that has struck the land of Judah, emphasizing that a national calamity of this scale has not happened before. Joel describes the devastating locust plage that has struck the land of Judah, leading to widespread destruction of crops.
The chapter emphasizes the severity of the disaster, likening it to an army moving across the land, and then moves to a call for repentance. The prophet urges the people to mourn and lament, as the agricultural devastation signifies a deeper spiritual crisis. He calls for a national day of fasting and prayer, encouraging the people to turn back to God in hopes of mercy and restoration. Joel 1 serves as a warning about the consequences of sin and the need for collective repentance.
In Joel 1:4, the behavior of the locusts are described, as well as the impact they have on the land. The exact identity of the species of locusts is not known, but most scholars believe this refers to different stages of development of one insect. There are distinct words used for each type of locust in the original texts.
| NKJV | KJV | Hebrew | Interpretation |
| Chewing Locust | Palmer Worm | gazan | The gnawer: caterpillar stage |
| Swarming Locust | Locust | arbah | The swarmer: swarming stage |
| Crawling Locust | Canker Worm | yelek | The licker: to lick or lap up |
| Consuming Locust | Caterpillar | chasil | The devourer: to eat up |
A possible explanation is that the first stage has just emerged from the egg with no wings; the second appears at the end of spring, still in its first skin, beginning to develop legs and wings. The third is able to leap after shedding its skin, but not yet fly—eating everything in reach; and the fourth is the mature, winged locust, able to move across the land, causing devastation.
What does this mean to us? There are several possible explanations.
- Many believe that an actual locust plague was prophesied and came (not uncommon).
- Some go beyond that to believe the plague symbolized a particular army (Joel 2:25). This could refer to coming armies of Babylon (in four stages) and/or the “King of the North” of Daniel 11:40 at the end-time.
- Some scholars speculate that the four types of locusts typify the four successive Gentile empires:
- Babylon
- Persia
- Greece
- Rome
The locusts could be literal or allegorical and seem to be a dual prophecy of impending plague and famine then, and of war and destruction during the coming Day of the LORD.
The encouragement in the next passage is clear. Wake up. Lament. Be ashamed. Get dressed appropriately. Fast. Cry out to the Lord. The Day is coming.
Joel 1:5–12 contains a call to leave indulgence and distraction and face the approaching crisis. Indulgence was a problem then, as it is today. Human patterns of behavior have not changed significantly. Alcohol abuse has perennially been a serious problem for Israelites, as shown in Isaiah 5:11, 5:22 and Proverbs 20:1; 23:29–35.
Joel 1:13 says that the spiritual leaders should set the example in seeking God, and implies that they had NOT done so. Fasting, mourning and seeking God are opposites of the self-centeredness and indulgence Joel discusses. These are actions that ministers in God’s Church should be doing now.
“For the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God” (Joel 1:13).
This tells us that Joel was written before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple. It should warn us of the danger of withholding “spiritual sacrifices,” so that there won’t be a famine of the hearing of the Word of God (Amos 8:11).
“ . . . to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit . . .” (Psalm 51:17).
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips . . .” (Hebrews 13:15).
Joel 1:14 calls to “consecrate a fast” (also translated as “sanctify”—a holy occasion). This is not about just going hungry, but about seeking God. The “House of the LORD” was the temple. Now it is the Church—the spiritual temple (1 Peter 2:5). The Church has ordained elders who are to be the leadership. The elders are to lead the way, but all members are to cry out to God!
Joel records that he cries out to the Lord, for the destruction that has come upon his nation. Imagine if civil and religious leaders would fast and pray for the nations they lead, and encourage their constituents to do the same. Would a God rich in mercy hear? Will they ever do this while experiencing good times? Apparently not. This is why God sends the locusts to get the attention of the people. It seems that a crisis turns people to God more than thanksgiving for abundance. It’s a good lesson for us to learn from.
Minor Prophets class is taught at ABC by Dr. Frank Dunkle.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
