The Prophet Joel's Plague of Locusts - A Call to Repentance

The Prophet Joel's Call to Repentance

Joel 1:1 we know nothing of the man named Joel… only his message.

That message is "the day of the Lord"... the intervention of YHWH... the old order is turned upside down... the familiar comforts of life disappear suddenly... false security collapses… there is nowhere safe to stand... there is nothing to stand on. 

God says "Behold, I make all things NEW"… but to embrace the new world Christ brings... we must prepare our hearts and minds to let go of many things... and in that way we too become NEW. The path to that newness is repentance.

Joel aims his call to repentance at all segments of society: hear this you elders... wake up you drunkards... despair you farmers... put on sackcloth you priests [verse 2,5,11,13].

Joel uses a contemporary agricultural disaster to issue a general call to repentance. The land had recently [or was currently] suffered a devastating infestation of locusts. Joel wants this catastrophe to awaken people's attention to their need for repentance.

12. Disaster can come suddenly … so you should be prepared
13. The consequences of sin and disobedience are relentless… unless you repent

Unlike other prophets, Joel does not call out their various sins, transgressions, idolatry, Sabbath breaking. Joel assumes the reader is aware of the moral failings of the surrounding society.

Joel focuses on repentance: the time to repent is NOW!

The Elders - Joel 1:2-4

The elders are those who pass along social traditions, and in the oral culture of 8th century BC were the keepers of the corporate memory... what happened in the days of old. The phrase “tell it to your children, and children's children” takes us back to specific commands in the covenant to pass along knowledge, history, and the works of God [Deut 4:32-34, Exodus 12:24-27, Deut 6:4-9].

Now the command is turned upside down... instead of remembering YHWH's deliverance they are called out to testify concerning the disasters falling upon them. We too live in a land that no longer passes down essential knowledge and awareness!

The infestation of locusts was no ordinary turning in the circle of life... it was unique, as most of the older people would know. Normal locust plagues come and then blow away. This one is different. Four successive waves of locusts follow one another to bring about complete and utter devastation.

The Drunkards - Joel 1:5-10

The drunkards are representative of those who take the fruitfulness of the land for granted and use it to excess… self indulgent... unconcerned with the things of God. Within the covenant God warned them that when they were rich with blessings they would quickly forget Him who gave them. We too live in an abundant land filled with self indulgence!

The abundance God gave is taken away suddenly... “snatched from their lips”.

Disaster... and perhaps judgment... comes like that … slowly, slowly, slowly… then suddenly. Like a woman going into labor... or a snare that snaps shut. The bible warns us of suddenness over and over to counteract any of us who might be thinking "I'll see it when its coming... then I'll repent". God's word says repent now before you run out of time… slowly, slowly, slowly… then suddenly.

The locusts come suddenly… but they were also predictable!

The locusts are one of the covenant's punishments for disobedience Deuteronomy 28:38, 42. The teeth and fangs are mixed metaphor alerting us that we are not just talking about insects. We'll see later on in Joel that the locusts are a metaphor for invading armies... which is an escalated form of punishment built into the covenant verse 49.

And it is a prophecy for the end-time : “day of the Lord”.

The Farmers - Joel 1:8-12

The food is gone.… the wedding celebration is called off... festive eating and drinking in the temple stops.

Good crops, abundant livestock, rain in due season are the blessings of the covenant Deuteronomy 28:1-6. Now those blessings are withheld… The food is gone.… the wedding celebration is called off... festive eating and drinking in the temple stops.

Jesus told us that as the time-of-the-end approached people would be enjoying the blessings of God's creation... the joys of life would continue, then suddenly end. But God’s call to repentance continues:

12. God's call to repentance goes out before the disaster [that’s the best time to repent]
13. The door to repentance stays open even as disaster unfolds
14. But there is a time when its too late.

The Priests - Joel 1:13-14

The priest enjoyed great status and respect within society... officiating at festivals, collecting tithes, sharing in the offerings...  but they also had a duty to call people to repentance… call them to fast and show Godly sorrow over sin… call them to gather for instruction on what to repent of… call them to come to the house of God seeking forgiveness and deliverance from sin. 

Matthew 4:17 [Jesus' preaching in a nutshell].

The Day of the Lord - Joel 1:15-2

The first section of Joel reflected back on the disastrous locust infestation... seeing it as 1) a fulfillment of the punishments built into the covenant 2) a call to sober up and repent.

Next Joel considers the devastation they have just gone through as having some lessons concerning the far-future Day of the Lord.

When the day of disaster comes they are helpless to do anything to avoid it... its too late. All the great agricultural wealth they had built up was no help to them. All they can do is cry out to God in despair like hungry, thirsty animals. So it will be for many at Christ's return.

12. MOST do not see the disaster coming and are caught up in events like fish in a net.
13. MANY see the disaster coming but don't know what to do about it...
14. SOME see it coming and prepare themself for the day... they pray... they repent... they persistently seek the deliverance that only God can give. You want to be in that group!

An Attack Upon Zion Joel 2:1-9

Joel is no longer just talking about locusts... but he uses the terrifying memories of the swarming insects to dramatically picture a human army attacking and invading Jerusalem. The trumpet blows to call the armies to battle on the Day of the Lord.

Notice the use of the phrase "such as never was of old nor will ever be in the future". Daniel 12:1 used this same sort of phrase when referring to the end time persecution. Jesus used this same phrase in Matthew 24:11 when He described the situation prior to His return. The use of this phrase in Joel tells us he is referring to armies surrounding Jerusalem at the end-time.

Locusts are used as a picture of the relentless and terrifying  end-time armies in Revelation 9:1-3, 7-11. When God’s restraining hand is removed from the powers of spiritual wickedness… they swarm out the abyss like a cloud of locusts covered in clouds of darkness… as Joel described.

Christ Intervenes - Joel 2:10-11

When Jesus referred to the time of distress... He said He Himself would have to intervene and cut it short or all human life would end. Joel's prophecy follows the same pattern. There are earthquakes... signs in the sky [the 6th of the 7 seals] which announce Christ’s arrival Revelation 6:12.

CONSIDER: The signs of the 6th seal tell us the world as we know it is changing. We take for granted the solid earth beneath our feet... or the rising of the sun each morning. But, even these are now called into question… Something new is happening.

Verse 11… Then the Lord Himself arrives at the head of an army to overthrow the armies gathered to fight at Mount Zion... Jerusalem.

The glorious second coming of Christ is good news and cause for rejoicing. We celebrate this future event at the Feast of Trumpets… but the day also contains an element of sobriety and repentance.

How Then Should You Respond to Prophecy? Joel 2:12-14

Prophecies about past events like the restoration of the temple after 70 years, the 70 weeks prophecy, or the first coming of Christ should be studied because they help to built confidence in the authority of the bible.

Prophecies about the future can serve the purpose of giving us confidence about the future. God will not allow the world to descend into a dystopian nightmare. There is hope for planet earth... and there is a role you can play in that future.

Because we know God's word to be true and reliable, prophecies of the future also call us to repent… so we are not swept up in judgment and condemnation. To repent means to acknowledge your need to change and to start making the necessary changes. Overcome sin, put on the mind and heart of God so that you can be part of the solution.

Notice that through Joel God calls for real change... not just going through the motions. And if we do that God is gracious... compassionate... forgiving... and ready to bless.

Real repentance changes who we are within. However, Joel still instructs the listener to do the ritual and outward actions. Matthew 23:23 “tend to the weightier matters without leaving the other matters of godly obedience undone”. God is concerned with both the inward and the outward person you are.

Gather Together Before God - Joel 2:15-17

Now the trumpet calls the believers to the sacred assembly. To consider the terrifying things they have heard and seen... to repent and seek deliverance.

Those who minister before God have a special task... to lead the entire community in a prayer of repentance, to seek forgiveness, to confess the many ways they had failed in their commission to live as examples of God's way for others.  And God will hear verse 18.