The Prophet Joel

I. Introduction:

A. Little is known other than his name.

B. Based on internal evidence, many scholars place his prophecy about 830 BC.

C. This would correspond with the early years of Joash’s reign in Judah and Jehu’s reign in Israel. Until Joash ascended the throne, the wicked influence of the house of Ahab had been felt in Judah. Perhaps God had punished the people and the land for its wickedness with the locusts and famine we read about here.

D. Summary of the prophecy:

E. God has punished you for your wickedness. You need to repent. God has additional punishment on the way. You need to repent. Since you have repented, God will end the famine and plagues and bless you bountifully. God will also provide a spiritual bounty and defeat your enemies.

II. The destruction from the locusts

A. The scene opens with widespread devastation.

B. Succeeding waves of locusts destroyed everything in sight, 1:4. The destruction was so terrible, Joel asks the old people to remember any time that things were this bad. He also told the people to tell each succeeding generation about the destruction brought forth by the wrath of God.

C. There is a great famine in the land.

D. Drunkards did not have the luxury of wine; it is gone. There was no grain or wine for the temple offerings. Seeds died under parched soil. The rivers dried up. The storehouses and barns were broken down and useless. The animals wandered and cried while searching for pasture and water. Due to the dry conditions, fire had broken out and destroyed open pastures and dried trees.

E. Joel calls the people to repent

F. He told them to mourn like a young widow.

G. He told the priests to lie all night in sackcloth before the altar.

H. Sackcloth is made of goat’s hair and is extremely uncomfortable. It symbolized mourning and loss. They were to take of their fine linen priestly garments and put on rough clothes of mourning.

I. He told them to proclaim a fast.

J. Though the land was desolate, they were to withhold from themselves the food that they did have in order to mourn. They were to gather an assembly of all people to cry to God.

III. The impending destruction

A. Though the situation was bad, it was going to get worse.

B. Joel warned them that God had another army up north ready to unleash.

C. Some have suggested it would be a human army to attack a weak and vulnerable Jerusalem. It might be so. It seems, by the description of their destruction, that it was another army of locusts ready to scour the land.