Joel Week 1

Introduce new series Minor Prophets. I’m intimidated by teaching saints who’ve been in church for decades. So let’s study something no one knows anything about - minor prophets. They take more work than some other books, but I find that if you’re willing to do the hard work of digging you find some real diamonds here.

Overview of Bible History

Egypt  | Assyria | Babylon | Media/Persia |        Greece |

(1000 BC)       612 BC      539 BC       330 BC      146 BC

Abraham -  Solomon -  Jehoiakim -  Deport -  Intertestament

David   Josiah         Deport./Daniel  End of OT

722 BC  586 BC  538, 458, 445

Fall of Israel       Fall of Judah  Exiles return

Rome

Forever

3 BC

Jesus birth-

AD 90

End of NT

This timeline is important because each of these prophets fits into a specific historical context that matters to understanding the book.

Joel takes place - in 835 BC or in 400 BC.

My goal is to walk through the books chronologically, so we’re going to act like Joel is early.

Draw the map - only including Judah and Israel

Read the whole chapter

1. Walk through the outline based on who is addressed: Ask “What people are being called out here?” Box them.

   1. Elders/inhabitants vs 2

   2. Drunkards vs 5

   3. Tillers of the soil vs 11

   4. Priests vs 13

   5. Break at DAY OF THE LORD vs 15

   6. O Lord vs 19

   7. What can we learn from the people being addressed here in vs. 1-14?

2. What commands are people given here? (vs. 1-14) Circle them

   1. Hear, Give, Tell vs 2-3

   2. Awake, wail, lament vs. 5-10

   3. Be ashamed, wail vs. 11-12

   4. Put on sackcloth, lament, wail, and vs. 14 vs. 13-14

   5. What should the posture of the people be?

3. What has been taken away from them? Underline them

   1. Wine, vine, fig tree, grain offering, drink offering, etc.

   2. Gladness

4. Summary - A locust famine has come and destroyed every single bit of harvest and plant life from the people. Every person is affected. Joel wants them to cry out to God and mourn as a response.

5. Did God send the famine? Why do they call out to God?

6. The Day of the Lord is coming vs. 15 - will this be good for Israel or bad for Israel?

   1. They are in a ruined state and the Day of the Lord is on the way. What will the Day of the Lord accomplish? (This is the question we hope to resolve in the book of Joel)