Joel Week 3
Before we start new material let’s revisit where we’ve been
Joel 1 - There has been a horrible famine, Joel calls the people to cry out to God, so that they can receive back their lost crops
Joel 2:1-17 - The famine can point us to something similar that is coming - the Day of the Lord. There will be a horrible judgment, Joel calls the people to cry out and repent, so that they can be saved on that day.
There’s one comparison between these two sections that I wasn’t able to highlight last time. There are two prayers of repentance.
1:19-20 - Lord, restore the loss of our crops
2:17 - Lord, restore the loss of your glory
Compare the prayer of repentance in 2:17 with the one from 1:19-20
First one is “We repent for the sake of our food”
Second one is “We repent for the sake of your glory”
Next section read Joel 2:18-19 - Line under 19
The rest of the book of Joel is quoted from God’s mouth and is in the first person “I” “my”
What have we seen before in vs 19?
Grain wine oil - circle with arrow back to 1:10 - The food is restored
Reproach among the nations - circle with arrow back to 2:17 - God’s glory is restored
This section is a summary of what God is going to do and is the turning point in Joel. Bad news was before this - famine, destructive day of the Lord, calls to repent and wail. Good news is after this.
Read Next section Joel 2:20-25 - Line under 25
Vs. 20 - the northerner could be both locusts and enemy armies
Where are the things we’ve heard before?
O Land (ground) - 1:10
Beasts of the field/pastures of the wilderness - 1:20
Tree, fruits, fig tree, vine - 1:12
Grain, wine, oil - 1:10
Swarming locust hopper destroyer cutter - 1:4
Underline the commands in 21-23
Fear not, be glad, rejoice, fear not, be glad, rejoice
What’s the point of this section? The famine will be reversed, all the terrible things that happened in the land will be undone, and your food will be restored.
Write FOOD RESTORED alongside verses 20-25
Before we move to our next section, one of those questions we asked earlier has been answered:
Did God send the locust/famine?
Yes. 2:25
So let’s ask a follow up question, why would God intentionally send a famine?
Warn them of greater destruction, call for greater repentance, and provide greater blessing
Read next section Joel 2:26-27 - Line under 27
This is another summary type section
Verse 26 - underline “you… satisfied” and write food restored
Verse 27 - underline “you… none else” and write God’s glory restored
So we know two things needed to happen in this book - food restored and God’s glory restored, we’ve seen one of them now we’re ready for the big one - the restoration of God’s glory.
Solving a famine is easy - banish locust, add water
But how will God solve the problem of his glory?
Read next section Joel 2:28 - 3:8 - line under 8
What have we seen before?
Circle heavens, earth, sun, moon and box Day of the Lord in verse 30-31
Then draw big circle around 30-31 with arrow back to 2:10-11
Let’s go back and read 2:10-11
“Who can endure it?”
The answer is in 2:32 - EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!
How is it that they will call upon the name of the Lord? They haven’t been doing it up until now. What changes?
Underline in verse 28 and 29 - I will pour out my Spirit
And underline in verse 32 - those whom the Lord calls
Write next to verse 28-32 - The Lord saves.
He doesn’t have to do that. He doesn’t have to save, but he does this because it’s part of his plan to restore his own glory. It’s a two part plan. First he saves to receive glory and then the next thing he does.
Put a box around “In those days and at that time” verse 3:1 - that’s the day of the Lord again.
He has saved people, but he’s not done. There’s more happening on that day.
Underline what the Lord is doing now
I will gather the nations 3:2
I will enter into judgment 3:2
I will return your payment on your own head 3:4
I will return your payment on your own head 3:7
The Lord’s judgment is just “you sold them, I’ll sell you”
The “Valley of Jehoshaphat” here is not necessarily a geographic location it means “The Valley of Yahweh judges”
There’s a reference to selling to the Greeks and selling to the Sabeans - they are opposite directions and Sabeans assumably further.
Is the Day of the Lord a good thing?
Yes and No
It’s a day of justice and salvation
Good if he pours out his spirit on you, bad if not
The book could have ended there, but he keeps going with a call to the people now.
Read verses 9-13 - line under 13
He’s talking to “the nations” - shorthand for not his people
Underline war words in verses 9-11
God is taunting them to a war. Gather up everybody you’ve got. They’re going up.
The Lord will bring his warriors down. He’s coming down.
There’s fixing to be a showdown!
Where do they meet? At the valley of judgment, The Lord will judge.
But then it’s anticlimactic with the battle never happening!
It only states verse 13. It’s time for an abundant harvest because their evil is great.
Circle 13 and put an arrow back to 2:24.
It’s a confusing verse. It sounds kind of like they are being judged, but its hard to tell.
But let’s see how the New Testament handles this -
Turn to Revelation 14:14-20
A clear allusion to our Joel passage - it’s final judgment where God destroys the wicked in his wrath
God is telling the nations that their best fight against him will only result in their doom and judgment
Write in big words next to 9-13 - THE RESULTS OF THE LORD’S JUDGMENT
Final section
Read 3:14-21
Again, there’s some things we’ve seen before.
Box around the Day of The Lord in 14
What comes with the day of the Lord? Our cosmic language!
Circle sun, moon, stars, heaven, and earth in 15-16
This is familiar. Circle 15-16a and arrow back to 2:10-11
Verse 14 - seems to be calling us to make a decision.
The Day of the Lord is near. You’ve heard the matter.
All the multitudes must make their decision.
But who do we know is making decisions in the valley? It’s God.
The valley is the valley of Yahweh judges.
Verse 17 - circle Zion and Jerusalem - arrow back to 2:32
We haven’t mentioned it but these places are mentioned multiple times throughout these final sections. They are real places. Zion is the name of the mount on which the temple is built, but it becomes representative of God’s righteous presence, his kingship and his promises.
Underline sweet wine and milk
- write “Super abundance of food”
Underline Valley of Shittim
- Arrow back to Numbers 25:1 - this was where they sinned before entering the land
- write “super washing of shame”
Vs 20 Circle Judah, Jerusalem. Underline forever, all generations - God with his people forever
Write RESULTS OF THE LORD’S SALVATION next to 14-21