37 Joel

Joel.. hmmmm It was hard being a prophet in the days......... Joel called these events 'the Day of God'. A terrible army would attack Jerusalem. They would destroy everything. Nobody could escape from this army. So, the people must confess their evil deeds to God. Even when these terrible things happen, they must ask God to save them. Then, God will be kind to his people. He will hear their prayers. He will cause this terrible army to leave. He will provide food for his people. And he will send his Spirit on all people. God will also punish the nations that attack Jerusalem . Believe that God will protect his own people always.

The prophet Joel showed up in Israel during a time of the most terrible plague of locusts in the nation's history. Joel came and prophesied to the land of Judah before the plague came. He warned the people of Judah that the devastation was going to sweep across the land very soon. He called for a season of fasting, mourning, and repentance. He warned them of God's judgment in the imagery of the impending invasion of locusts.

He called the people of Judah and Jerusalem to weep over the sins, and to fast and repent because the day of the Lord is approaching. Soon the plague came and devastated the whole land and its effects were clearly seen and felt. The locusts came like a storm, they darkened the skies and every green thing, was left barren. There was no hope of escape and they left utter destruction in their path. Joel seized upon the imagery of the locusts as a type of the greater judgement that would come on "the Day of the Lord" in the last days: For the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty . . . The LORD gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it? Scarry stuff, but he got his point across for sure. Joel also gave a message of hope and prophesied of great blessings that would follow and the glories of the Messiah's kingdom.

I guess the point to understand is God didn't send prophets to yell at the Israelites or anyone for that fact. He sent prophets to warn people about the consequences of sin, and to give us a chance to ask for forgiveness. He was being merciful, not angry. Can you just imagine the sky blackened with locusts… and then them eating up all the food for miles…….. musta freaked them all out, then they turned from their evil ways and changed.