Recently, we began an expository study in the book of Joel. Very little is known about this prophet. His name means Jehovah is God. His father’s name means Persuaded by God. The word that Joel has is not his own. It is the word of Jehovah, and it has come to Joel. He is fulfilling his calling by delivering the word of Jehovah.
Joel 1:2-4 "Hear this, you elders, And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers? Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation. What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten."
The Israelites were not strangers to locusts in their everyday life, and they remembered the plague of locusts. In Exodus 10:1-15, we read of the plagues God brought against Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites. These plagues affected all of Egypt. We suppose that each of these plagues was progressively more severe as God brought ever-increasing pressure on Pharaoh. The land, the people, the water, the animals were subjected to the harsh conditions that were brought about by these plagues.
That was the eighth plague sent by God to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Not including this passage from Exodus, there are 35 references to locusts in the Old Testament. With one exception in Leviticus 11:22, locusts are associated with destruction and devastation. In Deuteronomy 28:36-42, God promises blessing for obedience, and promises curses for disobedience. Among the curses promised by God for Israel’s disobedience is locusts.
The point of all of this is that the nation of Israel was no stranger to locusts. They understood the destructive power of the swarms of locusts, and they had witnessed the utter devastation left in the path of these destructive creatures. They also understood that God’s promise of a curse of locusts as just punishment for their disobedience was not an empty threat. We should understand when the Bible speaks of locusts, the connotation is fearful. The threat they pose is a very real. These locusts are more than a threat. They are a tool of the judgement of Almighty God.
We see that the circumstances have been declared in the past tense. When prophets speak, the prophecy may be a foretelling of future events, or an explanation of current events. Prophecy has two fulfillments: One immediate for the original audience, and one distant. While there are physical descriptions given, there is a spiritual implication for believers and non-believers alike.
For this study, we will assume an actual, physical invasion of locusts. We must also understand this is symbolic of a spiritual problem. There is also the possibility that the locusts are a prelude to an invasion by a conquering army of Israel’s enemies. This has spiritual implications for Israel at the time this prophecy was given, and to the Church of Jesus Christ in the modern era. Joel has an urgent message. All Israel has been, or will be affected by what has happened.
I. The Command To Pay Attention
Any time someone has an important news, some information of a concerning matter, they will often call for attention to it. If you have ever flown on a commercial airline, you have heard announcements from the air crew. The pilot or co-pilot may welcome you aboard the aircraft, and then ask you to give your attention to the flight attendants who have important safety information that they must tell you. You are admonished to obey the directions of the flight attendants, and to remain seated with your seat-belt fastened during certain times of the flight. The flight attendants point out the emergency exits and tell you to take note of the one closest to your seat. They then demonstrate the proper donning of oxygen masks, which will automatically deploy from the ceiling if the cabin loses air pressure. You are then reminded that your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device if the aircraft crashes into a body of water. There are inflatable vests under your seats which can be inflated by pulling on the strap, or you may need to inflate the vest manually by blowing into the inflation tube. All of these safety announcements are so important that they are mandated by the FAA, and the aircraft is not allowed by law to take off until the safety demonstration has been completed. Your attention to the safety demonstration is mandatory.
The prophet Joel has a much more important announcement. He commands all to pay attention as he makes his appeal to two groups:
Elders – (either old men, or leadership, or both)
This may refer to the older population. Most modern English versions use “elders” in place of “ye old men.” Regardless of whether we read it as old men or as elders, it is safe to assume that Joel is addressing the leadership of Israel. This was a patriarchal society. Men were the head of the family, leaders in business, leaders in counsels, leaders in worship. The elders in Israel were the ones who had influence over their own houses and in the affairs of the community. It is because of this position of influence that Joel first addresses the elders. He calls their attention to his message by commanding them to hear. They should be the first to receive this message. They will be expected to disseminate this information and enforce what is being said. But this message is not only for the elders. Joel extends the same call to others.
All Inhabitants Of The Land
Again, Joel is commanding people to listen – Give ear! No one is excluded from this call. It is like those tests of the Emergency Broadcasting System, when that most annoying string of discordant tones blares through the speakers, interrupting your favorite song or favorite talk show. You don’t want to hear it, but again it is necessary. The FCC has mandated that this system be put in place and tested so that you can be aware of emergency information. Joel is interrupting everyone! All you inhabitants of the land! You may not want to hear it, you may be annoyed by it, but it is important, and you need to pay attention and listen to this message. There is much devastating, upsetting, disappointing news to follow.
II. The Magnitude Of The Situation!
Joel engages our minds by asking a probing question: Do you recall such a thing as this? Any time we want to draw attention to the greatness, the magnitude, the importance of any thing or any happening, we ask, “Have you ever seen anything like this?” The implication is that this is a unique event. In order to bring us to agree with the prophet and come to understand just how bad things are, he asks us to consider whether a situation like this has affected us before. Do you know of anything greater or worse than this? When has ANYTHING like this happened?
Have you ever experienced anything this great? Has anything like this ever happened to you in your lifetime? Many of you recall September 11, 2001. Islamic terrorists attacked the United States on our own soil by hijacking commercial airliners and crashing them. Two were purposely flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. To the terrorists, these building were symbols of American financial power, and the center of financial oppression of the rest of the world. Another hijacked aircraft was purposely crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. – the center of military power of the United States. A fourth hijacked plane crashed, but thanks to some brave passengers, the terrorists did not reach their intended target. Thousands of people lost their lives. We reacted by going to war against terrorism, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan against an enemy and an objective that was not easily defined. Thousands of American military servicemen and women died or were wounded physically or mentally in an effort to secure the safety and liberty of United States citizens. September 11, 2001 was a terrible day in our relatively recent past.
President Roosevelt famously said that it was a day that would live in infamy. On Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Ships were sunk, sailors died, and America was drawn into World War II. America fought alongside our allies in Europe against Hitler’s Germany, and we fought all over the Pacific Ocean against Imperial Japan. But the cost was great, not only dollars spent, but more importantly in lives lost. It is estimated that nearly six million Jews were exterminated by Nazi Germany. By the end of the war 407,300 US military personnel and 12,100 American civilians had died, and 671,801 military personnel were severely wounded. World War II was devastating event in human history.
As bad as our recent War on Terror, and our more distant Second World War was, Joel has a warning about an event of an even greater magnitude. The people did not recall anything like it in their day, nor did they remember anything like it in their history. It is unprecedented, it is unique, it is devastating, and it demands attention. This MUST NOT be forgotten!
Teach this to your children and grandchildren (to the 4th generation.) This situation is so important, you must not allow it to fade into history in the coming generations. You must speak about this to your children. You must impress upon them the necessity of teaching their children, and they must pass this along to their children. This must not be forgotten! Do not allow it leave your memory, or die with this successive generations.
III. There Was Total Devastation
Israel was an agrarian culture. They planted crops, they tended trees and vines. They raised livestock. Cannan Land was a fertile land. Do you remember the promises of God? Do you remember what He told them of the land He was giving to them? (See Exodus 3:16-17) God had given Israel good land.
He blessed them with good crops and good herds and good flocks. They had worked the land, and by God’s grace, the land yielded plenty for Israel. But now there is a problem. Great multitudes of small creatures had destroyed everything.
Please read Joel 1:4 again.
Crops have been destroyed by waves of locusts
Here we again see the parallelism that is characteristic of Hebrew poetry. Each successive line in this verse increases the severity of the situation. These may be four different varieties of locusts, or they may be four different stages of development in the life-cycle of the locust. The text is not clear and it really does not matter. O Palmer Robertson commented on this passage and made the following statement, “One thing is certain: locusts, locusts, and more locusts!” These voracious insects were instruments in God’s hand as He delivered Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt. We might say that there was a time when Israel could have been thankful for locusts. God had also promised a curse of locusts if Israel was disobedient. It would seem Israel had tried God’s patience with their disobedience. We are often quick to remember God’s promises when we are rejoicing in God’s blessings. Are we so quick to remember God’s promises when we are dealing with His judgment for our disobedience?
There is nothing left
Everything has been eaten by locusts! The people will have no grain for bread. The livestock will have no grasslands to graze. Despair is beginning to set in on the minds and hearts of the Israelites. Now, put yourself in their place for a moment if you can. Imagine coming home one day to find that everything was gone. There is nothing around your house, no trees, no shrubs, no flowers, no garden, and no grass. Your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry are all empty. Your neighbors are facing the same problems. The grocery stores are closed because there is no food on the shelves. Anything and everything that could be eaten has been devoured by swarms of locusts. What would you think? What would you say? What would you do? How long would it take you to get past your handwringing, and weeping, and shrieking before you dropped to your knees and began praying?
IV. God Is Sovereign!
Do not assume that a swarm of locusts is just a random act of nature. God is in control of everything from the largest star in farthest reaches of the universe to the smallest atom in the deepest recesses of the earth. He wrote the code of DNA that makes you who you are, and He has numbered the hairs of your head, and He knows the number of your days
Why did this happen?
Israel had a history of disobedience. God had made Israel His own special people, beginning with a promise to Abram. God blessed Israel with many abundant earthly blessings, with land and houses, flocks and herds, and vineyards. He had given them Judges and Kings, Priests and Prophets. Israel sometimes remembered the gracious blessings God had given them. Israel sometimes remembered to be obedient to God. However, all too often Israel was guilty of being sinful. They would turn from God and follow idols. They would take God for granted, believing that He would continue to bless them. They forgot that just as God had promised blessing for obedience, He also promised curses for disobedience.
How did this happen?
God does not forget. God saw the disobedience of Israel. Just as God had blessed Israel’s obedience, He would also punish them for their disobedience. One of the promised curses for Israel’s disobedience was failing crops and destruction brought by locusts. (See Deuteronomy 28:15-42)
V. What is our Application -- What does all of this mean for Christians today?
Jehovah God is Judge over all, and He judges all the earth.
Sometimes we get complacent. Sometimes we forget that God is Sovereign, and all of creation is subject to His will. Sometimes we think we can compartmentalize God’s works. Someone asked me once about God’s judgment. Is God’s judgment active in the world today? I believe the correct answer is: Yes, God is actively judging His creation even now. Does He do that with drought, floods, fires, and storms, wars, invasions, economic recessions and depressions, or even worldwide viral pandemics? Yes, He does! Is every one of those so-called “acts of nature” necessarily punishment of God’s judgment? If that is how God intends it, it must be! Whatever God does, He does ultimately for His own glory. He may use things that make us uncomfortable to refocus our attention and bring us back to Him. When things are going smoothly, and people are prosperous, and there is peace, people tend to credit themselves. In hard times, when people are hurting and sick, and barely scraping by from paycheck to paycheck, or the threat of death is just around the corner, God’s people should come to realize their utter dependence on Him. Christians must spend more time in prayer, praise, and worship when life outside the church seems to be a losing battle. In tough times, the sheep look to their shepherd for their very survival.
As God’s people we MUST actively seek to live in HIS will
Knowing that God is Sovereign, and that God still actively participates in and has control over His creation, we must be knowledgeable of God’s Word. In order to know God’s Word, we must make a habit of reading and studying and meditating over God’s Word and praying for divine guidance and understanding. If we do that, it will help us to discern whether we are actively seeking to live our lives in the manner God has commanded us. Just as Israel was under the judgment of God for their disobedience, so will be everyone who has ever lived. Jesus Christ has paid the price for the sins of His people. He is advocating for His people even now at the right hand of the Father in heaven. On that great and terrible day of the Lord, how will you plead? Have your sins been covered by the blood of Jesus? Are you living in obedience to Him out of a grateful heart for the blessing you’ve been given?