So far in this series, we have observed:
(1) This is prophecy. It is the Word of the LORD that came to Joel. This author’s name means Jehovah is God. His father’s name is Pethuel, and his name means persuaded by God. The first verse declared that it is the word of Jehovah. Immediately, we know that it is trustworthy, and we are to give proper reverence to it. It is the word of God, not the word of a man. It is not a myth, nor a fable, nor a fairy tale. Prophets were given visions by God, which they then delivered to the people. Sometimes the visions were such that the prophets themselves may not have fully understood them, or the images in their visions were such that words failed to fully describe what they saw. Sometimes prophecies foretold of future events, and sometimes prophecies were forth-telling of current events, given as an explanation of what had happened and why.
(2) There are many unknowns about Joel’s prophecy. We are not certain as to the time in history when Joel lived and prophesied. We are also not certain as to whether his message was first intended for Israel or Judah. Lastly, we do not know if this prophecy was given before the Babylonian exile or after the return from exile. For the sake of this study, we are assuming it is prior to Babylon.
(3) One other point to note is the presence of Hebrew poetry in the writing style of this book. We see the use of parallels, where consecutive verses compare or contrast similar lines of thought. And we see repetition of a particular word or phrase and this has the effect of elevating the importance of that particular word or phrase. Poetry in general often uses literary devices such as metaphors and similes which are used to describe things in ways that are not literal, but which help to emphasize the reach, the scope, or the size. For these reasons, we may see that Joel’s prophecy is both a forth-telling of current events, and a foretelling of future events.
(4) In verses two through four, the prophet calls for the elders to hear. He calls for the inhabitants of the land to listen. He asks them to take inventory of their history to see if they can recall anything like this. It must be big and important if there is nothing to compare to it. He then commands everyone to remember and pass down this event to the fourth generation. The magnitude of this event is so great that nothing like it resides in the memory of the original audience, and they are to not forget it, nor are they to let the following generations forget it.
Waves of locusts have destroyed everything. There is nothing left in the forests, or the vineyards, or the orchards, or the fields. The locusts have brought about a complete and utter devastation. It was at this point in our last message from Joel that we turned our attention to the sovereignty of God. He has created all things. Therefore, He owns all things. All things come from Him. All things are sustained by Him. And all things are going to Him. He created all things, He owns all things, and ultimately, He is in control of all things. He does all of this without our help or counsel. He does all of this for His own glory. When we say all things, we mean ALL things. This necessarily includes the vegetation on the earth, the waves of locusts that consume those green things, and the weather. Our Almighty God is Sovereign over His creation, whether plant or insect or weather event. He is also in control of the affairs of men. Remember Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” The God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, and God Himself even controls the desires of the king.
We also noted in our last message from Joel that this was a warning to Joel’s hearers. That may prompt someone to ask if this prophecy is still relevant. Is it a warning to Christians today? Yes, it is. And we should understand why. As with almost every prophecy, the physical portion of it is only one part. There are spiritual implications as well. The physical, material world is oftentimes more easily understood. We have our God-given senses which allow us to hear and see and feel the world around us. The reality of the Spiritual world around us is not often so easily described. We cannot see or hear or touch spirits. We may have strong feelings, but those feelings are not always easily described or expressed. So, the physical things of this world around us may be used by God in His Word to help us to understand spiritual realities.
Our text will show the immediate consequences of the devastation of the locusts in Joel’s prophecy.
Please read Joel 1:5-12.
The news of this calamity must have been horrifying! The utter devastation is complete and the consequences are both far reaching and long lasting. Everything has been affected, and the scene was one of hopelessness and despair! This was a real event. It was a really bad situation that the people found themselves in. The people of Israel had inherited the land promised to Abraham by God. Israel had been given Canaan Land. They lived in houses which they had not built. They tended orchards and vineyards and groves which they had not planted. They enjoyed prosperity and peace by the mercy and grace of God. No longer were they in bondage in Egypt, as a nation without freedom. No longer were they nomads wandering in the wilderness, as a nation without a land. No longer were they a kingdom without a king. They had been chosen by God in Abraham, delivered by God through Moses, planted in a good place by God through Joshua, and governed righteously by God through King David. They were prosperous in all that they did. They had herds and flocks of livestock. They had fertile fields that produced an abundance of grain. And there was much fruit of the vines and the trees. Almighty God, the One True and Living God was their God, and they were His chosen people. God had promised to be a husband and a father to them. He had promised to nurture and guide and protect them. He commanded them to obey, and worship Him and love Him, and to treat others equally with dignity and respect.
But, over time, Israel did what people do. Their memories became short, and they began to forget all that God had done and was doing for them. Perhaps they began to believe that they had made their own way and were solely responsible for the comfort, the peace, and the prosperity they enjoyed. Perhaps they had begun to forget that it is God who makes the flowers to bloom, the vines to produce fruit, and the herds to calve.
As they turned from being a grateful, dependent, and obedient people toward God, they lost sight of His constant care over them. They entered into agreements with their pagan neighbors, and they began to adopt worldly ideas. They spoke worldly language, and they walked in worldly ways. Eventually they even took up the worldly practice of worshiping pagan idols!
The blessed nation of Israel had turned from an abundance of blessings from Almighty God to the worship of dumb idols carved from wood and stone. God determined to show them the error of their ways and bring His chosen people back to Himself. Sometimes it becomes necessary for sinners to have their senses shocked that they might awaken to the reality of their errors.
Enter the locusts! Israel was struck by innumerable swarms of insatiable, voracious eating machines. There were clouds of flying locusts so thick that they blocked out the light from the sun. Locusts so utterly devastating that they ate every green thing in sight, thereby turning the fertile oasis of Canaan Land into a desert wasteland. The immediate scene was one of desolation. The vines were gone. The fruit, the leaves, and even the bark from the trees had been stripped. There was nothing but firewood standing on the dust as far as the eye could see. And all of this was due to the locusts.
Let us not forget that this is God’s creation and He can do with it as He wills. God’s locusts had erased all the things that had brought blessings of prosperity and happiness to God’s people. There would be no wine, no grain, no fruit, and no grasslands for grazing. There would be no trees for shade. And it would not be long before starvation would be a start reality for everyone in Israel. The people of God were under the chastening hand of God’s judgment because of their own disobedience. He determined that He would bring His people back to Himself. He had to have their undivided attention. He sent locusts to devastate their land and conquer their hearts. There would be weeping and mourning throughout the land as people began to realize their utter dependence on Almighty God.
This is somewhat foreign to our 21st Century, western ideas. It may be helpful for us to remember God’s covenant with Israel. He had promised them blessing for their obedience to His Law. Israel enjoyed much blessing for many generations. God’s covenant contained more than promised blessings for Israel’s obedience. The covenant God made with Israel also contained promised curses for their disobedience. During the time of Joel’s writing, Israel’s disobedience had roused God’s anger, and they were receiving the promised curses for their disobedience. Among those innumerate promised curses was the devastation by locusts.
This was not an unjust or cruel punishment. God intended to get the attention of His people. Mourning their losses, their broken hearts would be turned away from the worship of the idols of their pagan neighbors. They would come to realize the source of their blessings, and their hearts would be turned back to the One, True, and Living God. He used a physical chastening of his people through this calamity of locusts to reorient their spiritual compasses back to Him.
Is there a lesson for us? What must we learn from Joel’s prophecy? As blessed as the nation of Israel was, consider the even greater and more abundant blessing that Christians have in Jesus Christ. Has God not showered us with grace and mercy and peace and love through Jesus? Has He not chosen us and bought us out of the bondage of our sin through the blood of His cross? Has the Father not also seated us in the heavenly places in Christ?
These things are true for all true believers. Regardless of where we are on the planet, regardless of when we are in time, regardless of our ancestry, believers have all these blessings from God in common. We ought to be the boldest, happiest, most zealous people wherever we are! Almighty God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place, so that we might be reconciled to Him. As born-again believers in Christ, we can approach the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe without fear of condemnation, and we can call Him Father! Do we ever take this for granted? Or worse yet, do we ever forget that it is blessed privilege that we know and are known by Jehovah God?
Here are a few thoughts that may help us to focus our attention and set our priorities in proper order:
Where is our attention focused throughout the week, for the hours that we are not gathered here as the body of Christ for the purpose of worship?
Are we devoted to Christ, giving Him first place in our hearts and our minds, regardless of our circumstances?
Do we recognize Him as the provider of all that we need and enjoy?
Are we worshipping Him with our entire being: heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Will it be necessary for us to endure some earthly calamity or catastrophe or devastation in order for God to get our attention and turn to Him who was made to be sin for us that we might be made righteous in Him?
If we are suffering, is it the chastening hand of God upon us, disciplining us and turning us back to Him?
Do we truly believe His Word: That He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think? Or, are we adopting the ways of the world, wringing our hands, gnashing our teeth, and wondering just how bad things will get, and when will the other shoe drop?
May God have mercy upon us. May He turn our eyes, our minds, and our hearts toward Him who loves us with an everlasting love.