Joel Introduction
Introduction
It is hard to know exactly when the book of Joel was written. That’s because it does not talk about the rule of an individual king. But the purpose of the book of Joel is very clear. It was written to bring a powerful message to God’s people in Judah. Joel calls them to ask for forgiveness from their sins and return to the Lord.
The book of Joel begins by describing a swarm of locusts that has covered the land. These insects have eaten everything in sight. Then Joel states that the locusts are like an attacking army led by the Lord. The prophet states that the day of the Lord has come. And that day is a day of judgment. It is not what the people were expecting. The prophet Joel renews his call for the people to turn away from their sins. They are to do this through fasting, community prayers and heartfelt sadness. If the people repent, Joel promises that God will drive away the locusts. And that’s not all. God will give the people more than what the locusts have eaten.
Joel also speaks about things that will happen in the future. He states that God will destroy all nations that oppose his people. Joel tells the people of Judah that good things will happen to them. But these things will happen only if they repent. He states that God will give his Spirit to those who survive his judgment. And they will experience rich blessings when the day of the Lord comes.
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Joel Introduction: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
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Joel Introduction
Introduction
“Joel” means “The Lord is God” and the book bearing this prophet's name opens with Joel's description of a devastating plague of locusts invading the land. In the devastation and in the drought that typically follows such crop destructions, the prophet sees a sign of what it will be like in the “Day of the Lord,” a day of judgment for all who have ignored God and deviated from faithfulness to God's commandments. Locusts are a species of grasshopper that travel in enormous swarms capable of completely darkening the sky. They breed quickly and each stage of the insect's development (palmerworm, cankerworm, caterpillar, and full-grown insect) devours what the previous stage left behind. By this relentless means of attack they eventually devour all vegetation and leave the land bare, creating a truly life-threatening crisis for people and livestock whose existence depends on crops from the land. Joel uses this plague of locusts to summon the people to repent and “turn” their lives back toward God. He urges them to sanctify a solemn fast and to have the priests weep before God as the only means by which they can hope to experience future restoration and blessing from God (2.12-27). Once restored to God they will come to know a time when God's spirit will be poured out on everyone (2.28,29). Joel also foresees a time when God's judgment will come upon those nations which had conquered and occupied Judah and Jerusalem in the past (3.1-15). His final vision (3.16-20) is of God blessing the people with a restored and safe land.
This book may be the latest written of the prophetic books, if, as many think, 2.7-9 refers to the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem and 1.13,14 implies that the temple has been rebuilt and is once again the site of Israelite worship. The reference to Greeks in 3.6 also suggests a late date, perhaps a time in the years of the Persian Empire. Joel's vivid description of the signs of the coming Day of the Lord, especially of frightening portents in the heavens (2.30,31), establishes the essential template for what would become a standard feature in later apocalyptic writings.
Outline
The Devastating Swarm of Locusts and the Call to Repent (1.1—2.17)
The Promise of Restoration (2.18-27)
The Day of the Lord (2.28-32)
God's Judgment on the Nations and the Blessing of Judah (3.1-21)
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.