On Mission In Anderson & Beyond
NORTH ANDERSON BAPTIST
July 2nd, 2023
Locations & Times
North Anderson Baptist Church
2308 N Main St, Anderson, SC 29621, USA
Saturday 9:00 AM
WHAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT JOEL:
- We KNOW that Joel was a Prophet
Joel 1:1 “The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel”
- We KNOW Joel is one of the earliest Prophets (only the prophecy of Obadiah comes before this one)
- We KNOW that the Southern Kingdom of Judah was in a mess during that time
Though it’s difficult to date this prophecy with precision because Joel never mentions any other prophets of rulers, based upon what is written in the book, most reputable scholars have determined the date of this prophecy to be on or very near to 835 BC.
This prophecy would have been made at the tail end of Queen Athaliah’s reign. She was a wicked ruler, to say the very least…which was a foregone conclusion considering how she came to power.
She was the daughter of Ahab (one of Israels very worst Kings) and Jezebel and she rose to political prominence when her son, Ahaziah was assassinated. To ensure she’d be calling the shots for a while, Athaliah had all of the possible heirs to her sons throne murdered (her own grandsons)
There was only one heir that survived – Joash, a one year old grandson who was hidden from murderers in the Temple and eventually led away to safety.
Athaliah’s six year reign as Queen ended when the High Priest overthrew her and set Joash, at the age of seven, upon the throne. After this, the Queen was executed.
In the brief time in which she did reign as queen, Athaliah used her influence to further establish Baal worship in Judah (following the religious pattern of her mother Jezebel), installing pagan priests and even had altars for her false god built in the very temple of the Lord.
I believe that it is near the end of her rule as queen when this Prophecy is made by Joel.
The Kingdom of Judah is in shambles at this point.
Rather than rejecting the godless influence of Queen Athaliah, the people of God had tolerated it and eventually embraced it. They’d not only turned their backs on the Lord, ignoring His commands and ways….they were shaking their fist at him in open rebellion.
Because of this, Judah is under His judgement and Joel gives us a glimpse of what the discipline of the Lord looked like for them…
Joel 1:2-4 “Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! 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.”
VERSE 2 “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?”
There had been warning signs for Israel that something was amiss but they'd ignored those warnings AND NOW, IN THE 1st CHAPTER OF JOEL, WE SEE THE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING THE WARNING LIGHT
Joel references a plague of locust – Note the language – here he’s not announcing judgement that is coming but judgment that’s already there
Verse 4 “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”
It’s difficult for us to really come to grips with the devastation that locust would bring. In 1915, a plague of locus covered modern day Israel and Syria. The swarms began in March and arrived in clouds so thick that it blocked our the light of the sun.
The locust began to lay eggs, over 100 at a time. There were so many that scientist determined that every square yard contained around 75,000 eggs.
In a short time, they hatched and the young locust, who couldn’t fly yet, marched 600 feet a day, devouring every speck of vegetation along the way.
This is what had taken place in Judah.
The whole of life would have been paralyzed. The ground stripped bare. The markets and shops idle. The grocery shelves and pantries at home empty. Worship services at the Temple were suspended.
This plague was so alarming, so severe that Joel says in verse 3 “Tell your children about it, let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”
In other words: You’ll be talking about this devastation for generations to come.
VERSE 5 “Awake, you drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.”
God is saying through Joel, "look around! You’ve been asleep! WAKE UP!"
You’ve ignored the warning light and now the Lord is doing whatever it takes to get your attention!
There are so many parallels between the condition of Judah and her spiritual condition and the condition of today’s church in general.
- COMPRIMISE
- CAPITULATION
- CORRUPTION
Joel 1:9 “The grain offering, and the drink offering have been cut off from the house of the Lord; The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.”
Due to the locust, the drink and grain offerings had ceased because there was no drink or grain to offer BUT up until this point that had continued
Understand what that means: Though Queen Athaliah had brought pagan priest into the temple and Baal was now being worshipped there, using sacred things that had been set apart for the worship of Yahweh, the Priest went on with their duties.
This is a good reminder: Satan is more interested in corrupting true religion than eliminating it.
- CALLOUSNESS
Revelation 2:7 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love”
COMPRIMISE, CAPITULATION, CORRUPTION, CALLOUSNESS – warning signs that have been ignored.
THE RESULT: I believe we’re seeing it now in the American church. I don’t feel as though we’re still inching our way toward judgment…I believe we’re under it.
Just as Judah saw the judgment of God fall upon them in real time, I believe we’re seeing the same.
WHY SHOULD’NT WE?
BUT IS THERE HOPE?
1.RETURN TO THE LORD
Joel 2:12-13
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”. So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.”
2.RELY UPON HIS POWER
Joel 2:15-17
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
3.REST IN HIS PROMISES
Joel 2:18-19
“Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, and pity His people. The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations”
- We KNOW that Joel was a Prophet
Joel 1:1 “The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel”
- We KNOW Joel is one of the earliest Prophets (only the prophecy of Obadiah comes before this one)
- We KNOW that the Southern Kingdom of Judah was in a mess during that time
Though it’s difficult to date this prophecy with precision because Joel never mentions any other prophets of rulers, based upon what is written in the book, most reputable scholars have determined the date of this prophecy to be on or very near to 835 BC.
This prophecy would have been made at the tail end of Queen Athaliah’s reign. She was a wicked ruler, to say the very least…which was a foregone conclusion considering how she came to power.
She was the daughter of Ahab (one of Israels very worst Kings) and Jezebel and she rose to political prominence when her son, Ahaziah was assassinated. To ensure she’d be calling the shots for a while, Athaliah had all of the possible heirs to her sons throne murdered (her own grandsons)
There was only one heir that survived – Joash, a one year old grandson who was hidden from murderers in the Temple and eventually led away to safety.
Athaliah’s six year reign as Queen ended when the High Priest overthrew her and set Joash, at the age of seven, upon the throne. After this, the Queen was executed.
In the brief time in which she did reign as queen, Athaliah used her influence to further establish Baal worship in Judah (following the religious pattern of her mother Jezebel), installing pagan priests and even had altars for her false god built in the very temple of the Lord.
I believe that it is near the end of her rule as queen when this Prophecy is made by Joel.
The Kingdom of Judah is in shambles at this point.
Rather than rejecting the godless influence of Queen Athaliah, the people of God had tolerated it and eventually embraced it. They’d not only turned their backs on the Lord, ignoring His commands and ways….they were shaking their fist at him in open rebellion.
Because of this, Judah is under His judgement and Joel gives us a glimpse of what the discipline of the Lord looked like for them…
Joel 1:2-4 “Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! 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.”
VERSE 2 “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?”
There had been warning signs for Israel that something was amiss but they'd ignored those warnings AND NOW, IN THE 1st CHAPTER OF JOEL, WE SEE THE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING THE WARNING LIGHT
Joel references a plague of locust – Note the language – here he’s not announcing judgement that is coming but judgment that’s already there
Verse 4 “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”
It’s difficult for us to really come to grips with the devastation that locust would bring. In 1915, a plague of locus covered modern day Israel and Syria. The swarms began in March and arrived in clouds so thick that it blocked our the light of the sun.
The locust began to lay eggs, over 100 at a time. There were so many that scientist determined that every square yard contained around 75,000 eggs.
In a short time, they hatched and the young locust, who couldn’t fly yet, marched 600 feet a day, devouring every speck of vegetation along the way.
This is what had taken place in Judah.
The whole of life would have been paralyzed. The ground stripped bare. The markets and shops idle. The grocery shelves and pantries at home empty. Worship services at the Temple were suspended.
This plague was so alarming, so severe that Joel says in verse 3 “Tell your children about it, let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”
In other words: You’ll be talking about this devastation for generations to come.
VERSE 5 “Awake, you drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.”
God is saying through Joel, "look around! You’ve been asleep! WAKE UP!"
You’ve ignored the warning light and now the Lord is doing whatever it takes to get your attention!
There are so many parallels between the condition of Judah and her spiritual condition and the condition of today’s church in general.
- COMPRIMISE
- CAPITULATION
- CORRUPTION
Joel 1:9 “The grain offering, and the drink offering have been cut off from the house of the Lord; The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.”
Due to the locust, the drink and grain offerings had ceased because there was no drink or grain to offer BUT up until this point that had continued
Understand what that means: Though Queen Athaliah had brought pagan priest into the temple and Baal was now being worshipped there, using sacred things that had been set apart for the worship of Yahweh, the Priest went on with their duties.
This is a good reminder: Satan is more interested in corrupting true religion than eliminating it.
- CALLOUSNESS
Revelation 2:7 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love”
COMPRIMISE, CAPITULATION, CORRUPTION, CALLOUSNESS – warning signs that have been ignored.
THE RESULT: I believe we’re seeing it now in the American church. I don’t feel as though we’re still inching our way toward judgment…I believe we’re under it.
Just as Judah saw the judgment of God fall upon them in real time, I believe we’re seeing the same.
WHY SHOULD’NT WE?
BUT IS THERE HOPE?
1.RETURN TO THE LORD
Joel 2:12-13
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”. So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.”
2.RELY UPON HIS POWER
Joel 2:15-17
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
3.REST IN HIS PROMISES
Joel 2:18-19
“Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, and pity His people. The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations”