Exploring The Minor Prophets -- Part 2

 

Chapter 2

Joel

 

     Our study of the Minor Prophets now brings us to the book of Joel. As with all of the Minor Prophets, Joel has a small book containing his message from the Lord, but there is much for us to learn from this message.

     The key event described in the book of Joel is the judgment of the Lord sent upon the land in the form of an invasion of locusts. Some scholars believe that this is something that literally happened. It would not have been completely out of the ordinary as this was a fairly common occurrence in that part of the world. Locust swarms often caused significant crop damage.

     Other Bible scholars believe that Joel is using symbolic language. This school of thought holds that the locusts are a metaphor for the invaders who would come into the land and destroy everything. They would leave the land in a state of total destruction as when a plague of locusts devastates the fields.

     In my opinion, I believe that there was a true invasion of locusts that stripped the crops leaving total economic ruin in its wake. Joel says that it was a judgment because the people had once again fallen into idolatry and the sins associated with it.

     There is something that I want to point out. God never judges the people and then just leaves them. He never has and He never will abandon His people. His goal in every judgment is to see the people recognize what they are doing is wrong and turn to Him in repentance and faith. He knows that their only hope is to worship Him and Him alone.

     The prophet tells the people that the Lord will restore what the locusts have eaten. When they turn to Him, He will make sure that they have all that they had before and more. They will have enough to eat and will be able to have peaceful lives giving the Lord the honor and the glory for what He has done for them.

     This whole section about the locusts serves as a metaphor for our lives now in at least two ways. First of all, when we fall into sin, sometimes it brings disaster in our lives. This can occur pre or post conversion. Sinful behavior is in reality rebellion against the will and the ways of the Lord. Rebellion against the Lord leads to negative consequences in our lives.

    For instance, I know of people whose whole lives have been dominated by different types of substance abuse. They have suffered hurtful things in their lives both physically and spiritually as a result of their addictions. Sometimes, those who know Jesus do not follow Jesus’ specific will for their lives. This always leads to a life that is less than it could be or could have been.

     If we are willing to turn to Jesus, He can and will forgive. He will restore what the locusts have eaten. Now, I don’t mean that if you come to Jesus that all of your problems and the consequences of sinful behavior will instantaneously vanish. Ultimately, all will be restored when Jesus rules and reigns in righteousness when He comes back to earth again.

     There is another application of this passage that I would like to provide. There are a lot of people in this world who through no fault of their own have had the locusts destroy and devastate their lives. There are victims of physical, mental and sexual abuse. There are victims of economic, social and racial oppression.

     One day, the Lord will make all of these things right. He will bring justice and He will bring good things to the lives of those who have suffered so much in this life. All will be very well when King Jesus reigns.

     Now, there is another important thing for us to learn from the book of Joel. In Joel 2:24, the prophet tells us that in the last days, the Lord will pour out His Spirit on all people. The old men will see visions and the young men will dream dreams.

     When we think about the last days, we often think about the prophecies in the Bible concerning the events that will take place just before the return of the Lord. However, this is not what Joel is predicting in this verse. The fulfillment of this prophecy in the book of Joel occurred on the day of Pentecost. If you remember, on that day, there were many followers of Jesus gathered in the Upper Room waiting for the Spirit as Jesus told them to do before He ascended into Heaven.

     While the people were gathered and waiting, the Spirit came and descended on them and appeared as tongues of fire. The room was filled with the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Each person began to speak in tongues allowing the pilgrims coming to Jerusalem to understand the message of Jesus in his or her own language.

    At first, those who were listening thought that the people were drunk. However, Peter stood up and said that there were not drunk but they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter said that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Joel that the Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh. As a result of Peter’s preaching, the Holy Spirit convicted the hearts of the listeners, and several hundred came to faith in Jesus.

     Those of us who have come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord received the Holy Spirit when we came to the Lord. The Spirit resides within our hearts. He convicts of sin. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and guide. He is the one who leads us into all truth and brings to our minds the things that Jesus has instructed us to do. The Bible says that the Spirit even prays on our behalf when we do not know how to pray as we should.

     Because the Holy Spirit has come, we have been empowered and gifted to take the message of Jesus Christ to the entire world. We can only accomplish what we need to accomplish for the Lord in this world as we yield to the Spirit and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to aid us in accomplishing the mission and the work that God has set before us.