Latest / Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms / #178. Joel: The Day of the Lord, Repentance & the God Who Restores

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#178. Joel: The Day of the Lord, Repentance & the God Who Restores · Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms

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  Steph: This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.
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  Steph: I'm Stephanie Hickox Today we'll attempt to answer just when the prophet Joel penned his warning of the coming day of the Lord.
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  Steph: but regardless of the date of the locust invasion with Joel The importance of this book remains and translates to us today.
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  Steph: More than any other prophet, Joel emphasized the day of the Lord.
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  Steph: Although you and I do not live in a mostly agrarian society and we don't get as concerned with pestilence problems, we should still be very concerned about the Lord's judgment in the Book of Joel, God continues to reveal
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  Steph: that the day of the Lord isn't just judgment, it's also a day where God pours out blessing and His Spirit.
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  Steph: as with most prophecies, there was a near fulfillment and a distant fulfillment.
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  Steph: The title of the book is also the author.
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  Steph: But his name is not mentioned in any other portion of scripture, nor is his father's name.
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  Steph: We can tell that the system of temple sacrifices mattered deeply to him, but it doesn't appear that he was from the Levitical line.
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  Steph: As he preaches to Judah It seems he's aware of farming and agricultural practices It's quite debated just when the Lord delivered this message to Joel.
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  Steph: There are three main theories on this, and they come about because there is a strong emphasis on the priestly line, but it doesn't really speak to the monarchy.
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  Steph: Is this after the monarchy fell?
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  Steph: Is this in the days of the Babylonian invasion where the kings were deported or greatly weakened?
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  Steph: Or does it refer to another time in Israel's history when the monarchy wasn't as strong?
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  Steph: One possibility is that it was written in the early pre-exilic era This means the days before Judah was deported to Babylon.
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  Steph: That's why it's called pre-exilic, pre-exile If this is the case, it seems most likely that Joel would have been written during the days of Jehoash.
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  Steph: With all the kings we studied, and with so many starting with the letter J, I certainly don't expect you to remember who that is.
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  Steph: But you'll probably recall he had possibly the worst grandmother that ever lived.
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  Steph: She's the one who killed all of her grandchildren in hopes of reigning.
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  Steph: But thankfully, there was one grandchild that evaded her evil plans.
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  Steph: God used Jehoiada and his wife to protect Jehoash and hide him in the temple.
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  Steph: since he was so young at the time he was hidden away, they had to wait to bring him out when he was older, and he began reigning at quite an early age.
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  Steph: It's possible that Joel was writing in those days as the monarchy was weak.
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  Steph: Another feather in this theory's cap is that in the original Hebrew canon, when they had placed the minor prophets together, Joel is placed right between Hosea and Amos.
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  Steph: They both wrote during the pre-exilic era, and it's possible that when the Hebrew canon was being assembled, they placed the book of Joel there intentionally due to the chronology There's also a good amount of evidence for a post-exilic
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  Steph: date.
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  Steph: Post-exilic refers to a time after the 70 years of captivity that God sovereignly ordained for the nation of Judah This theory also focuses on the fact that priests are elevated in Joel, but the monarchy is not mentioned And
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  Steph: that seems consistent with the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as God is reestablishing the importance of the temple in the nation.
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  Steph: But what I find most compelling about this argument is that the Book of Joel seems to quote other parts of scripture eight times that includes the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah This seems to point to the fact
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  Steph: that Joel had the opportunity to both read and know those books of scripture well So he was able to interweave them in his writing.
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  Steph: Of course, it's possible the other authors were quoting Joel instead, but that seems less likely.
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  Steph: And the final theory is that Joel was written between these two eras, during the late pre-exilic era.
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  Steph: This would have been from 597 right before the Babylonians captured Judah.
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  Steph: Now, those who ascribe to this theory- understand portions of Joel to fit best with the time that the Babylonians deported 10,000 Jews.
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  Steph: And some of the ways that the day of the Lord is mentioned and elaborated on seems to fit best with the fall of Jerusalem.
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  Steph: Also, the Greek slave trade is mentioned, and this was most prevalent in the seventh and early sixth centuries.
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  Steph: I share all of that because generally as we're reading scripture, the context matters greatly.
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  Steph: And I also think it's a really fascinating process of how they discern the date these books were written.
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  Steph: I wanted you to hear there is a reasonable argument for each.
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  Steph: regardless of the date of Joel's inspired writing, the message doesn't change.
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  Steph: It was written to edify and encourage all believers As Joel warns about the coming day of the Lord and judgment, he calls the people to repentance.
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  Steph: And that message should always be on the forefront of believers.
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  Steph: The Bible Project summarizes Joel's theme this way: Human sin and failure wreaks devastation, but God longs to show mercy to those who will confess.
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  Steph: This leads us to hope that one day God will bring healing to make all things new In the first chapter of Joel, a literal locust invasion is described.
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  Steph: Not only did it destroy their current crop, but it would have had an impact for years to come.
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  Steph: Joel reveals that this devastation is a result of judgment from the Lord.
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  Steph: before he calls the people to repent, he details how expansive the destruction has been.
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  Steph: beginning in Joel one, two: Hear this, you elders.
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  Steph: Give ear, all inhabitants of the land.
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  Steph: Has such a thing happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?
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  Steph: Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.
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  Steph: What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten; and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten.
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  Steph: Awake, you drunkards, and weep, and wail all you drinkers of wine because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth For a nation has come up against my land powerful and beyond number.
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  Steph: Its teeth are lion's teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness.
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  Steph: It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree.
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  Steph: It has stripped off their bark and thrown it down.
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  Steph: Their branches are made white In summary, these locusts have eaten every crop imaginable.
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  Steph: Generally, locusts are not tempted by figs, but their decimating of even these crops shows us that the pestilence permeated everything imaginable Think about the daily life of these people.
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  Steph: They relied upon the vineyards to create wine They needed the grain to make bread.
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  Steph: And both of these were required for sacrifices in the temple.
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  Steph: They also needed that grain to feed their livestock and their families.
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  Steph: Every part of their life was impacted by this.
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  Steph: And Joel, whose name means Yahweh is God, points them to repent before this one true God.
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  Steph: And he wants them to tell it to their children.
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  Steph: He wants the generations after to understand It is so much better to walk in holiness than to endure the judgment of the Lord.
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  Steph: He calls the people to grieve humbly and to let the depth of their mourning over their sin penetrate their hearts.
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  Steph: In one eight, Joel says In 1:8 Joel urges, "Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth.
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  Steph: The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord.
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  Steph: Can you imagine a young bride newly married and in love and suddenly becomes a widow?
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  Steph: That's the level of mourning the prophet is calling them to Joel goes on to say the priests are mourning they can't offer sacrifices due to the wine and oil being dried up.
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  Steph: He says the farmers should be ashamed because all of the fruit and trees drying up is a result of sin And now he issues a widespread call in verses thirteen and fourteen.
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  Steph: Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar!
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  Steph: Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God!
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  Steph: Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.
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  Steph: Consecrate a fast, call a
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  solemn
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  Steph: assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
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  Steph: Alas for the day, for the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes Chapter Two is one of the most descriptive passages of the day of the Lord.
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  Steph: When you think of a day, there is a morning and there is an evening.
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  Steph: The evening of the day of the Lord represents the darkness and judgment of it.
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  Steph: but the morning fills us with hope because God will bring goodness through this as well.
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  Steph: The first part of chapter two chronicles that dark evening period.
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  Steph: Job begins to describe what seems to be a literal military threat, but he uses imagery that also portrays locusts as, as that's something the people had recently encountered.
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  Steph: This army of war horses and chariots is fearsome, but not more so than the Lord.
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  Steph: Beginning in chapter two, verse ten, The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
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  Steph: The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great.
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  Steph: he who executes his word is powerful, for the day of the Lord is great and very awesome.
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  Steph: Who can endure it?"
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  Steph: I love that phrase, "He who executes his word is powerful."
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  Steph: The Lord just has to speak, and the host of heaven moves to accomplish his purposes.
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  Steph: our earthly enemies have nothing when compared with our spiritual protectors.
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  Steph: Continuing in verse twelve, Yet even now," declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments.
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  Steph: Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents over disaster.
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  Steph: Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God."
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  Steph: we've frequently read that phrase, to mourn in sackcloth and ashes, but God clarifies, I'm not looking for an external lamentation.
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  Steph: I want you to be deeply grieved and repentant in your hearts and return to me because I am merciful and loving, and I want to bless you."
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  Steph: Did you recognize this passage of scripture?
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  Steph: It's from Exodus thirty-four when God reveals His own character to His people.
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  Steph: Rightfully so, it's one of the most quoted Old Testament passages by the earthly authors of scripture.
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  Steph: Joel reminds us that we can hope even in the midst of devastation and attack.
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  Steph: We have a good God, and He is worthy of our hope and our trust The call to return to this good God should extend to all the people of the land.
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  Steph: Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, consecrate the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, even nursing infants.
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  Steph: Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
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  Steph: I love that God wants all the kids there for this.
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  Steph: He doesn't say, "Ooh, this'll get pretty intense.
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  Steph: Better leave the kids at home."
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  Steph: Instead, he wants the parents to model their repentance for their kids, letting them know that sin has an impact Sometimes we might feel ashamed to reveal our mistakes to our kids, but in an age-appropriate, careful manner I think
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  Steph: it's important for us to be honest with our kids and to say, "If I could go back, I would live differently that choice has caused deep regret and consequences, and I want something better for you God even wants
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  Steph: the newlyweds to pause their wedded bliss and enter into this time of repentance.
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  Steph: It's fascinating to me that a fast is called, because after the destruction of the locusts, isn't that kind of what the people have been doing?
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  Steph: But they're not doing it out of necessity now.
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  Steph: Now they do it out of devotion to the Lord In verse 18, it begins the morning of the day of the Lord that I mentioned.
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  Steph: Then the Lord became jealous for His land and had pity on His people.
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  Steph: The Lord answered and said to His people, Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied.
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  Steph: I will no more make you a reproach among the nations."
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  Steph: God promises to rescue them.
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  Steph: Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things.
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  Steph: He will restore the land, the trees, the vines, and there will be abundant rain And in something supernatural and beautiful that only the God of the Bible can do.
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  Steph: Verse twenty-five is probably very recognizable to you.
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  Steph: I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army which I sent among you.
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  Steph: You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.
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  Steph: And my people shall never again be put to shame.
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  Steph: You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is none else.
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  Steph: And my people shall never again be put to shame Should it surprise us that the God who rains down manna and who turns a little boy's lunch into food for thousands, that He could restore what the locusts ate
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  Steph: He is a God that restores.
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  Steph: It's not always how we expect or how we hope But perhaps you're in a season where you feel that figurative have devoured your finances, your health or robbed you time with a loved one, whether over death or a
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  Steph: disagreement, then you might be grateful to be reminded that God's heart is for restoration This might be a prayer that you pray while you have your hands open in surrender, saying, "God, I know that your redemption in this
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  Steph: situation might not look how I expect, but I believe you dwell in my midst, and that you promise that your people will not be put to shame when they walk with you.
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  Steph: So I'm trusting you to work this for your glory and my good Next, Joel promises that at this time, God will pour out His Spirit on all people.
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  Steph: And rather than reading it from Joel 2, I'd like to read it to you from one of its fulfilled portions of scripture In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the believers at Pentecost.
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  Steph: They began speaking in tongues, and everyone around them could understand them in their own language.
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  Steph: Some bystanders believed this was such odd behavior, that they accused the disciples of being drunk in Acts two fourteen, but Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, Men of Judea and all who dwell
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  Steph: in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give ear to my words.
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  Steph: For these people are not drunk as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
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  Steph: But this is what was uttered through the Prophet Joel, And in the last days it shall be,' God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your
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  Steph: young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
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  Steph: Even my male servants and female servants, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
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  Steph: And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
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  Steph: The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
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  Steph: And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
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  Steph: What incredible promises and such a beautiful fulfillment But we also read awe-inspiring warnings.
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  Steph: In chapter three, Joel describes God's warning for the nations.
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  Steph: And the book ends, "I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the Lord dwells in Zion."
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  Steph: We serve a God that remains available to all who call upon Him, but to those who will not, and to those that have harmed His people, the day of the Lord is coming you and I know the presence
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  Steph: of God brings protection and peace.
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  Steph: But to anyone who won't humble their heart It should incite fear Because we believe that every word of God is true, and we have this promise that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,
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  Steph: let's pray to that end.
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  Steph: Heavenly Father, We thank you for your word and how it applies to all generations.
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  Steph: We pray we would have a deep reverence in our souls for your judgment, and that our families would understand sin deserves to be punished.
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  Steph: We pray this reality leads us to humble repentance when we do fall into temptation, but that it also calls us to a joyful holiness that prevents us from engaging in sin.
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  Steph: I pray with these moms whose hearts are heavy and longing for You to prove Yourself as a God of redemption Lord, we also pray for the nations.
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  Steph: We pray for eyes to be opened and deceived minds to receive clarity.
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  Steph: We desire for a revival that would bring glory to you, for the gospel to be preached to the tribes and the peoples that have never heard your name you are patient and abounding in steadfast love, and we rejoice
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  Steph: that you will never turn away someone who calls upon you Jesus, thank you for paving a way for us to be restored to our loving Father.
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  Steph: It's in your name we pray.
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  Steph: Amen