Joel – Chapter One
*Joel was written around 835-800 BC
*Joel’s name means Jehovah is God
***Israel was in a time of prosperity and safety, but they could not handle the blessings of the Lord……They fell back from the Lord…
***The Lord sends a prophet to Israel to warn them to turn to the Lord and get right with Him……Joel went to the southern kingdom of Judah with his ministry… If they do not turn to the Lord, judgment would come…
v2 – Judah has just suffered one of the worst disasters of their lives. Swarms of locusts destroyed their crops and income and land.
The locusts represented 2 things:
1. the last days’ armies that come against Israel
2. the judgment of God that is coming to earth
***All of this happened to get people to turn back to the Lord……..
verse 3 — Tell everyone what occurred so they won’t make the same mistake…
*It also shows Israel would make it through this situation…by the Lord’s grace…
verse 4
Swarm after swarm of locusts devastate the land of Judah
4 Stages of locusts come through:
chewing locusts – means to cut short
swarming locusts
crawling locusts – creeping or young locusts
consuming locusts – stripping and destroying locusts – means to consume & eat up
*They left nothing on the land of Israel. Total devastation…
verse 5
Awake – Wake Up – means to abruptly startle someone who is sleeping
*everyone needs to wake up…
*1 Thess 5:5-6…Romans 13:11…Eph 5:14…
-the drinkers are affected because the vineyards are destroyed and grains are gone
-they needed new wine which is Jesus – Psalm 104:14-15…Eph 5:18 …Acts 2:1-17
verses 6-14 – Jesus knows the Future – The Lord shows the future to us…
-this is the future invasion of the Assyrians…
-this happened after Joel wrote his book – around a generation later
Joel 1:6-7
teeth – the front teeth used for biting
cheek teeth – the jaw teeth used for chewing and crushing
*Hezekiah is king when the Assyrians invade Israel. He writes Psalm 46…
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO WHEN THE ENEMY RISES UP AGAINST US?
Psalm 46
1. v1 – RUN TOWARD THE LORD
*Hezekiah was a righteous king
*the enemy attacks when we draw close to the Lord
God is our refuge – it is a place to go quietly for protection when disaster is on its way.
trouble – means a tight place or tight spot
2. vs2-3 – UNDERSTAND THE LORD DOES NOT CHANGE
-Malachi 3:6
v2 – removed – means changed
-the earth, mountains, and land will change
-the Lord will not change
3. WHEN THE ENEMY COME IN REMEMBER THE LORD IS WITH YOU – vs4-7,11
verses 7, 11 – the Lord is with us
hosts – speaks of angels and the armies of the Lord
-is with us speaks of Immanuel – God with us…
-since the Lord is with us, He gives us wisdom
-ALWAYS BE PREPARED AND READY FOR AN ATTACK FROM THE ENEMY…
Be proactive and Reactive…
verse 4
-river – means a constantly flowing river
-Hezekiah built a water supply for Israel as the enemy approached
4. TAP INTO THE SUPERNATURAL – vs8-9
-Christianity is a combination of the supernatural and process of time……
***The Supernatural power of God is real, exists and is true…
Example #1 – Moses & the children of Israel
-they were surrounded and there was no way out, but the Lord delivered them
Example #2 – Judah & Jerusalem and the Assyrians
_2 Kings 19:32-37
-one angel kills 185,000 Assyrians and Israel is delivered…