In our study, we will look at how God can use a natural disaster to get the attention of his people and to communicate spiritual truth to them. This is a historical look at a plague of locusts that happened but it is also a prophetic look at the coming disaster upon the earth.
** Note ** In this study, we will be using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) translation which was translated directly from Hebrew into English. You can get your own hardback or paperback copy on Amazon where we will earn a small commission.
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The word of ADONAI that came to Yo'el the son of P'tu'el:
We are introduced to the prophet Joel and his name means "Jehovah is God". Jehovah comes from the Hebrew "ha-wah" which means "he causes to become" and it describes how God is the Creator of all things. He was sent by God to give this message to the southern kingdom of Judah after a plague of locusts had devastated the land.
"Hear this, you leaders! Listen, all who live in the land! Has anything like this ever happened in your days, or in your ancestors' days?
Joel begins by asking if they have ever heard of anything like this plague happening before. They should have heard of a similar thing from when their ancestors were delivered from Egypt (see Exodus 10). Just as God had used locusts to be a sign to Pharaoh, he used them again to get Israel's attention. They are also going to be used in the last days as we see in Revelation 9.
Tell your children about it, and have them tell it to theirs, and have them tell the next generation.
In Exodus 10, the Israelites were given the same instruction to tell their children of that plague. It is a reminder for us, as parents, that it is our job to tell our children about the things of God. It has always been and always will be the responsibility of the parent (see Proverbs 22:6).
What the cutter-worms left, the locusts ate; what the locusts left, the grasshoppers ate; what the grasshoppers left, the shearer-worms ate.
We see that this plague of locusts that has struck the land consisted of four separate bands or groups of locusts. Throughout the Bible the number four is associated with trials and this is another case of that.
Wake up, drunkards, and weep! wail, all you who drink wine, because the juice of the grape will be withheld from your mouth.
The Hebrew word translated as wake up speaks of an end to a period of time. The locusts destroyed the grapevines and so their will be no more wine. Throughout the Bible, wine speaks of a desire for pleasure from the things of this world. It seems that many times God has to allow bad things to happen to wake us up. That is what he has done with this terrible locust plague and it is what he still does today with many other types of natural disasters.
For a mighty and numberless nation has invaded my land. His teeth are lion's teeth; his fangs are those of a lioness. He has reduced my vines to waste, my fig trees to splinters - he plucked them bare, stripped their bark and left their branches white."
The lion is the king of the beasts and the female lion is actually bigger and more ferocious than the male. God describes the severity of this plague and the fact that the locusts have even eaten the bark off of all the fig trees. When the bark is removed from a tree, it can quickly get disease and die. This passage speks of a large Satanic army attacking the Jewish people that have not accepted Yeshua Messiah. This Satanic army is described as being angry and very powerful. God is allowing this to happen in order to bring his people to repentance.
Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the husband of her youth!
The people are told to mourn in sackcloth which was a rough fabric made out of goat's hair from black goats. It was used throughout the Bible as a symbol of mourning and repentance. When a young lady is engaged to be married there is the excitement of a life planned together with the man she will marry. The people are told to mourn like that young lady would when she loses her husband and those hopes and plans are ruined.
Grain offering and drink offering are cut off from the house of ADONAI. The cohanim are mourning, those who are serving ADONAI.
Because of the locusts, there is no grain or grapevines left and therefore nothing to offer God at the temple. The priests are in mourning because they see that, without the offerings, the people are stuck with their sin. We can rejoice in the fact that Jesus was the perfect offering and so we are not required to present these offerings. The religious leaders should be the first to understand what is going on in the world around them and with the Jewish people.
The fields are ruined, the ground is grieving; for the grain is ruined, the new wine dried up, and the olive oil is wretched.
The grains are gone as well as the grapes and the olives for oil. The ground even mourns ("is dried up") as it suffers the effects from the sin of the people. The Hebrew word translated as ruined speaks of something that is taken away and it is clear that God is removing his blessings from the land. This all speaks of the fact that God is not pleased with the spiritual condition of his people.
Despair, you farmers; lament, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley - the harvest from the fields is lost.
The locusts affected everyone and they are called to mourn. This is usually how it is with many people as they normally are focused more on earthly material things than on the things of God. Therefore, when it is necessary to get their attention, the things that they are focused on are struck such as here with the farmers.
The vines have withered, the fig trees wilted, also the pomegranate, date-palm and apple tree - all the trees in the fields have withered, and the people's joy has withered away.
Joel continues by explaining that all of the fruit trees have been destroyed and no longer bear any fruit to be harvested. They forgot that God was the one that caused the trees to bear fruit and now their hope is gone. If we remember that God is our provider and we trust in him, then we will never lose our hope or joy even in the difficult times.
Cohanim, put on sackcloth, and weep! Wail, you who serve at the altar! Come, lie in sackcloth all night long, you who serve my God! For the grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.
Joel calls the priests to repent as sackcloth was a symbol of repentance and mourning. He started with the call to the priests because they were the leaders and they should lead by example. They are to mourn because God has kept them from presenting offerings and, without those offerings, the people could not have a right relationship with God. Just like in Joel's time, God is calling those that lead his people to lead by example. The withholding of the grain and drink offers speaks of the fact that the people were not interested in worshipping God.
Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly, gather the leaders and all who live in the land to the house of ADONAI your God, and cry out to ADONAI,
Joel then tells the priests to declare a holy fast and to hold a sacred assembly. A sacred assembly was a day where work was not allowed and all of the people were to meet together at the temple. This was a call for all of the people to go without food or drink and for them to get together at the house of God to pray.
"Oh no! The Day! The Day of ADONAI is upon us! As destruction from Shaddai it is coming!
Joel tells the people that even as bad as the locusts were that is not as bad as it gets. Worse is yet to come for those who do not repent as on the day of the Lord the destruction will be from El Shaddai. The name Almighty (El Shaddai) refers to the fact that God created everything and owns everything. This verse speaks of surprise and the fact that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night for those that have not accepted Yeshua Messiah.
The food is cut off before our very eyes, also joy and gladness from the house of our God. The seed-grain is rotting in its furrows; the granaries are deserted, the barns in ruins; because the grain has withered.
Joel begins to survey the damage once again and he starts with the crops of the field. Man plants the seed but only God can make it grow and so man's efforts here lie "shriveled beneath the clods". Not only were the people without food but they also did not have the offerings that were required for the temple.
How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep bear the punishment, too.
The livestock were affected as well and are suffering because they have no food. This is a reminder that man's sin has consequences for everything on the earth just as it did with Adam and Eve.
ADONAI, I cry out to you! For the fire has consumed the pastures in the desert, and the flame set ablaze all the trees in the fields.
Joel is a leader as he turns to God when he sees the condition of the land and the people of God. When you are beaten down, look up. That is what Joel does here as he has surveyed the damage to the land and came to the conclusion that only God can help. If that's what it takes to get you to repentance then God just may allow "damage" in your life. But, when you call out, he will be there to answer.
Even the wild animals come to you, panting, because the streambeds have dried up, and fire has consumed the pastures in the desert."
The sin of man affects all of the earth as even the plants and the animals have suffered because of our disobedience. But, there is coming a day when sin will be removed and there will be a new heaven and new earth without the effects of sin. Oh! What a glorious day!
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