Today's Reading:

Joel 1
Joel 2
Joel 3

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32). This promise is not just for the elite. It was for everyone, the young and old, male and female, and even the servants who were the lowest in society. Those who were considered socially taboo were invited to claim salvation. This verse calls for an overall restoration where the land will be healed, there will be an abundance of crops, shame will be removed, and God’s presence will be in the midst of His people. This is salvation for all.

No matter who you are or what your past looks like, the door is wide open. Just call on the Lord, and you will be saved. His mercy and restoration are greater than any title, or barrier, any failure, and any shame. Today is the day you should choose to call the Lord your Father.

Imagine standing in the crowd that day with the priests, the elders, men and women, and even the servants who were usually pushed to the back. What do you think went through the mind of the lowest servant when they heard God say their name was included as well? Who in your life needs to hear that the door is still wide open for them?

Joel was a common name in the Old Testament, meaning “Yahweh is God.” Here, the prophet Joel is known for his focus on “The day of the Lord” coming. Most people thought the “day” would be victory for Israel against their enemies, yet it first meant that Israel needed accountability.

“The day of the Lord” was referenced in quite a few books of the Old Testament: in Amos, he warned the day was coming; Isaiah talked about the day as a reversal of creation; in Joel, the locust plagues and cosmic signs would come first, then the day; and in Zephaniah, the day was near, and there would be universal judgment with a remnant.

In the book of Joel, an enormous number of locusts came and ate all of the crops, then a second and third brood would come and continue to eat what was left. He wanted the people to repent from their drunkard, self-indulgent lifestyles. The source of their joy, “wine,” would be gone, eaten up by the locust. There had never been a locust invasion of this magnitude, and nothing would escape.

God called out the drunks first, as their party time would be over. He said that the locust had invaded “my land,” for they were His army. In His judgment, God was claiming ownership of the land. Joy itself was gone from the land; the bride was in mourning over her groom’s death, there were no crops for the priests’ sacrifices, the farmers and vine growers mourned over the loss of crops, even the trees would mourn because the land was dried up.

Joel wanted the spiritual leaders (priests) to lead the people in mourning, especially since the normal worship could not happen due to the loss of crops. The locust plague was the picture of “the day of the Lord” when destruction would come. The judgment led to drought and fires that burned the pastures and dried up streams. Even the animals would suffer. This was all a metaphor for severe disaster. When locusts consume the land, it would look like scorched earth. A funny tidbit was that locusts were kosher to eat (Leviticus 11), the people could have collected their judgment for lunch and as food for their animals.

God’s army of judgment would be unstoppable and everywhere. The bugs were a preview of the day to come when the earth would quake, the heavens would tremble, and the sun and moon would go dark. Joel called them to repent. God did not want their external shows of tearing their clothes in mourning, He wanted their hearts, even the broken ones.

Let the priests “weep between the portico and the altar.” In Solomon’s Temple, there were very specific places for each item to be set up. The portico was the covered entrance leading into the Holy Place (main sanctuary), the bronze altar was for offerings in the courtyard in front of the Temple building. This would have been visible, like a bridge or gap between the people and the presence of God. By the priests weeping there, everyone could see the priests were not hiding their emotions. They were publicly broken before God. They were to plead for mercy. True repentance and revival start with leaders taking it seriously themselves as they model the heart.

Chapter three was after the restoration began. God promises restoration and the Holy Spirit. This was a vision of what was still to come. God would bring all of the nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat, also known as the “valley of decision.” He would place judgment on the nations for the mistreatment of Israel when they scattered them in exile, treating them like objects to trade. God had concern for Israel over the coastal cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia who plundered Judah and sold the people to the Greeks as slaves. God called the nations to prepare for war (against Israel), but He was really gathering them for their own doom. Here the tools of peace from Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 become the tools of war. Crowds gather for God’s final ruling. He will roar like a lion, bringing terror to enemies and refuge to His own people. There would be repayment for the injustice from Egypt and Edom, and a full restoration of Judah and Jerusalem.

When God dwells in Zion/Jerusalem, it will be holy and safe from invaders. There will be an abundance of new wine, hills flowing with milk, and streams of water from the Lord’s house. A beautiful picture of Eden recreated with the streams of water, which symbolized physical and spiritual restoration.

Today's Discussion question:

Imagine standing in the crowd that day with the priests, the elders, men and women, and even the servants who were usually pushed to the back. What do you think went through the mind of the lowest servant when they heard God say their name was included as well? Who in your life needs to hear that the door is still wide open for them?

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