September 21, 2020
A lot of us might tend to avoid spending time in the prophetic literature of the Bible, mainly because a lot of it is obscure and difficult to understand. But we find in these texts so much about who God is, who we are, what God has done and is doing to save us, and how we are to respond to Him in obedience! As we spend the next 3 days together in the book of Joel, ask the Lord to help you understand what He is trying to communicate through these visions of destruction, judgment, mercy, and restoration. Ask Him to help you to see the bigger picture of His Kingdom that He is trying to paint for us in this book!
In chapter 2 the prophet describes the locust plague from the first chapter as a great army coming to destroy everything in its path. He makes it quite plain for the people to understand: this army is the LORD’s army, and He goes at their head to lead them (v.11). Before all is lost, the people are called to repent once more, to return to the LORD with all their hearts! It is significant that they are commanded to “rend [their] hearts and not [their] garments” (v.13). God is calling them not only to show the outward signs of repentance, but to truly experience inward transformation!
It is also significant the way the rest of the chapter goes. The people do repent, and God does respond with restoration and forgiveness. God does not merely command the people to be inwardly transformed and repent; He gives the grace which secures that inward transformation by pouring out His Holy Spirit on His people! The Day of the Lord is a day of great judgment, but it is also a day of great salvation for the people of God!
We have to recognize and acknowledge the immensity of God’s grace towards us. He does not call us to repent and then leave us to our own power and resources, but gives us access to His power, presence, and resources through His Holy Spirit! Then God also moves to heal and to renew and to restore in response to our repentance, a repentance which He secured for us by giving us His Spirit!
Salvation is of the Lord; celebrate that truth today!
Joel 2
The Day of the Lord
2 Blow a trumpet in Zion;
sound an alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
2 a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful people;
their like has never been before,
nor will be again after them
through the years of all generations.
3 Fire devours before them,
and behind them a flame burns.
The land is like the garden of Eden before them,
but behind them a desolate wilderness,
and nothing escapes them.
4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
and like war horses they run.
5 As with the rumbling of chariots,
they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of a flame of fire
devouring the stubble,
like a powerful army
drawn up for battle.
6 Before them peoples are in anguish;
all faces grow pale.
7 Like warriors they charge;
like soldiers they scale the wall.
They march each on his way;
they do not swerve from their paths.
8 They do not jostle one another;
each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
and are not halted.
9 They leap upon the city,
they run upon the walls,
they climb up into the houses,
they enter through the windows like a thief.
10 The earth quakes before them;
the heavens tremble.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
11 The Lord utters his voice
before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;
who can endure it?
Return to the Lord
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
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.
14 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?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17 Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
The Lord Had Pity
18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land
and had pity on his people.
19 The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard into the eastern sea,
and his rear guard into the western sea;
the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, you beasts of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 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.
26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- How do we see God’s love and provision for His people in this chapter, even though He was disciplining them? How does knowing that God responds to our repentance encourage us to live before Him?
Heavenly Father,
There are times, I do not know what to say to you, Father. To say I love you, seems so trite.
So, father, I pause now, to mediate on who you are. As the coffee drips through I know you are right here. You are so close. Thank you for being so patient with me.
As this new week unfolds, breathe new strength into me. Grant me the strength to kick on the gates of hell itself and to reach in to help save one more for your precious son.
Father, enable me to withstand the storms of life, physically and spiritually. Help me to mirror you in all that I do and say. May I, Father, not be a stumbling block.
Our world is so lost without you. Send a Holy Ghost revival, LORD.
Move upon your church to stand boldly and to proclaim the good news that only can be found in the name of Jesus.
Father, let’s be going now to find one more for Jesus, for the time is short…
Amen
Padre gracias por hoy gracias por tu palabra señor ayúdame a buscar más de ti y lléname de tú Espíritu Santo señor ayúdame a buscar más personas para Cristo el tiempo se acorta pero sé que es tú tiempo guíame dame sabiduría llévame de tu mano perdona todos nuestros pescados y líbranos del mal en nombre y por amor de tu hijo amado amén ?
AMEN!!!!
Dear Heavenly Father,
We all act like stubborn and spoiled children doing what we want. When are we ever going to learn that we are just making our lives so difficult? Sin only leads to failure and destruction. We have to repent and adjust our lives and focus on You. Just as a parent has love for their child, You love us dearly and want us to obey and follow You. Help us to realize the error of our ways and forgive us for ever doubting You . Thank You fir Your steadfast love and grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Father, God….You send me the lyrics of this song every time I read Joel 2:28. And I thank You for the reassuring words of this Joel scripture.
“It’s beginning to rain, hear the voice of my father.
He’s saying who so ever will, come drink of the water.
He’s promised to pour his spirit out, on your sons and your daughters.
If you are thirsty and dry, look up to the sky, it’s beginning to rain. “
Amen
To America, the meassage is clear. Repent of your wickedness or face His wrath. It is our choice and God will honor it.
AMEN and HALLELUJAH!!! Lord please brimg your people back together again. We need you so. Our world is.out of sync without you.our people are divided. I pray that we all will be waiting for your teturn. We need to stand together and.be united. I ask for all of.this in Jesus name, Amen
Thank You for Your love, Father, that no matter where I am—in whatever situation—You are there, loving me.
I will call on the name of the Lord. I will rejoice. I will not fear.
Lord I know you are right here by me every day just when I feel like things are getting better they go right back to the same way. This year has been the hardest fight of my prayers being answered but I know you have not left me you are right by my side. I asked for your Holy Spirit to intervene and saw me what I must do. I ask you Lord to help me to keep strong again because at times I am weak.
Lord, I repent and “return,” to you because your are “gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” (v. 13)
Thank you God for your steadfast love and your great plan of Salvation for all your people. We will yet praise you for all Eternity, when we find out to what lengths you went to save us.
Please Lord enable us all to love like you love, to the praise of your Glorious name Amen.?
My heavenly Father, thank you for another day in the land of the living. Thank you for your plans for me/us today. Help me/us to seek you and to cling to you in all I/we do today. You are gracious and abounding in mercy, Father do not judge me/us in your anger because I/we will all be destroyed, but through your mercy Father save us! Help me to be that sweet smelling fragrance of Christ to the world you allow me to be a part of today. Use me Lord ? to the glory of your name. In Jesus name I pray??. Amen!