Name means: “The Lord Is God.”
Not to be confused with: Thirteen other men of the same name in the Old Testament, including a son of Samuel (1 Sam. 8:2) and a Levite who helped cleanse the temple during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Chr. 29:12).
Home: Possibly Jerusalem.
Family: Son of Pethuel.
Occupation: Unknown, although his many allusions to agriculture may point to a background in farming; later called to be a prophet.
Best known as: The man who prophesied the outpouring of God’s Spirit (Joel 2:28–32).
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Joel urged Judah’s elders to tell their descendants about the important, special things that God had done among them. Today, God’s people should continue this tradition. Passing along stories of what God has done in our societies and individual journeys requires us first to discern His work, then communicate it well to younger generations. We must tell the good and the bad of what we have experienced, the unpleasant along with the pleasant. Our openness will equip our children to walk wisely with God when the time comes for them to “prophesy” and “dream dreams” (Joel 2:28).
Several biblical figures emphasized the importance of older generations passing along their wisdom and experience.
• Joseph engaged in theological reflection, looking back on life and contemplating what God had accomplished (see “Discovering God’s Purpose for You” at Gen. 45:5–8).
• Moses coached the Israelites to teach their children and grandchildren what they had seen, heard, and experienced (Deut. 4:9–10). He offered suggestions for teaching God’s ways to the young (see “The Faith of Our Children” at Deut. 6:7–9).
• Solomon called children a “heritage,” implying that ancestors exert a weighty influence on their descendants. While every individual has the free will to make his or her own choices, one’s roots can greatly influence life’s most important choices (see “Researching Your Religious Roots” at Heb. 13:24).
• The author of Proverbs (Prov. 2) describes a home in which parents impart valuable wisdom, self-appreciation, understanding, and humility (see also “Learning at Home” at Prov. 4:3, 4).
• Paul urged Timothy to pass on “the things that you have heard from me” to faithful learners who would pass them on to others. This is an example of the far-reaching potential of a mentor relationship (see “Kingdom-Style Mentoring” at 2 Tim. 2:2).
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“The day of the LORD” is a term used by biblical authors to refer to a number of things; it could refer to a specific day or to a longer period of time, but it always suggests suddenness, surprise, and completeness. Even within the Book of Joel the term appears to have multiple meanings:
1. A coming day of Israel’s judgment (Joel 1:15; 2:1–11).
2. A coming day of Israel’s restoration (2:28–32).
3. A coming day of the world’s judgment (3:1–21).
When the prophets describe the day of the Lord in terms of the second meaning listed above, they tell of how God’s “wrath and fierce anger” will suddenly overcome evil Babylon (Is. 13:6–9). When the nations scatter Israel and divide up the Promised Land (Joel 3:1–3), the Lord will strike them with devastation (3:9–17).
But what applies to other nations also applies to Israel. According to the first meaning of the day of the Lord, when God’s people turn against Him, He will turn against His people. Just as His judgment falls on others who oppose Him, it will fall on those among His own people who stand against Him (Amos 5:18–27).
The Bible also predicts an ultimate day of the Lord that will take place in the end times (the third meaning listed above). Joel 3 may refer to this event, which will purge the world of evil and preserve God’s people (compare 2 Pet. 3:10–13). This final day of the Lord coincides with the “day of Christ” described by Paul (1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:10), when Jesus will return to earth to claim His followers and judge those who reject His offer of salvation.
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Terrifying punishments seem to fill page after page of the Old Testament. The God who hates evil (Ps. 45:7) condemns it whenever and wherever He sees it. The New Testament promises that one day He will halt evil altogether (Rev. 21:4, 5).
The Bible does not shrink from detailing these realities. But it is important to note that these warnings of judgment always leave room for repentance. After Joel’s spine-tingling description of “the day of the LORD” (Joel 2:1–11) comes a call to turn to the Lord “with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (2:12).
God wants no one to fall into condemnation and face His judgment (2 Pet. 3:9). He warns people ahead of time so that they will recognize their sin and experience the “godly sorrow” that leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10). The God of judgment is also the God of mercy, “slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Joel 2:13).
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“The day of the Lord” is a day of desolation for the earth (Joel 2:1–11). Yet after the destruction, God will clean up the damage. Joel tells the land to rejoice rather than to fear, because God will restore health to nature, bring about new life, and cause the revived land to yield abundant produce (2:19–27). The passage illustrates the close connection between God’s redemptive and creative works.
If God is concerned with all of life—the natural as well as the spiritual—then God’s people should share that concern. The Lord gives us reason to preserve and wisely manage the environment. He appoints us as His agents “to tend and keep” the earth (Gen. 2:15), and we will one day give an account of this work to our Lord, who cares about the land as well as the people who fill it.
More: For more about the Lord’s watchful care of the earth, see “God and the Environment” at Ps. 104:14–23, 35, as well as the articles under “Environment” in the Themes to Study index.
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Whoever Calls on the Name of the Lord
The Book of Joel describes the dark and frightening “day of the LORD” (see “The Day of the Lord in Joel” at Joel 1:15). The gloom of that judgment is all-encompassing: locusts ravage fields and pastures (2:3–5), death steals upon the cities (2:6–9), and the very cosmos trembles (2:10, 11).
Yet the Lord intends this terror to bring about repentance (2:12–17), which will result in a renewed land and a restored populace (2:18–27). Signs of hope will outshine all previous disasters (2:25). Creation will be in full bloom, rains will fall, threshing floors will be full of grain, vats will overflow with oil and wine, and households will be satisfied and ring with praise. The world will experience a spectacular spiritual renewal (2:28–32).
God is opposed to the proud but preserves the humble and shows grace to those who repent (Prov. 3:34). As we consider the state of our world and its prospects for the future, we can take hold of God’s promise: “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Joel 2:32).
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When Joel described the timing of God’s pouring out of His Spirit on all flesh, he said simply that it would occur “afterward.” He was likely referring to the era of the Messiah, which was to follow the period of restoration—possibly the Jews’ restoration from the Exile (Joel 2:18–27).
At Pentecost, Peter quoted Joel’s prophecy of the Spirit in full and claimed its fulfillment (Acts 2:16–21) as an explanation of the disciples’ supernatural experience of speaking in tongues. From that day onward, Christians have experienced the Spirit in keeping with God’s promise through the prophet Joel. For more on the Holy Spirit in Scripture, see “The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament” at Isaiah 42:1–9. To understand the Spirit’s role at Pentecost, see “You Shall Receive Power” at Acts 1:8.
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