We do not know a great deal about the prophet Joel except that he identifies himself as the son of Pethuel. Beyond that, most scholars use what little internal evidence there might be in his writings to try to determine at what period of history he prophesied. He evidently prophesied to the people of Judah which suggests that he may have been from the southern kingdom. All of these speculations however do not detract from the relevance of his message then and now. It must also be noted that Joel is also famously known for the fact that Peter quoted from him in his speech on the day of Pentecost. (See Acts 2: 17-21) Like most of the prophets before and since, Joel warned the people of God’s coming judgement if they did not return to him in contrition. Joel emphasised the use of the term, “The Day of the Lord” to highlight God’s coming judgement on His people. Like all the other prophets as well, Joel also declared that God would return his people to wholeness and fruitfulness after the period of suffering. In chapter one Joel tells of the devastation caused on the land by a plague of locusts which left everything so bare that the people were on the brink of starvation. Both chapter one and two highlight the devastation on the land almost like the effects from a marauding army of invaders but chapter two sees this as the Lord’s terrible judgement. All of this according to the prophet is a sign of the coming “day of the Lord”, a time of judgement on the people. Towards the end of chapter two Joel in calling the people back to God tells them to “Rend your heart and not your garment.” (Joel 2:13) From this statement it can be taken that the people’s attempt at contrition was quite insincere. They concentrated their efforts on an outward show of penitence but in their hearts they were not truly repentant. I don’t know how familiar many of our farmers around here are with locusts? Grasshoppers are probably more familiar to many of us. Most of us reading the text, might not know what the experience of locusts is like on one’s crops but we may try to visualize a scene of utter devastation for miles and miles around, possibly as far as the eyes can see where everything that has been planted is totally cut down as if a giant harvester or Combine went through the land taking out everything in sight. The locust that Joel refers to obviously resulted in a major agricultural plight but locusts can be seen to symbolize devastation and the resulting despair and hopelessness in all of us when we go through those times of real calamity and devastation. In other words, many of us probably can recall a locust experience, a time of physical or psychological devastation. You feel that you have been so ravaged that there is virtually nothing left. These are the times when you might have felt that even God has deserted you. You have no help. As I speak, areas in the Caribbean including my home country Jamaica are facing the prospects of the devastating impact of a potentially major hurricane named Melissa. As someone who has lived in the Caribbean most of my life I know how these tropical cyclones can devastate everything in its sight. Some of us may recall the devastation of hurricane Katrina on New Orleans several years ago. Nearer home, many Canadians feel the devastating effects of wildfires yearly and sometimes tornadoes as well. The bottom line is that everyone of us may have experienced our locust period in life at one time or another, which may not have anything to do with the insects themselves but the impacts of some of nature’s great natural events have been no less severe. Then again, for some people the devastation is of the body as in major ill health, or it could be a devastation of the mind as a result of depression, dementia or other mental illnesses. For some people even the constant pressures of everyday living, just trying to stay afloat so to speak, can be a source of emotional turmoil that leaves some totally drained or emptied of purpose and the will to go on.
You may notice if you take the time to read the entire book that Joel points out that it is the people’s sin, their disobedience and their waywardness, that has brought this down on themselves, and we should also consider the extent to which some of the devastating things that have happened in our own lives have been because of self-inflicted wounds. For us humans, sin is the ultimate self -inflicted wound, and the good news here is that more often than not, we can do something about it to change what we are experiencing. Let me stress here that I am certainly not saying that everything you have ever suffered from or every terrible experience you have had in your life was entirely your fault or the result of your own sin. Quite often, the things that happen to us we cannot control such as weather phenomena and the like. What I am saying though is that like Joel’s message to the people then, we must seek to turn to God who alone can bring us out of the locust experience or the locust period of our lives.
After the locust period, Joel goes on to describe the restoration of God’s people and in this restorative period, Joel points out that God will act in three key ways.
God will restore the land from its decimation, and as a result people will be able to flourish once again.
God will usher in what Joel and other prophets notably Isaiah and Amos called the “day of the Lord” in which essentially a spiritual revival will take hold on the people and even the natural elements will seemingly reflect this new day.
Lastly, the nations will be judged, especially those who have ravaged God’s people, and all these things will happen as a prelude to a new world order where God’s reign is established among all people.
What is clear from Joel’s prophecy is that the period of suffering which he saw as being the result of the moral failings of the people would not last. God would usher in a new era, a period of significant transformation that would be primarily spiritual but would be translated into real physical renewal and a return to physical wellness and fruitfulness of the land.
The conclusion to be made from Joel’s message here is that our spiritual relationship with God is determinative of the restoration and transformation that takes place in our physical circumstances as well.
A key message from his prophecy is that turning from sin and returning to God is the solution for the people to recover from the decimation that the plague has caused. We can therefore safely imply that the people were not living lives that pleased God.
As each of us contemplate the times of turbulence and trouble that we have had in our lives and maybe are still going through, we must ask ourselves to what extent has my relationship with God been off track and therefore contemplate what we need to do to get this relationship back on track with God. When we return to God then not only our personal situation will be restored but also that of the nation as a whole. Many of us may wonder from time to time about the physical and moral health of the nation and in this light we must see that God’s healing and transforming power starts with us all on a personal level then it can be seen in the healing and restoration of our neighborhoods and communities and the nation and ultimately the world at large. There is so much happening in our country and the world that can fill us with great despair. It’s as if we are under the grip of a new plague. This plague is not just a plague of locusts but far worse, the plague of sin, where people no longer seek a right relationship with God. That is no longer the priority for too many people and as such we see the consequences in the plagues we have all around us. These plagues are social, economic, physical and ultimately spiritual.
The people of God in ancient times anticipated the day of the Lord to be one of great hope and expectation (See Amos 5:18-20), but this ‘day of the Lord’ can be one of sorrow and despair instead. The “Day of the Lord” can either be one of judgement and punishment as seen in the societal turmoil and moral degradation and violence that we have all around us or it can be one of revival and renewal, first spiritually, and then seen in the physical transformation where even the land will show renewed life and fruitfulness. It is our choice, whether to seek an ever deepening relationship with God or to remain a stubborn and rebellious people, that will determine what that ‘day of the Lord’ will be for each of us and ultimately for the nation and the world at large.
As we go from here into the world to pursue all our daily endeavours, may we continually be reminded that God is ready to heal broken hearts, strengthen those who have lost hope and give light to those who only see darkness everywhere. However, we must seek God earnestly and actively work at building our relationship with God. We are being called into a new life of faith and obedience out of which we will realise the potential for God to work in us in remarkable and even astonishing ways to heal our broken hearts, strengthen our weakened bodies and minds and cause us and all others who give their hearts to God, to flourish and enjoy the return to fruitfulness and abundance in their personal lives, in their families and also in the world at large as we live lives that show the evidence of God’s goodness and transformative power in the world. May we go from here with God. Amen.