After the prophet called on Jewish leaders to pray to God for mercy, and ask Him to spare the Hebrew nation so its people could thrive and fulfill their mission, Joel announces a divinely ordained restoration of Judah, and predicts an outpouring of blessings upon those who repented of their sins and turn to the Lord.
“18 Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. 19 The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.”
When He heard their cry and felt their sorrow, God showed mercy for His people and forgave them their sins. The Lord then poured out His favor upon the people of Judah, and restored the abundance of food and drink so the nation could once again thrive, and bring Him glory.
“20 But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.”
The northern army, those soldiers stronger than horses and faster than beasts who spread destruction is sent back to the Dead Sea (eastern sea), and the Mediterranean Sea (western sea) and sin will be cast away from the land as those in Judah are abundantly blessed for their repentance, fasting, prayers, and sorrow.
“21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things! 22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.”
Next, Joel calls on the Jews to rejoice as God restores their wealth and abundance, and fills their hearts with hope. Even animals in pastures will be blessed after previously starving because of the drought, as the Lord restores the fields with grass for livestock to feed on.
“23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.”
Because they repented and sought the Lord, the Hebrew nation will be blessed with the end of the drought that plagued the land, starting with the early rains that prepare the seed-bed and assist germination, then continue to bless the land with latter rains that provide ample moisture for the crops to grow to a full and plentiful harvest.
“25 So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.”
Joel shares God’s promise to restore the Hebrew nation and replace what the locusts took from them, that army of ravaging insects sent by the Lord to rob Judah of their hope, and lead them into repentance.
“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 be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.”
Lastly, the prophet reveals how God will proclaim His divinity and omnipresence as He pours out His mercy and grace upon His people and the land of Judah. Finally, the Jewish nation is redeemed and given hope by their heavenly Father, and through their repentance and the desire to serve and honor the Lord, blessed with streams of living water… Let’s pray!
Father God;
We thank you for your blessings in our lives,
We praise you Lord for the wisdom found through the book of Joel,
We ask you Lord to inspire us to use the prophet’s writings in our lives
As we continue to learn more about you through your word.
Lord we ask you to strengthen us each day as we endure through battles,
Allow us to praise and love each other through faith in you Jesus,
Shield us from evil through truth, the gospel, salvation and prayer,
Guide us to abide by your word as we spread your gospel to one and all
Becoming examples of faith through our character as we walk the narrow path.
God we pray that you will continue to bless us, to bless our lives and fill us with hope
We ask you Lord to guide our footsteps and lead us to the way everlasting,
Through faith in you Lord we seek salvation and a place with you in heaven
According to your ways, your everlasting wisdom and strength.
May your will be done
In our lives, for your life.
We thank you for your love and all you bless us with each day.
Praise God,
Amen!
This message was written by Daniel St.Pierre
Email: danielstpierre@thrivethroughchrist.com
