The Locusts of Joel

TEXT: Joel 1:1-20

INTRODUCTION:

A.      BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

          1.       830 B. C. è Joel, “Jehovah is God”  -  Extremely wicked times.

          2.       Evil in the land – a call to repentance.

          3.       Literal locusts or a foreign army?  Or both?

B.      INTERESTING PARALLEL – WE NEED TO STUDY.

I.      SKIM THE PASSAGE.

A.      vs. 1-4.

          1.       A plague of this magnitude never seen before (vs. 2).

          2.       To be remembered along with the lessons (vs. 3).

          3.       Complete devastation from different stages of locusts.

          4.       No cicadas – grasshopper like – modern disasters.

                   a.       Africa – darkness, roads slick, planes crash.

                   b.       Depression – Only dust left – Fire and famine.

                   c.       Disease, drought, famine.  Utter Despair!

B.      LOSS OF LUXURIES AND WEALTH.  WINE, POWER (Isa. 5:22-23).

          1.       Fierce and unstoppable.

          2.       Further description (2:1-11).

C.      vs. 8-12.  ALL IS LOST, NOTHING LEFT TO SACRIFICE.

D.      vs. 13-14.  A CALL TO REPENTANCE.

          1.       vs. 13.  Sorrow for sin (2:12-14).

          2.       vs. 14.  Plea for mercy in return to service.

E.      vs. 15-20.  CALAMITY AND PRAYER (vs. 19).

II.     IRONY AND PARALLELS.

A.      THE HORRIBLENESS OF THE EGYPTIAN PLAGUE (Ex. 10).

          1.       Reserved for the worst enemies of God.

          2.       God doesn’t play favorites.  The sinner is punished.

B.      THE CHURCH?  GOD SWEEPS APOSTATES AWAY.  NEW PLANT FROM THE

          OLD SEED (1 Cor. 11:19;  1 John 2:19).

          1.       When we become lax, corrupt, false, then the truth suffers.

          2.       The church suffers – Division, lack of leadership.

III.    THE CALL TO REPENTANCE IS TO US AS WELL.

A.      GODLY SORROW.

          1.       Psa. 51:16-17.

          2.       2 Cor. 7:10.  Saul and David.  Judas and Peter.

B.      RETURN TO TRUE SERVICE.

          1.       The Old Paths (Jer. 6:16).

          2.       Back to the Book (2 John 9).

          3.       Plead for mercy (Acts 8:22;  1 John 1:9).

IV.   GOD’S PROMISE (Joel 2:18-27).

A.      RESTORATION OF BLESSING ON ISRAEL.

B.      THE CHURCH (2 Cor. 9:10-11;  Phil. 1:3-6).

C.      HEAVEN ITSELF (2 Tim. 4:6-8).

CONCLUSION:

A.      GOD HAS PROMISED BLESSINGS FOR HIS PEOPLE.

B.      HOW DO WE BECOME GOD’S PEOPLE?

C.      BY SUBMITTING TO HIS SON.