JOEL

JOEL 1:1

A. "THE WORD OF THE LORD THAT CAME TO JOEL THE SON OF PETHUEL"
  1. These words constitute the credentials to Joel:
    1. To be the voice of truth to his nation and to the world - Rom 15:4
    2. The emphasis is "The word of the Lord came unto Joel the son of Pethuel"
  2. Such are the Divine credentials to all God's spokesmen:
    1. Said John, "He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God" - John 3:34
    2. Said the Lord to Jeremiah, "Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth" Jer. 1:9
B. THE PROPHET JOEL
  1. The word "Joel" signifies - "The Lord is God:
    1. That gave assurance to the people that the Lord is able to back up His promises, make good His word - Num. 23:19; Mal. 3:6; Matt. 24:35
    2. This assurance by the Lord God ought to encourage the people to trust him all the way - Ps. 52:8; 91:4
    3. Said the servant of the Lord, "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper" - 2 Chron. 20:20
  2. The mission of Joel to his nation and to the world is fourfold:
    1. It is a call to repentance - Joel 2:15-27; that was the message of John the Baptist - Matt. 3:2; 4:17; that was the message of the Son of Man - Mark 1:15
    2. It is to forecast a time of refreshing from above - Joel 2:28-29; that was the forecast of the Day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-17; this refreshing will come in the early and the latter rain - Joel 2:23; Zech. 10:1
    3. He had a message of deliverance - Joel 3:1; that was the mission of the Messiah - Is. 61:1; that was the meaning of the name "Jesus" - Matt. 1:21
    4. In these threefold blessing is the rest promised by God for body, soul and spirit - Joel 3:17-21; this is the universal offer of the Messiah to sin-sick souls - Matt. 11:28-30
C. WHAT SPIRITUAL LEGACY JOEL HAS GIVEN TO THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD
  1. Specially in the time of the end:
    1. We think of Peter giving a prophetic reason for the event of the Day of Pentecost; "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" - Acts 2:17
    2. Too, the prophet Zechariah seems to point to God's plan for the last days when he says, "Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds and give them showers of rain, to everyone grass in the field" - Zech. 10:1
  2. The church of God is in need of the promises of the latter rain for four specific reasons:
    1. Only a spiritual refreshing from on High will revive the people of God to meet the final world crisis they face - Zeph. 2:1-3
    2. The testimony of the true witness of the true condition of Laodicea - Rev. 3:14-18 is a special reason for the refreshing promised through the prophet Joel
    3. The sealing work of the three angels cannot be completed until the latter rain comes into the experience of God's remnant church - Rev. 7:1-6; 14:1-12
    4. Most of all, God's people need victory over every besetting sin, but without the mighty work of the Holy Spirit - that cannot be
    5. This writer loves to meditate upon these wonderful promises to God's people that will prepare them for translation - compare Ez. 36:25-29 with Acts 2:1-17; Matt. 3:13-17; Rev. 22:17; John 7:37-39; Acts 3:19-21
    6. May I repeat - what a blessing the prophet Joel brought to his nation and to the world particularly to the church of God


Design © John Bryant 2011