Another Bible Commentary: Joel

Joel means “YHWH is God”. He spoke of locusts: literal (Deuteronomy 28:42), figurative (Deuteronomy 28:49-51), or both. See Exodus 10:1-20, Proverbs 30:27, Amos 7:1-3, and Judges 6:5.

1:4 Various translations have provided descriptions of these types such as cutting, gnawing, swarming, devouring, hopping, destroying, and stripping.

1:5 Read the rest of Joel 1 for context. Lack is the focus. Priests, drunks, and farmers were to be similarly afflicted by the lack of crops due to the locusts.

1:14 Declare a holy fast from what food? The locusts already got it (Joel 1:4,16). Instead, see Isaiah 58:6-9.

2:1-2 The Day of the Lord: Jeremiah 30:5-7, Ezekiel 30:1-4, Isaiah 2:11-12, Joel 2:31, Amos 5:18-20, Zephaniah 1:14-18, and Malachi 4:5 for starters. The Day of the Lord is whenever He visits to punish or to save. This language for a notable event is similar to Isaiah 9:4 “the day of Midian”; there are a lot of people focused on one big Day of the Lord in the eschatological sense of it being the end of man’s “day”, but He’s had plenty of notable days involving floods, burning sulfur, etc. Amos’ warning of what eventually happened to the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC is likely the first use of this phrase in the prophets.

2:10 Exodus 10 has locusts and darkness. The sun, moon, and stars can be literal light sources or this can be a poetic reference to government (Genesis 1:16).

2:13 See Exodus 34:6 and Psalm 103.

2:14 like Amos 7:3 and Jonah 3:9-10. Father, please save everyone anyway; I know you want to (1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9). Thanks.

2:20 See Exodus 10:19; seems buggy. But, “northern horde” sounds like an army. Dead locusts reek. It could be locusts, humans, or both.

2:22 Reality looks forward to a similar transformation when we get our new bodies (Romans 8:19-23).

2:23 See Deuteronomy 11:13-15 and Matthew 5:45. God is Love (1 John 4:8), and love in Hebrew thought is shown with faithful actions. Rain, while a blessing, is somewhat predictable (depending on where you live) and mostly for everyone (depending on where you live).

2:25 like the ending of Job.

2:27 “I am in Israel” See Isaiah 7:14.

2:28 “pour out My Spirit” This began in Acts 2. It continues for everyone who comes to believe in Jesus (Galatians 3:2,5). Regarding “all people”, Jews and Gentiles are both eligible.

2:30 It won’t be the first time (Exodus 13:21-22).

2:31 Sharav, also known as khamsin, is a dry desert wind that fills the sky with sand/dust between the dry summer and the rainy winter. Dark skies and a blood-red moon means a new season.

2:32 “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” See Romans 10:13.

3:1 This restoration was promised in Deuteronomy 30.

3:2 “Valley of Jehoshaphat” like 2 Chronicles 20:20-26. Jehoshaphat means “the LORD judges”.

3:3 The currency (“my people”, “boys”, “girls”) is the main issue.

3:4 See Amos 1:6-10.

3:5 There is an example of this behavior in 2 Chronicles 21:17.

3:10 Once God’s hegemony is established, the weapons go back to being farm implements (Isaiah 2:2-4, Micah 4:1-4). There are plenty of people with good intentions telling the weak to say they are strong in name-it-claim-it or feel-good-self-help ways. This is a friendly reminder that “Let the weak say I am strong” was God challenging the pagan nations to come to the Armageddon massacre (Revelation 16:16). Isaiah 40:29-31 is a suitable replacement pep talk.

3:12 God’s not happy about it (Ezekiel 18:23,32).

3:13 See Isaiah 63:1-6 and Revelation 14:14-20.

3:16 like Amos 1:2.

3:17 The New Jerusalem, Christians, us, the Bride of Christ; those raised from the dead to new life incorruptible are the recipients of this promise.

3:18 See Amos 9:13. John 2 was just a taste. As for the fountain (Jeremiah 17:13) flowing from the LORD’s house (Ezekiel 47), see John 7:37-39; God lives in us.

3:21 Again, God lives in us. See John 17:20-23. You share a spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17); you cannot be any closer. Let the knowledge of who you are now affect what you do.

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