Wake Up and Return
[ READ ] Joel 1–2
19 The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard into the eastern sea,
and his rear guard into the western sea;
the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, you beasts of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
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 again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:19-32
“Behold, I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard into the eastern sea,
and his rear guard into the western sea;
the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, you beasts of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
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 again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:19-32
Wondrous (adjective):
That is to be marveled at; extraordinary.
Oh, how I could write a novel about this book. This is my first time having read through Joel start to finish (like many of these prophets), and I am struck with such awe and wonder.
In case you don’t stop to remember from time to time, you are Israel. So am I. We all are, and not simply because we are saved in Christ. But if you have ever taken a stroll down Old Testament lane more than once or twice, you have probably found yourself thinking Are y’all serious? You’re doubting God AGAIN? or You were freed from Egypt and worshiped a golden calf? or He provides you new manna EVERY MORNING and you’re still trying to hold on to yesterday’s rations?
Cue: I would never do that if God did all that for me.
Except what about the last time you tried to rely on yesterday’s prayer and worship to get you through today so you didn’t have to make the time? Do you remember when the Lord made sure you had that one bill paid when you never should have had the money, but the next time money looked tight you thought you alone could provide for yourself and fix it?
I’m not trying to jog your memory to beat you up, but to show you that you are exactly who the Lord remembers in verse 19 when He “answered and said to His people, ‘Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.’”
This is one of my favorite verses in this book, because the Lord does not say “I hope what I send satisfies you”, and He does not say “you’ll need to earn your place in my eyes among the nations”. He says you will be satisfied. I love that the same God who spoke the mountains and seas into existence speaks our satisfaction into existence because He loves us and wants us to “be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!”
This brings me to my last point in verses 26-29. Once again, the Lord says “‘You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.’” To be marveled at, extraordinarily. Our Lord chooses to deal with us with marvel and wonder, rather than how we deserve, because we are the people of God that surely deserve thoughts of “Are you serious? You’re doubting Me AGAIN?”
Instead He says that “it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” No matter your gender, your age, your station in life. You are adopted, and He will pour out His spirit.
Rejoice and be glad that our Lord deals so wondrously with us.
- Danielle Parker
That is to be marveled at; extraordinary.
Oh, how I could write a novel about this book. This is my first time having read through Joel start to finish (like many of these prophets), and I am struck with such awe and wonder.
In case you don’t stop to remember from time to time, you are Israel. So am I. We all are, and not simply because we are saved in Christ. But if you have ever taken a stroll down Old Testament lane more than once or twice, you have probably found yourself thinking Are y’all serious? You’re doubting God AGAIN? or You were freed from Egypt and worshiped a golden calf? or He provides you new manna EVERY MORNING and you’re still trying to hold on to yesterday’s rations?
Cue: I would never do that if God did all that for me.
Except what about the last time you tried to rely on yesterday’s prayer and worship to get you through today so you didn’t have to make the time? Do you remember when the Lord made sure you had that one bill paid when you never should have had the money, but the next time money looked tight you thought you alone could provide for yourself and fix it?
I’m not trying to jog your memory to beat you up, but to show you that you are exactly who the Lord remembers in verse 19 when He “answered and said to His people, ‘Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.’”
This is one of my favorite verses in this book, because the Lord does not say “I hope what I send satisfies you”, and He does not say “you’ll need to earn your place in my eyes among the nations”. He says you will be satisfied. I love that the same God who spoke the mountains and seas into existence speaks our satisfaction into existence because He loves us and wants us to “be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!”
This brings me to my last point in verses 26-29. Once again, the Lord says “‘You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.’” To be marveled at, extraordinarily. Our Lord chooses to deal with us with marvel and wonder, rather than how we deserve, because we are the people of God that surely deserve thoughts of “Are you serious? You’re doubting Me AGAIN?”
Instead He says that “it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” No matter your gender, your age, your station in life. You are adopted, and He will pour out His spirit.
Rejoice and be glad that our Lord deals so wondrously with us.
- Danielle Parker
[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect:
+ Go back and just read the promises of these chapters. Why does God emphasize satisfaction and rejoicing so much?
+ Go back and just read the promises of these chapters. Why does God emphasize satisfaction and rejoicing so much?
[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life:
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Do you choose to be satisfied when the Lord commands it? Or have you told God recently that what He’s provided isn’t enough through your actions?
+ Is there sin to confess to clear the way for God to use me in his perfect purpose?
+ Do you choose to be satisfied when the Lord commands it? Or have you told God recently that what He’s provided isn’t enough through your actions?
[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ Pray with me:
Lord, I know I am a sinner. If there is anywhere in my life where I have treated Your gifts as rights and not privileges, forgive me. Help me to be satisfied in my spirit with Your Spirit. If I have nothing but I have You, I have more than enough. Just because I don’t see it now, doesn’t mean You haven’t promised it. If you say that these gifts and blessings of satisfaction and rejoicing are mine, then they are already on the way. Thank You for being the Living Water when I am thirsty, the Bread of Life when I am hungry, and the Good Father who always provides what His children need. You are the well that never runs dry. I love You, Lord.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.churchcenter.com/groups)
+ Pray with me:
Lord, I know I am a sinner. If there is anywhere in my life where I have treated Your gifts as rights and not privileges, forgive me. Help me to be satisfied in my spirit with Your Spirit. If I have nothing but I have You, I have more than enough. Just because I don’t see it now, doesn’t mean You haven’t promised it. If you say that these gifts and blessings of satisfaction and rejoicing are mine, then they are already on the way. Thank You for being the Living Water when I am thirsty, the Bread of Life when I am hungry, and the Good Father who always provides what His children need. You are the well that never runs dry. I love You, Lord.
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