‘Joel’ – Bible Study
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE WRITINGS OF ONE OF THE MINOR PROPHETS. The time for this prophet’s writing would be long before the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Joel was with the tribe of Judah and Benjamin in Babylonian captivity. And Jeremiah, the ‘Crying Prophet’, was in Jerusalem, while Daniel was in Babylon. Ezekiel was also in Babylon and some of the time in Judea. The House of Israel and some of the House of Judah had some time before this, been removed from the old land and were now in their march to destiny, although the people did not quite understand just what was happening to them.
Joel will describe for you what happened to them to bring about this great tragedy. However, his book is also not the words of Joel, himself. For this first verse tells you that this is ‘The word of the LORD’ which came to Joel: –
‘You are admonished to ‘Hear’. this is a call to awake and when talking about the old men, these are not official Elders of Israel, but those whose memory goes back the furthermost in the past. ‘Tell your children, and their children, and have them pass it on to the next generation.’ In other words, listen carefully and realize just who is the enemy of the Kingdom people and why they are attacking the Kingdom of God. Then be sure you install this knowledge in your children through the generations.
“That which the Palmer worm hath left, hath the Locust eaten, and that which the Locust hath left the Cankerworm hath eaten, and that which the Cankerworm hath left hath the Caterpillar eaten.”
According to the Companion Bible, this is Joel’s explanation as to what happened to Israel over the years. And these worms are simply four words used to show the completeness of their destroying agencies which have over the years been attacking the Kingdom.
This expression, ‘The Day of the LORD’, marks the time limit or the ‘end time’ when YAHWEH-YAHSHUA Calls a Halt to This Destruction, and Then Restores His People.’ Thus we read of a ‘Call to repent’, meaning, change your thinking, awake. For the time has arrived for this last all out attack on God’s Holy Mountain or HIS KINGDOM. Here with this prophet, the enemy is likened to Worms which over the years have been eating at the Kingdom. And the covenant people are almost over come by this constant attack of this same enemy although under different names from the time of Adam up to now.