The Book of the Prophet Joel Joel OUTLINE

The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel OUTLINE: I. The plague of locusts prefigures devastation in the Day of the Lord (1: 1 -2: 11). II. The repentance of Israel provides restoration in the Day of the Lord (2: 12 -32). II. The sin of the nations promises their judgment in the Day of the Lord (3: 1 -16). III. The grace of God provides messianic blessing in the Day of the Lord (3: 17 -21).

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration Chapter 3 OUTLINE: I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) III. Israel’s Restoration (v. 17 -21)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) A. Judah and enemies distinguished (v. 1 -3) • God promises to restore the fortunes of Jerusalem and Judah (v. 1)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) A. Judah and enemies distinguished (v. 1 -3) • God promises to restore the fortunes of Jerusalem and Judah (v. 1) • God promises judgment for Israel’s enemies (v. 2 -3) They have scattered God’s people, divided God’s land sold God’s people into slavery

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) B. Tyre, Sidon and Philistia (v. 4 -6) They had the most to Gain by Israel’s demise

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) B. Tyre, Sidon and Philistia (v. 4 -6) • God takes what these nations have done to His people personally. “What are you to ME, Tyre, Sidon and the regions of Philistia. ” (v. 4) • That’s one reason why it’s never a good idea to align ourselves against Israel

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) B. Tyre, Sidon and Philistia (v. 4 -6) • God takes what these nations have done to His people personally. “What are you to ME, Tyre, Sidon and the regions of Philistia” (v. 4) • Another reason is that whatever is done to God, God can return that on their heads! (v. 4)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) B. Tyre, Sidon and Philistia (v. 4 -6) • The particular offenses are specified as robbery and the slave trade. (v. 5 -6) • Part of what makes it so difficult to date the book of Joel is that we don’t know what historical events are referred to here. The events could fit in the 8 th or 9 th C, but also in the 6 th.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) C. God’s justice will be just (v. 7 -8) • Those sold into slavery will return. Those who sold them will have their own sons and daughters sold into slavery (v. 7 -8)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration I. Judgment announced (v. 1 -8) C. God’s justice will be just (v. 7 -8) • They will be sold to the Sabeans (v. 8) They were trading merchants from Arabia. They are mentioned as early as Job 1, and as late as Jeremiah 6. • Job 1: 14 -15: There came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. ”

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration Chisolm: The judgment threatened here probably was fulfilled, at least in part, in the fourth century B. C. The people of Sidon were sold into slavery by Antiochus III in 345 B. C. , while the citizens of Tyre and Gaza were enslaved by Alexander in 332 B. C. ” Perhaps Jews were involved in some of the transactions.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration Chisolm: From the eschatological perspective Philistia and Phoenicia represent all of Israel’s enemies (much as do Moab in Isa. 25: 10– 12 and Edom in the Book of Obad. ). At that time God’s people will gain ascendancy over their enemies.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) A. Prepare for War (v. 9 -11) • Not only the nations (v. 9 -10), but even God is called to the battle (v. 11)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) A. Prepare for War (v. 9 -11) • Not only the nations (v. 9 -10), but even God is called to the battle (v. 11) • Psalm 2

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) A. Prepare for War (v. 9 -11) • Not only the nations (v. 9 -10), but even God is called to the battle (v. 11) • Psalm 2 • The futility of attacking the Lord’s city is in view. All the nations will face the Lord in war.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) B. Divine Warfare (v. 12 -13) • The Valley of Jehoshaphat is unknown. Some scholars suggest it is a yet-future valley, to be formed by the splitting of the Mount of Olives at the Messiah’s return (Zech. 14: 4).

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) B. Divine Warfare (v. 12 -13) • The Valley of Jehoshaphat is unknown. Some scholars suggest it is a yet-future valley, to be formed by the splitting of the Mount of Olives at the Messiah’s return (Zech. 14: 4). • The Lord will SIT in judgment. There will be no battle other than the Lord judging His enemies (v. 12)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) B. Divine Warfare (v. 12 -13) • Do you recognize the language of v. 13?

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) B. Divine Warfare (v. 12 -13) • Do you recognize the language of v. 13? • Rev. 14: 15 -20 – The Battle of Armageddon

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) C. Judgment Executed (v. 14 -16) • The Day of the Lord is near! (v. 14). There will be no opportunity for salvation. They are assembled to be judged by the Lord. Near does not mean ‘soon. ’ It means it is upon them.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) C. Judgment Executed (v. 14 -16) • The signs that accompany the Day of the Lord are seen in the heavens and on earth. (v. 15 -16). See Rev. 16: 18

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration II. A Call to Arms (v. 9 -16) C. Judgment Executed (v. 14 -16) • Note the change in the middle of v. 16. The Lord is a refuge for HIS people. (Ps. 46: 1; 62: 8) And a Stronghold (Ps. 9: 9; 18: 2; 27: 1; 37: 39; 43: 2)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration III. Israel’s Restoration (v. 17 -21) A. God’s Holy mountain • God will dwell among them. Reminiscent of the Exodus, when God camped among them. • Had Israel doubted God in the past?

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration III. Israel’s Restoration (v. 17 -21) A. God’s Holy mountain • “At that time” is when Jesus will rule over His people in the Millennium (v. 18) • The land will be a virtual paradise. (e. g. land flowing with sweet wine, milk, a spring of water to the valley of Shittim). • What do these things bring to mind?

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration III. Israel’s Restoration (v. 17 -21) A. God’s Holy mountain • A new river in Israel will flow from God’s house (the temple) to the valley of Shittim. Also known as the Valley of Acacias, a kind of tree that grows from the kidron Valley to the Dead Sea.

Meeting of Kidron, Hinnom and Central Valleys south of city

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration III. Israel’s Restoration (v. 17 -21) B. The fate of Egypt and Edom (v. 19 -20) • Egypt and Edom are symbolic of the judgment on all the nations for the violence done to God’s people (v. 19) • Contrast them with Judah and Jerusalem which will be inhabited forever. (v. 20)

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration III. Israel’s Restoration (v. 17 -21) C. Final vengeance (v. 21) • God will avenge the blood not yet avenged. Some think that this has already happened. Others think that this awaits the second coming when God will judge the nations.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration III. Israel’s Restoration (v. 17 -21) C. Final vengeance (v. 21) The closing promise that God would dwell in Zion gives final vindication to the people of Jerusalem. After all their sufferings of locusts, drought, and warfare, the vow that God would dwell eternally among them is the reassurance that they were not abandoned. In God they had an eternal home because God dwells among them.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration IV. Lessons of the Book A. God is Holy. He must judge

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration IV. Lessons of the Book A. God is Holy. He must judge B. God will use suffering to purify His people.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration IV. Lessons of the Book A. God is Holy. He must judge B. God will use suffering to purify His people. C. God is merciful. He is the God of second chances. God will fulfill His promises.

Joel 3 – Judgment and Restoration IV. Lessons of the Book A. God is Holy. He must judge B. God will use suffering to purify His people. C. God is merciful. He is the God of second chances. God will fulfill His promises. D. What lessons do you take from the book?