2. We‟re winding up our look at the 3:16s of
the Bible & I saved this one for last. Joel
3:16 NIV The LORD will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth
and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will
be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for
the people of Israel.
Here‟s the catch, I‟m going to spend the
next 5 sermons getting to it. We‟ll start
with Joel 1:1-15.

3. Joel 1:1 NIV The word of the LORD that
came to Joel son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this,
you elders; listen, all who live in the land.
Has anything like this ever happened in
your days or in the days of your
forefathers? 3 Tell it to your children, and
let your children tell it to their children, and
their children to the next generation.

4. 4 What the locust swarm has left the great
locusts have eaten; what the great locusts
have left the young locusts have eaten;
what the young locusts have left other
locusts have eaten.
5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!
Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail
because of the new wine, for it has been
snatched from your lips.

5. 6 A nation has invaded my land, powerful
and without number; it has the teeth of a
lion, the fangs of a lioness. 7 It has laid
waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It
has stripped off their bark and thrown it
away, leaving their branches white.
8 Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving
for the husband of her youth.

6. 9 Grain offerings and drink offerings are
cut off from the house of the LORD. The
priests are in mourning, those who
minister before the LORD. 10 The fields
are ruined, the ground is dried up; the
grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried
up, the oil fails. 11 Despair, you farmers,
wail, you vine growers; grieve for the
wheat and the barley, because the harvest
of the field is destroyed.

7. 12 The vine is dried up and the fig tree is
withered; the pomegranate, the palm and
the apple tree—all the trees of the field—
are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is
withered away. 13 Put on sackcloth, O
priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister
before the altar. Come, spend the night in
sackcloth, you who minister before my
God; for the grain offerings and drink
offerings are withheld from the house of
your God.

8. 14 Declare a holy fast; call a sacred
assembly. Summon the elders and all who
live in the land to the house of the LORD
your God, and cry out to the LORD.
15 Alas for that day! For the day of the
LORD is near; it will come like destruction
from the Almighty.

9. One of the forgotten, if not dismissed,
truths from God‟s word is that this world is
on a collision course with Almighty God.
While it is true that God is a god of love,
grace, and even mercy, what people of
today may well need is a reminder of the
truth that God is a God of justice &
judgment.

10. Today we begin a walk through the
prophecy of Joel. Not a great deal is
known about Joel, but we would do well to
know a great deal about what Joel wrote.
Why? Because of the first verse in this
prophecy, “The word of the Lord that came
to Joel son Pethuel.” Even though we
have little knowledge of Joel & less of
Pethuel, it is in our best interest to hear
from the one whose words Joel is
recording.

11. The 63 verses in this prophetic book serve
to caution and to call all people to have a
clear view of God‟s coming judgment. At
the end of every message in this book is
an invitation to miss the judgment of God
but it takes ACTION.

12. The prophet Amos echoes this message.
Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,
and to you who feel secure on Mount
Samaria, Amos 6:1a,b NIV
We are going to consider God‟s impending
judgment in 4 thoughts:

13. 2 Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live
in the land. Has anything like this ever
happened in your days or in the days of
your forefathers?

14. Notice the first two words of verse 2,
“Hear this.” Almost every translation and
paraphrase says the same thing.
However, this phrase is more like a “listen
up” or “pay attention” as it carries with it
the idea and the message is important.

15. Judgment is coming & you want to know it
so that you can be prepared. He identifies
both the leaders and the people to say,
“Listen up.” If it were today, there might
have been a „tone‟ (like the emergency
broadcast system) to get our attention.

16. Of the many ways there are to discern
things, asking rhetorical questions is very
effective. Can you hear the inference in
the tone of the question of “Has anything
like this every happened in your days or in
the days of your forefathers?” Considering
whom it is asking this question, our minds
and souls should be stirred to understand
exactly what it is that Almighty God has in
mind.

17. But here is the startling truth; Obviously
God has something in mind which is
unlike anything seen before. Remember of
some of the atrocities which this
generation & their forefathers had
witnessed and then think that God will top
all of these, we should discern that
judgment is on the way.

18. 3 Tell it to your children, and let your
children tell it to their children, and their
children to the next generation.
To read verse 3 is to understand that, as
holders of the truth, we should disclose
the truth. Truth is not truth simply when we
„like it‟, but it is truth-no matter what!

19. Part of the sad situation of the 21st
century “Americanize church” is that we
have discarded the truth of God in relation
to His judgment. His right judgment is
based on justice.

20. Amos 5:24 NIV Let justice roll like water
and righteousness, like an unfailing
stream.
Not only had we better know (discern) and
tell (disclose) that God‟s judgment is
coming, but we might want to know what it
will be like! Look at the;

21. 4 What the locust swarm has left the great
locusts have eaten; what the great locusts
have left the young locusts have eaten;
what the young locusts have left other
locusts have eaten.
God compares His judgment to four types
of locust. Let me say that the picture of the
locusts is a picture of total destruction.

22. Some think these insects are illustrating
armies of humans going across the land,
while others think the prophet is speaking
of the 4 stages of a locust‟s life, and
others think its four different types of bugs.

23. Such are the arguments which make for
meaningless talk and a great deal of
debate, but let‟s not miss the truth; the
land will be destroyed and it will be the
judgment of God on the wicked land & the
wickedness of the land.

24. What is it that we see in this judgment?
What is it that makes up this judgment?
Just like we pick up a package of food and
read the ingredients, it is desirable that we
looks at the elements of this:
5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!
Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail
because of the new wine, for it has been
snatched from your lips.

25. The word drunkards has a double edge
here. Those accustomed to drinking too
much must now lament the unavailability
of wine. It also may hint that the people in
general have become religiously
inebriated and are unresponsive to the
Lord. They are, as it were, drunkards from
a spiritual standpoint. Joel addresses the
first of three groups particularly affected by
the locust plague.

26. In 1:5 he describes the effects on the
drunkards, who no longer have a ready
supply of intoxicating wine; in 11,12 he
describes the effects on the farmers, who
have watched their labors come to naught
because of the insect infestation; and in
13,14 he describes the effects on the
priests, who are no longer able to offer
grain sacrifices and libations in the temple.
(NETnotes)

27. 6 A nation has invaded my land, powerful
and without number; it has the teeth of a
lion, the fangs of a lioness.
Give some thought to this picture. For a
person who is under the judgment of God
we see several frightening word pictures;
invaded, powerful, without number, teeth,
and even fangs.

28. Every one of these pictures paints a
portrait of an enemy which is unrelenting,
vicious, and evil. We can see the
beginnings of this picture today in
America. Now that God has been
removed from daily life, many others are
stepping to the fore front to attack this
land in numerous and ungodly ways.

29. We can talk of the radical Muslims who
killed 3000 people just because they were
Americans, we can name Al-Qaeda as
one who preys on Americans, and we can
even name social and political groups in
this land who pervert justice to have their
way. However, the great attack is
occurring on a local scale by people who
know better. It is getting more pervasive
every day.

30. There is no way to do „battle‟ without
casualties and costs. When a country
goes to war, a couple goes through
divorce, or a church has a fight, the total
costs and the casualties are not known for
a long time. When God sends His
judgment the battle which will be waged
will be directed at anything which is
perceived to be good.

31. 7 It has laid waste my vines and ruined my
fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and
thrown it away, leaving their branches
white.
This gives me a picture of the total
annihilation of everything which God has
designed to be good. The grapevine, fig
tree, branches and bark are all laid waste.

32. I am not giving a timeline of the end of
time (Jesus return, resurrection of the
dead) we have not spoken of these end
time events. Just don‟t miss the fact that
judgment is coming from God. His
judgment will be based on justice, truth &
right.
8 Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving
for the husband of her youth.

33. A virgin betrothed was regarded as
married. The Hebrew for “husband” is
“lord” or “possessor,” the husband being
considered the master of the wife in the
East. “of her youth” — when the affections
are strongest and when sorrow at
bereavement is consequently keenest.
Suggesting the thought of what Zion‟s
grief ought to be for her separation from
Jehovah, the betrothed husband of her
early days. (JFB)

34. Joel doesn't minimize the suffering at all.
He isn't like the dentist who says, "This
may cause a bit of discomfort" when he
really means "This is going to hurt and I
am going to make you suffer." He deals
with the suffering in a real way and says,
"Let's turn back to the LORD." (Guzik)

35. For those who are under God‟s judgment,
let‟s see how all of this impacts them.
Verses 9-12 give us this picture.

36. 9 Grain offerings and drink offerings are
cut off from the house of the LORD. The
priests are in mourning, those who
minister before the LORD. 10 The fields
are ruined, the ground is dried up; the
grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried
up, the oil fails.
Verse 10 tells us that everything mankind
depends on for life will be destroyed.

37. Frustration will be at an all time high
because nothing man can do will make
the land produce. All will be dried up and
laid bare. We are big on „having plenty‟,
but God‟s judgment will bring about a lack
of everything man needs to survive. The
rat race of today will turn into a rat killing
of global proportions as the human race
wars over things which are believed to be
important.

38. 11 Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine
growers; grieve for the wheat and the
barley, because the harvest of the field is
destroyed. 12 The vine is dried up and the
fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the
palm and the apple tree—all the trees of
the field—are dried up. Surely the joy of
mankind is withered away.

39. Verses 11,12 gives us a picture of a
drought which perplexes the farmers.
They plan for a big harvest and for things
to go on as normal while God‟s judgment
brings other plans. There will be a food
shortage which makes any food shortage
of today pale in comparison.

40. God removes His hand of blessings and
when HIS hand of blessing is removed
nothing will bloom or blossom, so all plans
will be laid waste. Perhaps this picture is
why Jesus told us to not make plans that
we couldn‟t make good.

41. Surely the joy of mankind is withered
away. The last line of verse 12 is
staggering. To think that laughter will be
gone as will peace, hope, happiness, and
love. Think about it this way; today in
America more people have more „things‟
than ever before. We are basically a
wealthy people. Yet, we are a miserable
people.

42. Deep friendships are at a premium, lasting
relationships are all but non-existent, and
the culprit is that in our search for
happiness we have abandoned true inner
„joy.‟ Joy is a fruit of the Spirit!

43. Since more time has been placed on the
“I” in this culture, the Holy Spirit has been
summarily dismissed. In principle, this is
what happens with God‟s judgment; joy is
removed along with the Holy Spirit of God.

44. Let‟s read again verses 13-15. To read this
is to understand that the coming judgment
requires a response from us.
13 Put on sackcloth, O priests, and
mourn; wail, you who minister before the
altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
you who minister before my God; for the
grain offerings and drink offerings are
withheld from the house of your God.

45. REMEMBER
We must remember who God is and who
we are.
We are God‟s creation, His crown
creation. If we have a relationship with
Him through His Son, we have cause to
remember much more. Psalm 137 has a
picture of remembrance. 137:1 NIV By the
rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when
we remembered Zion.

46. If you are a believer today, give thought
not to the place but to the concept of
ZION. For years we have sung, “We‟re
marching to Zion, beautiful Zion. We‟re
marching UPWARD to ZION, that beautiful
city of God.” Zion is the place where we
see, know, and fellowship with the Lord.
As a believer can you remember the time
you were closest to Him?

47. Is it today? Or is it in the past? Remember
when your heart was hottest, when your
fellowship was the closest, and faith was
the strongest. Revelation 2:5 NET
Therefore, remember from what high state
you have fallen and repent! Do the deeds
you did at the first; if not, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place
— that is, if you do not repent.

48. This is a step that, many times, is
overlooked today. Why is it that I have
fallen away from sweet fellowship with my
Heavenly Father? Is it because what
someone else has done to me? Is it
because God loves me less, pursues me
less, or am I simply less valuable to Him
today than when we first met? Please do
not miss this truth: God went nowhere; He
hasn‟t moved away one step.

49. When you say, “God seems so far away,”
who moved? What caused it and when
was it that you moved away? This requires
an honest self-examination & self
examinations can be painful particularly if
done under the watchful eye of the Holy
Scripture and the Holy Spirit.

50. The promise of judgment on this world
calls us to remember, reflect, and then (as
is stated in Revelation 2 and displayed in
Joel 1) repent. Look at all the words which
display the need and action of repentance;
sackcloth, lament, the altar, and offerings.
The people were being called to become
broken enough to have a change of mind,
direction, and heart.

51. If I am not as close to God today as I was
yesterday, then it is my fault and I need to
come before God and repent. The initial
call of John the Baptist, Jesus, and even
Peter at Pentecost was “Repent.”

52. Without repentance there is no renewal,
refreshing, &/or regeneration. There is no
heaven on the horizon, there is no Zion to
look for, & there is no hope for tomorrow.
Repentance is an essential ingredient & is
a call of judgment.

53. 14 Declare a holy fast; call a sacred
assembly. Summon the elders and all who
live in the land to the house of the LORD
your God, and cry out to the LORD.
Just like the Father in Luke 15 was
praying, “Boy, come home” so the
Heavenly Father invites us home.

54. 15 Alas for that day! For the day of the
LORD is near; it will come like destruction
from the Almighty.
In verse 15 we read that the Day of the
Lord is near (next weeks message), and
we need to be close to the Father.
Judgment is coming, like it or not.

55. Revelation 20:12 NET And I saw the dead,
the great and the small, standing before
the throne. Then books were opened, and
another book was opened — the book of
life. So the dead were judged by what was
written in the books, according to their
deeds.

56. Judgment is calling, like it or not. It is
calling sinners to come home, it is calling
the lukewarm to get close to the fire of the
Holy Spirit, and it is calling the carnal to
return before it‟s too late.
What will you do?