Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
JOEL 2
An Army of Locusts
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy hill.
Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is close at hand—
2 a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Before them fire devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
behind them, a desert waste—
nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses;
they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;
every face turns pale.
7 They charge like warriors;
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,
not swerving from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;
like thieves they enter through the windows.
10 Before them the earth shakes,
the heavens tremble,
the sun and moon are darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
11 The Lord thunders
at the head of his army;
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?
Rend Your Heart
12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.
16 Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,
weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
The Lord’s Answer
18 Then the Lord was jealous for his land
and took pity on his people.
19 The Lord replied to them:
“I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,
enough to satisfy you fully;
never again will I make you
an object of scorn to the nations.
20 “I will drive the northern horde far from you,
pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench will go up;
its smell will rise.”
Surely he has done great things!
21 Do not be afraid, land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.
Surely the Lord has done great things!
22 Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.
He sends you abundant showers,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm—
my great army that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.
The Day of the Lord
28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.
Application Notes
2:1-27 This passage continues to describe the devastating effects of the locust plague (see 2:25). The sounding trumpet showed that the crisis was at hand. However, Joel emphasized that the locust plague would be only the forerunner of an even greater crisis if the people didn't turn from their sins. Joel drew on the imagery of invading warhorses and well-organized armies to show how shocking it would be (2:1-11).
2:2-3 The Garden of Eden was Adam and Eve's first home (Genesis 2:8). Known for its beauty, here it is used as a comparison for the beauty of the land prior to the devastation. The darkness and thick clouds portray God’s powerful presence descending upon the land in judgment.
2:12-13 God told the people to turn to him while there was still time. Destruction would soon be upon them. Time will also run out for us one day. Because we don't know when our lives will end, we should seize the opportunity to turn to God and serve him now, while we can. Don't let comfort, prosperity, or self-reliance hold you back from turning to him.
2:13 Deep remorse would often be shown by tearing (“rending”) one's clothes. The prophets used many graphic pictures to show how people should prepare their hearts to repent and return to God. They tell us to (1) give our hearts over to God's control {2:12); (2) change (circumcise) our hearts by turning away from sin (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4); (3) plow up our hearts like hard ground about to be planted (Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:12); and (4) wash our hearts (Jeremiah 4:14). God doesn't want an outward display of-remorse without true inward repentance and a complete change of heart (1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 23:27-28). Align your attitude to God's character. Outward actions or rituals aren't enough; only real heart change will give you a genuine relationship with God. (For more on inward repentance and obedience, see the chart on page 1448.)
2:18 Here Joel reached a turning point, moving from prophesying about an outpouring of God's judgment to prophesying about an outpouring of God's forgiveness and blessing. But this would come only when the people began to live as God wanted them to, giving up their sins. When we repent, we receive hope. This section of Joel's prophecy feeds that hope. Without it, Joel's prophecy could bring only despair. This promise of forgiveness should have encouraged the people to repent, and it should prompt us to repent as well.
2:20 Joel foresaw the invasion from the north by the armies of Assyria and Babylon, typified by the locusts.
2:21 Joel contrasts the fear of God's judgment (2:1) with the joy of God's intervention (2:21). The Lord would restore the land and the animals (2:22). On the Day of the Lord, sin will bring judgment, but God's forgiveness will bring rejoicing. If you haven't repented of your sins, let God intervene in your life. Then you will be able to rejoice in that day because you will have nothing to fear. God's rule and restoration will be complete. In the meantime, we must remember that God does not promise that all his followers will have carefree lives now. When God pardons us, he restores our relationship with him, but this does not guarantee us individual wealth and comfort. Instead, God promises to meet our deepest needs by loving us, forgiving us, giving us purpose in life, and providing us with a caring and encouraging Christian community.
2:25 The promise that God would restore to his people all that the locusts had taken refers to the land and food. But God can restore to us what the ravages of sin and circumstances have taken. When you become a Christian, your past is forgiven, and together with Jesus you begin writing new chapters in your life story. God can overcome the pain and loss of divorce, financial misfortune, addiction, and bad choices. He desires to heal and restore you today. He can give back the joy of those years you have lost.
2:28-32 The apostle Peter quoted this passage (see Acts 2:16-21)-the outpouring of the Spirit predicted by Joel-in his sermon at Pentecost. While in the past God's Spirit seemed available to kings, prophets, and judges in specific places and at specific times, Joel envisioned a time when the Spirit would be available to every believer all the time. Ezekiel also spoke of an outpouring of the Spirit (Ezekiel 39:28-29). God willingly pours out his Spirit now to anyone who calls on him (Joel 2:32). No one is excluded. This applies to men and women, young and old, and people of any status in life.
2:30 These wonders would give a hint or a picture concerning a coming event As Luke reported in the book of Acts, the wonders ended up taking many forms when the Holy Spirit was given to everyone: The apostles spoke in foreign languages (Acts 2:7-12), healed people (Acts 3:4-8), traveled miraculously (Acts 8:34-40), and were part of supernatural events that fueled their faith (Acts 12:6-12).
2:31-32 The “day of the Lord” here refers to God's appointed time to judge the nations (see the note on 1:15). Judgment and mercy go hand in hand. Joel had said that if the people would repent, the Lord would save them from judgment (2:12-14). Therefore, in this day of judgment and catastrophe, some will be saved. God's intention is not to destroy but to heal and to save. We must accept his offer of salvation, however, or we will certainly perish with the unrepentant. Every person who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:31).
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)