Joel 1

Joel 1 introduces the prophet's call to recognize the devastation caused by a locust plague, which serves as both a literal disaster and a symbolic representation of spiritual desolation. Through vivid imagery, Joel warns the people about the consequences of their unfaithfulness and calls them to repentance. The chapter highlights the urgency of turning back to God through fasting, prayer, and mourning as the only way to find restoration and hope in the face of judgment.

Joel 1:1 (NKJV)
1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

Joel introduces himself as the prophet through whom the Lord's message is delivered. By referencing his father, Pethuel, Joel roots his message in a specific historical and personal context, emphasizing the divine authority and authenticity of the prophecy.

Joel 1:2-3 (NKJV)
2 Hear this, you elders,
And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!
Has anything like this happened in your days,
Or even in the days of your fathers?
3 Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation.

Joel begins with a call for the elders and all the people to pay attention to the unprecedented nature of the disaster. The plague is so severe that it must be remembered and passed down to future generations, serving as a lasting testimony of God's judgment and a reminder of the need for repentance.

Joel 1:4 (NKJV)
4 What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten;
What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten;
And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.

This verse describes the total devastation brought by successive waves of locusts, symbolizing complete destruction. Each type of locust represents a different stage of ruin, leaving the land utterly barren and underscoring the severity of the judgment.

Joel 1:5-7 (NKJV)
5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep;
And wail, all you drinkers of wine,
Because of the new wine,
For it has been cut off from your mouth.
6 For a nation has come up against My land,
Strong, and without number;
His teeth are the teeth of a lion,
And he has the fangs of a fierce lion.
7 He has laid waste My vine,
And ruined My fig tree;
He has stripped it bare and thrown it away;
Its branches are made white.

Joel calls the drunkards to wake from their stupor and mourn the loss of wine, a symbol of joy and abundance, as the locust plague has destroyed the vineyards. The locusts are likened to a fierce and unstoppable army, devastating everything in their path, stripping the land of its productivity and beauty.

Joel 1:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth
For the husband of her youth.
9 The grain offering and the drink offering
Have been cut off from the house of the Lord;
The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.
10 The field is wasted,
The land mourns;
For the grain is ruined,
The new wine is dried up,
The oil fails.

The destruction is so profound that Joel compares it to the deep grief of a young widow mourning her husband. Even the worship of God is disrupted, as there are no offerings to bring to the temple due to the ruined crops. This shows how the physical devastation affects every aspect of life, including spiritual practices.

Joel 1:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Be ashamed, you farmers,
Wail, you vinedressers,
For the wheat and the barley;
Because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 The vine has dried up,
And the fig tree has withered;
The pomegranate tree,
The palm tree also,
And the apple tree—
All the trees of the field are withered;
Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.

Joel addresses the farmers and vinedressers directly, urging them to mourn over the loss of their livelihood. The destruction of crops and fruit trees symbolizes not only economic collapse but also the loss of joy and vitality among the people.

Joel 1:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Gird yourselves and lament, you priests;
Wail, you who minister before the altar;
Come, lie all night in sackcloth,
You who minister to my God;
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord.

Joel calls the priests to lead the nation in repentance through fasting, prayer, and lamentation. He urges them to consecrate a sacred assembly, bringing together all the people to seek God’s mercy. This reflects the urgency of collective repentance as the only solution to the crisis.

Joel 1:15 (NKJV)
15 Alas for the day!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.

The locust plague is seen as a precursor to the greater judgment of the Day of the Lord, a time of divine intervention that brings destruction to the unfaithful. This verse underscores the need for immediate repentance in light of the coming judgment.

Joel 1:16-18 (NKJV)
16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes,
Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 The seed shrivels under the clods,
Storehouses are in shambles;
Barns are broken down,
For the grain has withered.
18 How the animals groan!
The herds of cattle are restless,
Because they have no pasture;
Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.

Joel describes the widespread suffering caused by the locust plague, affecting not only humans but also animals. The absence of food and pasture reflects the total desolation of the land, emphasizing the severity of the crisis and the urgency of seeking God’s intervention.

Joel 1:19-20 (NKJV)
19 O Lord, to You I cry out;
For fire has devoured the open pastures,
And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.
20 The beasts of the field also cry out to You,
For the water brooks are dried up,
And fire has devoured the open pastures.

Joel concludes the chapter with a personal and communal cry to God, acknowledging that only He can bring relief from the destruction. The imagery of fire consuming the land may symbolize the severity of the drought or the overarching judgment of God. Even the animals are portrayed as crying out to God, underscoring the desperate need for divine mercy and restoration.