Chapter 1 of Joel is broken up into three parts: a call to attention (or remembrance), a call to repentance, and an act of repentance.

In the first four verses we have the call to attention, which in this case is more of a call to remember a tragic event. This event was an invasion of locust. Locust, if you are not familiar with them, are an extremely destructive insect that strips bare pretty much anything green. It seems he is saying don’t forget this, and wake up. This waking up is a call to repentance and we see it mainly in verses 5-14.

Here we have Joel telling the drunkard to weep and wail, because the wine is now cut off from their mouth. He calls the priests to mourn, because the grain and drink offerings are cut off. Joel goes on to say similar things to the farmers and vinedressers. He is telling them to lament what is happening (to be deeply sorrowful), and in verse 14 he calls them to repentance. He tells them to assemble and fast, and to cry out to the Lord.

Joel says to do this because, “For the day of the Lord is near.” He is now proclaiming a coming day of destruction, and he wants Israel to be prepared for that coming day. After he goes into a little detail we see Joel cry out to the Lord in lament and repentance.

This is a pattern that I believe we as the church should recognize, not as we see problems and bad things happen to our country, but in the church. When bad things happen in churches we should see why they did, repent and lament over them, and in that repentance turn away from sin and back to the Lord. For the Day of the Lord is coming, and it is going to be quite the day and the wheat and the tares will be separated, and let us be ones that hear “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Thanks for reading,

Pastor Josh