1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,200 It's good to be here this morning with you and it's an 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,100 honor to be your speaker and I hope that what we have to 3 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:10,900 consider for a little while. In our study, this morning will 4 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:13,300 be helpful to you in understanding. 5 00:00:13,300 --> 00:00:17,500 Just a little more of one of the Minor Prophets of God that spoke 6 00:00:17,500 --> 00:00:21,000 so long ago. And that is the prophet Joel. 7 00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:24,700 We're going to discuss Joe beginning in chapter 1 and verse 8 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:28,800 1, though, we will not go verse by verse through the text as a 9 00:00:28,808 --> 00:00:31,700 chapter study. We'll try to narrate the best 10 00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:34,300 way that we know how to get through some of the things that 11 00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:38,300 are given there and outlined there and some lessons that we 12 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:40,700 can learn. Also going all the way through 13 00:00:40,700 --> 00:00:45,700 to chapter 2 and verse 27, where this entire text could be 14 00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:49,000 considered the day of the Lord, as a text. 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,700 Though, this morning I've chosen Joel the second chapter and 16 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:57,200 we'll read the first 11 verses to suffice for our introductory 17 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:02,000 remarks this morning, Joel chapter 2, Beginning in verse 1. 18 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,400 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my Holy 19 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,100 Mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble 20 00:01:11,100 --> 00:01:15,900 for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand a day of 21 00:01:15,900 --> 00:01:21,000 darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick Darkness as the 22 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,300 morning spread upon the mountains, a great people and a 23 00:01:24,308 --> 00:01:27,200 strong there hath. Not been ever. 24 00:01:27,300 --> 00:01:31,500 The like neither shall be anymore after it even to the 25 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:34,700 years of many. Many generations of fire 26 00:01:34,700 --> 00:01:39,100 devoureth before them and behind them, a flame bernath. 27 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:43,600 The land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind 28 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:48,200 them, a desolate Wilderness, yay and nothing shall Escape them. 29 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,900 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses and as 30 00:01:52,900 --> 00:01:56,000 Horsemen. So shall they rhyme like the 31 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,900 noise of Chariots on the tops of mountains, shall they leap like 32 00:01:59,900 --> 00:02:04,200 the noise of a flame of fire that Well, worth the stubble as 33 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,300 a strong people set in battle array before their face. 34 00:02:08,300 --> 00:02:11,400 The people shall be much pained. All faces. 35 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,200 Shall Gather. Blackness, they shall run like 36 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,600 Mighty Men. They shall climb the wall like 37 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,500 Men of War, and they shall March everyone on his ways and they 38 00:02:21,500 --> 00:02:25,200 shall not break their ranks. Neither shall one thrust, 39 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,000 another. They shall walk everyone in his 40 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,200 path. And when they fall upon the 41 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:34,800 sword, they shall not be Added they shall run to and fro in the 42 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,500 city they shall run upon the wall. 43 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:39,700 They shall climb upon the houses. 44 00:02:39,900 --> 00:02:44,300 They shall enter into the Windows like a thief, the Earth 45 00:02:44,300 --> 00:02:47,200 shall Quake before them the heaven shall tremble. 46 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,900 The sun, and the moon shall be darkened, and the Stars shall 47 00:02:50,900 --> 00:02:54,700 withdraw their shining. And the Lord shall utter his 48 00:02:54,700 --> 00:02:58,800 voice before his army, for his Camp, is very great for. 49 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,500 He is strong, that executed his word for the day of the We're 50 00:03:02,500 --> 00:03:07,800 just great and very terrible, and who can abide it correctly? 51 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,900 Read, reach. The first 11 verses of Joel 52 00:03:10,900 --> 00:03:14,000 chapter 2. But what was he talking about? 53 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:18,100 And what lessons, can we glean from these words will discuss 54 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:20,300 that in great detail or just a few moments. 55 00:03:20,500 --> 00:03:23,300 But before we do we have a wonderful privilege and we've 56 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:26,800 chosen this time in our worship to go before the god of heaven 57 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,400 and prayer. He hears us today and we would 58 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,000 ask all that wood to humble yourself in a manner that you 59 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,000 see. 'If it while our brother directs 60 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:39,000 our minds at this time like many other of the prophets of God. 61 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:43,200 We know very little in fact about the man that wrote this 62 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,200 book that's before us today. We know nothing except that he 63 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,400 was as verse 1 of chapter one, would indicate the son of petty. 64 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,100 Well, his name in Hebrew yoel is signifying. 65 00:03:56,100 --> 00:04:00,700 Jehovah is God. Also the date of this book is as 66 00:04:00,700 --> 00:04:05,400 conjectural as the Type of this man himself and it's variously 67 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:12,500 placed as early as 900 BC. And as late as 400 BC in study 68 00:04:12,500 --> 00:04:15,300 of this though, I believe that the earlier date is probably 69 00:04:15,300 --> 00:04:19,600 when it was written making it s in succession to the Minor 70 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,900 Prophets where Obadiah, that we've already discussed and 71 00:04:22,900 --> 00:04:27,600 taught on was first and for our study, we will place this 72 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,100 writing in about the year 830 BC. 73 00:04:31,100 --> 00:04:35,200 The Point before us today, though, is this that though the 74 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,300 date of its composition, may be uncertain and beyond our ability 75 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:42,500 to determine for sure. The message of the book is 76 00:04:42,500 --> 00:04:47,500 Immortal and Timeless and it can teach you and I today as it did 77 00:04:47,500 --> 00:04:50,600 when it was spoken so long ago, there are. 78 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,200 But two main divisions in the Book of Joel, It's found there 79 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:59,400 in Joel about three chapters and we find that 37 versus where the 80 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,900 Prophet Joel is doing the speaking. 81 00:05:02,300 --> 00:05:05,900 When he does he describes most graphically in the first 82 00:05:05,900 --> 00:05:08,300 instance. A plague of locusts accompanied 83 00:05:08,300 --> 00:05:12,400 by drought and closing with the earnest, exhortation to 84 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,600 repentance. Finally, though the latter 36 85 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,600 verses of the Book of Joel is where God speaks and when he 86 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,500 does he announces in solemn language, the final Doom of 87 00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:27,800 Israel's foes and closes with the description of the Glorious 88 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,500 victory of the people of God. And so, to sum it up today, Day. 89 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,600 We find that the first half of the book begins in gloom and 90 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:41,500 closes in light and the second one begins in judgment and ends 91 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:45,200 in Victory somebo have broken down the book into three 92 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,600 sections in the first section would be how the Locust plague 93 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:53,700 and drought called the people to repentance the second section, 94 00:05:53,700 --> 00:05:58,300 which would cover chapter 2 and verse 28 down to chapter 3 and 95 00:05:58,300 --> 00:06:02,100 verse 16, where we find that the day of the Lord Harold. 96 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:06,100 By the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and thirdly and finally 97 00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:09,500 going all the way down and covering the period from that 98 00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:13,300 point forward to the last verse of the Book of Joel, The 99 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:16,900 Glorious future of Judah and Jerusalem and what that 100 00:06:16,900 --> 00:06:21,600 represents to us today. Mr. Robinson in his book, on the 101 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,400 Twelve, Minor Prophets said this. 102 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,500 There is, but one great thought, which constitutes the prophets 103 00:06:27,500 --> 00:06:31,600 entire message and therefore one might rightfully label it. 104 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:36,200 The Parable of locusts. And what that teaches us today 105 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,500 there are three basic interpretations about these 106 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:41,900 locusts. For example, what was Joel 107 00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:44,400 referring to were these literal locusts? 108 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,400 And when he describes the destruction, was that a picture 109 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:51,100 or a type of something else? Or was he speaking something 110 00:06:51,100 --> 00:06:55,300 that was literal historical and actual? 111 00:06:55,300 --> 00:06:58,500 Well, let me just tell you. The three basic interpretations 112 00:06:58,500 --> 00:07:02,700 of the Locust are these. Number one, there is the Oracle 113 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:05,900 and that's just a fancy word for figurative. 114 00:07:05,900 --> 00:07:09,800 Like this was an allegory of something else, an allegorical 115 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,200 interpretation of this would interpret the Locust as a symbol 116 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,400 of the Hostile. Armies of world powers that are 117 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,900 to attack Israel in successive. Invasions the second? 118 00:07:21,900 --> 00:07:24,700 Interpretation is the apocalyptic one. 119 00:07:24,900 --> 00:07:29,200 And that theory is that Joe uses the Locust as an apocalyptic 120 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,100 device to give us an accurate description. 121 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:37,100 One of the last days when host of unearthly Warriors shall come 122 00:07:37,100 --> 00:07:41,700 in battle array, as evidenced in Revelation 9 and thirdly saying 123 00:07:41,700 --> 00:07:45,100 all that will focus on the one that I believe beyond a shadow 124 00:07:45,100 --> 00:07:48,500 of a doubt is the proper interpretation that is the 125 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:53,000 actual or historical interpretation and in so doing 126 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,400 we understand that Joel pictures Locus that were real. 127 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,200 He sees them swarming upon the people of God and he sees them 128 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,900 swarming upon Vegetation and devouring it in the land. 129 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,500 So without a doubt, I believe in will teach it as such that it 130 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:12,700 was actual literal and historical. 131 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:17,200 And now we begin, as we begin chapter 1 and verse one, and 132 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,200 I'll just narrate some of these things to you. 133 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,600 The book begins with the word of the Lord, coming to Joel and 134 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:27,800 said, here you elders and all the inhabitants of the land. 135 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,400 He's going to picture something like this. 136 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,400 He said, there's nothing. Being in your lifetime that has 137 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,900 ever been like, what we are going to describe in the next 138 00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:41,600 few verses of scripture, there's nothing in your lifetime that 139 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,100 you have ever seen. That's as devastating as what he 140 00:08:45,100 --> 00:08:49,100 is going to picture and what's happening to the people of God 141 00:08:49,100 --> 00:08:52,400 and their land. He says, it's not only something 142 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,300 that's not happened in your lifetime but it's so 143 00:08:55,300 --> 00:08:58,800 devastating. It has not even happened in the 144 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:04,500 lifetime of your ancestors. Your And so on, it's going to be 145 00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:07,700 such a horrible thing that you're going to pass down. 146 00:09:07,700 --> 00:09:11,500 All the evidences of things that have happened to your children 147 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:13,400 and those children. It's going to be. 148 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,100 So devastating, they'll tell their children and their 149 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:21,700 children yet another generation. Besides, we'll talk about this. 150 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:25,300 Horrible thing, they're scourge of locusts. 151 00:09:25,500 --> 00:09:28,400 Notice the description that Joe uses, and I'm going to borrow 152 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:33,100 another translation in verse 4 and discussed with you from the 153 00:09:33,100 --> 00:09:35,900 new King James version. I think it might be, you may 154 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:38,800 know what a Palmer worm and a cankerworm is maybe you do and I 155 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,200 just don't, but I did. So I looked up another 156 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,300 translation and this makes a little more sense to me in verse 157 00:09:44,300 --> 00:09:47,000 4. This is what it says, what the 158 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,700 chewing Locust have left. The swarming Locust has eaten, 159 00:09:52,100 --> 00:09:56,500 what the swarming Locust left? The crawling Locust has eaten. 160 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:01,700 And what the crawling Locust left, the consuming Locust has 161 00:10:01,700 --> 00:10:04,200 eaten But what's he talking about? 162 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,500 You know, when we discuss the stages of development of a 163 00:10:07,500 --> 00:10:11,400 locust, now we can understand and here they are a crawling 164 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,600 Locust. They were the hatchlings and the 165 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:19,800 hatchlings consumed the tender ground vegetation, then they 166 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,000 would grow. And then you would have the next 167 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,000 stage, which was the consuming Locust and the consuming locusts 168 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,700 were The Hoppers and they completed the tender vegetation 169 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:32,100 or the destruction of those things. 170 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,500 Thirdly, there's the chewing Locust, and they were the winged 171 00:10:35,500 --> 00:10:38,100 Hoppers, and they attacked the branches. 172 00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:42,300 And finally, the full grown Locust, they were the swarming 173 00:10:42,300 --> 00:10:44,600 Locust. They were the mature ones. 174 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,300 And they stripped even the bark of the trees and made them, 175 00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:52,900 white, and Joe Begins by naming the luxuries of life. 176 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,800 And then he proceeds to the essentials of life that all is 177 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,300 going to be affected. He says, the words like this. 178 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:05,500 He says, to all you drunk. He says, Wake out of your stupor 179 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:09,900 because the source of your drink has now been cut off. 180 00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:13,100 I think it's rather interesting. What Joe does here he's 181 00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:16,200 picturing. First of all the luxuries you 182 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,300 know there are luxuries in our life that we enjoy and we might 183 00:11:20,300 --> 00:11:23,400 lose luxuries in our life that we may miss them. 184 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,000 We may really want them. We made crave them, we may even 185 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,600 long for them and be very sorrowful when we don't have 186 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:35,000 them any longer. But it's even worse when the 187 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,100 essentials or the Necessities that we have in this life are 188 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:44,400 taken away and Joe is picturing something very, very significant 189 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:48,500 that we need not to hurry past. He's picturing both are 190 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:54,000 destroyed, the luxuries are destroyed and the essentials are 191 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,200 also destroyed. Now let's go back to the phrase 192 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:02,400 as he speaking to the drunkards you know the Bible speaks of new 193 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,500 one. And there is new wine and there 194 00:12:05,500 --> 00:12:08,200 is sweet, wine. Interestingly, there's a 195 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,500 difference. The new wine and we'll just go 196 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:13,100 forward in time. If this was written in about 800 197 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:16,100 30 BC. Let's go forward in time to a d 198 00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:19,300 33 and this is the last time will reference the book of Acts 199 00:12:19,300 --> 00:12:23,300 until next time when we talk about this prophet of Pentecost. 200 00:12:23,300 --> 00:12:26,400 But let me just say this, you remember, when the Holy Spirit 201 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,900 had came to the apostles and they were preaching what Jesus 202 00:12:29,900 --> 00:12:32,500 said, they would preach where they would preach repentance. 203 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:36,200 Audience and remission of sins. They were in Jerusalem and they 204 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,300 were preaching that very first gospel. 205 00:12:38,300 --> 00:12:41,700 Sermon you remember what they said when they were speaking and 206 00:12:41,700 --> 00:12:44,700 those that were listening were Hearing in their own native 207 00:12:44,700 --> 00:12:50,000 tongue or language. Somebody said these men are full 208 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:54,700 of new wine. But the response was these men 209 00:12:54,700 --> 00:12:59,700 are not drunken as you suppose for it is, but the third hour of 210 00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:02,500 the day, it's 9:00 in the morning. 211 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:06,800 Oh and how absurd it is to say that these men are drunk by 212 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:12,100 partaking of new while. And finally, what was said, is 213 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:16,300 this not only are they not drunk as you suppose not only is it 214 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:20,600 absurd to assume so at 9 a.m., but what they're speaking, is 215 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,900 the words of the Prophet Joel. Now we'll go back in time now to 216 00:13:24,900 --> 00:13:27,600 where we are. There's something else that was 217 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:30,100 cut off, too. And that is the sweet wine. 218 00:13:30,700 --> 00:13:33,900 The sweet wine is the tender juice of the grape. 219 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:38,000 That's an essential that is something that is necessary, 220 00:13:38,100 --> 00:13:40,900 that is something that we all enjoy. 221 00:13:41,500 --> 00:13:45,200 And so, after Joel passes from the plight of the wine drinkers, 222 00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:49,800 he now calls upon the priest to mourn and lament because the 223 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,700 offerings of worship were cut off. 224 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,500 You know, there's a great need here and there's a great 225 00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:58,200 picture. Of how they needed to be ever so 226 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,600 sorrowful. And the priest should lead the 227 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:05,100 charge in being remorseful and mourning and lamenting and 228 00:14:05,100 --> 00:14:07,200 repentance. By the way, is going to be 229 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,400 described very, very specifically and very 230 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,300 graphically on how they must do it. 231 00:14:13,500 --> 00:14:17,200 But you know, what, not only is he saying that the good things 232 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,300 that you enjoy in this life, to the flesh, not only the 233 00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:23,300 essentials, but there's something even greater you need 234 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:25,800 to mourn. All the people needs to be 235 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:26,600 sorrowful. Oil. 236 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:31,000 Because now even the items that you can take in worship to God, 237 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,900 have been destroyed and there's nothing to bring before him. 238 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:41,500 He tells them to grieve like a virgin in sackcloth who has lost 239 00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:46,400 her husband in battle that she was betrothed to from her youth. 240 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:48,400 You know. I can't really picture this. 241 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:53,600 We don't have but Robles and so on today but picture this You 242 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,800 have a young lady and there's a young man and she's been 243 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:02,100 betrothed to that man. All the way back in time since 244 00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:04,000 she was a little tiny, little girl. 245 00:15:04,900 --> 00:15:08,100 And so that would be the man that she would spend the rest of 246 00:15:08,100 --> 00:15:11,500 her life with Joel is picturing it like this. 247 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:16,400 Can you imagine how it would be, if that young man that you've 248 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,600 been betrothed to that husband of yours goes out into battle 249 00:15:20,700 --> 00:15:25,200 and loses his life can You imagine the morning of that 250 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,700 young lady. Oh, how awful that would be, you 251 00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:32,500 know, I can't fathom that we have some that do understand 252 00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:36,100 that, what it's like to lose your spouse when you're young, 253 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,500 how awful that is. We can't picture anything that 254 00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:42,500 is worse than that. You know, when we look at that, 255 00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:44,400 we look at our families. I think that'd be the worst 256 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,500 thing. The worst thought of all and 257 00:15:46,500 --> 00:15:49,300 thinking about something like that is that you would be 258 00:15:49,300 --> 00:15:53,200 leaving them and they would be alone, they'd be alone in this. 259 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:55,900 World without you and how awful that would be. 260 00:15:56,900 --> 00:15:59,800 Oh, that's the picture Joel is using here. 261 00:16:00,100 --> 00:16:05,800 He said you repent in sackcloth, you mourn in sackcloth you mourn 262 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:10,400 in such a way that you are so sorrowful and you do it like a 263 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,400 young lady that lost her, betrothed, husband in battle, 264 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,600 and now she's all alone, the grief of the people is great, 265 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,500 because the Invaders affect their very worship, especially 266 00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:26,400 the great anguish of the Reese, the fields are now left bare. 267 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,800 There is no grain Vineyards are stripped, and therefore, there's 268 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:35,400 no new wine, the olive trees are barked and therefore, there's no 269 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:40,200 olive oil, which is essential as food for all the husbandman, 270 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:44,500 along with the vinedressers are called upon to join the priest 271 00:16:44,500 --> 00:16:50,700 in mourning, for all share alike in this desolation, and with 272 00:16:50,700 --> 00:16:53,100 grain and all manner of fruit, that's cut off. 273 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:58,300 The joy of fullness has now vanished and hopelessness 274 00:16:58,300 --> 00:17:04,000 overwhelms, all strata of society, but you know, this 275 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,900 graphic very graphic description of the invasion of these locusts 276 00:17:08,099 --> 00:17:11,800 and the devastation of their land is followed by a call to 277 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,800 repentance and fasting before the Lord and rightfully. 278 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:20,700 So who was to lead the charge who was to set this example on 279 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:25,000 true repentance and so on. And Saying it was the priests. 280 00:17:25,099 --> 00:17:29,000 It was the Ministers of God, the server's of God, and they were 281 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,700 to gird themselves. Get this. 282 00:17:30,700 --> 00:17:36,700 Now, they were to gird themself with sackcloth and lie all night 283 00:17:36,700 --> 00:17:40,200 before the altar, they were to lament and mourn. 284 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:44,700 The nation's condition. Notice this though, If you 285 00:17:44,700 --> 00:17:49,300 didn't know which sack cloth is sack cloth, was a course, Harry 286 00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:54,700 material very uncomfortable to the skin but it was it was worn 287 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,500 next to the skin as symbolic of the misery of the soul of an 288 00:17:59,500 --> 00:18:02,600 individual. So when they were in misery, 289 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:06,400 they would wrap them self in sackcloth, and that's what he's 290 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,100 saying. He says, you people of God, you 291 00:18:09,100 --> 00:18:14,100 servers, of God, you priest. Now you Ministers of God, you do 292 00:18:14,300 --> 00:18:18,000 First and you wrap yourself in sackcloth and lay before the 293 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:23,400 altar all night and you mourn because of how the people of 294 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,200 God. Have been all this expression of 295 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,600 humility before God was accompanied also with the solemn 296 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:33,300 fast, they were to call our sacred assembly. 297 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,100 They were to gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the 298 00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:41,400 land, into the house of the Lord, their God, and they were 299 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:46,200 to cry out unto the Lord. You know, this awful Calamity 300 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,800 had come upon the people, as a warning of the day of the Lord, 301 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:52,800 that was to come. And we need to be careful about 302 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:57,500 this phrase, the day of the Lord, it is true that the day of 303 00:18:57,500 --> 00:19:01,500 the Lord signifies or represents things in the future sometimes. 304 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,600 But in other times, it represents things that happened 305 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,900 in there very lifetimes and others would come in a near 306 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,600 future. But the day of the Lord here is 307 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:15,600 not picturing the Judgment Day. This is Picture of something 308 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:19,800 that was to come at the end of time that has never come our way 309 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:23,600 which you and I are waiting that day and incidentally we're going 310 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,200 to find out that because of their repenting that the Lord 311 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,200 lamented and the day of the Lord passed them by. 312 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,700 In other words, the day of the Lord means the Judgment of the 313 00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:38,100 Lord and when the Judgment of the Lord was passed by these 314 00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:42,200 individuals, they were able to have that wonderful relationship 315 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,200 with the great God Of Heaven wants. 316 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,600 Again but let me just say this though, the day of the Lord, the 317 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,800 judgement day is not going to pass. 318 00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:55,500 That is going to be a day. That's going to be there and you 319 00:19:55,500 --> 00:20:00,600 and I can do nothing to at to have God removes the day of the 320 00:20:00,608 --> 00:20:07,200 Lord, The Judgement Day, all we can do is be prepared but that 321 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:11,000 day is coming. And Jesus Christ, the righteous 322 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:15,300 judge is going to reward those that have done that, which we 323 00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:19,300 have been told to do and those that have lived, contrary to the 324 00:20:19,300 --> 00:20:23,200 word of God, those folks that were not Christians, and living 325 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,600 accordant in accordance with the word of God. 326 00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:30,600 They'll be lost and that will be the Judgment of God upon them. 327 00:20:31,100 --> 00:20:35,600 But in this case, this day is a day of judgment upon the people 328 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,600 of God. And as bad as This calamity is 329 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,100 that he's already Described in chapter 1, it would only 330 00:20:42,100 --> 00:20:47,500 represent partial destruction compared to what was coming and 331 00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:50,200 the prophet Cries Out fervently, to God. 332 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,400 And here are his words and I'll read them exactly. 333 00:20:54,300 --> 00:21:00,000 He says, oh Lord to thee. Will I cry out for the fire hath 334 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000 devoured, the pastures and the Wilderness and the flame hath 335 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,500 burned, all the trees of the field. 336 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,200 The beasts of the field cry. Also want to be for the rivers 337 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:16,000 of waters are dried up and the fire hath devoured, the pastures 338 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,900 of the Wilderness and notice this. 339 00:21:18,900 --> 00:21:23,200 Now as we begin chapter 2, we find that the first warning and 340 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,700 summons to look to God is followed by a more urgent 341 00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:31,800 warning and call to repentance because the day of the Lord is 342 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,600 at hand and they were to blow the trumpets, you know. 343 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,500 Interestingly about blowing. Owing the trumpets blowing of 344 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:42,200 the trumpet was used in Israel. To call the people to the door 345 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,700 of the tent of meeting. It was used to start them on 346 00:21:45,700 --> 00:21:48,800 their Journey. It was used to sound an alarm in 347 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,500 their way and it was used to call them. 348 00:21:51,500 --> 00:21:55,500 Do a holy Convocation at the time of their festivals in 349 00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:58,600 Numbers, chapter 10 and verses 1 through 10. 350 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:03,800 But here, the trumpet, he's used to sound an alarm and the 351 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,400 sounding of the alarm from Zion or by the way, God told him 352 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:11,300 mountain is what it says here in the King James version, God's, 353 00:22:11,300 --> 00:22:14,800 holy mountain. And Zion is the same thing more 354 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,800 on that in just a moment. But the sounding of the trumpet 355 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:22,200 was one of an alarm to call the people of God to Zion. 356 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,600 And it would be a place where they would go and go toward the 357 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:31,100 Fortress of the Lord, because that's the only place that 358 00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:34,700 safety is found. Remember a couple of months ago, 359 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,900 remember the prophet Obadiah? You know, I called that the 360 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:44,300 Judgment of Edom that little sermon Obadiah had the shortest 361 00:22:44,300 --> 00:22:47,300 of all the Minor Prophets and his writings was one chapter 362 00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:51,700 long and he spoke of the destruction of the edomites, 363 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:56,700 those people of Edom, and the edomites were the descendants of 364 00:22:56,700 --> 00:22:59,700 Esau. And you remember as we discussed 365 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:04,500 that, Esau and his brother Jacob were At odds one with the other 366 00:23:04,500 --> 00:23:06,500 even in the womb of their mother. 367 00:23:06,500 --> 00:23:09,300 Rebecca, they were at odds, one with the other. 368 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:13,700 We also know of a day when Esau came and saw his brother who had 369 00:23:13,700 --> 00:23:17,200 sod pottage or in other words, he boiled some stuff in a pot, 370 00:23:17,700 --> 00:23:19,500 and here he comes. And he says, give me some of 371 00:23:19,508 --> 00:23:22,600 that red potty. It's that same red pottage I'm 372 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,600 dying here. And we under we know what 373 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,200 happened. Esau sold, his Birthright to 374 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,800 Jacob for a little bit of that pottage. 375 00:23:31,700 --> 00:23:33,600 But he didn't care because he thought he was going to die 376 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,600 anyway but he didn't animosity continued in their life. 377 00:23:38,300 --> 00:23:41,800 That was the day that jokah. Jacob stole the blessing that 378 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,500 was Esau's blessing though, they were at odds with one another 379 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,600 and one day down the stream of time after that they patched and 380 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,300 mended their fences. But their descendants did not. 381 00:23:54,100 --> 00:23:57,700 And the Book of Obadiah is speaking of the Judgment that's 382 00:23:57,700 --> 00:24:02,000 to come upon those of Edom. That it's a horrible thing. 383 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,600 When your brother is in animosity in his life and yet 384 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,100 you stand on the other side, that's what Obadiah said. 385 00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:13,500 You stood, on the other side in The Exodus, they refused passage 386 00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:17,700 of their brother Israel. And they rejoiced in the 387 00:24:17,700 --> 00:24:21,800 Calamity of the other. Although there was going to be 388 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,700 judgment to come some have called, by the way, the book of 389 00:24:24,700 --> 00:24:27,500 Obadiah as the tale of two mounts. 390 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,200 And here's really the point. I said all that to say this 391 00:24:30,900 --> 00:24:34,900 Mount seir or Mount Esau was where destruction was going to 392 00:24:34,900 --> 00:24:38,700 come and the day of the Lord. And that's the first one that I 393 00:24:38,708 --> 00:24:40,900 understand less. I'm incorrect on that. 394 00:24:40,900 --> 00:24:43,800 Obadiah was the first prophet to use the phrase, the day of the 395 00:24:43,808 --> 00:24:47,700 Lord and the day of the Lord was to come on, those edomites or 396 00:24:47,700 --> 00:24:51,200 descendants of Esau and where were those That we're going to 397 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,400 be saved me, they were going to be at Mount Zion. 398 00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:58,600 So one would have to leave Mount seir or mountie saw to get to 399 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:03,700 Mount Zion because in Mount Zion, that's the only place that 400 00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:07,400 man was safe. That's exactly what's pictured 401 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,000 here. You know, we know of Zion today 402 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:17,100 is the church, that's the place where people find rest away from 403 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:20,400 the Judgment of God, that's the only place where safety. 404 00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:25,700 T is found is in Zion and so the trumpet was to be sounded in 405 00:25:25,700 --> 00:25:30,900 Zion and to draw the people of God to that place the day of the 406 00:25:30,900 --> 00:25:35,200 Lord is now described in Vivid and subvert somber terms. 407 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,600 It's a day of darkness and it's a day of gloominess. 408 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,600 It's a day of clouds and thick Darkness says, and then in a 409 00:25:44,608 --> 00:25:47,600 vivid language, he describes the army of locusts. 410 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:53,000 Now, listen to this, they look like the horse with elongated 411 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:59,200 heads and their forward, March, the noise of their coming moving 412 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:04,100 and knowing is described as the rumbling of serious. 413 00:26:04,300 --> 00:26:06,500 Have you ever seen a movie where you have chariots? 414 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,400 We don't know, but chariots very much today unless you have one I 415 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,100 don't know that you do or I certainly don't but if you've 416 00:26:12,100 --> 00:26:16,200 ever seen a movie when they were an army was coming into battle 417 00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:20,200 and the sound of the Chariots with those hard, we I was 418 00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:23,700 against that hard ground and beating against the Rocks. 419 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,300 When there was a whole slew of them as they were moving along. 420 00:26:27,300 --> 00:26:31,900 You can hear the sound of the Chariots from afar off. 421 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:36,400 That's what they heard. That's the sound. 422 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:42,100 Of the northern Army, which is the locus. 423 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:46,200 Notice. Some more about that, you know, 424 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,500 the sinking hearts that they must have felt the anguish 425 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:53,300 expressions and the blood drain faces expressed. 426 00:26:53,300 --> 00:26:56,600 Something of the terror that took hold of the people as they 427 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:01,400 stood, helplessly as they would behold the ruin of their land. 428 00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:05,500 But nothing would deter the onward March of the invasion. 429 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:10,800 Invaders as an army, they march on, they climb the walls, they 430 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:15,400 invade the courts, and they invade the houses of the people 431 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:20,100 notice. They break not their ranks, they 432 00:27:20,100 --> 00:27:24,900 do not interfere with each other, each would fulfill its 433 00:27:24,900 --> 00:27:26,900 Mission. And the prophet. 434 00:27:26,900 --> 00:27:32,200 Joel sees this horde of locusts as the army of God, directed by 435 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,300 him, carrying out his Divine judgment. 436 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:40,500 And as Joe said and who can abide it, it's further a picture 437 00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:44,300 of God's righteous indignation. Also against a people who 438 00:27:44,300 --> 00:27:46,800 apparently had turned to ungodliness. 439 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,900 And wickedness in their life. Oh surely, we can learn a 440 00:27:50,908 --> 00:27:53,300 lesson. Can't we can't we today, we're 441 00:27:53,300 --> 00:27:57,900 talking about something that was written in 830 BC, but can't 442 00:27:57,900 --> 00:28:00,000 you? And I living in the times that 443 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,900 we live in, can't we? Look at this picture that the 444 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:05,500 Bible describes and learn something from that. 445 00:28:06,300 --> 00:28:09,600 God means business, he really does. 446 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:15,700 And let me just say this to In times past, God would interfere 447 00:28:15,700 --> 00:28:19,500 and destroy those that would not serve him or turn their back on 448 00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:23,500 him. But don't think ever that 449 00:28:23,500 --> 00:28:29,200 because God does not stop us in our day from doing that which he 450 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:33,200 absolutely opposed. Don't think that will avoid the 451 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,600 day of the Lord or the Judgment of God. 452 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:41,100 God means business, but there's some wonderful things to that. 453 00:28:41,100 --> 00:28:43,000 We're going to learn it. Just a moment, stay with me. 454 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,300 It's a picture of God's righteous indignation here 455 00:28:46,300 --> 00:28:50,100 against the people who turned to ungodliness and wickedness. 456 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:53,500 And in this more Vivid description description of 457 00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:55,700 judgment. It's followed by a more urgent 458 00:28:55,700 --> 00:28:59,900 call to repent. This is beautiful to me, you 459 00:28:59,900 --> 00:29:02,700 know, we've just painted a very Bleak picture. 460 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:05,200 Haven't we? We've pictured some pretty 461 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:07,300 negative things. We have pictured. 462 00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:12,100 Butter and total Destruction, we have pictured, the Necessities 463 00:29:12,100 --> 00:29:15,800 are taken away and the luxuries in the pleasures are taken away. 464 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,000 We have pictured, something now that is so horrible that the 465 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,800 people of God can no longer worship because there's nothing 466 00:29:22,900 --> 00:29:27,500 to bring to the Lord. And in the picture that Joe 467 00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:30,600 describes of this destruction, you know what's great about 468 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,000 this? It's not too late. 469 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:39,200 That is a picture of God, ladies and gentlemen for all time it is 470 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:44,600 not too late. I don't know about you. 471 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:50,800 But I can't fathom living my life without an opportunity to 472 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,700 start over when I make a mistake. 473 00:29:54,300 --> 00:29:58,000 What if it was that if you made a mistake and you all make them 474 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,600 in? So do I make them all the time? 475 00:30:01,900 --> 00:30:06,700 What if if it was that one mistake, it was too late. 476 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:11,800 But it's not like that. If Will repent, if we will 477 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,700 mourn, if Will cast aside, those things that were enticements to 478 00:30:15,700 --> 00:30:19,200 make us sin, it is never too late. 479 00:30:19,700 --> 00:30:24,800 It will only be too late when God decides to bring it into 480 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,400 this old world. Or it's too late when you draw 481 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:32,600 your very last breath. Now, it's too late, but as long 482 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,400 as this Earth is still standing as long as the great God Of 483 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,000 Heaven is in his heaven, and Jesus is reigning over his 484 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,100 kingdom of the church, and you still have life and breath in 485 00:30:43,100 --> 00:30:46,300 you, it is never too late to change. 486 00:30:47,100 --> 00:30:51,300 That's great. If the people in this text will 487 00:30:51,300 --> 00:30:55,300 turn to God with all our heart of genuine penitents, if they 488 00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:59,300 would come with unfeigned, fasting, and with weeping and 489 00:30:59,300 --> 00:31:03,600 mourning, and notice, if they would Rend the heart and not the 490 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,000 garments, God would be merciful interesting about this. 491 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,600 You know, we've talked about Jesus spoke of these things. 492 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,600 How many times have we spoke of the heart? 493 00:31:14,900 --> 00:31:19,800 How you have to make changes in your life first, in the heart. 494 00:31:20,300 --> 00:31:24,500 And when your heart changes, then everything else changes in 495 00:31:24,500 --> 00:31:27,300 succession? First your heart, then your 496 00:31:27,300 --> 00:31:31,700 actions or your way of life and then your relationship with God. 497 00:31:33,100 --> 00:31:36,700 Joe tells them R in the heart. Don't, just rip the clothes as 498 00:31:36,700 --> 00:31:40,500 an outward. Sign of repentance, you rem the 499 00:31:40,500 --> 00:31:46,000 heart, you change your heart. And when you do that, it's not 500 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,500 too late. God is always demanded a true 501 00:31:49,500 --> 00:31:53,800 and and contrite heart, he always demands that when we 502 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:56,700 repent we must rent the heart. Hear the words of the psalmist. 503 00:31:56,700 --> 00:32:00,300 David please in Psalms 51 and 17. 504 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:05,600 The sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a 505 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:09,800 contrite. Heart o God thou Wilt, not 506 00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:16,500 despise God will not despise a broken and contrite heart? 507 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:18,500 Well, this changes. Change of heart, should be 508 00:32:18,500 --> 00:32:21,700 demonstrated now though by an assembly of the people and a 509 00:32:21,700 --> 00:32:25,200 fervent call upon God. And once again, they were to 510 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,500 blow the trumpet. Not like, they blew it in 511 00:32:27,500 --> 00:32:31,600 Chapter 2 and verse 1, which was a, which was something else as a 512 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,500 alarm, but this was different, blow. 513 00:32:34,500 --> 00:32:39,100 The trumpet in, Zion sanctify, a fast and all the solemn assembly 514 00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:41,900 notice. They were to assemble with the 515 00:32:41,900 --> 00:32:42,800 people. Listen. 516 00:32:44,100 --> 00:32:48,100 We have come together today. As the people of God as 517 00:32:48,100 --> 00:32:51,000 Christians in an undivided assembly. 518 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,700 We know, that's right, according to New Testament teaching. 519 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,900 I just want to see the picture of what Joel says passed on from 520 00:32:59,900 --> 00:33:03,600 the word of the Lord of how they were to assemble when they would 521 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:07,300 repent and REM the heart. Now, it was time to come into a 522 00:33:07,300 --> 00:33:12,700 solemn assembly and to do so, and worship God and fall down 523 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:14,600 before him. And notice, they were 524 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:18,000 demonstrating how their repentant heart had been 525 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,100 changed. What were they to do now? 526 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,700 Okay, now, but you repented now that you've changed called a 527 00:33:23,700 --> 00:33:27,700 solemn assembly, blow the it from Zion and you bring all the 528 00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:30,900 people to that one assembly in that one place. 529 00:33:31,100 --> 00:33:33,100 I just think it's rather interesting and I'll just pass 530 00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:36,000 this on to you. Let's notice who all was going 531 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,100 to be in that one undivided assembly. 532 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,900 It would be the old men. It would be the young children 533 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:47,200 and even the babes at the breast that looks like to me. 534 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:51,500 That's old folks, X Young Folks, and that's babies too, and they 535 00:33:51,500 --> 00:33:55,400 were to come together in that undivided. 536 00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:57,300 I'm doing. Thought that was interesting. 537 00:33:57,300 --> 00:33:59,600 I'm not saying that's binding today, I'm just saying that's a 538 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:03,400 picture of what they were told to do to come into the solemn 539 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,200 assembly, and when they would they'd be led by the priests, 540 00:34:07,300 --> 00:34:09,800 they would be led by the Ministers of God. 541 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:14,199 And they would say, spare your people, O Lord, and get this and 542 00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:17,699 give not by Heritage to reproach that. 543 00:34:17,699 --> 00:34:20,100 The nation should rule over them. 544 00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:23,400 Let me just explain this phrase really quickly before we move 545 00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:25,699 on. In other words, what they were 546 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,699 Going to say, when they would come together in this solemn 547 00:34:28,699 --> 00:34:32,300 assembly, they would say the words that I just read another 548 00:34:32,300 --> 00:34:36,500 words unless the people would repent at the present locusts 549 00:34:36,500 --> 00:34:39,000 judgment. There would follow a more 550 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:43,100 serious judgment, which would be Invasion by Heathen Nations. 551 00:34:43,199 --> 00:34:47,000 And the Heathen nations would then rule over the people of 552 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,500 God. So they were to cry this out to 553 00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:54,400 God and say, listen, And and cry out to God because if they 554 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:58,000 didn't repent and they would continue in that because of the 555 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,300 destruction that God cast down on them. 556 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,200 Heathen nations are going to come against him. 557 00:35:02,300 --> 00:35:05,800 Heathen nations are now going to rule and Reign Over the people 558 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,100 of God and look at what they're going to say. 559 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,600 They're going to say, where's their God now. 560 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:16,700 Oh, where is thy? God, we, as a heathen Nation are 561 00:35:16,700 --> 00:35:21,400 stronger than their God. How horrible that would be. 562 00:35:22,100 --> 00:35:28,100 And so another thing too is they would say that God is unable to 563 00:35:28,100 --> 00:35:31,200 help his own people. That's what they were to say. 564 00:35:31,500 --> 00:35:37,200 When they came together in that solemn assembly, it is implied. 565 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,900 That the people responded to God, in a favorable fashion, 566 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:43,000 calling them to repentance and calling upon him. 567 00:35:43,900 --> 00:35:47,900 And God had pity get this now, God had pity and divine 568 00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:53,000 compassion upon his people. This would be demonstrated in 569 00:35:53,008 --> 00:35:55,900 two ways. First of all, God would send 570 00:35:55,900 --> 00:35:59,900 food that they so sorely needed. And once more, they would have 571 00:35:59,900 --> 00:36:03,500 that hunger satisfied. And secondly, he would remove 572 00:36:03,500 --> 00:36:06,300 the reproach that's brought on them among the nation's by 573 00:36:06,300 --> 00:36:08,500 driving out the locusts from their midst. 574 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,700 But here he speaks speaks of the Locust as the northern Army that 575 00:36:13,700 --> 00:36:17,000 they would be driven out in the barren and desolate land with 576 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,300 his face toward the Eastern Sea, and his back toward the Western 577 00:36:20,300 --> 00:36:23,800 sea. And his stench will come up, and 578 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:28,500 his foul odor will rise. God is going to destroy the 579 00:36:28,500 --> 00:36:31,700 northern Army, which are these locusts that we've already 580 00:36:31,700 --> 00:36:34,400 discussed Homer, Haley wrote this. 581 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,600 I thought this was interesting, I'll pass it along, but in his 582 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:41,400 book on the Twelve Minor Prophets, You wrote this, the 583 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:45,400 prophet here, pictures, complete, and total Destruction 584 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:49,300 of the Invaders. The putrefying insects in such 585 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:53,800 immense quantities, would cause a terrible stench to fill the 586 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,700 air. Oh truly judgment. 587 00:36:56,700 --> 00:37:01,100 Brings, its dire consequences and leaves its reminders. 588 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,300 Thought that was interesting but finally, the last section now, 589 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:10,200 which will take us down to verse 27, of chapter 2, where we find 590 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:15,000 that material fullness gladness rejoicing and freedom from the 591 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:18,200 Locust Scourge, would all follow. 592 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:26,500 What It would all follow after the people repented and turned 593 00:37:26,500 --> 00:37:30,700 back to God and God gave them. A wonderful outpouring of 594 00:37:30,700 --> 00:37:35,400 material, plenty, and in their continued, fullness and 595 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:38,600 faithfulness to him. They would never be put to 596 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:40,100 shame. God. 597 00:37:40,100 --> 00:37:44,300 Further lays the principle that he is in the very midst of them 598 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:48,000 that he will not leave them and that he cares for them. 599 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:52,900 He is telling them that the Who sends judgments is also the one 600 00:37:52,900 --> 00:37:56,600 that removes the offenders. He's also the one that bestows 601 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:00,900 the blessings on his people. And you know, I'll tell you 602 00:38:00,908 --> 00:38:04,700 something. We've talked about this and you 603 00:38:04,700 --> 00:38:08,900 all know this. You can't live your life. 604 00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:12,900 You can't get through things in your life. 605 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:19,100 Without God if a person is trying to live you might think 606 00:38:19,100 --> 00:38:20,500 well there's a lot of people live without God. 607 00:38:20,500 --> 00:38:22,400 Yeah they do. They live their life. 608 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:27,500 But the fullness of Hope of the life of the Christian, you will 609 00:38:27,500 --> 00:38:31,600 not have the feeling of hope that the Christian the child of 610 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:34,600 God has every single day that he lives. 611 00:38:35,900 --> 00:38:41,100 You can't have that without God. These people didn't have it back 612 00:38:41,700 --> 00:38:45,900 until they rented the heart and came all the way back to him in 613 00:38:45,900 --> 00:38:49,000 the form or fashion, that God had instructed. 614 00:38:51,500 --> 00:38:56,700 But God is ever waiting. He's ever caring, he will not 615 00:38:56,700 --> 00:39:00,500 leave his people. You know what else we learned by 616 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:03,900 this? We learn that God sometimes I'll 617 00:39:03,900 --> 00:39:07,400 change his mind. That he will alter his 618 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,700 judgments. If we repent number that little 619 00:39:09,700 --> 00:39:13,400 Hebrew preacher, he went to the people of Nineveh and he walked 620 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,400 the streets and preached that little tiny sermon yet forty 621 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,300 days and Nineveh shall be destroyed. 622 00:39:18,500 --> 00:39:20,500 What happened? Do they get destroyed? 623 00:39:20,700 --> 00:39:23,300 No, they repented and God spared them. 624 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:32,700 Oh, God is merciful. If we repent, God is merciful 625 00:39:32,700 --> 00:39:35,400 and kind and nurturing and caring. 626 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:43,000 After we serve him as we should. You know, there's one more thing 627 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:44,400 about this. You remember when we talked 628 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:50,300 about, We preached on Samson, you remember that little frames 629 00:39:50,300 --> 00:39:53,900 and he King James version says, and he Wist not, or basically, 630 00:39:53,900 --> 00:39:57,200 he knew not, but the Lord was departed from him. 631 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,100 Remember, what happened? Finally, Delilah got to him. 632 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:04,400 And finally, as she said, as they called for the Lords of the 633 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,200 Philistines, come now, come immediately bring me the money, 634 00:40:07,300 --> 00:40:10,200 because he's now told me his whole heart, told him about his 635 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:13,600 hair, the Bible says, she enticed him to sleep on her 636 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:16,400 knees. She called a man in The racer 637 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:18,500 and shaved off the Seven Locks of his head. 638 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:22,500 And when he did, and when that man did that, she finally said 639 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:25,100 the Philistines be upon the Sampson like she had done on 640 00:40:25,100 --> 00:40:28,300 other times. He rose up and he said this, I 641 00:40:28,300 --> 00:40:32,600 will shake myself and it will be as it was all the other times 642 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:39,000 before, but he knew not. That the Lord was departed from 643 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,400 him. When does the Lord? 644 00:40:41,500 --> 00:40:50,400 Depart he only departs when we depart, when we leave him, he 645 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:53,900 leaves us. But if you will, never leave 646 00:40:53,900 --> 00:40:56,900 him. It doesn't matter what you will 647 00:40:56,900 --> 00:40:59,900 go through, whatever Calamity in your life. 648 00:40:59,900 --> 00:41:05,000 The great God Of Heaven is there for you as your Refuge if you 649 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:12,000 don't leave him, Oh, this is a universal picture of God. 650 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:17,400 In conclusion, I'm through, let me just tell you a couple things 651 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:21,500 in conclusion. That we learn from this section 652 00:41:21,500 --> 00:41:23,200 of the Prophet. Joel. 653 00:41:23,900 --> 00:41:26,400 Number one, we learned that calamities caused us to draw 654 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:27,700 nigh to God. And that's true. 655 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,300 Didn't matter where the Calamity comes from, where the hard time 656 00:41:31,300 --> 00:41:34,800 comes from. It causes man, to come to God, 657 00:41:34,900 --> 00:41:38,100 somebody said, not too long ago about about this idea from the 658 00:41:38,107 --> 00:41:40,200 pulpit. I remember who it was, but said 659 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:43,300 something along the lines of sometimes, when things are going 660 00:41:43,300 --> 00:41:46,200 great, we forget about God. We don't think about God, things 661 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:50,100 are just going along, too. Well, but it's Times Like These, 662 00:41:50,100 --> 00:41:54,200 when you're desperate that, you turn to God calamities in life, 663 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:57,200 whoever brought them on us, I don't know. 664 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,300 Cause us to turn toward God number two. 665 00:42:01,700 --> 00:42:04,500 Number two, we learn from what we've studied today. 666 00:42:04,500 --> 00:42:08,200 The nature of true repentance, it must be with the whole heart. 667 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:11,000 It must be Inward and not just outward. 668 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:13,800 Thirdly, we learned the nature of God. 669 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:17,200 Oh, how wonderful that is as the picture of God is described to 670 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,000 us. He's gracious, he's merciful, 671 00:42:20,100 --> 00:42:22,700 he's slow to anger and he is of great. 672 00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:26,700 Kindness number four we learned that God rillettes from doing 673 00:42:26,700 --> 00:42:29,500 harm when we repent it as we've just noticed. 674 00:42:29,500 --> 00:42:35,700 And finally we learn that, God means business. 675 00:42:37,300 --> 00:42:40,800 He's going to have it his way folks, and if we want the 676 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:45,500 blessings of God, we must turn to him and serve him as he is 677 00:42:45,500 --> 00:42:50,200 outlined in his word next time in two weeks, Lord willing, 678 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:53,400 we'll pick up in verse 28 of chapter 2. 679 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:56,400 We're going to talk about why he's called the prophet of 680 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:00,200 Pentecost will learn about when God's spirit would be poured 681 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:02,600 out. Among all flesh will find also 682 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:04,900 that God's judging the nation's is described. 683 00:43:04,900 --> 00:43:06,900 Also, what did, what did he mean by that? 684 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:10,400 And finally, this is the best part of all. 685 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,700 Finally, how God will bless his people. 686 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:19,100 That's all I have this morning. Maybe you're here and the sound 687 00:43:19,100 --> 00:43:20,600 of my voice and you're not a Christian. 688 00:43:22,100 --> 00:43:24,500 If you've never obeyed the gospel, and taking the steps of 689 00:43:24,500 --> 00:43:26,900 obedience, the steps are very simple. 690 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:32,100 The Bible says Paul says, so then Faith cometh by hearing and 691 00:43:32,100 --> 00:43:35,500 hearing by the word of God, one must hear the word of God. 692 00:43:35,500 --> 00:43:41,100 It is the word of God that induces us or causes us to to 693 00:43:41,100 --> 00:43:44,100 obey him. Then we find that Jesus said he 694 00:43:44,100 --> 00:43:46,800 that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. 695 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:50,400 He that believeth not shall be damned Jesus also said in Luke 696 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:54,400 13 and 3 and it also verse 5, I tell you nay but except ye 697 00:43:54,408 --> 00:43:57,700 repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 698 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:01,100 Then It says also, if you confess me before men, I'll 699 00:44:01,100 --> 00:44:04,500 confess you also before my Father which is in heaven. 700 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:07,800 When you take these steps, you are a fit candidate to go down 701 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:11,500 into the Waters of baptism and rise to walk in newness of Life 702 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,700 contacting the blood of Jesus. And having your sins washed 703 00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:16,800 away, that's what you have to do. 704 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:20,300 In order to have your sins washed away, become a Christian, 705 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:22,400 and that's what you got to do, to go to heaven. 706 00:44:24,100 --> 00:44:26,700 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 707 00:44:26,700 --> 00:44:32,500 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 708 00:44:32,500 --> 00:44:35,700 would like any additional information or you would like to 709 00:44:35,700 --> 00:44:38,700 receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 710 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:43,200 Please email us at info at True Church of Christ 711 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:47,200 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 712 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:52,800 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 713 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:56,900 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 714 00:44:56,900 --> 00:44:57,800 honored guest.