Joel Overview - Bible Study
This week, we began our study of the book of Joel, exploring its major themes of judgment, genuine repentance, and God's ultimate promise of restoration and the outpouring of His Spirit.
Joel Overview
This is our First class on Joel
This is an AI Recap of the class.
Some things may be incorrect.
Short Summary of the Whole Class
In our study of the book of Joel, we began with a high-level overview using a Bible Project video and then read through the entire book. We discussed its structure, which parallels a past "Day of the Lord" (a devastating locust plague) with a future one, highlighting God's call to genuine repentance. The class noted the book's deep connections to other scriptures, particularly Genesis and Exodus, and explored its central message: God is gracious and compassionate, and His judgment ultimately gives way to hope, restoration, and the outpouring of His Spirit, drawing parallels to themes in Revelation and its connection to the New Testament.
Detailed Class Summary
Introduction to the Study of Joel
We started our new Bible study series on the book of Joel, choosing this short but key prophetic book, which is also a reading for Ash Wednesday. The plan was to get a broad overview by watching the Bible Project video on Joel before reading through the entire book. We acknowledged that Joel is a unique and fascinating book, and its pictorial outline would be helpful in understanding its structure and message. The study is expected to last two or three weeks.
Summary of this Section: The class began a new study on the book of Joel, planning to use the Bible Project video as an introduction before reading the entire book to understand its overall themes and structure.
Bible Project Video and Initial Reactions
We watched the Bible Project video, which highlighted several unique features of Joel. It was noted that the book's date is likely post-exilic, during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, as it mentions the temple but no king. Joel is also deeply familiar with other scriptures, quoting or alluding to prophets like Isaiah, Amos, and Ezekiel, and referencing foundational texts like Exodus. A key point was that Joel doesn't name Israel's specific sins, assuming his audience is already familiar with their history of rebellion from other prophetic works.
The video explained that the book is structured around the "Day of the Lord," a major prophetic theme.
Chapters 1-2: These chapters present two parallel poems. Chapter 1 describes a past Day of the Lord—a devastating locust swarm. Chapter 2 describes a future Day of the Lord, using military and cosmic imagery to portray the locusts as God's approaching army. In both instances, Joel calls for genuine repentance, urging the people to "rend your hearts, not your garments." This call is based on God's character as described in Exodus: "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and...full of love."
God's Response: Following the people's repentance, God responds with a three-part promise: He will defeat the invaders, restore the ravaged land, and bring His divine presence.
Future Hope: The final section expands these promises. The promise of God's presence becomes the outpouring of His Spirit on all people. The defeat of the locusts becomes a picture of God confronting evil among all nations, and the restoration of the land points to the renewal of all creation.
Summary of this Section: The Bible Project video outlined Joel's structure, focusing on the "Day of the Lord" as both a past judgment (locust plague) and a future event. It emphasized God's call to sincere repentance, based on His merciful nature, which leads to promises of restoration, the outpouring of His Spirit, and the renewal of all creation.
Bible Verses Mentioned: Exodus 10, Exodus 34:6 (implied)
A Land in Devastation and a Call to Repentance
Reading through Joel, we started with the grim picture of an unprecedented disaster in Chapter 1: a multi-wave locust plague that has completely decimated the land, destroying all sources of joy and sustenance. The devastation affects every level of society, leading the prophet to call for national mourning, recognizing this event as a sign that "the day of the Lord is at hand."
Chapter 2 opens with an alarm signaling an even greater threat. The "Day of the Lord" is described as a day of darkness, with an approaching army likened to the locusts but more terrifying. In the face of this judgment, God offers mercy, calling His people to return to Him "with all your heart." The call is for genuine, internal change—to "rend your heart, and not your garments," based on God's nature as gracious and merciful. The chapter repeats the call for a sacred assembly, gathering everyone from elders to infants to collectively seek God's mercy.
Summary of this Section: We read about a catastrophic locust invasion that served as a powerful metaphor for spiritual emptiness and a sign of the approaching Day of the Lord. Amid this dire warning, a message of hope emerges as God calls for sincere, heartfelt repentance, emphasizing His desire to show grace and mercy.
Bible Verses Mentioned: Joel Chapter 1, Joel 2:1-17
Stories/Imagery: The four types of locusts destroying the land; a virgin mourning her husband; the "Northern Army" that runs like mighty men; the call to "rend your heart, and not your garments."
Restoration, Judgment, and Final Hope
Responding to the people's repentance, the tone shifts dramatically to restoration. The Lord promises to restore the land abundantly, sending grain, new wine, and oil. He will "restore the years that the locusts have eaten," removing their shame. This physical restoration leads to an even greater spiritual promise: "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh." This radical prophecy declares that the Spirit will be given to all people—sons and daughters, old and young—and culminates in the promise that "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
The final chapter moves to the ultimate "Day of the Lord," where God judges the nations in the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" for their mistreatment of Israel. In a striking reversal of Isaiah's prophecy, the nations are told to "Beat your plowshares into swords" to gather for judgment. The imagery is of a harvest, where the wickedness of the nations is "ripe." In contrast, the Lord will be a refuge for His people, and the book concludes with the promise of an eternally holy Jerusalem where "the Lord dwells in Zion."
Summary of this Section: We read God's compassionate response, promising to restore what was lost and more. This leads to the significant prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit on all people and salvation for all who call on God. The book concludes with a final judgment of the nations and the eternal security of God's people.
Bible Verses Mentioned: Joel 2:18-32, Joel Chapter 3, Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3
Stories/Imagery: God restoring the years the locusts have eaten; the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh; the judgment of nations in the "Valley of Decision"; the reversal of "beat your plowshares into swords."
Class Discussion and Reflections
The class discussed the connections between Joel and other parts of the Bible.
We explored the changing voices in Joel, a common feature of prophetic writing where the prophet speaks on God's behalf.
A major theme was the recurring human temptation to build our own "Tower of Babylon"—a metaphor for seeking power on our own terms. Joel's call to "rend your hearts" is a direct command to abandon this path for genuine repentance.
The themes of judgment and hope reminded the group of the book of Revelation. Both books, while containing stark warnings, are ultimately uplifting because they end with restoration. The imagery of the "Day of the Lord" as a final, battle-less battle strongly parallels Revelation.
We noted that Joel is frequently quoted in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospel of Matthew. The outpouring of the Spirit is a foundational prophecy fulfilled at Pentecost.
Summary of this Section: The class connected Joel's themes to the broader biblical narrative, discussing the "Tower of Babylon" temptation, the call to authentic repentance, and the shared pattern of judgment followed by uplifting hope found in both Joel and Revelation.
Final Summary of the Class
Today’s class served as an introduction to our study on the book of Joel. We began with an overview from a Bible Project video and then read through the book, exploring its powerful prophetic message. We examined how Joel uses a recent disaster—a plague of locusts—as both a tangible symbol of judgment and a template for understanding the future "Day of the Lord." Central to the book is the call for sincere repentance ("rend your hearts, not your garments"), grounded in the knowledge of God's immense mercy and compassion as revealed in Exodus.
In our discussion, we noted Joel's deep connections to the Pentateuch, especially Genesis and Exodus, re-contextualizing events like the plagues and the Garden of Eden. We drew parallels between Joel and the book of Revelation, recognizing a common narrative of judgment that ultimately leads to an uplifting message of hope. The book's arc moves from desolation and "uncreation" to God's glorious promises of restoration. This includes not only reversing the material disaster but also the pinnacle promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people, making salvation available to all who call on the name of the Lord. The study concluded by looking ahead to the final judgment of nations and the ultimate, eternal security of God's people in a purified Jerusalem where He dwells with them forever.
Main Points
We are beginning a new Bible study on the book of Joel, a short but powerful prophetic work.
Joel uses a devastating locust plague as a wake-up call to address the people's spiritual state and the coming "Day of the Lord."
A central theme is the rejection of humanity's self-serving quest for power (the "Tower of Babylon") in favor of genuine humility and repentance.
Joel calls for sincere repentance ("rend your hearts"), based on God's character as merciful and gracious.
God's response to repentance is a promise of total restoration, making up for lost time and opportunity.
The book's ultimate hope is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh and the promise that salvation is for all who call on God's name.
Joel shares thematic similarities with Revelation, depicting a final judgment of worldly powers that gives way to a restored, Eden-like paradise for God's people.
Scriptures and Stories Mentioned
Bible Scriptures:
The Book of Joel (Chapters 1, 2, and 3)
Exodus 10 (Plague of Locusts)
Exodus 34:6 (God's character as gracious and compassionate)
Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3 (Beat swords into plowshares)
Prophets alluded to by Joel: Isaiah, Amos, Zephaniah, Nahum, Obadiah, Ezekiel, Malachi
Matthew (quotes Joel)
Bible Stories and Concepts:
The Ten Plagues of Egypt (specifically the locust plague)
The Tower of Babel (Babylon)
Israel making the Golden Calf (the context for God revealing His mercy)
David and Bathsheba
The Garden of Eden
The Battle of Armageddon (from Revelation)
The concept of tohu va'vohu (formless and void/wild and waste) from Genesis
The Cross of Jesus (described as the ultimate "Day of the Lord" where God takes judgment on Himself)