National Calamity
Homilist
Joel 1:1-4
The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.…


We learn from this passage —

I. THAT THIS CALAMITY WAS DIVINELY REVEALED AT FIRST TO THE MIND OF ONE MAN. "The Word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel." No one knew at first what a sad calamity was coming on the country but Jehovah Himself. No sage, seer, or priest knew anything of it. Such a fact as this suggests —

1. The distinguishing faculty of man. Of all the creatures on earth, man alone can receive communications from heaven. We know not how the Word came unto him. The great Father of Spirits has many ways of striking His thoughts into the souls of His children. Souls are ever accessible to Him.

2. The manifest sovereignty of God. Why did He select Joel more than any other man?

II. That this calamity was UNPRECEDENTED IN HISTORY. "Hear ye this, ye old men," etc. Observe —

1. That no Divine judgments have been so great as to preclude the possibility of greater. The penal resources of the righteous Judge are unbounded. Great as your afflictions have been, they can be greater.

2. That the greater the sins of a people, the greater the judgments to be expected. It is probable that Judah's sins were greater at this time than they had ever been before, and that, consequently, severer penalties were to come. Take care, sinner, in every sin you commit you are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.

III. That this calamity was so TREMENDOUS AS TO COMMAND THE ATTENTION OF ALL GENERATIONS, "Tell ye your children," etc.

1. Because it shows that God rules the world. It is not controlled by chance or necessity.

2. Because it shows that God takes cognisance of the world's sin, and abhors it.

IV. THIS CALAMITY WAS INFLICTED BY THE MOST INSIGNIFICANT OF GOD'S CREATURES. There is no authority for the opinion that the creatures here mentioned were symbols of hostile armies. Locusts are mentioned in their different stages and species. So to punish sinners God needs no thunderbolts. He can kill a man with a moth.

(Homilist.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

WEB: The Word of Yahweh that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel.




Joel
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