Berean Study Bible The Invasion of LocustsJoel’s message came by divine revelation, not human insight. The Lord spoke with authority to address Judah’s sin, summon His people to repentance, and reveal both coming judgment and future restoration. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Joel served as a messenger entrusted with God’s own words. 1Ki 17:2 Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah: that came to Joel Joel received and faithfully delivered the Lord’s message to Judah. His name, meaning “Yahweh is God,” accords with the burden of his prophecy: the people must recognize the Lord alone as God and return to Him with wholehearted repentance. Though the book gives few historical details, its warning concerning judgment and its promise of the outpoured Spirit remain enduring testimony to God’s holiness, mercy, and faithfulness. Hos 1:1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri… son of Pethuel: Joel’s identification as Pethuel’s son distinguishes him as a real historical servant of God. Scripture provides no further information about Pethuel, directing attention instead to the Lord who called Joel and gave him His word. The prophet’s authority rested in God’s commission, not in family prominence or public position. Jer 1:1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah,… Hear this, O elders; Joel summons Judah’s recognized leaders to heed the warning first. Elders bore responsibility for judgment, counsel, and public direction among the people, as Moses did when he gathered Israel’s elders in Egypt (Exodus 3:16). Their response would influence the whole nation. Deu 31:28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes… and give ear, all who dwell in the land. No resident of Judah could remain detached from the coming disaster. The locust devastation would strike fields, food supplies, worship, families, and the nation’s ability to offer sacrifices at the temple. God’s dealings with His covenant people demanded a united response of grief, repentance, and renewed obedience. Psa 49:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.… Has anything like this ever happened in your days The question confronts the generation with the unmatched severity of the plague. Such destruction was not merely an agricultural crisis; it testified that the Lord was calling Judah to recognize its spiritual condition. The calamity anticipated the greater Day of the LORD unless the people turned to Him.. Deu 4:32 Indeed, ask now from one end of the heavens to the other… or in the days of your fathers? Judah was to measure the present disaster against the memory of earlier generations and preserve its lesson for those yet to come. Israel’s history recorded both God’s judgments against rebellion and His mercy toward those who humbled themselves. Remembering God’s works was meant to produce faithfulness rather than complacency. Deu 32:7 Remember the days of old; consider the years long past… Tell it to your children; The devastating locust plague was to be remembered as a real act of divine judgment, not dismissed as a passing disaster. Israel’s parents were responsible to teach God’s works, warnings, and covenant commands diligently, as Deuteronomy 6:6–7 requires. Deu 4:9 Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves… let your children tell it to their children, Each generation was to preserve the memory of the Lord’s dealings with His people. Psalm 78:4–6 likewise calls God’s people to declare His mighty acts so that future generations might set their hope in Him and remain faithful. Psa 78:5-6 For He established a testimony in Jacob,… and their children to the next generation. The judgment recorded by Joel carried an enduring warning: sin brings accountability before the Lord, and repentance is never outdated. By preserving the account, Israel would recognize that the Lord rules over creation and history and would be prepared to heed His call when the day of the Lord draws near.. Psa 71:18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God,… What the devouring locust has left, The land had already suffered a first consuming assault, stripping fields and trees of what sustained homes, livestock, and worship. Such devastation fulfilled covenant warnings that disobedience would bring invading pests and failed harvests (Deuteronomy 28:38–42). Exo 10:12-15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand… the swarming locust has eaten; A second wave removed what remained, portraying judgment that could not be escaped by human effort or stored resources. The multiplying hordes left Israel unable to rely on its agricultural strength. Jol 2:25 I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—… what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; Even the smallest remnants disappeared under continuing destruction. Grain, wine, oil, and fruit were essential not only for daily life but also for offerings at the temple, so the plague exposed a disruption in the nation’s fellowship with God. Amo 7:1-2 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing… and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten. The final onslaught completed the ruin, leaving the people with no remedy except humble repentance before the Lord. Joel’s record of literal calamity also prepares for God’s promise to restore what the locusts had consumed when His people returned to Him (Joel 2:25). Exo 10:19-20 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind… Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; Joel summons those most absorbed in pleasure to recognize the disaster that has overtaken Judah. The locust devastation had stripped the land of its produce, exposing the fragility of comforts that had been taken for granted. Drunkenness reflects a life dulled to God’s warnings and unprepared for His discipline (Isaiah 28:1–3). Weeping calls for sorrow that acknowledges sin and returns to the Lord. Isa 51:17 Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk… wail, all you drinkers of wine, The call broadens to all who mourn the loss of wine and the enjoyment it supplied. Wine normally testified to agricultural abundance and divine blessing (Deuteronomy 7:13; Psalm 104:15), but its removal revealed that Judah could not presume upon those blessings while living in unfaithfulness. The public lament demanded by Joel matched the seriousness of the national crisis. Amo 6:6 You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves… because of the sweet wine, Sweet wine represented the fresh harvest and the ordinary pleasures of a fruitful land. Its disappearance was not merely an inconvenience; it signaled the ruin of vineyards, the interruption of offerings in the temple, and the covenant consequences warned of in the law (Deuteronomy 28:39). God’s judgment reached even the sources of daily celebration. Isa 24:7 The new wine dries up, the vine withers.… for it has been cut off from your mouth. The loss was immediate and complete. What the people had enjoyed could no longer sustain them, forcing Judah to face its dependence on the Lord rather than on the produce of the land. Joel’s warning prepares for the broader call to fasting, mourning, and wholehearted repentance, while pointing beyond temporary earthly provision to the lasting life found in Christ, the true vine (John 15:1–6). Mic 6:15 You will sow but not reap; you will press olives… For a nation has invaded My land, Joel portrays the locust swarm as an invading nation, emphasizing its organized, irresistible advance. The land belongs to the Lord, who gave it to Israel as a covenant inheritance; its devastation reveals that the disaster is not merely natural but a summons to recognize His righteous judgment. Psa 79:1 A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded… powerful and without number; The countless swarm overwhelms every human defense and strips the land of its crops, vines, and trees. Israel’s prosperity, worship, and daily life were all affected, calling the people to humble themselves before the God who alone could restore what had been lost. Deu 7:1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land… its teeth are the teeth of a lion, The locusts’ consuming power is compared to a lion tearing its prey. Nothing valuable is spared, and the imagery exposes the severity of sin’s consequences when God’s warnings are ignored. Psa 17:12 like a lion greedy for prey, like a young lion… and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness. A lioness hunts with determined strength, completing the picture of thorough destruction. Yet the judgment announced in Joel is meant to lead God’s people to repentance, fasting, and renewed dependence upon Him. Psa 58:6 O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths;… It has laid waste My grapevine The invading locust army has devastated the land God calls His own, including the vine that supplied wine for joy, worship, and daily life. Israel is elsewhere portrayed as the Lord’s vineyard, planted and cared for to bear the fruit of covenant faithfulness (Isaiah 5:1–7). The ruined vine reveals that national sin had brought the discipline God warned of under the covenant. Hos 2:12 I will destroy her vines and fig trees… and splintered My fig tree. The fig tree represented the settled prosperity and peace of the land (1 Kings 4:25; Micah 4:4). Its splintered condition pictures violence beyond an ordinary poor harvest: the nation’s security, abundance, and confidence have been shattered. Jesus’ later judgment of the barren fig tree also illustrates God’s rejection of outward profession without the fruit of repentance and faith (Mark 11:12–14). Mat 21:19-20 Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it… It has stripped off the bark and thrown it away; The locusts had consumed even the bark, leaving the trees exposed and unable to recover by natural strength. God had removed the visible signs of His blessing and protection, fulfilling the warnings that disobedience would bring ruin to field, vine, and tree (Deuteronomy 28:38–42). What Israel had received as a gift from God could not be preserved while the Giver was ignored. Exo 10:12-15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand… the branches have turned white. The pale, stripped branches stand as a picture of death in a land once marked by life and fruitfulness. Nothing remained but the bare evidence of judgment. Yet Joel’s call to lament and return to the Lord prepares the way for restoration, showing that divine discipline was meant to bring a humbled people back to their covenant God. Gen 30:37-39 Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond…
A Call to MourningJudah is called to mourn with the piercing grief of a young woman whose promised life with her beloved has been shattered. Betrothal carried the binding force of marriage, so the death of her bridegroom brought both personal sorrow and the loss of a hoped-for household and future. Jdg 11:37-38 She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing…”… dressed in sackcloth, Sackcloth, a rough garment commonly made from goat hair, marked grief, humiliation, and repentance before God. The public mourning called for in Joel reflects the severity of the locust devastation, which had stripped the land of food, wine, and the means of presenting regular offerings at the temple. Isa 15:3 In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops… grieving for the husband of her youth. The image gives human depth to the nation’s loss: joy has been replaced by bereavement at the beginning of life’s promised blessings. Judah’s calamity also exposed the brokenness of the people’s covenant fellowship with the Lord, calling them to seek Him with sincere mourning and repentance. Isa 54:6 For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted… Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; The locust devastation had stripped the land of grain and vines, leaving the temple without the flour, oil, and wine required for regular offerings (Joel 1:10–12). Grain offerings expressed thanksgiving and consecration to God, while drink offerings commonly accompanied sacrifices as an offering poured out before Him (Leviticus 2; Numbers 15:1–10). The loss of these provisions brought agricultural ruin into the center of Israel’s worship and displayed the covenant judgment warned of in Deuteronomy 28:38–42. Hos 9:4 They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD… the priests are in mourning, The priests grieved because the nation’s public worship had been interrupted and because the disaster exposed Israel’s need to return to the Lord. Their mourning was to include sackcloth, fasting, and lamentation before God (Joel 1:13–14). Those appointed to lead the people in worship were also called to lead them in repentance. Jol 2:17 Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep… those who minister before the LORD. The priests served in the Lord’s presence at His house, offering sacrifices and guarding the worship ordained in the Law. Their inability to maintain the customary offerings revealed the seriousness of the judgment and the brokenness of the nation’s fellowship with God. The interrupted priestly ministry points ahead to Jesus Christ, the perfect High Priest, whose once-for-all sacrifice secures lasting access to God for His people (Hebrews 7:23–28). 2Ch 29:11 Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD… The field is ruined; Joel describes the literal devastation left by the locust plague and drought. Fields that ordinarily supplied Israel’s daily bread now bear witness to covenant judgment, recalling the warnings of Deuteronomy 28:38–42. The ruined harvest also removes the produce needed for grain offerings in the temple. Jer 12:4 How long will the land mourn and the grass… the land mourns. The land is portrayed as sharing in the grief brought by the nation’s sin and loss. Creation, which had received God’s blessing through rain, grain, wine, and oil, now reflects the brokenness of Israel’s relationship with Him. Isaiah 24:4–7 similarly connects a mourning land with human rebellion against God’s ordinances. Hos 4:3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it… For the grain is destroyed, Grain was essential for bread, offerings, and the appointed feasts of Israel. Its destruction brought hunger to households and interrupted the worship that depended on grain offerings. God had often used withheld harvests to summon His people to return to Him, as Amos 4:6–9 records. Deu 28:38 You will sow much seed in the field, but harvest little… the new wine is dried up, The vineyards have failed, removing a common sign of joy, celebration, and divine provision. Wine also belonged to the drink offerings presented with sacrifices, so its loss affected both ordinary life and temple service. Joy gives way to mourning when the blessings of the land are withdrawn. Hos 9:2 The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them,… and the oil fails. Olive oil supplied food, lamps, anointing, and offerings. Its failure darkened homes and hindered religious service, showing that the calamity reached every part of the nation’s life. Israel’s need was not merely for renewed crops, but for restored fellowship with the Lord who alone gives rain, fruitfulness, and blessing. Hab 3:17 Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,… Be dismayed, O farmers, Farmers bore the immediate burden of the locust devastation because the land provided food, income, seed for future planting, and materials for offerings. Their grief revealed that the judgment had struck at the foundation of daily life. Jer 14:4 The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen.… wail, O vinedressers, Vinedressers watched vineyards, a source of wine for meals, feasts, and worship, stripped of their fruit. The loss of the vine removed both economic security and the customary signs of gladness in Israel. Isa 16:9-10 So I weep with Jazer for the vines of Sibmah;… over the wheat and barley, Wheat and barley supplied the nation’s staple bread and were central to the grain offerings commanded in the law. Because barley ripened before wheat, the destruction reached across the growing season rather than affecting a single crop or harvest. Jer 12:13 They have sown wheat but harvested thorns… because the harvest of the field has perished. The ruined harvest displayed the covenant consequences warned of in Deuteronomy 28, where disobedience could bring crop failure and invasion by devouring pests. God’s judgment was meant to awaken His people to mourn their sin and return to Him before loss hardened into lasting ruin. Jer 5:17 They will devour your harvest and food; they will eat up…… The grapevine is dried up, Grapevines represented the fruitfulness, celebration, and covenant blessing of the land God gave Israel. Their ruin exposed the severity of the locust invasion and removed the wine needed for offerings and feasts. Israel, often portrayed as God’s vine, stood under judgment for failing to bear the fruit of faithful obedience (Isaiah 5:1–7). Jer 8:13 I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD.… and the fig tree is withered; Fig trees commonly pictured peace, security, and settled prosperity in Israel (1 Kings 4:25). Their withering showed that no part of ordinary life remained untouched by the disaster. Jesus later used a fruitless fig tree as an image of judgment upon outward religion without the fruit God requires (Mark 11:12–14). Mrk 11:20-21 As they were walking back in the morning, they saw… the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. The devastation extended beyond staple crops to the choicest trees of the land. Pomegranates, palms, and apples represented beauty, abundance, nourishment, and delight. The judgment was comprehensive, leaving the land stripped of its richness and the people without visible grounds for celebration. Sng 4:13-14 Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates… Surely the joy of mankind has dried up. Agricultural loss brought hunger, economic hardship, interrupted worship, and public mourning. Yet the deeper loss was spiritual: joy had departed because the nation was experiencing God’s disciplinary hand. Joel’s message calls the people to return to the Lord, who alone can restore both the land and the joy of His people. Lam 5:15 Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.
A Call to RepentanceSackcloth, a coarse garment commonly made from goat’s hair, marked grief, humiliation, and repentance before God. Israel’s priests were summoned to lead the nation in mourning because the devastation of the land exposed the seriousness of sin and divine judgment. Mal 2:1-2 “And now this decree is for you, O priests:… wail, O ministers of the altar. The priests who served at the altar witnessed the collapse of normal worship as the harvest failed. Their public lament acknowledged that the crisis affected not merely the economy but Israel’s fellowship with the Lord. Lam 1:4 The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes… Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, Extended mourning and prayer were required, not a brief outward display. As servants of God, the priests were responsible to intercede for the people and call the nation to seek the Lord’s mercy, as Israel had done in other times of national distress. 2Sa 12:16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted… because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Locust destruction and drought had removed the grain and wine needed for regular offerings at the temple. The loss of these offerings revealed the depth of the calamity and called God’s people to repentance, dependence, and renewed devotion to Him.. Hos 9:4 They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD… Consecrate a fast; Joel calls Judah to set apart a time of abstinence from food as an act of humility before God. The devastating locust plague had exposed the nation’s helplessness and summoned the people to seek the Lord rather than rely on their ordinary resources. 2Ch 20:3 Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD.… proclaim a solemn assembly! The priests were to summon a sacred public gathering marked by grief, repentance, prayer, and worship. National calamity required more than private sorrow; the covenant community needed to turn to God together. 2Ch 7:9 On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly… Gather the elders and all the residents of the land The call includes Israel’s leaders and every inhabitant, showing that no part of the nation stood untouched by the crisis or excused from responding to the Lord. Elders bore responsibility to lead the people in repentance and to model dependence upon God. 2Ki 23:1 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah… to the house of the LORD your God, The temple in Jerusalem was the appointed place where God had placed His name and where sacrifices and prayers were offered. Coming to the Lord’s house acknowledged His covenant authority and sought His mercy through the worship He had ordained. 2Ki 19:14 So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers… and cry out to the LORD. God’s people were to plead earnestly for forgiveness, relief, and restoration. Their cry recognized that the Lord who had permitted judgment through the plague alone had power to remove it and renew the land. Psa 107:6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,… Alas for the day! Joel mourns because the locust devastation and famine already afflicting Judah foreshadow a far greater visitation from God. The people faced a summons to grieve, repent, and seek the LORD while mercy remained available. Ezk 30:2 Son of man, prophesy and declare that this is… For the Day of the LORD is near, The Day of the LORD denotes God’s decisive intervention to judge sin and vindicate His holiness. For Joel’s generation, the approaching day gave urgency to repentance; it also points beyond Judah’s immediate crisis to the future day when the LORD will judge the nations and establish His righteous rule. Zep 1:7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD.… and it will come as destruction from the Almighty. The coming disaster would not be an accident of nature or merely the work of hostile powers. Shaddai, the Almighty, possesses unquestioned authority over creation, nations, and armies. God’s judgment is severe because He is holy, yet Joel’s call to return to Him reveals that judgment is meant to awaken sinners to seek His mercy. Isa 13:6 Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come… Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— The devastation caused by the locust plague lay openly before Judah, leaving no harvest for daily bread and no reserve for the future. Grain, wine, and oil—the basic produce of the land—had been consumed, exposing the nation’s helplessness before God’s judgment. The disaster was not distant or theoretical; every household could see its effects in empty fields and depleted stores. Like the famines recorded in Genesis, this calamity revealed humanity’s dependence upon the Lord, who alone gives rain, harvest, and life. Ezk 4:16 Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off… joy and gladness from the house of our God? The loss of grain and wine also stopped the meal offerings and drink offerings required for temple worship (Joel 1:9, 13). Judah’s physical famine therefore became a spiritual crisis, since the priests could no longer present the regular offerings before the Lord. The house of God, ordinarily marked by thanksgiving, sacrifice, and celebration, stood grieved because sin had brought judgment upon the land. Earthly provision and worship were joined in Israel’s covenant life, yet the greater need was for restored fellowship with God. Jesus Christ fulfills that need as the bread of life, giving lasting nourishment and joy to all who come to Him. Jer 33:11 the sounds of joy and gladness,… The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; Drought had prevented seed from germinating, leaving the ground unable to yield food for the coming harvest. The disaster was both immediate and lasting: present supplies were exhausted, and no future crop was growing. Such barrenness reflected the covenant warnings that rebellion against the Lord would bring hardened skies, parched ground, and famine (Deuteronomy 28:23–24). Hag 1:6 You have planted much but harvested little… the storehouses are in ruins; Buildings intended to preserve surplus grain stood empty and neglected because there was no harvest to store. The collapse of agricultural security exposed the nation’s dependence upon God’s provision. Wealth, planning, and labor could not protect Judah when the land itself lay under judgment. Mal 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… the granaries are broken down, Granaries had no purpose when the fields produced nothing. Their decay pictured the total failure of the nation’s resources and called the people to seek the Lord rather than trust in material reserves. Haggai later warned that neglect of God’s honor brought similar frustration in labor and harvest (Haggai 1:6–11). Luk 12:18-19 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down… for the grain has withered away. Grain, the staple of daily bread and offerings, had been destroyed by the combined devastation of locusts and drought. The loss threatened hunger in homes and interrupted the grain offerings at the temple (Joel 1:9). Physical famine revealed a deeper need for renewed fellowship with God, who alone gives rain, harvest, and the bread of life. Hag 1:11 I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains… How the cattle groan! The livestock suffer under the combined devastation of locusts and drought. Cattle supplied labor, milk, meat, and wealth, so their distress exposed the depth of Judah’s agricultural and economic collapse. Creation bears the consequences of human rebellion and divine judgment, anticipating the groaning of the created order described in Romans 8:22. Jer 14:6 Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air… The herds wander in confusion Animals that normally depended on ordered care from herdsmen are left searching vainly for food and water. Their helpless wandering reflects a land stripped of its resources and a people unable to preserve life by their own strength. Judah needed to return to the Lord, the Shepherd who leads His people to provision and safety (Psalm 23:1–2). 1Ki 22:17 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel… because they have no pasture. Fields that should have sustained the animals had been consumed and dried up. The absence of pasture demonstrated the covenant curses associated with persistent disobedience, including failed crops and drought (Deuteronomy 28:15–24). The disaster revealed that harvest, rain, and daily bread remain dependent on God’s gracious provision. Jol 2:22 Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field,… Even the flocks of sheep are suffering. Sheep, often portraying God’s people, share in the judgment affecting the whole land. No class, household, or creature remained untouched by the calamity. The suffering of the flocks underscores Judah’s need for the Lord’s mercy and points forward to Christ’s compassion for people who were “like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Ezk 34:8-10 As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD,… To You, O LORD, I call, Joel himself joins the nation’s cry, turning directly to the covenant God in the midst of judgment. The disaster has exposed Israel’s helplessness and calls for more than human recovery; it requires the mercy of the LORD. The prophet’s appeal models the response God desires from His people when His discipline reveals their sin and dependence upon Him. Psa 120:1 A song of ascents. In my distress I cried to the LORD,… for fire has consumed the open pastures Drought and intense heat had withered the grazing lands, leaving livestock without forage and deepening the famine caused by the locusts. The land promised as a place of abundance had become desolate under God’s judgment. Fire elsewhere in the prophets often accompanies the Lord’s consuming judgment, and the ruined pastures testified that every part of the nation’s life was affected. Exo 9:23-25 So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven,… and flames have scorched all the trees of the field. Fruit trees, shade trees, and woodland growth had been stripped and burned by the severe drought, removing both present sustenance and future harvests. The destruction of the trees underscores the completeness of the calamity: field, pasture, vineyard, flock, and herd all suffered together. Yet Joel’s cry to the LORD anticipates that judgment need not be the final word, for the God who disciplines His covenant people also calls them to return to Him. Ezk 20:47 Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word… Even the beasts of the field pant for You, The drought reaches beyond Judah’s cities and fields into the wilderness, where wild animals suffer from thirst and the loss of vegetation. Their distress displays creation’s dependence on its Creator and reflects the wider groaning of a world damaged by sin and judgment (Romans 8:22). Even the animals’ need points Judah toward the God from whom rain, food, and life must come. Psa 104:27-28 All creatures look to You to give them their food… for the streams of water have dried up, The loss of streams brought severe consequences for drinking water, crops, herds, and every part of the land’s economy. Drought had been warned as a covenant judgment for persistent disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:23–24). Judah could not escape its need for the Lord through human effort or stored resources. Physical thirst also recalls the deeper need satisfied only by Christ, who gives living water to all who come to Him (John 4:10–14). Psa 74:15 You broke open the fountain and the flood;… and fire has consumed the open pastures. Scorching heat and drought had stripped the grazing lands of their grass and consumed what remained. The devastation of vineyards, grain fields, trees, and pastures showed that the judgment was comprehensive. Fire throughout Scripture can signify God’s holy judgment, yet Joel’s message also presses toward repentance and restoration. The Lord who disciplines His people is able to renew the land, restore its fruitfulness, and ultimately bring redemption to creation. Isa 5:24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw,… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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