Joel 2:29
Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
Even on My menservants and maidservants
This phrase emphasizes the inclusivity of God's promise. In the ancient Near Eastern context, servants were often considered the lowest social class, with limited rights and privileges. The Hebrew word for "menservants" is "עֲבָדִים" (avadim) and for "maidservants" is "שְׁפָחוֹת" (shifchot). These terms denote individuals who serve others, often in a position of subservience. By stating that His Spirit will be poured out even on these individuals, God is breaking societal norms and hierarchies, demonstrating that His grace and presence are available to all, regardless of social status. This foreshadows the New Testament teaching that in Christ, there is neither slave nor free (Galatians 3:28), highlighting the radical equality and unity found in the Kingdom of God.

I will pour out My Spirit
The act of pouring out signifies abundance and generosity. The Hebrew verb "שָׁפַךְ" (shafakh) means to pour or spill forth, suggesting an overflowing measure. This is not a mere trickle but a lavish outpouring of God's presence and power. The "Spirit" (רוּחַ, ruach) refers to the breath or wind of God, symbolizing His life-giving and transformative power. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God was often given to specific individuals for particular tasks, such as prophets, judges, and kings. However, this prophecy in Joel marks a significant shift, indicating a future time when God's Spirit will be accessible to all believers, empowering them for service and witness. This was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2), when the Holy Spirit was poured out on all believers, marking the birth of the Church.

in those days
This phrase points to a specific future time, often associated with the "Day of the Lord," a recurring theme in the book of Joel. The "Day of the Lord" is a time of both judgment and salvation, when God intervenes decisively in human history. "In those days" suggests a period of divine activity and fulfillment of God's promises. It is a time when the old order is transformed, and God's kingdom is established in a new and powerful way. For the original audience, this would have been a message of hope and anticipation, looking forward to a time when God's presence would be manifest among His people in unprecedented ways. For contemporary believers, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the world and the promise of God's ultimate redemption and restoration.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joel
A prophet in the Old Testament, Joel is the author of the book that bears his name. He is known for his prophecies concerning the Day of the Lord and the outpouring of God's Spirit.

2. Menservants and Maidservants
These terms refer to male and female servants, indicating that God's Spirit will be poured out on all people, regardless of social status or gender.

3. The Day of the Lord
A significant theme in Joel, this refers to a future time of God's intervention in human history, characterized by both judgment and blessing.

4. The Outpouring of the Spirit
This event signifies a new era in which God's Spirit is given to all believers, not just select individuals like prophets or kings.

5. Pentecost
This New Testament event, recorded in Acts 2, is the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, marking the birth of the Church.
Teaching Points
Universal Access to the Holy Spirit
Joel 2:29 highlights the inclusivity of God's promise, showing that His Spirit is available to all believers, regardless of status or gender. This challenges us to recognize the value and potential of every individual in the body of Christ.

Empowerment for Service
The outpouring of the Spirit equips believers for service and ministry. We are called to use the gifts and empowerment of the Holy Spirit to serve others and advance God's kingdom.

Fulfillment in Christ
The prophecy in Joel finds its fulfillment in the New Testament through Jesus Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This reminds us of the continuity and faithfulness of God's promises throughout Scripture.

Living in the Last Days
As recipients of the Holy Spirit, we are living in the "last days" prophesied by Joel. This should inspire us to live with urgency and purpose, sharing the gospel and preparing for Christ's return.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the promise of the Holy Spirit in Joel 2:29 challenge our understanding of who can be used by God in ministry?

2. In what ways can we see the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy in our own lives and communities today?

3. How does the inclusivity of the Holy Spirit's outpouring in Joel 2:29 relate to the message of unity in Galatians 3:28?

4. What are some practical ways we can rely on the Holy Spirit for empowerment in our daily lives and service to others?

5. How does understanding the context of Joel's prophecy enhance our appreciation for the events of Pentecost in Acts 2?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Acts 2
Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 during his sermon at Pentecost, explaining that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.

Galatians 3:28
This verse emphasizes the equality of all believers in Christ, echoing Joel's message that God's Spirit is available to everyone, regardless of social distinctions.

Numbers 11:29
Moses expresses a desire for all of God's people to be prophets and have His Spirit, which aligns with Joel's prophecy of widespread spiritual empowerment.
The Outpouring of the Holy SpiritA. Rowland Joel 2:28, 29
The Outpouring of the SpiritJ.R. Thomson Joel 2:28, 29
The Gospel AgeD. Thomas Joel 2:28-32
People
Joel
Places
Jerusalem, Mount Zion, Tigris-Euphrates Region, Zion
Topics
Bondmen, Female, Handmaids, Maidservants, Maid-servants, Male, Menservants, Men-servants, Pour, Servant-girls, Servants, Spirit, Women, Yea
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Joel 2:28-29

     3030   Holy Spirit, power
     4804   breath
     4921   day
     5707   male and female
     5745   women
     7968   spiritual gifts, nature of
     8261   generosity, God's
     9145   Messianic age

Joel 2:28-32

     1429   prophecy, OT fulfilment
     2424   gospel, promises
     7408   Pentecost
     8145   renewal, people of God
     9140   last days

Joel 2:29-32

     4035   abundance

Library
December 16. "I Will Restore to You the Years that the Locust Hath Eaten, the Canker Worm and the Caterpillar and the Palmer Worm, My Great Army, which I Sent among You" (Joel ii. 25).
"I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker worm and the caterpillar and the palmer worm, my great army, which I sent among you" (Joel ii. 25). A friend said to me once: "I have got to reap what I sowed, for God has said: 'Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' Then why don't you apply this in the spiritual world, and compel the sinner to pay the penalty of his sins?" Christ has borne this penalty, and the same Christ has borne the natural penalties, too, and
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

A Free Grace Promise
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered."--Joel 2:32. VENGEANCE was in full career. The armies of divine justice had been called forth for war: "They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war." They had invaded and devastated the land, and turned the land from being like the garden of Eden into a desolate wilderness. All faces gathered blackness: the people were "much pained" The sun itself was dim, the moon was dark,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 35: 1889

The Locust-Swarms
JOEL ii. 12, 13. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. This is one of the grandest chapters in the whole Old Testament, and one which may teach us a great deal; and, above all, teach us to be thankful to God for the blessings which
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

Distinction Between Exterior and Interior Actions --Those of the Soul in this Condition are Interior, but Habitual, Continued, Direct, Profound, Simple, and Imperceptible --Being a Continual
The actions of men are either exterior or interior. The exterior are those which appear outwardly, and have a sensible object, possessing neither good nor evil qualities, excepting as they receive them from the interior principle in which they originate. It is not of these that I intend to speak, but only of interior actions, which are those actions of the soul by which it applies itself inwardly to some object, or turns away from some other. When, being applied to God, I desire to commit an
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

It is Strange that These Delightful Promises Affect us Coldly...
It is strange that these delightful promises affect us coldly, or scarcely at all, so that the generality of men prefer to wander up and down, forsaking the fountain of living waters, and hewing out to themselves broken cisterns, rather than embrace the divine liberality voluntarily offered to them (Jer. 2:13). "The name of the Lord," says Solomon, "is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." (Pr. 18:10) Joel, after predicting the fearful disaster which was at hand, subjoins the
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

The Holy Spirit of Promise
The Holy Spirit was promised through the prophets. "Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."--Isa.
J. W. Byers—Sanctification

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or Until the Death of Theodosius the Great, 395
The history of the Church in the first period of the second division of the history of ancient Christianity has to deal primarily with three lines of development, viz.: first, the relation of the Church to the imperial authority and the religious forces of the times, whereby the Church became established as the sole authorized religion of the Empire, and heathenism and heresy were prohibited by law; secondly, the development of the doctrinal system of the Church until the end of the Arian controversy,
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History

Ash Wednesday. Gather the People . . And Let the Priests, the Ministers of the Lord, Weep Between the Porch and the Alter, and Let them Say, Spare Thy People, O Lord.
Gather the people . . and let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the alter, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord. Straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn [69]Albinus. 1652. trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855 Not in anger smite us, Lord, Spare Thy people, spare! If Thou mete us due reward We must all despair. Let the flood Of Jesus' blood Quench the flaming of Thy wrath, That our sin enkindled hath. Father! Thou hast patience long With the sick and weak; Heal us, make
Catherine Winkworth—Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year

Whether Fasting is an Act of virtue?
Objection 1: It would seem that fasting is not an act of virtue. For every act of virtue is acceptable to God. But fasting is not always acceptable to God, according to Is. 58:3, "Why have we fasted and Thou hast not regarded?" Therefore fasting is not an act of virtue. Objection 2: Further, no act of virtue forsakes the mean of virtue. Now fasting forsakes the mean of virtue, which in the virtue of abstinence takes account of the necessity of supplying the needs of nature, whereas by fasting something
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether this Sacrament was Suitably Instituted in the New Law?
Objection 1: It would seem that this sacrament was unsuitably instituted in the New Law. Because those things which belong to the natural law need not to be instituted. Now it belongs to the natural law that one should repent of the evil one has done: for it is impossible to love good without grieving for its contrary. Therefore Penance was unsuitably instituted in the New Law. Objection 2: Further, that which existed in the Old Law had not to be instituted in the New. Now there was Penance in the
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether all Sins are Taken Away by Penance?
Objection 1: It would seem that not all sins are taken away by Penance. For the Apostle says (Heb. 12:17) that Esau "found no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it," which a gloss explains as meaning that "he found no place of pardon and blessing through Penance": and it is related (2 Macc. 9:13) of Antiochus, that "this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of Whom he was not to obtain mercy." Therefore it does not seem that all sins are taken away by Penance. Objection 2: Further,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether all are Bound to Keep the Fasts of the Church?
Objection 1: It would seem that all are bound to keep the fasts of the Church. For the commandments of the Church are binding even as the commandments of God, according to Lk. 10:16, "He that heareth you heareth Me." Now all are bound to keep the commandments of God. Therefore in like manner all are bound to keep the fasts appointed by the Church. Objection 2: Further, children especially are seemingly not exempt from fasting, on account of their age: for it is written (Joel 2:15): "Sanctify a fast,"
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Christ had any Acquired Knowledge?
Objection 1: It would seem that in Christ there was no empiric and acquired knowledge. For whatever befitted Christ, He had most perfectly. Now Christ did not possess acquired knowledge most perfectly, since He did not devote Himself to the study of letters, by which knowledge is acquired in its perfection; for it is said (Jn. 7:15): "The Jews wondered, saying: How doth this Man know letters, having never learned?" Therefore it seems that in Christ there was no acquired knowledge. Objection 2: Further,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether this Name "Holy Ghost" is the Proper Name of one Divine Person?
Objection 1: It would seem that this name, "Holy Ghost," is not the proper name of one divine person. For no name which is common to the three persons is the proper name of any one person. But this name of 'Holy Ghost' [*It should be borne in mind that the word "ghost" is the old English equivalent for the Latin "spiritus," whether in the sense of "breath" or "blast," or in the sense of "spirit," as an immaterial substance. Thus, we read in the former sense (Hampole, Psalter x, 7), "The Gost of Storms"
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether There Can be Anything Pernicious in the Worship of the True God?
Objection 1: It would seem that there cannot be anything pernicious in the worship of the true God. It is written (Joel 2:32): "Everyone that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Now whoever worships God calls upon His name. Therefore all worship of God is conducive to salvation, and consequently none is pernicious. Objection 2: Further, it is the same God that is worshiped by the just in any age of the world. Now before the giving of the Law the just worshiped God in whatever manner
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Deeds Deadened by Sin, are Revived by Penance?
Objection 1: It would seem that deeds deadened by sin are not revived by Penance. Because just as past sins are remitted by subsequent Penance, so are deeds previously done in charity, deadened by subsequent sin. But sins remitted by Penance do not return, as stated above ([4804]Q[88], AA[1],2). Therefore it seems that neither are dead deeds revived by charity. Objection 2: Further, deeds are said to be deadened by comparison with animals who die, as stated above [4805](A[4]). But a dead animal cannot
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Benefits of Christ Made Available to us by the Secret Operation of the Spirit.
1. The Holy Spirit the bond which unites us with Christ. This the result of faith produced by the secret operation of the Holy Spirit. This obvious from Scripture. 2. In Christ the Mediator the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be seen in all their fulness. To what end. Why the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of the Father and the Son. 3. Titles of the Spirit,--1. The Spirit of adoption. 2. An earnest and seal. 3. Water. 4. Life. 5. Oil and unction. 6. Fire. 7. A fountain. 8. The word of God. Use
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Books of the Old Testament as a Whole. 1 the Province of Particular Introduction is to Consider the Books of the Bible Separately...
CHAPTER XVIII. THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AS A WHOLE. 1. The province of Particular Introduction is to consider the books of the Bible separately, in respect to their authorship, date, contents, and the place which each of them holds in the system of divine truth. Here it is above all things important that we begin with the idea of the unity of divine revelation--that all the parts of the Bible constitute a gloriously perfect whole, of which God and not man is the author. No amount of study devoted
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Severinus in Germany.
As the Lord ever sends his angels when there is most need of help, so in the midst of the desolation and destruction which ensued on that irruption of the barbarians by which the Roman empire was broken in pieces after the death of Attila, the great desolator and exterminator, (A. D. 453,) He sent to the aid of the oppressed people of Germany, on the banks of the Danube, in their sore need, a man endowed with an extraordinary energy of love. His whole appearance has in it something enigmatical. As
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

The Situation of the Jews During this Period.
As we have seen in earlier chapters, the declarations of Holy Writ make it very clear that Israel will yet be restored to God's favor and be rehabilitated in Palestine. But before that glad time arrives, the Jews have to pass through a season of sore trouble and affliction, during which God severely chastises them for their sins and punishes them for the rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah. Fearful indeed have been the past experiences of "the nation of the weary feet" but a darker path than
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

Third Withdrawal from Herod's Territory.
Subdivision A. Pharisaic Leaven. A Blind Man Healed. (Magadan and Bethsaida. Probably Summer, a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 39-XVI. 12; ^B Mark VIII. 10-26. ^b 10 And straightway he entered into the boat with his disciples, ^a and came into the borders of Magadan. ^b into the parts of Dalmanutha. [It appears from the context that he crossed the lake to the west shore. Commentators, therefore, pretty generally think that Magadan is another form of the name Magdala, and that Dalmanutha was either another
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Whether those who had Been Baptized with John's Baptism had to be Baptized with the Baptism of Christ?
Objection 1: It would seem that those who had been baptized with John's baptism had not to be baptized with the baptism of Christ. For John was not less than the apostles, since of him is it written (Mat. 11:11): "There hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist." But those who were baptized by the apostles were not baptized again, but only received the imposition of hands; for it is written (Acts 8:16,17) that some were "only baptized" by Philip "in the name
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Three Things Briefly to be Regarded in Christ --viz. His Offices of Prophet, King, and Priest.
1. Among heretics and false Christians, Christ is found in name only; but by those who are truly and effectually called of God, he is acknowledged as a Prophet, King, and Priest. In regard to the Prophetical Office, the Redeemer of the Church is the same from whom believers under the Law hoped for the full light of understanding. 2. The unction of Christ, though it has respect chiefly to the Kingly Office, refers also to the Prophetical and Priestly Offices. The dignity, necessity, and use of this
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Because of Its Bearing Upon the Gentiles.
This aspect of our subject has not received the attention which it deserves. It has been assumed by some that the present dispensation is the time when God is blessing the Gentiles and that in the Millennium the Jews will be the special objects of God's favor. It is true that in the Millennium Israel shall enter into the enjoyment of their inheritance and that at that time they shall occupy the chief position, governmentally, among the nations, but it is a mistake to suppose that the Gentiles will
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

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