Three-Part Message
Joel 2 offers a fine capsule summary of the essential message of every Old Testament prophet: A day of judgment. Nearly every prophet begins with words meant to inspire fear and dread. Some warn of invading armies, and some of natural disasters. For example, Joel paints vivid pictures of an army of locusts, which may symbolically represent human armies. People who have lived through a locust invasion never forget the experience. A call to repentance. The prophets raise the alarm with good reason, for they see such disasters as a consequence of their nation’s unfaithfulness to God. They urgently call on their people to turn from their evil ways. Joel 2:13 could stand as a single, eloquent summary of the heart of every prophet’s message. A future of hope. Every Biblical prophet, no matter how dour, gets around to a word of hope. Taken together, these messages tell of a time when God will make right everything wrong with the earth, a time when the world as it is will finally match the world as God wants it.
Life Questions
When have you repented of something you’ve done? What was the result? Taken from NIV Student Bible
