God’s Love Restores
Adult 1 Sunday School Class Joel 2:12-13, 18-19, 28-29 March 26, 2017
Theme: The rewards garnered by wholesome relationships may be shattered by unloving and unfaithful actions. How can these relationships be restored to their former glory? John reminds us of a loving, forgiving God who seeks to restore and guarantee eternal life, while Joel recounts the benefits that emanate from a restored relationship with God.
Please interpret the meaning of the following verses.
The interpretation of the verses is in bold print which follows the original verse in regular print.
Joel 2:12 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:” Little is known about Joel, the prophet, except that he probably lived just before or after the exile (5th or 4th Century B.C.). He foretold of the devastation of locust and droughts, because the Lord would punish them for turning from him. Joel tells them to turn from sin, back to the Lord through their heart by fasting, weeping, and mourning.
v.13. “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.” Joel asked them to rend their hearts, meaning the body’s soul and intellect, and not their clothes which symbolizes grief and misfortune of the individual. However, where your heart is, so lies the soul. God is merciful and exhibits great kindness. He is willing to forgive those who repent of their sinful ways. He allows one, time to return to Him.
v.18,19. “Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19. Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:” “Jealous” means that God wants an exclusive relationship, apart from any other distraction (i.e. idols, lusts, or disobedience) that His people may enjoy. Your joy should come from the Lord. Upon repentance, He will forgive and show unconditional favor, and they and their lands will prosper.
v.28,29. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” The word “afterward” shows God mercy by first giving them material blessings (i.e. verse 19), and spiritual blessings in verses 28 and 29.
v30, 31. “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” Here Joel warns of an impending heavenly phenomena will signal the arrival of the wrath of God in the Day of the Lord, in which the enemies of His people will be judged.
v.32. “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” “Whosoever shall call”, in spite of the nation’s sin, God promised to fulfill His unconditional covenants (Abrahamic, Davidic, and New). The remnant of Jews will inherit God’s promise.