The prophecy of Joel, though very short, is very solemn. It tells of coming destruction because of the disobedience of the children of Israel against Jehovah. During the time that Joel prophesied, a great plague of insects had devastated the land of Israel. These insects were a picture of those coming judgments when a nation would fight against Israel, seeking to destroy them.
All of this sadness was allowed by God because His beloved people had become so rebellious and wicked. God calls all of the people to repent for what they had done and because of the coming judgment.
There is hope in Joel too, for he prophesied of a time of coming blessing after the judgments had turned the hearts of the people back to Jehovah. The end of Joel is a warning to the Gentile nations who would seek to destroy Jerusalem. God would fight for His people, overthrow the Gentiles, and save and bless Israel in that coming day.
Let’s rest in our journey now, while you find the following verses:
1. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that one of the signs of the days just before the Lord judges this world would be that unbelievers would be ____________ to parents. 2 Timothy 3:___
For
2. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that He was not come to ____________ men’s lives but to save them. Luke 9:___
For
3. During the time when God’s people came back from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, their enemies tried to stop them by telling the king that the city of Jerusalem was a ____________ and bad place.
Ezra 4:___
Be
4. When the Lord Jesus began to preach the gospel to the children of Israel, He told them that they should ____________ because the kingdom of heaven was near. Matthew 4:___
From
5. Believers are to seek to be a ____________ even to those who treat us badly or say wicked things about us. 1 Peter 3:___
Not