THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD

Passage: Joel 2:18-32

Key verse: 27

NIV

The Lord’s Answer

18 Then the Lord was jealous(A) for his land
    and took pity(B) on his people.

19 The Lord replied[a] to them:

“I am sending you grain, new wine(C) and olive oil,(D)
    enough to satisfy you fully;(E)
never again will I make you
    an object of scorn(F) to the nations.

20 “I will drive the northern horde(G) far from you,
    pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
    and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench(H) will go up;
    its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!
21     Do not be afraid,(I) land of Judah;
    be glad and rejoice.(J)
Surely the Lord has done great things!(K)
22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
    for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(L)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
    the fig tree(M) and the vine(N) yield their riches.(O)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice(P) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.(Q)
He sends you abundant showers,(R)
    both autumn(S) and spring rains,(T) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow(U) with new wine(V) and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(W) have eaten(X)—
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm[b]—
my great army(Y) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(Z)
    and you will praise(AA) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders(AB) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(AC)
27 Then you will know(AD) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord(AE) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(AF)

The Day of the Lord

28 “And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit(AG) on all people.(AH)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(AI)
    your old men will dream dreams,(AJ)
    your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(AK) both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(AL)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(AM)
    and on the earth,(AN)
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(AO)
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.(AP)
32 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord(AQ) will be saved;(AR)
for on Mount Zion(AS) and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,(AT)
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors(AU)
    whom the Lord calls.[c](AV)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Joel 2:19 Or Lord will be jealous … / and take pity … / 19 The Lord will reply
  2. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.
  3. Joel 2:32 In Hebrew texts 2:28-32 is numbered 3:1-5.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Lord Had Pity

18 (A)Then the Lord became jealous for his land
    (B)and had pity on his people.
19 The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, (C)I am sending to you
    grain, wine, and oil,
    (D)and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
    a reproach among the nations.

20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,
    and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard[a] into (E)the eastern sea,
    and his rear guard[b] into (F)the western sea;
(G)the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
    for he has done great things.

21 “Fear not, O land;
    be glad and rejoice,
    for (H)the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, (I)you beasts of the field,
    for (J)the pastures of the wilderness are green;
(K)the tree bears its fruit;
    the fig tree and (L)vine give their full yield.

23 (M)“Be glad, O children of Zion,
    and (N)rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given (O)the early rain for your vindication;
    he has poured down for you abundant rain,
    (P)the early and (Q)the latter rain, as before.

24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
    the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore[c] to you the years
    that (R)the swarming locust has eaten,
(S)the hopper, (T)the destroyer, and (U)the cutter,
    (V)my great army, which I sent among you.

26 (W)“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
    and praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people (X)shall never again be put to shame.
27 (Y)You shall know that I am (Z)in the midst of Israel,
    and that (AA)I am the Lord your God (AB)and there is none else.
And my people (AC)shall never again be put to shame.

The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit

28 [d] (AD)“And it shall come to pass afterward,
    that (AE)I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
(AF)your sons and (AG)your daughters shall prophesy,
    your old men shall dream dreams,
    and your young men shall see visions.
29 (AH)Even on the male and female servants
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30 “And I will show (AI)wonders in the heavens and (AJ)on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 (AK)The sun shall be turned to darkness, (AL)and the moon to blood, (AM)before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that (AN)everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (AO)For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among (AP)the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Joel 2:20 Hebrew face
  2. Joel 2:20 Hebrew his end
  3. Joel 2:25 Or pay back
  4. Joel 2:28 Ch 3:1 in Hebrew
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Joel speaks here of God's mercy and restoration after a period of judgment. When God’s people turn back to him, he relents from his punishment, and he forgives and restores all things. God, in his great love and compassion for his people, promises to reverse their suffering and bless them abundantly. God assures them that the land will be fruitful again, their enemies will be defeated, and they will no longer face shame. God is faithful, loving and merciful to us when we repent our sin. Even after hardship, God provides renewal and hope.

When God’s people repent, he not only blesses and restores materially, but he also blesses and restores spiritually. Joel tells of a future outpouring of God's Spirit, He will “pour out my Spirit on all people” (28). This will signify a time of spiritual renewal and divine revelation. God's Spirit will be given to all people, leading to prophecy, dreams, and visions among both young and old. Joel also mentions signs in the heavens and on the earth, indicating a time of great change and divine intervention. Salvation is available to all who call on the name of the Lord!

Prayer: Father, when we turn back to you, you forgive, and you restore all things. Thank you that you are our God.

One Word: Know that the LORD is God!