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God restores what cannot be restored, 

So why are you reluctant to follow His Word? 

The name Joel means Yahweh is God, 

When you go to God, you must believe that He is.  

Alas, for the day of the Lord is at hand, 

The Lord will do great things, fear not O land,   

Take the chance now, take a righteous turn,  

Like Joel, pour your spirit on me O Lord.  

Sound the alarm in God’s holy mountain, blow the trumpet in Zion, 

Be bold for God, have the heart of a lion,  

You are more than blessed, you are God’s scion, 

Enormous, stunning and more significant than the Grand Canyon.  

Turn to the Lord with all your heart,  

Bow down in reverence without your hat,  

Turn to the Lord with all your heart,  

Turn to Him before the book of life is shut.  

Hebrews 11:32-35 (KJV) – ”³² And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: ³³ Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. ³⁴ Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ³⁵ Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:” 

Background and History of the Prophet Joel 

The name “Joel” (יוֹאֵל) is of Hebrew origin. “Joel” means “Yahweh is God” or “Jehovah is God,” reflecting the central message of his prophecy—that the Lord is the one true God who reigns over all. Joel is one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. Although the book bearing his name is relatively short, its messages are powerful and significant.  

The exact period of Joel’s ministry is debated among scholars, with estimates ranging from the 9th century B.C. to the post-exilic period around the 5th century B.C. Some place him during the reign of King Joash of Judah (835–796 B.C.), while others suggest a later date due to certain references in his prophecies. But there is no explicit historical marker within the text to confirm the precise period. 

Joel’s prophecies were directed primarily at the people of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. His messages focused on calling the nation to repent in the face of imminent disaster, which they describe as the “Day of the Lord.” 

The book of Joel opens with a vivid description of a devastating locust plague, which Joel interprets as a judgment from God due to the people’s sins. The locusts are described in apocalyptic terms, foreshadowing a greater judgment if the people do not repent. Joel urges people to turn back to God with sincere repentance, fasting, and prayer. He emphasizes that God is merciful and willing to forgive if they return to Him with their whole hearts. 

A central theme in Joel’s prophecy is the “Day of the Lord,” a time of divine judgment and salvation. Joel warns that this day is near and that it will bring both destruction for the unrepentant and deliverance for those who turn to God. He also speaks of a future outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which Apostle Peter later references in Acts 2:16-21 as being fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. 

Like the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11, Joel’s prophecies emphasize the sovereignty of God over all events, including natural disasters and national crises. His call to repentance is rooted in the belief that God is both just and merciful, and that He controls the destinies of nations. 

Joel’s warnings about the “Day of the Lord” align with the themes of deliverance and judgment. The locust plague in Joel’s time is a reminder of God’s power to bring judgment, while the promise of future restoration and the outpouring of the Spirit points to God’s power to save and deliver. 

The outpouring of the Spirit prophesied by Joel, which was fulfilled at Pentecost, signifies a new era of faith and spiritual renewal. This aligns with the faith of those in Hebrews 11:33 who “obtained promises” and saw God’s power at work in miraculous ways. 

Although Joel’s prophecy focuses on national repentance, it also implies the perseverance of the faithful remnant. The call to fast, pray, and seek God’s face requires faith that God will hear and respond.  

God Restores What Cannot Be Restored 

Joel 1:4 (KJ21) – “That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.” 

Joel 2:25 (KJ21) – “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar and the palmer worm, My great army which I sent among you.” 

The children of Israel were facing one plague after another because of their disobedience to God. The palmerworms came and ate their produce and left some remaining. After they left, the locusts came and left some for the cankerworms. After the cankerworm left, the caterpillars came and cleared everything that was left.  

God rarely brings His punishments all at once. He does this out of mercy. God desires you to learn a lesson and return to Him. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But God does not kill us immediately when we sin. Instead, He gives us small punishments or allows us to encounter small consequences so that we cannot return to those sins. There is a mountainous difference between restoration and repair. The work of salvation is a work of restoration, not repair. Instead of mending what is broken, God restores everything.  

In Baptism, the entire body is immersed in water, not just a few parts. This is because God transforms and restores completely. When the palmerworms, the locusts, the cankerworms and the caterpillars have eaten, what they have eaten goes to waste. Therefore, by human power it cannot be recovered.  

God does what we are not able to do because He is God. I have heard people (particularly children) ask, how God will raise the dead people who have been burnt to ashes. We do not know in detail how He will do that; we just know that He will do that. God can do things and does things that are beyond our understanding. God restores what is lost and has no hope to be found. By faith, Joel did not question God’s ability to restore what was completely lost. Instead, he delivered the message.  

Joel 2:26-27 (KJ21) – “²⁶ And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. ²⁷ And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.” 

The Day of the Lord is at Hand 
Joel 1:15 (KJ21) – “Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” 

Joel 2:1 (KJ21) – “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” 

We are often comfortable in sin because we think that it will take such a long time before Jesus comes back. It might take a long time before Jesus comes back but you don’t know when your lifespan will come to an end. Your life might end the next second. Once your life is over, judgment for you is made for your case has already been decided. 

Prophet Joel told the Israelites that the day of the Lord was at hand. He told them to blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in God’s mountain. This is also a call to us. Jesus is coming soon. Therefore, let us blow the trumpet by boldly and loudly proclaiming God’s message to the entire world. We should let the whole world know that Jesus is coming soon.  

Philippians 2:12 (AMP) – “So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].” 

The word “tremble” in Hebrew is רְגָזוּ (pronounced ragzu). The root of this word, רגז (ragaz), carries the meaning of trembling, shaking, or being agitated. Prophet Joel tells all the inhabitants of the land to tremble because the day of the Lord is at hand. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12 to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This is a call for diligence in seeking God and acknowledging our dependence on His power. We cannot save ourselves, but we can seek God with all our hearts.  

“You have the fear of God before you, and you will have a trembling lest you will depart from the counsels of God. There will be that trembling. You will be working out your own salvation all the time with fear and trembling. Does it rest here? No, let us hear how the divine power comes in: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (verse 13). Here are man’s works, and here are God’s works. They both cooperate. Man cannot accomplish this work without the help of the divine power.” – This Day With God, Page 344, Ellen G. White.  

As you are working out your salvation with fear and trembling, you will be asking yourself how best you can apply God’s commandments according to God’s standards. How best can you apply the education you have gained in school? How best can you apply the true knowledge you have gained from reading books? How best can you turn away your foot from the Sabbath? How best can you be a blessing to other people?

“Man’s working, as brought out in the text, is not an independent work he performs without God. His whole dependence is upon the power and grace of the Divine Worker. Many miss the mark here, and claim that man must work his own individual self, free from divine power. This is not in accordance with the text. Another argues that man is free from all obligation, because God does it all, both the willing and the doing. The text means that the salvation of the human soul requires the will power to be subjected to the divine will power…. And it is the very hardest, sternest conflict which comes with the purpose and hour of great resolve and decision of the human to incline the will and way to God’s will and God’s way.” – Letter 135, 1898, Ellen G. White.  

Calling for Repentance and Holistic Transformation 

Joel 2:12-13 (KJ21) – “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: 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.” 

God calls His people to turn to Him with all their hearts. God wants us to love and trust Him with all our hearts. He loves us with all His heart. We are often selfish, especially when it comes to giving our whole heart to God. We want to give Him some of our heart and not the entire heart. God calls them to turn to Him with genuine fasting and mourning. Prayer and fasting that is effective is the one that is genuine 

Physical actions that are meant to be spiritual do not do much good if they are not done out of an earnest loving heart. There is need for sincerity from the heart for God to accept our prayers as a sweet-smelling incense. Rending one’s heart to God shows one’s need for real transformation. God does not need your garments. He needs your heart.  

The songs we sing in church during worship, are we singing them from the heart? We have sung some of them so many times that the words come from our lips easily like automation. But we have never paused to meditate on the words. We can recite John 3:16 and other popular verses without having to read them, but we have never paused to meditate on them. Therefore, when we recite them, they do not come from the heart.  

Prophet Joel is calling for holistic transformation. He tells the people of Judah to turn to God. He gives them the assurance that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and has great kindness. When you go to God with an earnest heart, seeking forgiveness and transformation, He will not turn you away. Instead, He will receive you with love. He will take off your old garments of sin and give you new garments of righteousness.  

God is so loving that even when Adam and Eve ran away from Him after they had sinned, He still went after them. He took away the aprons of fig leaves that they had sewed on themselves. He clothed them with coats of skins which were better garments than the fig leaves they had sewed upon themselves.  

Encouraging Prayer and Seeking God 

Joel 2:17 (KJ21) – “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?” 

Prophet Joel encouraged people to pray and seek God. He emphasized for the spiritual leaders to weep to God for the people. A spiritual leader has immense authority. In those days, very few people had the privilege of becoming priests. The work of the priest was to serve the people, particularly on their spiritual needs. Joel calls upon them to intercede for the people. He tells them to cry out to God for the heathen not to rule over God’s people. 

1 Peter 2:9 (AMP) –  “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 

The good news is that, through Jesus Christ, all those who believe in Him have been made kings and priests. We need no earthly priest to stand on our behalf, only the heavenly High Priest Jesus. We can take our petitions directly to God and He will listen to us. Let us use that opportunity to commune with God and to seek Him with all our hearts.  

Proclaiming God’s Promises 

Joel 2:28-29 (KJ21) – “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: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit.” 

Some of us think that it is only the privilege of prophets to receive messages from God. We deceptively believe that pastors, bishops, reverends, church elders or theologians know and understand the Bible more than we do because of their titles. This is not true. God desires to speak to everyone. It is a solemn mistake we make in our churches when we only hand pick a few people to minister to us. 

We have many good speakers among us, even among the young people, but we only choose those who we have heard speaking before and are sure that they can speak. I understand the need of wanting our programs to run smoothly and to stay away from embarrassment, but we have to take risks and give others an opportunity. They may not be good and eloquent speakers, but they will speak to a soul whom no other person would have spoken to. In the book of Joel, God promises to pour out His Spirit on everyone (all flesh).  

The word flesh represents the carnality of human beings. Therefore, God promised to pour out His Spirit among everyone that is carnal. The Spirit of God will take out all the evil fleshly nature and work in a man both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure.  

Not only shall God instill righteousness in them but He shall elevate them by giving them the privilege to prophesy. He shall do that to everyone including the ones considered to be lowest in society such as servants and handmaids. That is why it is important to associate with everyone, discriminating no one because you do not know who God can choose to bless you.  

God blessed Naaman, an army commander, through a young servant girl in his house who recommended him to Prophet Elisha. When we only give a selected few the opportunity to preach and teach in our churches, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to lead. The same applies to our church choirs and singing groups. Some focus too much on the perfection of the sound that they forget the ministry part of it which should be the main focus.  

Some music trainers in church are too harsh to their students that their conduct discourages people from joining the choir. Many choirs have placed strict rules on the wearing of uniforms, not regarding those members who cannot afford them. Some strict teachers have caused people to leave the church. Our churches have become less powerful because they have allowed structures to lead them instead of the Spirit of God.  

Advocating for Divine Justice 

Joel 3:12 (KJ21) – “Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.” 

God, the righteous judge will judge us according to our actions. God is very fair as He knows the motives behind all our words and actions. Earthly judges have a limited knowledge and understanding of the people that they are judging. Their judgment is based on evidence. Someone might have committed a crime but there is no sufficient evidence or there is no evidence at all. Therefore, that person will go scott free.  

God has all the evidence about you. He has witnessed you doing all the good and bad things in secret that no one knows about. The righteous judge will reward all the good actions that you have done, including the smallest ones. He is not quick to anger. He is not quick to punish. But when one rebelliously refuses to turn to Him and continues with their sinful ways, He will judge that person and punish them. Through Faith, Prophet Joel emphasized on God’s divine justice.  

Joel’s message is a clarion call for us to tremble at the coming Day of the Lord, to seek holistic transformation, and to trust in God’s divine justice. Joel’s prophecy reminds us that faith is not just about believing in God’s promises but also about responding to His call with sincere repentance and wholehearted devotion. Just as Joel proclaimed the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon all flesh, so too are we invited to participate in this divine promise, living lives marked by faith, prayer, and the pursuit of righteousness. The faith of Joel is a beacon, guiding us to trust in the God who restores, redeems, and reigns forever. 

PRAYER 

O Lord God of restoration, we come to You with hearts open, seeking Your power to renew and redeem. You alone can restore what seems beyond hope, and we marvel at Your ability to make whole what is shattered. Grant us, like Joel, a faith that does not question but trusts in Your sovereignty over all things. 

Almighty God, we sound the alarm and humbly call upon Your Spirit to fill our lives. Help us turn to You with all our hearts, rending our hearts and not just our garments. Lead us to repentance and grant us the courage to walk boldly in Your truth. 

In Your grace, pour out Your Spirit upon us, O Lord. May we prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions that draw us closer to You. Strengthen us to proclaim Your message with boldness, so that the world may see Your light and turn to You before the Day of the Lord arrives. 

Teach us to walk in reverent fear, working out our salvation with awe-inspired diligence. Make us instruments of Your mercy and ambassadors of Your Word, filled with love, joy, and unwavering faith. In the holy name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. 

ACTIVITY 

Step 1: Reflect 

Read Joel 2:12-13. 

Take a few minutes to write down areas in your life that need God’s guidance, mercy, or restoration. 

Step 2: Repent 

As you reflect on these areas, take time to sincerely repent. Express in prayer or writing anything you feel may hinder a closer relationship with God. 

Step 3: Restore 

Pray for God’s restoration in these areas, asking for faith to see Him work even before change appears. 

Visualize and note the joy, peace, or renewed hope that can come from God’s promised restoration. 

Closing Reflection: Revisit Joel’s message and thank God for His faithfulness. Stay open to seeing how God may answer your prayers for restoration in surprising or gentle ways. 

Author: Mark Alex   

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