Joel 2
12 The Lord announces to his people, “Return to me with all your heart. There is still time. Do not eat any food. Weep and mourn.”
13 Don’t just tear your clothes to show how sad you are. Let your hearts be broken. Return to the Lord your God.
He is gracious. He is tender and kind. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. He won’t bring his judgment.
He won’t destroy you.
14 Who knows? He might turn toward you and not bring his judgment. He might even give you his blessing. Then you can bring grain offerings and drink offerings to the Lord your God.
15 Priests, blow the trumpets in Zion. Announce a holy fast. Tell the people not to eat anything.
Gather them together for a special service.
16 Bring them together. Set all of them apart to me. Bring together the elders. Gather the children and the babies who are still nursing.
Let the groom leave his bedroom.
Let the bride leave their marriage bed.
17 Let the priests who serve the Lord weep. Let them cry between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, “Lord, spare your people.
Don’t let others make fun of them. Don’t let the nations laugh at them. Don’t let them tease your people and say,
‘Where is their God?’ ”
The Lord Answers the Prayer of His People
18 Then the Lord was concerned for his land. He took pity on his people.
19 He replied, “I am sending you grain, olive oil and fresh wine. It will be enough to satisfy you completely. I will never allow other nations
to make fun of you again.
20 “I will drive far away from you the army that comes from the north. I will send some of its forces into a dry and empty land. Its eastern troops will drown in the Dead Sea. Its western troops will drown in the Mediterranean Sea. Their dead bodies will stink.”
The Lord has done great things.
Joel means YAHWE IS ( GOD ).
The author of the Book of Joel is Joel. The meaning of that name is 'The Lord is God.'
In other words, it appears that the people of Southern Judah, forgetting 'God alone is the true God,' worshiped other gods and made idols resembling God. God clearly mentioned in the Ten Commandments: 'You shall have no other gods before me!'
Children who heed their parents' words receive blessings.
God has also promised blessings for children when their parents become 'the mouthpiece of God,' 'God's persuaders.'
Visible Blessings
a) Provides new wine:
(Joel 2:19) "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you."
b) Abundance in harvest:
(Joel 2:25-26) "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you."
Invisible Blessings
a) Restores people's joy:
(Joel 2:21) "Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things!"
b) Restores worship:
(Joel 2:26) "You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed."
c) Pours out God's spirit:
(Joel 2:28) "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."
하나님의 영은 성령입니다. 하나님 되신 예수그리스도는 인간의 몸을 입고 이 땅에 오셨다가 우리의 죄를 위해 죽으시고, 부활하시고, 승천하셨습니다. 그 때 선물로 주신 것이 바로 성령입니다. 성령이 내 안에 있을 때 일어나는 현상은 "너희 자녀들은 예언할 것이며 너희 노인들은 꿈을 꾸고 너희 청년들은 환상을 볼 것이다."라고 하셨습니다.
The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, who became God incarnate, came to this earth in human form, died for our sins, rose again, and ascended. As a gift during that time, He gave us the Holy Spirit. The phenomenon that occurs when the Holy Spirit is within me is described as, "Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."
d) Grants salvation:
(Joel 2:32) "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
God compensates for the great curse caused by the locust plague. He provides new wine, brings abundance to the harvest, restores people's joy, and reestablishes worship. Moreover, He pours out His spirit, causing the old to dream and the young to envision. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Let us become 'the mouthpiece of God' as parents. Let us open our mouths and passionately 'persuade' our children. 'The Lord alone is the true God!' By doing so, they will receive not only visible blessings but also invisible blessings.
Especially, let us hope that 'the Spirit of God' will come, allowing our parents to dream and our children to speak of future events and visions.
