Sermon Tone Analysis

*JOEL 2:1-17.*

*A.

?

Locust Plague.

[OHP1]*

- Recap (terrible locust plague picturing coming judgment) *Read [OHP2] *- insects, army, ?

something more - God’s instrument of judgment - Egypt (picture of judgment to come) - read a lot of Scripture so the picture you have is that from God’s word, not my imagination: (*Revelation* *9* /Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth/ (angelic being, messenger sent from God)/; and the key of the bottomless //pit was given to him/ (release demonic forces but under God’s direction)/.

He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened /(v.10) /by the smoke of the pit.

Then out of the smoke came *locusts* upon the earth /(demonic manifestation)/, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing/ (? locusts)/, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment /(cf.

V.6)/ of a scorpion when it stings a man.

And in those days men will seek death/ /and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle /(cf.

V.4)/; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.

They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.

They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots/ (cf.

V.5)/, of many horses rushing to battle/ (v.4)/.

They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.

They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things./)

- satanic being but released at God’s command.

*v.4* - The images of army and locust are inter-twined.

The locusts appear like horses, war-horses - fast, terrifying, they run.

They overrun the land with tremendous rapidity.

When the calamity strikes it does so with overwhelming speed - sudden destruction, no chance to flee, to escape.

The emphasis is on the speed of the attack.

Rapid, relentless, irresistible - “like” “like” “like” (cf.

V. 4,7) - they are not any of these things, but something like them - something never seen before but likened to other things - fast, conquering, powerful, consuming, organized.

- appearance of horse but they are not - what are they?

- the locust beasts of Rev 9:7.

*v.5 - *The chariots leap to the tops of the hills - the strong points that are easiest to defend and hardest to take - yet they leap upon them as if there was no resistance, completely overwhelmed, consuming fire.

So smoothly does the invasion go that the battle order is not disturbed by any pockets of resistance (cf.

v.7,8).

Usually the battle starts with the troops in order but in the midst of battle the order gets disrupted in the chaos of fighting.

But so imperceptible do the invaders resistance that the battle order is never broken.

Like an ordered machine they overrun the land - unstoppable, irresistible.

The effect on the inhabitants of the land is awful!

*V.6 *- they are a cause of great anguish (torment in Rev 9:5,6).

Man is impotent, helpless before them.

In dread!

*V.9 *- Remember the song?

There is a false teaching around that the church is Joel’s army - this army is under God’s control, but it is demonic!

It is not the church!

The attack is fast, vicious, relentless, unstoppable, inescapable, into houses & homes, through defenses, they will find a way in no matter what.

You wont be able to keep these fearsome beasts at bay!

*v.11 - *Divinely commissioned on a Divine mission - who can withstand them?

*B.

The Day of the LORD.*

*What is it?*

the day of the LORD, God acting in judgment to recompense men for what they deserve.

I don’t know what it will be like, let Scripture describe it: (*Isaiah 2:10-22* /Enter the rock and hide in the dust From the terror of the Lord and from the splendour of His majesty.

The proud look of man will be abased And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased.

....

The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, But the idols will completely vanish.

Men will go into caves of the rocks and into holes of the ground Before the terror of the Lord And the splendour of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble/ (cf.

V.10)/.

In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the Lord and the splendour of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble.

Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?

/*Isaiah 13:6-16* /Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!

It will come as destruction /(cf.

V.3)/ from the Almighty.

Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man’s heart will melt.

They will be terrified, Pains and anguish /(cf.

V.6)/ will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labour, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame.

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation /(cf.

V.3)/; And He will exterminate its sinners from it.

For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.

/(cf.

V.10) /Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.

I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir.

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,/(cf.

V.10)/ And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of hosts In the day of His burning anger.

And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, They will each turn to his own people, And each one flee to his own land.

Anyone who is found will be thrust through, And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

/(Cf.

V.11)/ Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces Before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished.

/*Ezekiel 30:2,3*/ Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ “For the day is near/ (v.1)/,

Even the day of the Lord is near/ (v.1)/;

It will be a day of clouds, /(cf.

V.2)/ A time of doom for the nations.

/*Obadiah 15*/ For the day of the Lord draws near /(v.1)

/on all the nations.

As you have done, it will be done to you.

Your dealings will return on your own head /*Zephaniah/ /1:7-18*/ Be silent before the Lord God!

For the day of the Lord is near/ (v.1)/,

For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.

“Then it will come about on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice That I will punish the princes, .

...../ /Near /(v.1)/ is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the Lord!

In it the warrior cries out bitterly.

A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, /(v.6) /A day of destruction and desolation/ (v.3)/,

A day of darkness and gloom,/(v.10)/

A day of clouds and thick darkness, /(v.2) /A day of trumpet and battle cry/ (v.1)/

Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.

I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the Lord; And their blood will be poured /(v.11)/out like dust And their flesh like dung.

Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the Lord’s wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire /(v.3)/of

His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.

/*Zephaniah 2:1-3 */Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, Before the decree takes effect— The day passes like the chaff— Before the burning anger/ (v.3)/ of the Lord comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.

Seek the Lord, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility.

Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.

/*Amos 5:18-20* /Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?