Joel Part One Dive

IN THE LAST DAYS…WHY DID PETER QUOTE JOEL?

As I began to study the Book of Joel, I realised that my only knowledge of the book was what I had read in Acts 2:17 from the Day of Pentecost and as a Pentecostal I have heard thousands of sermons (seriously no exaggeration!) quoting this about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The quote in Acts 2:17 says “In the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. The sermon explains this scripture as a sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the gifts of the Spirit being manifest in the speaking of tongues, visions, and dreams from the Day of Pentecost to today. But is that all Peter is saying by quoting the book of Joel? In quoting Joel Peter is calling forth the promises and prophecies of this book into his present situation, the Day of Pentecost and as we are about to study, he is calling one important point that at times we miss and overlook.

So, let’s read it in the book of Joel to truly understand the fullness of this text and in turn the fullness of what was happening at the Day of Pentecost, it’s so much more than what we may have been taught!

As we learnt in the snapshot video Joel is a book about repentance, a book about swarms of locusts and nations invading the land. It is proclaiming the Day of the Lord, a day of darkness and gloom, clouds and blackness (Joel 2:2). It is a Day where God will pour out his justice, prophesied also by Amos and Zephaniah.

There is a sense of future for the prophet Joel, which you can see in repeated terms: ‘the day of the LORD is coming’, ‘And afterward’, ‘In those days and at that time’, and ‘In that day’. He is talking about the future and as Peter quotes it in Acts, the book looks forward to ‘the last days.’

Joel knows that he is speaking about future events in relation to the coming locusts and judgment. But every time he talks about the response of the Israelites to the revelation of the coming judgment you will notice his language changes from “in those days” to 2:12-13 Even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. This book is a warning of what is to come in the hope that they will take action now. That the visions of Joel will stir their hearts so much that they will change the future judgment to one of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, grain, new wine, olive oil enough to satisfy you full! (2:19). The choice is set before them Chapters 1 to 2:11 of judgment, new wine dried up and olive oil that fails, harvest failing, the day of the Lord, storehouses in ruin, devouring fire, an army of locusts, the Lord thundering OR 2:18 – 3:21 new grain, new wine and olive oil, rescued from their enemies, Lord doing great things in defence of his people, trees bearing fruit, autumn rains, full threshing floors, wonders in the heavens, and everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. Two very different endings to the story and it’s their choice. And the door to the choices is found in 2:12-17 the heart of repentance in returning to God.

This book is about repentance, about new wine and oil flowing (2:19) out of response to a repentant and rendered heart before God. So, when Peter quotes this prophecy he is not just talking about young men seeing visions and old men prophesying; the gifts that are manifested as a result of the outpouring of the Spirit. No! He is talking about the prominent warning in the book of Joel, reminding them of the two choices. We can see that in Acts …. 2:21 “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. But because we only read sections of the text we miss the point! Peter is urging them towards a repentant heart turning to God again and the Holy Spirit being poured out on the salvation that results in a repentant heart. Now we have the full understanding of Joel, the chapter in Acts 2 comes alive on a whole new level. Just check out Acts 2:38 Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.

The Book of Joel is about repentance and as Peter quotes this book on the day of Pentecost he calls forth the prophecies of the whole book by quoting this verse. See Peter is not like us today that can quote one verse without understanding the whole book and its message from which we are quoting (not you TYB, of course!). Peter was calling forth the whole book of repentance, the choice as set out in the book of Joel, of getting your heart right with God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that leads to salvation.

Joel is not just about the gift of the Holy Spirit for visions and dreams but about the gift of the Holy Spirit on a repentant heart at the point of salvation and beyond! That is why the reaction to Peter’s preach was so incredible – 3000 got saved that day as the incredible message of repentance, turning your heart back to God AND the empowerment of the Holy Spirit was preached! The gospel in fullness!

As you read the Book of Joel, this is the gospel message in prophetic form. Don’t get lost in the locusts and judgment but get lost in the pinnacle moment of repentance and the result of a rendered heart turning towards God. This is such an incredible book, that at the pinnacle moment when hundreds and thousands of people stood before Peter, this was his go to text! And all the Jews at the festival on the Day of Pentecost knew exactly what he was saying – like in the book of Joel rend your heart before God, turn to him and you will see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your own life as the disciples had seen just moments before.

Jump into the Book of Joel!

Joel Part One Dive

IN THE LAST DAYS…WHY DID PETER QUOTE JOEL?

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