OLD TESTAMENT

– A narrative on Joel 1:1-2:17

SWARMS of locusts, possibly triggered by climatic changes, have regularly devastated the Near East. They consume every green shoot and leave nothing but famine. Joel says this is God’s warning to the nation that something worse is to follow (2:2). He does not blame specific sins apart from allusions to drunkenness and materialism in 1:5 and sexual licence in 1:8.

In the Old Testament natural disasters and political oppression are seen as warnings or punishments from God on an errant Israel and Judah. But they were also part of everyday life. It is the prophetic function to interpret such historical events as conveying messages from God – which is not the same notion as the caricature of God disrupting his world by raining down vengeance.

Four things need to be held in balance. First, natural disasters are a fact of life in an imperfect world. Although phenomena such as global warming contribute to destabilising the planet, natural disasters have afflicted people for centuries. Christians point additionally to “the fall” (Genesis 3) which threw the created order out of perfect alignment (cf. Romans 8:22).

Second, Jesus explicitly ruled out the view that accidents of nature are punishments of those involved (Luke 13:1-5). Thirdly, Judah and Israel had a unique relationship with God; they formed a political, cultural, and spiritual unit called to be his “chosen people”. His dealings with them cannot be transposed directly to other nations. And finally, the Bible reminds us that God is a judge. Disasters alert us to our mortality and the certainty that we shall each appear before God for personal judgment.

In 1998, a hurricane in Honduras and earthquake in Afghanistan each killed 9,000. A cyclone in India killed 10,000. In 1999 a record wind speed of over 300 mph was registered above a tornado in the United States. Our proper reaction is not to look for “reasons” but to turn to the LORD, as there could be worse in store: an eternity excluded from his presence.

OVERVIEW

THE little Book of Joel has an importance out of all proportion to its length. It takes a literal plague of locusts in Judah as a basis for prophecies about “the day of the LORD”.

Some may see the swarm as an allegory for, or a literal forewarning of, the invasion of Judah by Babylon or other aggressors. However, the simplest interpretation is that Joel takes the literal disaster as a general warning of worse to come.

The second half offers a promise or renewal and restoration after repentance and was quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) with promises of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

A key quote comes from Joel 2:13: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate.”