Monday, November 9
Read Joel 1
Think About It:
- Joel was not announcing a coming judgment of the LORD, he is describing their present state– devastated by successive swarms of locusts, first chewing, then swarming, then crawling, and finally consuming. Judah will experience a time of famine and financial ruin because of these locusts. This plague was so unusual that Joel says, “tell your children about it.” What will you tell your children and grandchildren about the year 2020?
- Joel told Judah that they should look at their condition and mourn, with all the emotion and passion of a young widow. What is the present state of the Church as a whole? Do we mourn at the state of our world? Has the church been an ineffective influence on the world?
Family Time:
Memory Verse: Joel 2:21, “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done marvelous things!”
This book starts out with two phrases: “Hear this, you elders, and give ear.” In Bible times this meant ‘Pay attention! This is important!’ The second phrase is in verse 3: “Tell your children…” This shows how important the words in this book are. Pay careful attention to what Joel has to say!
- In verses 4-12, what kind of bad things do you see happening to Israel?
- In verse 14, what does Joel tell the people to do because of these bad things?
- In this chapter we learn that in hard times we should fast, gather together and cry out to the LORD. What are some different ways you could fast?
Parents: Help your kids understand why fasting would be an important and valuable thing to do in hard times.
