THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH NIGERIA

LAWNA TERRITORY,

SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL

THE JUDGMENT OF
LOCUST INVASIONS
A STUDY OF
THE PROPHECY OF JOEL
(Lessons suitable for Sunday School or Bible Study)

(STUDY MANUAL)

LAWNA Sunday School Office,

LAWNA Secretariat, Olorunda, Ketu
P. O Box 32, Ebute Metta, Lagos,
Tel: + (234) 802 300 9882
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 FOREWORD
In the year 2021, we studied the Epistle of Jude, wherein we saw a mobilisation
for Contending Earnestly for the Faith. The one-chapter epistle warned of the danger
of false teachers who have secretly crept into the church to subvert the faith of the saints.
While affirming the severe judgment of God on these evil workers, in line with God’s
past judgments, Apostle Jude details out three steps to do this contending, namely:
working strenuously to keep one’s self in the love of God, embarking on aggressive
evangelism to save the perishing and to acknowledge God in every step.

This year, 2022, we are studying the Prophecy of Joel The devastating judgment
of God is depicted by a successive set of locust invasions, which left the land of Judah
completely devastated. All green leaves of grass, shrubs and trees was eaten up. The
twigs were not spared either and finally, the bark of trees were also eaten leaving the
forest totally consumed. The locusts, coming in extremely large numbers, eat up vast
areas of the fields, making such fields become white as if covered with snow as at the
peak of winter.
As if that was not bad enough, there was drought accompanied by forest fires to
complete the ruin of the people and the economy of the nation. All these provide the
opportunity for the prophet to announce the coming Day of the Lord, the day of judgment
of God. In mercy, the prophet also declared the coming of the refreshing outpouring of
the Spirit of God upon all flesh. and with all the gifts of the Spirit.

We acknowledge the useful materials gained from commentaries of Matthew

Henry, Albert Barnes, Adam Clarke, John Gill, Alexander Maclaren and some others, as
well as many reference Bibles.

We also acknowledge the incisive review of:

Eld. Dr. T. Banji, retired Lecturer, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria
Eld. Tunde Adebisi, Editor of the LAWNA NEWS, and members of Sunday
School Department.

We commend you to the grace of God as you use this book.

Pastor J. B. Coker,
LAWNA Sunday School Superintendent,
November 24, 2020
Tel: + (234) 802 300 9882; e-mail: [email protected]

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 GUIDENOTES ON SUNDAY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
1. Participation//////
All members of the church (CHILDREN AND ADULTS) should be encouraged
to attend Sunday school.
2. Teachers
For each assembly, teachers should be appointed from among born-again and Spirit-
filled members. There should be a teacher for each class.
3. Class Division
Students should be divided into classes, first on the basis of age and then on the
basis of language and gender, but based on the number of teachers available. The
classes should be available in every assembly for at least three age groups (Children,
Intermediate, Adult). The children class can be sub-grouped by age into more
classes for effectiveness, provided there are teachers for the classes.
4. Officers
4.1 The following four officers are mandatory at each level of administration
(Assembly, District and Area): Leader, Assistant Leader, Secretary and
Treasurer.
4.2 At the Area level, at least one of these offices should be held by a full-time
Minister.
5. Management meetings
5.1 Assembly Teachers should meet every week or as frequently as practicable.
5.2 District Management meetings, attended by Assembly Leaders (Officers),
should hold quarterly.
5.3 Area Management meetings, attended by District Leaders (Officers), should
hold at least twice a year.
5.4 Territorial Management meeting, attended by Area Leaders (Officers),
should hold twice a year (April and August).
6. Progress Report
6.1 Progress reports from Districts must be submitted to Area headquarters
quarterly.
6.2 Progress reports from Areas must be submitted to LAWNA twice a year
(May/Sept).

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 PROGRAMME FOR THE YEAR
Month Sunday Lesson No. Sunday Lesson No.

Month
1st Introduction 1st Sunday
Sunday 6E
2nd 1A 2nd Sunday 7A
Sunday
3rd 1B 3rd Sunday 7B
January

Sunday

July
4th 1C 4th Sunday Convention
Sunday
1st 1D 1st Sunday 7C
Sunday August
2nd 2A 2nd Sunday 7D
Sunday
Februar
February

3rd 2B 3rd Sunday 7E

August

Sunday
4th 2C 4th Sunday 8A
y

Sunday
1st 2D 1st Sunday 8B
Sunday
2nd 3A 2nd Sunday 8C
Sunday
September

3rd 3B 3rd Sunday 9A

March

Sunday
4th 4A 4th Sunday 9B
Sunday
1st 4B 1st Sunday 10A
Sunday
2nd 4C 2nd Sunday 10B
October

Sunday
April

3rd 4D 3rd Sunday 10C

Sunday

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 4th 4E 4th Sunday 10D
Sunday
1st 5A 1st Sunday 10E
Sunday
2nd 5B 2nd Sunday 11A
Sunday

November
3rd 5C 3rd Sunday 11B
May

Sunday
4th 5D 4th Sunday 11C
Sunday
1st 6A 1st Sunday 11D
Sunday
2nd 6B 2nd Sunday Area Rally
Sunday

December
3rd 6C 3rd Sunday Revision
June

Sunday
4th 6D 4th Sunday Revision
Sunday
The third fifth Sunday in a month in the year should be used for Mid-year
Examination.

INRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JOEL

Message (0A): A Message from God
Text: The whole Book
a) Objective: To give a brief summary of the Book of Joel as a background
to the the lessons that follow.
b) Memory Verse: Joel 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of
Pethuel
c) Relevant Hymns: RH 333, App 65
d) Lesson Exposition:
1. The Author
i. All that is known about the author of this prophecy is in the first
verse of the book: Joel, the son of Pethuel.

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 ii. The name Joel mean ‘Jehovah is God’ and Pethuel means,
Persuaded of God.’
iii. Joel, like Hosea, mentions the name of his father only, and then is
silent about his extraction, his tribe, his family.
iv. He would be known only, as the instrument of God. “The word of
the Lord came to” him (see Hos_1:1), and he willed simply to be
the voice which uttered it.
v. One may conclude that Joel considered the message more
important than the messenger.
2. The Date of the Book
i. Joel also leaves even the time when he lived, to be guessed at.
ii. Though, we are not certain of the exact period at which Joel
prophesied, but he is generally believed to have been one of the
earliest prophetic writer of the southern kingdom, and one of the
earliest of the twelve minor prophets.
iii. Some researchers have suggested that Joel prophesied during the
terrible reign of Athaliah, who killed all her sons to seize the
throne, unknown to her that her last born, Joash, had been
smuggled out and hidden in the temple by the High priest,
Jehoiadah. (See the story in 2Kings Chapter 11.
iv. The proponents of the scenario claim that it was Joel’s prophecy
that motivated Jehoiadah not to wait for more than six years
before plotting again the usurper Queen, directing her to be killed
and installing the seven year old Joash as king.
v. The prophecy of Joel is claimed to be responsible to a national
repentance and the subsequent peace and prosperity for forty
years while Joash reigned,
3. The Message
i. The message of Joel concernis the severe judgment of God
against sin, now and at the end of the age, which he terms the
Day of the Lord.

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 ii. Judah suffered a devastating plague of locust invasions, which
Joel used to remind the people of Judah of the nature of God who
will not condone sin, even though, He is loving and merciful.
iii. While here on earth, He has many ways of bringing disobedient
people to their knees by using any instrument be they human
beings, animals, insect or even inanimate objects like wind,
earthquake among others.
iv. In the end, He will bring everyone to judgment on the day of the
Lord.
v. In His love, He is calling all sinners to repent, following which
He will show mercy, favour and abundant restoration to the
penitent and eternal damnation to the finally impenitent.
vi. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh is coming to
make this restoration actualized.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Have read the Book of Joel before?
ii. What is the total number of number of verses in the Book?

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LESSON 1: GOD SPEAKS
Text: Joel 1:1
Joel 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel
Messages From The Passage
1. First Message (1A): God Speaks To Man.
a) Objective: To show that God speaks in the language of man.
b) Memory Verse: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets
by the prophets. (Heb. 1:1)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 88, 79, App. 88.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
ii. Little is known about Prophet Joel except that he was the son
of Pethuel.
iii. His name ‘Joel’ means “The Lord is God” or Yahweh is God.”
It shows that his parents had faith in the God of Israel.
iv. Our study text says, “The word of the LORD that came to Joel
(1:1), meaning that God spoke to Joel.
v. It is the nature of God to speak, and He always speaks to man
whom He had created in His own image.
vi. Job testifies to the truth that God speaks when he declares in
his statement, “For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man
perceiveth it not (Job 33:14).
vii. Psalm 62:11 also confirms Job’s testimony when it says, “God
hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth
unto God.”
viii. God speaks to man in different ways – prophecies, dreams,
visions, circumstances among others.
ix. Furthermore, the evidences to show that God speaks to man
can be found both in the Old Testament and New Testament
Scriptures.
x. One of the characteristics of God as the Lord who speaks is His
ability to speak and communicate in all languages and that is
why He does not need any interpreter to understand any
language.
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 xi. Our conclusion here is that God speaks; and He speaks to man
since He was able to speak to Joel and many others.
xii. It is a privilege that God speaks, for without speaking, man
would not have known the mind of God.
xiii. Therefore. may we be careful not to disregard the fact that God
speaks to man.
a) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Does God speak to you?
ii. How does He speak to you?

2. Second Message (1B): God Speaks To Inanimate Objects

a) Objective: To show that God also speaks to non-living things apart
from speaking to man
b) Memory Verse: But the men marvelled, saying, what manner of
man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! (Matt 8:27).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 33, 129.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. By inanimate objects, we mean those things that are not alive
in the way that human beings, animals and plants are.
ii. Wind and water are examples of inanimate objects. Jesus
Christ rebuked them, and they became calm (Lk. 8:24-25).
This means that God can speak to inanimate objects.
iii. “What manner of man is this! For He commandeth even the
winds and water, and they obey him.” (Lk. 8:25).
iv. In fact, God created all things by the word of His mouth. In
Genesis Chapter One, we constantly hear, “And God said, let
there be…. And there was.’’ He spoke and it happened.
v. Note that God speaking to inanimate objects does not mean that
Christians should believe in what some theologians describe as
“animism” that is, the belief that inanimate objects also have a
living soul. Do not try to make yourself an “animist.”
vi. Among the pagans, some people believe that inanimate objects
such as the land, the water, or even weathers, can be spoken to

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 using magical or diabolic means to give them crop fertility or
rains, but all these are false beliefs and contrary Christian faith.
vii. God speaks to inanimate things because He is Omnipotent and
also knows why He does so. However, that does not make God
an animist.
viii. It is this God’s ability to speak to inanimate objects that enables
Him to command or control the nature,;and of course the whole
universe in our favour or to our advantage, as well as to the
glory of His name.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Does God speaking to inanimate objects mean that things like,
wind, plants have minds that hear God?
ii. Does it now mean that magicians and spirits truly have powers
to speak to inanimate objects?

3. Third Message (1C): The Purpose of God Speaking To Man

a) Objective: To let man know God’s nature and mind
b) Memory Verse: Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Ex. 3:6).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH 485, 489
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. God has chosen to speak to man because that is His major
means of communication with man whom He had created in
His own image (Gen. 1:26).
ii. God speaks to reveal His purpose or plan to us (Gen. 18).
iii. Speaking to us by God is an evidence or a proof of the love
relationship between Him and us as His people.
iv. One of the major reasons for God speaking to human beings is
to make them know Him, His ways and His plan for their
salvation (Lk. 4:18-19).
v. God speaks to reveal Himself to man (Deut. 29:29; Eph. 3:3;
Gal. 1:12).
vi. God is the light of the world (John 1:4-9; 8:12) and unless He
speaks His word unto us, the world will be in darkness (Ps.
119:105).
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 vii. It is because God speaks to man, that ordinary men like us have
been inspired to write the scriptures (2Tim. 3:16; 2Pet. 1:21).
viii. God will speak to commission us for His assignment, as He did
to Saul on the way to Damascus. (Acts 9:4).
ix. God speaks to heal our infirmities and to deliver us from
destructions (Ps. 107:20).
x. He speaks to warn us about impending disasters (Gen. 19:12-
17).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Are there areas of your life you can point out to show that
God’s word truly had positive effects on your life?
ii. Are you able to say that all that God has spoken to you made
you to become like Him?

4. Fourth Message (1D): Conditions for Hearing God Speak

a) Objective: To let us know that even when God speaks, there are
still conditions to be met before His voice can be heard.
b) Memory Verse: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall
I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah
6:8).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 441, 467
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. God will speak to us when we have prepared our ears to listen to His
voice, as found in the experience of Moses (Ex. 3:3-4) and Isaiah (Is.
6:8). We must be eager to hear God’s voice.
ii. He will speak to those who have spiritual ears (Matt. 11:15).
iii. God Speaks through the Holy Spirit (Rev. 2:7) Therefore, we also need
to be in the spirit to hear His voice (Rom. 8:9,14).

iv. The scripture is a package of God’s message to man, therefore,

systematic and consistent Bible study enables us to hear God speaking
to us all the time.

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v. The fear of God enables us to hear His voice anytime He speaks. Ps.
25:14says, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he
will show them his covenant.”
vi. There is no age limit to hearing the voice of God, but He speaks to
whosoever makes himself or herself available. Read also the
experience of Samuel in the house of Eli (1Sam. 1:1-15).
vii. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is another condition for hearing His voice
(John 10:27; Matt. 13:11; Mk. 4:11; Lk. 8:10) “…it is given unto you to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven…
viii. God speaks to those who are willing to obey him. God refused to
speak to Saul, the king of Israel, when he consistently refused to obey
God. (I Sam. 28:6, 15-18).
ix. God speaks to those who walk in the way of holiness, because sin is
spiritual noise that does not make the voice of God audible to man (Ps.
66:18; I Sam. 28:15-18).
e). Personal Assessment Questions
i. Can you truly say that God speaks to you?
ii. Does your life qualify you to hear from God from time to time?

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LESSON 2: GOD’S JUDGEMENT DEPICTED BY LOCUST INVASION
Text: Joel 1:2-4
Joel 2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of
thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great
people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be
any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
Joel 2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth:
the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a
desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Joel 2:4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as
horsemen, so shall they run.
Messages From The Passage:
1. First Message (2A): A Call to Judah to Discern Their Present
Unprecedented Situat2ion.
Text: Joel 1:2: Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants
of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your
fathers?
a) Objective: To make the people realize the terrible level of sinning
that they had degenerated to and the unprecedented judgement of
God against them, as a consequence.
b) Memory Verse: Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach
to any people. (Prov. 14:34).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 368, 371
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Joel begins this passage with a general call to the elders, the political
representatives of the people, and the rest of the Judeans.
ii. Joel challenges the people to admit the uniqueness of their experience.
It was totally different from what Israel had ever experienced before.
iii. Joel’s questions in this verse 2 reminded them that the plague was the
worst thing that had never happened in the land of Judah.
iv. The elders must always take the lead in facing up to the meaning of
what is happening in their environment.
v. The situation was a proof that God Himself was at work in the human
situation. This is to say that God was aware of about the events.did

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vi. One important lesson of this passage is that those who outdo their
predecessors in sin should also expect to fall under a greater judgement
than their predecessors did.
vii. Today, in all nations, it has been assumed that unprecedented evil
occurrences such as AIDS, Covid-19 pandemic, insurgency and
banditry, among others are all indicators of God’s judgement against
the sins of the people.
viii. The good news is that we can still amend our sinful ways as nations
and individuals to escape a more severe judgement of God.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Is your life such that you can say that you do not contribute to
the sins that are bringing God’s judgment upon your
environment or nation?
ii. Are you truly prepared to amend your ways before the Lord?

2. Second Message (2B): God’s Warning Must Be Passed from

Generation to Generation
Text: Joel 1:3: Tell ye your Children of it, and let your children tell their
children, and their children another generation.
a) Objective: To show that God’s judgment should be remembered
by all generations, so that people may live in the fear of God
b) Memory Verse: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up
(Deu. 6:7)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 430, 656
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. The event in Judah, as pointed out by Joel, was such that would
not be forgotten in their history from generation to generation
“Tell ye your children of it; and let your children tell their
children and their children another generation.” (Joel 1:3).
ii. Some parents are fond of keeping vital information away from
their children probably because of their culture/tradition or
sheer ignorance.
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 iii. It is very biblical to pass the news of important events to our
children (Ex. 10:2; Deut. 6:7; Ps. 48:13; 78:4 & 6), so that
they also may grow to learn from our experiences. This is
exactly the language used by Joel in Joel 1:3.
iv. Judgements for sins must be remembered for generations to
serve as warnings not to disobey God and suffer the same
fate.
v. After the Israelites had crossed the Jordan river, Joshua told
the 12 men who were leaders of the tribes to take 12 other
stones out of a particular spot in the river. With those stones,
the leaders would tell their children in the future about how
the Lord had parted the river, before them, to enable them
cross river the on dry land (Joshua 4:1-9).
vi. Our failure to hand history over to our children could create a
gap and cause us a very great damage, especially in this
present world. We should allow children to know about the
past as much as the present. In particular, we should teach
our children the doctrine and practice of the church for the
survival of the church tomorrow.
vii. Tell ye your children of it: Often, children like stories and
that is why both parents and teachers must use story-telling
methods sometimes to teach them important lessons.
In this case, parents should discuss the story of their
experience as God’s people, with their children so that these
children may learn from the mistakes of their parents.
viii. However, effort should be made to keep children away from
things, including information which could harm or pollute
their minds.
ix. We should, therefore, be careful to pass appropriate
information unto coming generation.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. How much do you remember God’s judgment upon past
generation and what are you doing to prevent coming
generations to avoid sin and live in righteousness?

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 ii. Do you keep vital information of the gospel away from your
parents, children or junior ones?

3. Third Message (2C): God’s Use of Contemptible Objects to Effect

Severe Judgement on the Disobedient
Text: Joel 1:4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten;
and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten, and that
which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.
a) Objective: To demonstrate God’s power to use contemptible objects
as instruments of severe judgement against disobedient people.
b) Memory Verse: Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I,
even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins (Lev 26:28).
c) Relevant Hymns: App231, RH. 279.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Joel was a skilful presenter of God’s message. His message
came from the Lord; but he did not go straight to expose the
situation.
ii. He had earlier summoned both the elders and the people to
listen.
iii. Then, in verse 4, Joel made the situation known to the people.
iv. The situation was described as a severe locust plague, a series
of cropping until vegetable was totally destroyed.
v. The four different words used for the locust by Joel in this verse
4 may refer to the successive stages in the insect’s life cycle;
or, probably, to four varieties of locust.
vi. Each swarm of locusts ate whatever had been left by the
previous ones.
vii. Some scholars see the four types of locust as symbols of human
armies that invaded or would invade the land of Israel: armies,
such as those of Babylon and Assyria.
viii. But it seems much rather to be understood literally as armies of
insects coming upon the land and eating up the fruits of it.
ix. If this is so, it is instructive to know how God can use
contemptible objects to actualise His judgement on the

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 disobedient. Locusts were one of the plagues of Egypt. For
example, locusts were one of the plagues of Egypt. locusts are
known to have eaten up thousands of hectares of crop land in
Asia, South Africa and in parts of Northern Nigeria.
x. These facts should make one fear falling a victim of God’s
judgement. “It is fearful to fall into the hand of the living God.”
(Heb. 10:31)
xi. It is reasonable to see here how sin can destroy an individual,
a family, a community or a nation. (See Prov. 14:34) “…but
sin is a reproach to any people.”
xii. The purpose of this passage is to call our attention to what
happened to the land of Judah as a result of their sin so that we
might not fall into the same trap, today.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Can you see how little things like viruses are destroying
populations in the world today because of the sins of the world?
ii. Are ready to run away from sins that that so easily beset us, like
indecent dressing, fowl language, telling lies, pride, and so on,
that are leading to the decay of the society?

4. Fourth Message (2D): The Severity of the Locust Invasion

Text: Joel 1:4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust
eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten;
and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.
a. Objective: To explain how the land of Judah was devastated by
different species of locusts that came, in turns.
b. Memory Verse: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
(Deut. 6:7).
c. Relevant Hymns: RH. 533, 547.
d. Lesson Exposition:
i. The enemies that were sent against Judah were mere
animals - locusts and caterpillars, palmer-worms and
canker-worms, (Joel 1:4)
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 ii. We cannot describe how these differed one from
another; they were all little insects, any one of them
despicable, and which a man might easily crush with
his foot or with his finger; but when they came in vast
swarms, or shoals, they were very formidable; and ate
up all before them.
iii. Here, we learn that God is the Lord of hosts, who has
all creatures at his command, and, when He pleases,
can humble a proud and rebellious people by the
weakest and most contemptible creatures.
iv. When God pleases, worms can plunder a country, eat
up that for which man laboured, destroy the forest, and
cut off the subsistence of a potent nation.
v. The weaker the instrument is, that God employs, the
more is His power magnified.
vi. The fury and force with which the locusts come in
their invasion can be unimaginable.
vii. Here, the prophet calls them a nation (Joel 1:6),
because they are embodied, and act by consent; and as
it were with a common design.
viii. Though the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all
of them by bands (Pro. 30:27); and it is there
mentioned as an instance of their wisdom.
ix. It is prudence for those that are weak to unite and act
jointly. They are strong, for they are without number.
x. Locusts are said to have the teeth of a lion, of a great
lion, because of the great and terrible execution they
do.
xi. Locusts act as lions when they come armed with a
divine commission. We read of the locusts out of the
bottomless pit, that their teeth were as the teeth of
lions. (Rev. 9:8).

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 xii. Great is the mischief they do. They eat up all before
them (Joel 1:4). What one leaves, the other devours;
they destroy not only the grass and corn, but the trees
also (Joel 1:7): The vine is laid waste.
xiii. They eat the leaves which is the kitchen of the plant
and also shelter to the fruit while it ripens; and,
therefore, that also perishes, also, and comes to
nothing.
xiv. They eat the very bark of the fig-tree, and so kill it.
Thus the fig-tree does not blossom, nor is there fruit in
the vines, as Habakkuk 3:17 suggested.
xv. If God did this to Judah of old, we should not expect
any treatment less severe, today.
e. Personal Assessment Questions
i. What are the little sins you find in your life that may
lead to God’s anger, judgment and destruction?
ii. Do you think God’s judgment can be less severe on you
today if He finds you with these little sins?

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LESSON 3: ALL HAVE SINNED
Text: Joel 1:5-12
Joel 1:5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of
wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
Joel 1:6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without
number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth
of a great lion.
Joel 1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath
made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made
white.
Joel 1:8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of
her youth.
fJoel 1:9 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the
house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn.
Joel 1:10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted:
the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
Joel 1:11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers,
for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is
perished.
Joel 1:12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the
pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees
of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of
men.
Messages rom The passage
1. First Message (3A): All Sectors of the nations were affected.
Text: Joel 1:5-11
a) Objective: To teach that as many as contributed to the sin of
a nation shall also share in the judgment that comes after
wards.
b) Memory Verse: Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father,
so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall
die. Ezek. 18:4
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 316, 323
d) Lesson Exposition:
20
i. The Locust invasion affected everyone in the land, from
the leaders (priests and elders) to the lowest (farmers and
drunkards), but Joel addressed his message to some
specific groups.
ii. First, he turned to the drunkards (1:5a). The destruction of
the vineyards meant there was no wine for them (Joel
1:5b).
iii. Instead of being the last to realize what was happening in
the land, they would quickly awaken from their drunken
sleep, to mourn the lack of alcohol (see also Prov. 23:35).
iv. All sin stupefies the sinner. All intoxicate the mind, bribe
and pervert judgment, dull the conscience, blind the soul,
and make it insensitive to its own ills.
v. All the passions, anger, vain glory, ambition, avarice and
the rest are a spiritual drunkenness, deadening the soul, as
strong drink doth the body. “They are called drunkards,
who, confused with the love of this world, feel not the ills
which they suffer.
vi. “Awake, ye drunkards and weep,” means, shake off the
sleep of your insensitivity, and oppose by watchful
lamentations the many plagues of sin, which succeed one
to the other in the devastation of your hearts.
vii. God arouses those who would be aroused, by
withdrawing from them the pleasures wherein they
offended Him.
viii. “Awake,” the prophet cries, from the senseless slumber
of your drunkenness; awake to weep and howl, at least
when your feverish enjoyments are dashed from your
lips.
ix. Weeping for things temporal may awaken one to the fear
of losing things eternal.
x. The locusts had been like a powerful invading army (Joel
1:6a; see also Prov. 30:27). They had eaten up the
vineyards (Joel 1:7).

21
 xi. Figs were one of the economic trees in Israel. Their
destruction would signal an economic calamity to the
nation.
xii. Also, the locust plague affected worship in the temple.
Therefore, the second group addressed by Joel were the
priests (Joel 1:8-10).
xiii. The crops provided food for the priests (See Ex. 29:27-28;
Lev. 1-2; Num. 28:5-8) and for the offerings that honoured
God.
xiv. Lack of grain, wine and oil, that were used to represent all
agricultural products, affected the worship services in the
temple (Joel 1:9-10). The people were unable to provide
the offerings commanded in Lev. 6:14-18 and 7:11-18.
xv. Farmers and vine growers were the last group addressed
by Joel (1:11). Often, they were tenant farmers and
landless agricultural workers and were among the poorest
people in the land (2Kgs 25:12; Isa. 61:5; Jer. 40:7-10;
52:16).
xvi. These farmers were suffering the effects of a drought, for
everything had withered away (Joel 1:10,12a).
xvii. These farmers would not only lose their crops, but they
would also be unable to pay the rent that was due to the
landowners.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you think your personal sins have contributed to the
unpleasant situation of our nation today?
ii. Have you seen the need to repent as a solution to the present
national situation?

2. Second Message (3B): Also, All Tree Crops Are Destroyed

Text: The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth ; the
pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of

22
the field, are withered, because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
(Joel 1:12)
a) Objective: To show that sin can be the cause of the destruction
of the sources of wealth.
b) Memory Verse: Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit
of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy
sheep. (Deut. 28:18)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 313, 306
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. We are told. in Joel 1:12, that the vine was dried up. Then,
the fig tree, the pomegranate tree, the palm tree, the apple
tree and all the trees of the field had withered away.
ii. The above trees were economic trees that were very
important to the survival of Judah as an agricultural society
or nation.
iii. Since all the trees had withered, joy had also withered away
from the people. (Also, see Haggai 2:19).
iv. Nations and individuals should always be thankful to God
for the gift of the natural environment and its rich
resources. “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness
thereof…” (Ps. 24:1).
v. The abuse or misuse of the natural environment and its
resources indicates a lack of thankfulness to God, who is
the Creator, the Owner and the Giver of the land and its
fullness.
vi. However, it should be noted that our sinful lifestyle or
distance from God as well as disobedience to Him can lead
to the withholding of God’s divine blessings upon our
environment.
vii. Or, have we not seen or heard of certain parts of our nations
affected by long-term droughts or serious epidemic
disease?
viii. As individuals, families and nations, we need to examine
and check our relationship with our God.

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 ix. Deuteronomy 28 is a clear declaration of the linkage of
prosperity of a nation and the holy living of its people.
x. If it be so for a nation, it must also be so for the church for
which God expressly commands, “be ye holy for I am holy”
(Lev. 11:44-45, 20:26, 1 pet 1:16).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you realise the necessity of obeying God for enjoying
His natural resources and other divine provisio
ii. ns?
iii. *How much do you appreciate the gift of God?

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LESSON 4: A CALL TO REPENTANCE
Text: Joel: 1:13-20
Joel 1:13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of
the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the
meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of
your God.
Joel 1:14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God,
and cry unto the LORD,
Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a
destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
Joel 1:16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
Joel 1:17 The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid
desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.
Joel 1:18 How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed,
because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made
desolate.
Joel 1:19 O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the
pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the
field.
Joel 1:20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of
waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the
wilderness.
Messages from the passage
1. First Message (4A): The Priests Are To Lament.
Text: Joel: 1:13.
a) Objective: To show that Leaders are supposed to be the first people
to lead others to lament the
sin of the society.
b) Memory Verse: For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl:
for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us (Jer.
4:8).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 303, 300
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d) Lesson Exposition:
i. The locust plague was an indication of divine displeasure (see
also Hosea 4:1-3). Therefore, everyone in the land of Judah
must cry out, to the Lord for help.
ii. Only by turning away from sin in repentance could Israel
begin to experience the blessings of God again.
iii. The priests were summoned to lead the whole nation in
mourning (Joel 1:13).
iv. They were to replace their richly embroidered robes (Ex.
28:39-43) with sackcloth, that would symbolize the depth of
their grief and repentance (Also, see Amos 8:10).
v. The Priests were to lament, lie all the night in sackcloth before
the Lord in His Temple.
vi. They were to do this because both the meat offering and the
drink offering had been withheld from the house of their God
(Also, see Jer. 4:8; Joel 2:17; 1:19).
vii. What happened to the priests in this story should be a lesson
to today’s ministers of God. They should not wait until
situations would become deteriorated before taking action.
viii. Ministers of God should teach the people how to fear God and
live a holy life that is pleasing to Him.
ix. Leaders of God’s people are under obligation to lead in holy
living so that their teaching would be more impactful. (1 Cor.
11:9)
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. What are your efforts in convincing your leaders as a means for
God to restore our captivity?
ii. Do you think that lack of discipline can bring punishment on
the society and nation generally?

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2. Second Message (4B): Exhortation To Call A Solemn Assembly.
Text: Joel 1:14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the
elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD
your God, and cry unto the Lord.
a) Objective: To enable us see that it is necessary and important to
plead with the Lord for forgiveness at a time of national crisis.
b) Memory Verse: And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek
the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah . (2 Chron.
20:3).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 471, App. 64.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. In the Old Testament, people often fasted in time of national
calamities, for example Judges 20:26; 1kgs 21:27; Ezra 8:21.
ii. In other words, people used to deny themselves food in order to
focus their attention on God as they approached Him with
humility and sorrow for their sins and urgent requests.
iii. Today, many churches in the world also pray and fast on regular
basis. If properly focused, this practice is important for the
spiritual revival of individuals, local churches and nations (See
2Chr. 7:13-14; Jonah 3:7).
iv. In this story, the priests were to pray all the night; declare a holy
fast and organize a sacred assembly at the temple for mourning
(Joel 1:14).
v. Ministers of God should learn from what Joel told the priests to
do in Joel 1:13-14.
vi. Usually, sackcloth would be in a time of grief (Amos 8:10). But,
Joel encouraged the priests and the people to rend their hearts,
in grief; and seek God’s face.
vii. A solemn assembly, simply or literally, would include “stoppage
of servile work, too.” The priests would proclaim or declare a
public holiday to ask for divine intervention.
viii. Realisation of the need to call a solemn assembly does not occur
as strongly as it ought to be.

27
 ix. Our previous message (4A) shows the linkage between spiritual
and material prosperity. Therefore, our first duty is to call a
solemn assembly to restore our spiritual prosperity.
x. Hence, 2Chronicles 7:14 calls for repentance and return to God
before expecting the healing of the land.
xi. In the light of this, a regular call for revival services may not be
effective where sin has not been properly dealt with in the
society or in church.
xii. Christian bodies must learn to do more of facing national
challenges with prayer and fasting, but understanding that the
effectiveness of such prayer is dependent on a penitential
environment, in which the prayer and fasting is done, with
rending of hearts.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. How seriously do you take the call for prayer and fasting for
the bad situation of the nation and church?
ii. Are you willing to continue to pray even when the answers are
not observable?

3. Third Message (4C): Announcing the Day of the Lord

Text: Joel 1:15.
a) Objective: To let everybody know, that a day is coming when all
shall be judged, that is,
the judgment of believers’ works as well as the judgment of the
unbelievers
b) Memory Verse: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and
the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2Pet. 3:10)
c) Relevant Hymns: App. 17, App. 198
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. In this verse 15, Joel mentioned brieflythe topic of “the Day of
the Lord, which he developed later in chapter 2.

28
 ii. The locust plague was only a forerunner of an even more
devastating judgment to come.
iii. Prophet Joel proclaimed the coming of the day of the Lord. He
said, “Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand , and
as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.’’ (Joel 1:15).
iv. The day of the LORD referred to by Joel would be a day of
destruction from the Almighty God Himself (Joel 1:15b).
v. Also, Isaiah 13:6 said a similar thing: “Howl ye; for the day of
the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the
Almighty.”
vi. The New Testament scriptures say that the coming of the Lord
would be like a thief in the night (Matt. 24:42-44; 25:13). This
refers to the same day of the Lord which was described by
Prophet Joel.
vii. That the day of the Lord is at hand should challenge all
believers in Christ to remain steadfast in the Lord, so that the
day will not meet any believer, unprepared.
viii. The general view of some Bible scholars is that this day of the
Lord, would be an era or a period of time, while others are of
the opinion that it is going to be just one day.
ix. However, it is not our business here to debate the different
views or opinions. What should be our concern is to know that
the day of Judgment, which is called the day of the Lord, is
coming,
x. It is important to note that Joel is showing us clearly that there
is no way the impenitent sinners will go unpunished because
the day of the Lord, which is announced here, will be a day of
judgment.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you see the link between the great commission and
proclamation of the day of the Lord?
ii. Are you aware that the urgency of the proclamation of the day
of the Lord is greater than the ministering to a dying person?

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4. Fourth Message (4D): The Awful Effects of Judah’s Devastation
Text: Joel 1:16-18
a) Objective: To give further description of Judah's devastation.
b) Memory Verse: Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and
godliness (2Pet. 3:11).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 431, App. 95
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Joel announced the coming of the day of the Lord in verse 15,
which he will develop in more details in chapter 2.
ii. He, described the plight of the nation. Joel 1:16-18.
iii. “Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness
from the house of our God?” (Joel 1:16)
iv. Israel was not supposed to lack what to eat or drink at the time
of Prophet Joel because the people were dwelling on the land
that was supposed to be flowing with milk and honey.
v. Secondly, it is an irony to note that joy and gladness were cut
off from the House of God, a place that was supposed to be the
storehouse of spiritual blessings.
vi. Furthermore, we are told in verse 17 that the seed was rotten
under the clods, and the garners were laid desolate, andthe
barns were broken down, for the corn was withered.
vii. These events showed that God was totally against His own
people, the people of Judah at that particular time because of
their sin.
viii. The condition of Judah, at that time, should teach believers in
Christ, today, that God is not a respecter of any man. He will
judge any erring person, regardless of the person’s relationship
with Him.
ix. Here, the groaning of the beasts can otherwise be interpreted to
mean that they were crying in pain to God for divine
intervention.
x. In the light of this, if animals can cry in pain to God for their
lack, it behoves each one of us, who has been created in the
image of God, and not beasts, to appreciate the need to call unto
the Lord at the time of crisis.

30
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you realise that you have to be in the Lord before escaping
the impending devastation of the world?
ii. Are you convinced of the need to cry to your creator to reverse
the bad situation?

5. Fifth Message (4E): A Cry unto the Lord for Deliverance

Text: Joel 1:19-20.
a) Objective: To demonstrate how Joel cried unto the Lord,
during the time of Judah’s
devastation, so that we may learn from his leadership quality.
b) Memory Verse: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will
deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me. (Psalm 50:15).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 434, RH. 441
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. We are told in Joel 1:19, that the Prophet cried to the Lord, “O
LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the
pastures…”
ii. Joel, as a leader, identified himself with his people by crying
to the Lord for His intervention in the condition of Judah.
iii. Joel broke into lamentation, telling God what the disaster had
done to the land of Judah.
iv. This Joel’s example should challenge today’s ministers of God.
They should realize that it is their responsibility to identify
themselves with the condition of the people they are called to
lead.
v. Ministers. today should take the lead in taking the needs or
cases of their people to the Lord just as Joel did.
vi. Like Joel, in this passage, Christians need to model the
response that God wants from His people. Our ability to do this
is a quick way to appeal for God’s divine intervention in our
situation.

31
vii. Joel, as a leader, was able to interpret the cries of the animals
at the time of Judah’s devastation. Therefore, he urged man to
do no less than the animals who presented their case before
God.
viii. How many leaders, secular or religious, are able to interpret the
feelings expressed by those that are under their care, today?
ix. As Christian Leaders, we are not called to benefit from the milk
of the animals God has given to us only, it is also our duty to
look after their wellbeing.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you have faith in God so that you can cry to Him in such
a bad situation?
ii. What is the level of your commitment in interceding for
your nation and the church?

32
LESSON 5: THE COMING JUDGMENT
Text: Joel 2:1-11
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy
mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the
LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
Joel 2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of
thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people
and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more
after it, even to the years of many generations.
Joel 2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth:
the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate
wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Joel 2:4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as
horsemen, so shall they run.
Joel 2:5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they
leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a
strong people set in battle array.
Joel 2:6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall
gather blackness.
Joel 2:7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like
men of war; and they shall march everyone on his ways, and they shall
not break their ranks:
Joel 2:8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk everyone in his
path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
Joel 2:9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall,
they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows
like a thief.
Joel 2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble:
the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their
shining:
Joel 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his
camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of
the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

33
Messages from the passage
1. First Message (5A): Heralding the Coming Day of the Lord
Text: Joel 2:1
a) Objective: To show the need to prepare for the promised day of
the Lord which had been announced, earlier.
b) Memory Verse: Declare ye, in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem;
and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and
say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
(Jer. 4:5)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 763, RH. 760
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy
mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day
of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” (Joel 2:1).
ii. In the Old Testament, trumpets, made of ram’s or bull’s horns,
were used to signal, among other things, an approaching danger
(Jer. 4:5; 6:1; Ezek. 33:3).
iii. The priests would sound an alarm to the people about the
impending judgment of God.
iv. It is the responsibility of the ministers of God to warn people
of the penalty of sin; and to make known the wrath of God
against all forms of ungodliness and unrighteousness.
v. That the trumpet should be blown in Zion is very significant.
Zion in Jerusalem is the holy mountain and refers to the
dwelling place of God (Ps. 2:6; Joel 2:15; 3:17).
vi. Since Zion is God’s holy hill and represents His dwelling place,
it is expected that whatever message is sent out from there
should be divine, authentic and honoured. Messengers of the
gospel must not pollute or dilute God’s message, and those who
hear the message must honour it, also.
vii. That all the inhabitants of Judah should tremble is very
instructive to us today. Eli the priest acknowledged the

34
 approaching and more severe judgment of God for not
restraining his children from their ungodly practice (1Sam.
3:11-18), the judgment of which played out in 1 Samuel 4:10-
18. God’s promise of judgment should make us fear and repent
of our sinful ways. We should not despise His ways.
viii. If the alarm of temporal judgment is given to offending nations,
how much more should sinners be warned to seek deliverance
from the eternal wrath and judgement to come.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you know of anything that may cause you to regret
on the day of the Lord that is coming?
ii. What preparation are you making in respect of such
things?

2. Second Message (5B): It Is a Day of Darkness

Text: Joel 2:2
a) Objective: To help us understand that the day of the Lord is going
to be a day of darkness and gloom for the unbelievers or the
enemies of God.
b) Memory Verse: Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD!
To what end is it for you? The day of the LORD is darkness, and
not light. (Amos 5:18)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 359, App. 198
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “A day of darkness and of gloominess…” (Joel 2:2).
ii. Darkness is a common prophetic image or figure that is used to
describe the day of the Lord in the Old Testament (Amos 5:18-
20).
iii. Generally, the word is used to symbolize distress and
suffering as we can see in Isaiah 5:30; 8:22; 50:3; 59:9; Jer.
2:6, 31; 13:16; Lam. 3:6 and Ezek. 34:12.
iv. Gloominess implies depression, hopelessness and
unhappiness.

35
 v. Joel here compared the sudden change in the situation where
the morning cloud is dispelled by the rising of the sun upon
the mountains with the sudden darkness that is brought about
by the covering of the sun, by the swarms of locusts flying
across the earth.
vi. Let us note the attitude of Joel. He was both frank and
sincere. He did not hoard God’s truth, but declared boldly to
the people what the dreadful day of the LORD would look
like.
vii. Joel’s attitude ought to be a challenge to the present day
ministers of God. They should be prepared, always, to hear
from God and deliver to the sinners exactly what God has
said.
viii. Ministers of the gospel should beware of feeding the sinners
with messages that would NOT give them the opportunity to
see themselves as sinners and make a decision to turn back to
God.
ix. However, we should not be confused by the thought that the
level of our wealth or wellbeing is synonymous with the level
of our nearness to God and His glory.
x. The significance of this passage is that sinners should not wait
until the day of darkness and doom less they be overtaken as a
thief in the night (Lk. 12:39; Matt. 24:43).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. How do understand the day of darkness mentioned in
this passage?
ii. What are you now to help the unbelievers escape that
day of darkness to come?

3. Third Message (5C): The Irresistible Force of the Locust Invasion

Text: Joel 2: 3-10.
a) Objective: To enable us to realize that the judgment of God cannot
be resisted by anyone.

36
b) Memory Verse: That which the palmerworm hath left hath the
locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the
cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath
the caterpillar eaten. (Joel 1:4)
c) Relevant Hymns: App. 23, App. 216
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Joel developed the analogy between an invading army and a
swam of the locust.
ii. The situation on the judgment day shall be so fierce that no
sinner will be able to escape it for many reasons.
iii. The invading army (swarm of locusts) will be accompanied by
fire that cannot be withstood (Joel 2:3).
iv. The swarm of locusts will be over the whole land (Joel 2:3).
v. The land that looks like the Garden of Eden shall be left
desolate by the locusts (Joel 2:3).
vi. They will advance as rapidly as galloping horses (Joel 2:4).
vii. The sound of their advance will be like the rumbling of chariots
(Joel 2:5).
viii. Their attack will terrify their victims (Joel 2:6).
ix. The locusts will not be resisted by city walls or mountains (Joel
2:7-9).
x. “The earth shall quake before them, the heavens shall tremble,
the sun and the moon shall be dark, the stars shall withdraw
their shining” (Joel 2:10). (See also Isaiah 13:10; 13; Matt.
24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-25; Lk 21:25-26).
xi. Note that as terrible as this day shall be, those who walk with
God in righteousness will not be involved in the judgement.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. The irresistible invasion of the locust depicts the judgment of
God on unbelievers, what steps are you taking to avoid this
judgment?
ii. What do you think will be the experience of careless believers
at this time of judgment?

37
4. Forth Message (5D): Who Can Abide the Day of the Lord?
Text: Joel 2:11
a) Objective: To show that nobody, regardless of position or status,
will be able to withstand the terrible day of the Lord.
b) Memory Verse: “Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be
strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I, the LORD, have
spoken it, and will do it.” (Ezek. 22:14)
c) Relevant Hymns: App. 214
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is
very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of
the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” (Joel
2:11).
ii. More than what verses 3-10 say, concerning the terrible army,
the Lord Himself will be the Head of the army “And the Lord
shall utter his voice before his army…” (Joel 2:11).
iii. God Himself will take part in the battle (Also, see Zech. 14:3).
He will be the commander of the army “And the LORD shall
utter his voice before his army…” (Joel 2:11).
iv. Because of God’s personal involvement in the battle, victory is
certain. No one will be able to resist (endure) the Lord when
He comes to judge the unrepentant sinners (Joel 2:11).
v. Malachi 3:2 says, “But who may abide the day of his coming?
And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a
refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.”
vi. Warning: If God’s terrible judgment cannot be resisted, then,
why wait unrepentantly until the day will come?
vii. Those who feel or think that they can escape or resist the
judgment of God in spite of their sin should be warned.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Is it sensible for you to wait till the day of the Lord for you to
be sure of your salvation?
ii. Does this situation urge you to urgently warn other people not
to delay their salvation?

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39
LESSON 6: A CALL TO TURN TO GOD
Text: Joel 2:12-17
Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with
all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the
LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Joe 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing
behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD
your God?
Joe 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn
assembly:
Joe 2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the
elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the
bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Joe 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the
porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give
not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them:
wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
Messages from the Passage
1. First Message (6A): An Appeal To Judah To Turn To God
Text: Joel 2:12
a) Objective: To explain the need to turn to God at the time of any
crises, either personal, family or national.
b) Memory Verse: “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and
judgment and wait on thy God continuously.” (Hosea 12:6).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 73, RH. 68
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “Therefore, also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with
all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with
mourning.” (Joel 2:12).
ii. The land of Judah had been destroyed by the locust invasion
and drought because of the sin of the nation. But the judgment

40
 to come would be more disastrous unless the people repent and
turn to God.
iii. Joel called the people to repent and turn to their God, the only
one who is able to abundantly pardon and save them. Isa. 55:7
summarises this by saying “Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our GOD,
for he will abundantly pardon.”
iv. The only way for the sinners to receive mercy from God is by
turning unto Him like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).
v. Repentance is possible because God is gracious and
compassionate. “And rend your heart, and not your garments,
and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth
him of the evil.” (Joel 2:13)
vi. Now, it should be understood that sinners cannot just return to
God half-heartedly. No, they must return to Him with their
whole heart (Joel 2:12).
vii. In returning to God wholeheartedly, sinners may also return
with fasting, with weeping and with mourning, and this is what
Joel urged the people to do in that verse 12.
viii. Although Judah had sinned, but one of the great themes of the
Old Testament is that the same God who judges sin is also a
God of compassion and mercy (Also, see Ex. 34:6-7; Num.
14:18; Ps. 103:8; 145:8; Jonah 4:2; Nah. 1:3,7).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. As a person, have you totally turned to the Lord in your heart?
ii. Do you see any danger in not turning sincerely to God in case
you have not done so?

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2. Second Message (6B): Rend Your Hearts, And Not Your Garments
Text: Joel 2:13
a) Objective: To show that mere external or outward expression of
repentance without a sincere change of heart is meaningless and
unacceptable to God.
b) Memory Verse: “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and
proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them
even to the least of them.” (Jonah 3:5)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 77, App. 195
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the
Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and of great kindness, and repenteth him of evil.” (Joel 2:13)
ii. Joel 2:13 is alluding to what Joel had earlier said in verse 12 of
the same passage, but with some additional requirements to the
mode of repentance.
iii. Tearing one’s garments was a customary way of expressing
grief or remorse in Israel. For example, Joshua in Joshua 7:6,
and a Benjamite in 1 Samuel 4:12.
iv. However, God is not satisfied with outward show of repentance
because it is an act which can be done without true sorrow or
repentance.
v. God required from the people, more than mere external words
or actions; he wanted a change of heart and sorrow over their
sin.
vi. The attributes of God that provided the basis of Joel’s appeal
were first revealed to Moses in Ex. 34:6. “…The LORD, the
LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth…”
vii. God is reluctant to punish, and judgment is an unusual or a
foreign task to Him. He wants all to come to repentance (see
Is. 28:21).
viii. This passage is a challenge to many of us today. Sometimes,
some people behave as if they have repented after doing a

42
 wrong thing, but only to find later that the repentance had not
come from their true heart.
ix. The heart of man is reprobate and depraved, and that is why it
is not easy to rend it voluntarily (Rom. 1:28; 2 Tim. 3:8; Titus
1:16).
x. We need to note that only the heart that is given to God can be
turned or rent in true repentance. Hence, we should appreciate
the demand “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes
observe my ways.” (Prov. 23:26).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. How does the topic of this passage appeal to
personally?
ii. Which one is safer for you to do, “to rend your heart”
or to rend your garment?

3. Third Message (6C): There Is Hope in God’s Mercy

Text: Joel 2:14
a) Objective: To demonstrate that God would show mercy to
whosoever is willing to come back to Him.
b) Memory Verse: “And the LORD passed by before him, and
proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth.” (Exod. 34:6)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 385, App. 213
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing
behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the
LORD your God?” (Joel 2:14)
ii. Who knows?: These words suggest that even at the last moment,
the Lord could withhold His wrath or anger and show His grace if
the people would truly repent.
iii. If God withholds His judgement, soil fertility would be restored.
As a result, agriculture would also be restored and productivity
would return.

43
 iv. There would be food and drink for the people and for offerings to
the Lord in the temple.
v. It is obvious in this passage that our failure to repent and turn to
God normally delays or prevents Him from releasing His
blessing upon us.
vi. Also if we truly repent of our sins and forsake them, God will
forgive us and remove any affliction caused by sin. (Proverbs
28:13, 1 John 1:19)
vii. The hope that He will forgive us if we truly repent and return to
Him should even encourage us to do so.
viii. Remember that we are not like the prodigal son who was not sure
if his father would still accept him as a son or not. (Luke. 15:18-
19)
ix. Therefore, for those who have thought that they have lost their
relationship with God, should be motivated by the message of
Joel to know that God is love and is their Saviour (I John 4:8;
Isaiah 43:3).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Is it proper for you to indulge yourself in sin and still be hoping
for God’s forgiveness? (Romans 6:1)
ii. What are you doing to help those who are misinterpreting
God’s mercy for a license to live a sinful life?

4. Fourth Message (6D): The Need For A Solemn Assembly Re-

emphasized:
Text: Joel 2:15-17
a) Objective: To stress once again, the need for calling a national
assembly in which people are expected to seek the face of God
for forgiveness and a reunion between Him and them
b) Memory Verse: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the
LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for
he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).

44
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 323, RH. 334
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. The first trumpet in Joel 2:1 was to sound an alarm of an
impending danger. Here, the second trumpet was to call the
nation of Judah to repentance and contrition (sorrow) before
God.
ii. Joel called on the priests and elders to blow the trumpet,
sanctify a fast and call a Solemn assembly in Zion.
iii. The repetition of these words, “Blow the trumpet,” from Joel
2:15, ties the chapter together and renews the urgent appeal
for a proper response to God.
iv. Joel 2:16 says, “Gather the people, sanctify the
congregation…” Here, we can see that the urgent nature of
the situation is apparent because all ages and classes of the
population were summoned.
v. Then, according to Jewish tradition, a bridegroom with his
bride could be excused from going to war and other business
one year (Deut. 20:7; 24:5). But Joel excused no one from
the prayer at this time of spiritual emergency.
vi. Joel 2:17 says” Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD,
weep between the porch and the altar…” Here, the priests, as
spiritual leaders, are called upon to set an example by leading
the way in repentance.
vii. The priests are to implore the Lord to have mercy on the
people and to spare them, not only for the good of the people,
but also for His own honour.
viii. They are to appeal to God not to allow His people who were
His heritage to be an object of reproach (Ps. 44:14; Deut.
28:37).
ix. God should not allow the heathen nations to doubt if truly the
people still had God: “...wherefore should they say among
the people, Where is their God?” (Joel 2:17).

45
 x. If the priests, the leaders and the people would gather
together in repentance and genuine renewal, the horrible
events that God was threatening might be averted.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you think solemn assemblies are necessary now?
ii. What do you think are the requisites for a solemn assembly?

5. Fifth Message (6E): The Fasting That God Recognises.

Text: Isaiah 58:3-7; Ezra 6:2
a) Objective: To explain that God recognises some fastings but
dishonours others, due to their nature, objectives as well as the
motives behind such fastings.
b) Memory Verse: And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek
the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah (2Chr.
20:3).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 592, RH. 97
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. In the previous passage (6D), the prophet repeated in Joel 2:15,
what he had earlier said in Joel 1:14, asking the leaders of Judah
to sanctify a fast and call a solemn assembly.
ii. Thus, in this present passage, we shall look into the type of
fasting which we believe that God recognizes, so that readers
may not just substitute mere fasting for keeping the right
relationship with God.
iii. What is fasting itself? The word “fasting” generally, can be
described as a deliberate abstinence from food for a period of
time, especially for religious or health reasons.
iv. Fasting, is a religious practice that is approved by God as evident
in several aspects of Scripture.
v. It is clear from the scripture that there are certain forms of fasting
which God is not pleased with. These are fastings that are done
with wrong motives, pride, self-righteousness, bitterness of

46
 mind, unforgiving spirit, and other reasons contrary to God’s
will.
vi. Examples of fastings that are contrary to God’s will can be found
in Is. 58:3-7; Jer. 14:12; Lk. 18:12; 2Sam. 12:16-23.
vii. However, there are fastings that are pleasing to God, such as the
following:
a) Ezra and other Jews fasted for God’s protection while
preparing to return to Jerusalem from Babylon (Ezra
8:21-23).
b) The Ninevites fasted while repenting from their sins
(Jonah 3:5).
c) Esther and the rest of the Jews fasted to thwart the plan
of Haman against them in Shushan (Esther 4:16).
d) King Darius fasted to save Daniel who had been cast
into the den of lions (Dan. 6:18).
e) Jesus recommended fasting for His disciples to enable
them to cast out demons (Matt. 17:21).
f) Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4:2).
g) Nehemiah mourned, fasted and prayed over the
deplorable condition of Jerusalem while he was still in
Babylon (Neh. 1:4).
h) There was prayer and fasting for the progress of the
church progress as in Acts 13:1-4.
viii. God is not against fasting. However, He is only interested in
fasting that is done out of genuine repentance, humility,
righteousness, love, purity of heart, and purposefully, without
any outward show or expression.
ix. Essentially fasting implies afflicting the soul to enable one
concentrate on the prayers being offered.
x. Fasting by itself, without prayers, has no spiritual efficacy,
hence, the abstinence from pleasure including legal sexual
relationship is advocated by scriptures. (Ezra 8:21-23; Is. 58:5-
7; 1Cor. 7:5).
xi. Note that there can be effective prayer without fasting.

47
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you see fasting as a necessity in this present dispensation?
ii. Do you fast regularly?

48
LESSON 7: GOD’S PROMISE OF RESTORATION
Text: Joel 2:18-27
Joel 2:18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his
people.
Joel 2:19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I
will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith:
and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
Joel 2:20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will
drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east
sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come
up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do
great things.
Joel 2:22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the
wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the
vine do yield their strength.
Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD
your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will
cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain
in the first month.
Joel 2:24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall
overflow with wine and oil.
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,
the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army
which I sent among you.
Joel 2:26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the
name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and
my people shall never be ashamed.
Joel 2:27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am
the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be
ashamed.
Messages from the passage
1. First Message (7A): God Will Be Jealous for His People and Pity
Them, Even when They Sin

49
Text: (Joel 2:18-19).
a) Objective: To show how God’s love for His erring people is
demonstrated In His jealousy and pity for them.
b) Memory Verse: “So the angel that communed with me said unto
me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous
for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.” (Zech. 1:14)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 291, RH. 298.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his
people. Yea, the LORD will answer …” (Joel 2:18-19).
ii. Earlier, Joel had prophesised God’s coming judgement upon
the land of Judah if they should fail to return to Him in
repentance.
iii. In verses 18-19, the prophet spoke about God’s forgiveness and
blessing which would come if the people sought to live as God
wanted them to live.
iv. Furthermore, we are told in verse 18 that God would be jealous
for His land and pity His people. This statement reveals God
as One who has emotion; and is, therefore, able to feel (Heb.
2:17-18; 4:15-16).
v. In contrast to the above, there are many in the world today, who
are serving the gods that cannot feel their pains. Hence we
should all come to God who is able to feel the pains of His
people.
vi. Because God is jealous for His land and pity His people, he
will satisfy them by sending them corn, wine and oil, which
had been lost for some time due to the locust invasion and
drought (Joel 1:19).
vii. When corn, wine and oil were sent to Judah by the Lord, the
people would no longer be reproached by the heathen nations
that surrounded them.
viii. This supply of corn, wine and oil can be interpreted to mean
that God would restore the fertility of the land of Judah. Here,

50
 the supernatural ability of God to command nature in our
favour is also revealed.
ix. Since we are not considering the Old Testament Israelites
alone, it is important to let us know that God will still restore
fertility to any aspect of our lives that looks barren or
unproductive today if we seek to live according to His word.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. What is your preparedness for God’s promise of restoration?
ii. Is your life conformable for divine restoration of its lost glory?

2. Second Message (7B): God Will Satisfy His People and Deliver Them
from Reproach.
Text: Joel 2:19.
a) Objective: To demonstrate God's power to restore the lost
fortune of His people when they return to Him in repentance.
b) Memory Verse: “And the LORD said unto Joshua, “This day have
I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you...” (Joshua 5:9).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 361, RH. 375
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold,
I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied
therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the
heathen.” (Joel 2:19)
ii. This passage begins with “Yea, the LORD will answer and say
unto His people.” The implication of this statement is that we
have the Lord who responds to the call of His people.
iii. The awareness that our God answers us should always
encourage us to cry unto Him for our spiritual and material
needs.
iv. Another point of note in this passage is that Israel was
addressed as God’s people: “Yea, the LORD will answer and
say unto his people.” (Joel 2:19).

51
 v. It is a great privilege for those who are in Christ to be called or
addressed as God’s people.
vi. Because the children of Israel were God’s people as they are
even till today, the Lord would send them corn, wine and oil
which they had once lacked because of locust invasion and
drought.
vii. A thorough examination of the passage would show that it was
God Himself that allowed Israel to be ridiculed. But now that
they had turned to God, he would no longer make them a
reproach among the heathen.
viii. God, being consistent, would do the same thing to Christians
today.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you know that a person’s unpleasant situation may be
God’s response to the person’s ungodly way of life?
ii. Do you think it is easy for true return to God to qualify for
God’s restoration?

3. Third Message (7C): God’s Promise of Security and Protection For

His People
Text: Joel 2:20
a) Objective: To demonstrate that God has the power to protect and
preserve His people from all sorts of dangers and enemies.
b) Memory Verse: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be
with thee; and through rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither
shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 377, RH. 379
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. “But I will remove far off from you the northern army…” (Joel
2:20).
ii. Both the Jews and Christians believe that there is God who is
able to preserve and protect His people from dangers and

52
 enemies. This belief can be proved by the statements of the
three Hebrews in Daniel 3:17, and Peter in Acts 12:11.
iii. In Joel 2:20, the Lord promised to protect and secure His
people as He would drive away their enemies, the northern
army.
iv. Some Bible commentators are of the opinion that this northern
army could be locusts, while others believe that it could be
human beings, as the .
v. Whether the army was made up of locusts or human beings, a
major concern should be to realize that God would get rid of
the enemies of His people.
vi. In contrast, it is equally noteworthy that God can use
insignificant things like insects to devastate a nation or a people
who flagrantly tramples upon His principles.
vii. Today’s Christians should be challenged by God’s promise to
drive away the enemies of His people.
viii. Unless one belongs to God, one may be in danger of constant
attack and confrontation by the enemies.
ix. Since God would protect His people from their enemies,
always, we should do our best to constantly maintain our
relationship with Him and defocused our attention from the
enemies.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. How strong is your faith in the power of God to preserve and
protect from danger and the enemies?
ii. When in a problem, do you focus more on God or the enemies?
4. Fourth Message (7D): Restoration of the Years, Which the Locusts
Had Eaten
Text: Joel 2: 21-25.
a) Objective: To let us see that there is connection between turning to
God in repentance and
divine restoration.
b) Memory Verse: “When the LORD turned again the captivity of
Zion, we were like them that
dream.” (Ps. 126:1).

53
 c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 378, RH. 382.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. In verse 21 of this passage, Joel encouraged the land of Judah
to fear not, and to be glad and rejoice; because the LORD
would do great things.
ii. In verse 22, the prophet went further to address the beasts of
the field. He told them not to be afraid, because they would
soon have abundance of pasture to eat. The fig trees and vine
would bear fruits again. Compare this promise to what is in Joel
1:7,12.
iii. In verses 23-25, the focus of the prophecy was on the children
of Zion. They were given reasons to rejoice in the LORD their
God.
iv. The prophecy said that God had given the people the former
rain, and would also give them the latter rain (Joel 2:23).
v. According to verses 24-25, the land of Judah would produce
once again the abundant harvest so that what had been eaten by
the locusts would be restored.
vi. From the above, it can be seen that children of God are not
hopeless like the unbelievers in the world, because they have
the God who is able restore their lost fortune.
vii. On account of sin, many have had their years wasted by locusts
and droughts, which are the rods of God’s judgment. What
such people need is God’s intervention; and that is what we
see, here, among the people of Judah.
viii. It is our desire that as many as have lost the joy of salvation in
their hearts would return to God in repentance in order to have
their joy restored to them.
e). Personal Assessment Questions
i. Have you had an experience of restoration after repentance and
return to God?
ii. Do you know that as a child of God you are not hopeless as
regards to the restoration of your lost fortune?
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5. Fifth Message (7E): Israel Will Praise the Name of the LORD after
Restoration
Text: Joel 2:26-27
a. Objective: To show that it is necessary to praise the Lord for His
work of restoration and mercy.
b. Memory Verse: “But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and
praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall
drink it in the courts of my holiness.” (Isaiah 62:9).
c. Relevant Hymns: App. 3, RH. 460
d. Lesson Exposition:
i. It is common with many people to praise God whenever they
realize that He is favourable to them.
ii. There are others who praise God to express or demonstrate
their faith and trust in Him even when things are becoming
unpleasant with them. Examples are Paul and Silas. Acts. 16:
25-30.
iii. However, in Joel 2:26, the people would praise the name of the
Lord their God because He had done wondrously with them;
because they would eat, in plenty, and be satisfied, and would
not be ashamed.
iv. Leviticus 26:5 shows that God also promised a similar thing to
the people of Israel through the mouth of Moses: “And your
threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and vintage shall reach
unto sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and
dwell in your land safely.”
v. Furthermore, we should note, in this passage, that it is not the
will of God to allow His people to suffer shame, “… and my
people shall never be ashamed.” (Joel 2:26).
vi. Another lesson we need to learn, in this passage, is that
satisfaction can only be found in the Lord. “And ye shall eat,
in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD
your God that hath dealt wondrously with you.” (Joel 2:26).

55
 vii. God knows that there is no satisfaction elsewhere. Hence, Jesus
Christ said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. “(Matt. 11: 28).
viii. It is always good and necessary for God’s people to understand
that God is in their midst. There are many today, who do not
believe that God is present with them. “And he said, My
presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (Ex.
33:14). The knowledge of God’s presence with us should
always give us strength and motivation to live without fear or
doubt.
ix. Also, it is important for us to know that the LORD is our God,
“… and that I am the LORD your God and none else...” (Joel
2:27). If we all know that the LORD is our God, our
relationship with Him would help us to ask Him for our needs
without looking unto the world.
x. Now, if the God who revealed His identity to Moses in Exodus
3:15 as the LORD God of his fathers, and also to Israel in this
Joel 2:27 as the LORD their God is the same God we are
serving today, we all should know that He will never allow us
to be put to shame as He had promised the people in the land
of Judah.
e). Personal Assessment Questions
i. Can you praise God at all times not minding prevailing
situation?
ii. Are you truly conscious of God’s abiding presence with you?

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LESSON 8: THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Text: Joel 2:28-29
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my
spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joel 2:29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those
days will I pour out my spirit.
Messages from the passage
1. First Message (8A): God Promised the Outpouring of His Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28-29.
a) Objective: To let us know that this present era (dispensation) of
the Holy Spirit had been predicted through Prophet Joel in the
Old Testament time.
b) Memory Verse: For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and
floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my
blessing upon thine offspring. (Isa. 44:3).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 227, RH. 235
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Some Bible Scholars believe that the message in Joel 2:28-29 is
the most remarkable section of Joel’s short prophecy.
ii. Joel looked hundreds of years ahead to a time when God would
pour out His Spirit on all flesh.
iii. The phrase: “And it shall come to pass afterward, “in verse 28
marks the bridge to the final section of the book of Joel.
iv. The statement “I will pour out my spirit,” signifies that God
would send His Holy Spirit as the physical rain that comes in
sufficient volume upon the dry land.
v. “Upon all flesh” implies all categories of people. It refers to the
three categories of people that are most significant in any culture:
gender, age and class.
vi. In the Old Testament, prophecies, dreams and visions were not
everybody’s experience. For example, prophecy was a ministry
restricted to selected people.
vii. However, in Joel 2:28, the Lord would be generous as both male
and female children would be able to prophesy, old men would
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 dream dreams, while the young men would see visions. All these
would be made possible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
viii. Also, God would pour His Spirit upon the servants and upon the
handmaids in those days.
ix. The implication of the above is that the spirit of God would not
discriminate against anybody, either the Jews or the Greek
(Gentiles), either free or bound.
x. This prophecy will culminate in the second coming of the
Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the subsequent end of this
present world.
xi. It is believed that we are now living in the prolonged days which
is referred to as “…in those days” in Joel 2:29.
xii. If God has made the promise of His Spirit available to everybody,
it then behoves us to aspire to appropriate the gift of God.
xiii. Not to do so; is as bad as the offence of the servant who buried
his talent.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit since you
believed?
ii. Is this baptism helping you to live like Christ?

2. Second Message (8B): The Fulfilment of the Promised Spirit

Text: Acts 2:1-4.
a) Objective: To show how the Holy Spirit that was promised in the
book of Joel was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
b) Memory Verse: But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my
Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams. (Acts 2:16-17).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 228, 231
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. We are told in Acts 2:1 that the disciples of Jesus Christ were all
with one accord in one place.
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 ii. We are also told in verse 2 that there was a sudden coming of a
sound from heaven, which was like a rushing mighty wind.
iii. The Spirit filled all the house where the disciples were sitting.
(Acts 2:4; 4:31).
iv. It is here important to note that God poured out the promised
Holy Spirit without discriminating against anybody. We can see
this in Acts 2:4-6 where the Scripture says that they were able to
witness to the people around them.
v. The study of Acts 2:5-11 shows the number of different
languages that were spoken in tongues.
vi. This miracle of cloven tongues like fire and the ability to speak
with other tongues through the power of the Holy Spirit was
necessary to attract the Jews and other nations that were present
there to the disciples.
vii. Those who heard the disciples speaking in tongues were divided
in their opinions about what was happening.
viii. Part of the people, on hearing the disciples speak in their own
languages, confirmed the same (Acts 2:6-9) while others,
mocking, said, “These men are full of new wine.” (Acts. 2:13).
ix. It is important to note that what happened on the day of
Pentecost is happening today also. Many are misinterpreting the
Gospel message as an outcome of drunkenness, while others do
not know the meaning of the message. Such people need
someone that would stand up, play the role of Peter, and explain
the Gospel to them.
x. Our knowledge of people’s attitudes towards the Gospel
message should challenge us to be more committed to our work
until we have caused people to understand the scripture, just as
Ezra did in Nehemiah 8:8; and Philip also in Acts 8:30-35.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. What Joel promised will follow the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
in Joel 2:28, are they manifesting in your life?

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 ii. If you have not experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as
in Joel 2:28, do you believe it is for now and are you ready for
it?

3. Third Message (8C): The Significance of the Indiscriminate

Outpouring of God’s Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28-29.
a) Objective: To help us appreciate God for the indiscriminate
outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon all persons.
b) Memory Verse: Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I
perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Acts 10:34
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 219, 214
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Often, we read in the Old Testament of the Spirit of the Lord
coming upon judges and prophets, whom God had raised up for
special services.
ii. Now, the Spirit shall be poured out, plentifully, in a full stream
as was promised in the book of Joel and also Isaiah 44:3.
iii. The spirit shall be poured upon all flesh, not as hitherto upon
the Jews only, but upon the Gentiles also; for in Christ, there is
no distinction between Jews and Gentiles (Rom.
10:11-12).
iv. Hitherto, divine revelation was confined to the seed of
Abraham. Only the land of Israel had the spirit of prophecy. But
in the last days, all flesh shall see the glory of God (Isa. 40:5)
and shall come to worship before Him (Isa. 66:23).
v. By the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we are already in the
kingdom of grace, a time when servants, Jews and Gentiles can
speak as the voice of God through the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit.
vi. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Church would
manifest itself as the body of Christ in the world.

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 vii. It is a time in which the redemptive purpose of God will be
extended and made available through every spirit-filled
believer-in-Christ.
viii. As Spirit-filled believers-in-Christ, we all should be to this
present world, what Joel was to the devastated Judah.
ix. Therefore, as a Church, we should rise up as a prophetic voice
and declare the purpose of God to all nations, warning them of
God’s coming judgment upon the sinners.
x. This indiscriminate outpouring of God’s spirit should
strengthen us by grace, to remain in the household of God, since
it is impossible to live for Christ without His Spirit (Rom. 8:9).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Are you prepared to be as a channel to be used to spread the
redemptive purpose of God to all?
ii. What do you think can hinder you from this assignment?

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LESSON 9: THE FINAL TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD
Text: Joel 2:30-32
Joel 2:30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth,
blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in
Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the
remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Messages from the passage

1. First Message (9A): Signs Preceding the Day of the Lord
Text: Joel 2: 30-31.
a) Objective: To describe and explain the signs that will precede the
coming of the day of the Lord.
b) Memory Verse: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven
shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.” (Mark
13:24-25)
c) Relevant Hymns: App. 17, RH. 756
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. This passage speaks about the signs and wonders that will
precede the coming day of the Lord.
ii. The passage speaks about blood, fire, and pillars of smoke. Lk.
21:11 and Mk. 13:24-25 speak about similar occurrences.
iii. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood
(Joel 2:31).
iv. All the occurrences are described in this passage will take place
before the great and terrible day of the LORD.
v. The passage presents an apparent reference to the end time.
vi. Blood and fire correspond with Rev. 8:7-8; smoke corresponds
with Rev. 9:18; darkness corresponds with Rev. 8:12; while
moon into blood corresponds with Rev. 6:12.

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 vii. These occurrences that have been foretold are significant in the
sense that they will be the forerunners of God’s coming judgment
of the sinners.
viii. Also, God used signs and wonders in form of miracles before the
day of God’s final judgment came upon Egypt in Exodus
chapters 4-11.
ix. Another reason for their significance is that, wonders are also
phenomena (marvellous things) that accompany war, usually.
(Matt. 24:6-7).
x. These signs and wonders are not just like the usual occurrences
or events. Rather, they are signs that something great and terrible
is about to take place.
xi. The wonders predicted by Joel should not be a surprise to those
who believe in the omnipotence of God.
xii. However, it is important to note that unfavourable wonders
predicted by Joel are not intended for the believers in Christ, but
for the unbelievers or sinners.
xiii. Apart from these wonders that are stated, in Joel 2:30-31, one
could conclude that certain events that are happening or taking
place in the world today are part of the end time signs.
xiv. Let these events warn us of the imminent return of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Being more fervent in living and working for Christ. A
word is enough for the wise.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Are you conscious of the imminence of Christ’s return?
ii. How prepared are you for His coming? Remember the parable
of the ten virgins in Matthew 25?

2. Second Message (9B): God’s Provision for Salvation

Text: Joel 2: 32
a) Objective: To show that God would deliver those who shall call on
His name, despite His promise of judgment upon the unrighteous
or sinners.
b) Memory Verse: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the
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 Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 325, RH. 330
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. According to the statement in Joel 2:30-31, the world order
or system will fall apart when the sinners shall be judged.
ii. God’s face will be turned against the unrighteous on the
great and terrible day of the Lord.
iii. We have read earlier on in Joel 2:11 that the day of the
Lord, which is the same thing as the day of God’s
judgement, shall be great, very terrible and cannot be
endured or resisted.
iv. As great and terrible as the day of the LORD will be, those
who call on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
v. Peter, in his sermon to his audience on the day of Pentecost,
quoted this same Joel 2:32: He said, “And it shall come to
pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord
shall be saved”.
vi. Paul confirms the same to the Romans in chapter 10:12-13,
where he said, “… for whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved.”
vii. In that passage, Paul is trying to make us understand that
God’s salvation is not the exclusive property of a particular
person or class of people, but for all who will believe in
Christ.
viii. Be they Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), rich or poor; whosoever
calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
ix. Calling upon the name of God means accepting Christ as
Saviour and Lord.
x. The phrases, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the
LORD,” and “whom the LORD shall call” indicate that the
process of salvation is two-fold.
xi. It involves the calling on God by men which is in response
to the calling of God to men.

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 xii. vGod is calling to men through the Gospel. Sinners can
respond to God’s call by turning to Him in repentance, as
the prodigal son did in Luke 15:11-20.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as God’s provision for
salvation?
ii. Do you know that only those that call upon the name of Lord
Jesus Christ shall be saved?
iii. Do you know this Jesus Christ?

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LESSON 10: THE JUDGEMENT OF THE NATIONS
Text: Joel 3:1-16
Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring
again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the
valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and
for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and
parted my land.
Joe 3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for
an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
Joe 3:4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all
the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye
recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon
your own head;
Joe 3:5 Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried
into your temples my goodly pleasant things:
Joe 3:6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye
sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.
Joe 3:7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold
them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:
Joe 3:8 And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the
children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far
off: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Joe 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the
mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Joe 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into
spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather
yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come
down, O LORD.
Joe 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of
Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
Joe 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down;
for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
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 Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of
the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall
withdraw their shining.
Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from
Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will
be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Messages from the Passage
1. First Message (10A): Restoration of God’s People from Captivity
Text: Joel 3: 1-3
a) Objective: To show that the same God who judges the sinners, also
has power to redeem His own people from the captivity of sin and
enemies when they repent.
b) Memory Verse: If my people, which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land. (2Chr 7:14)
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 311, RH. 319
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Judah went into captivity in Babylon as a result of consistent
abandonment of God’s principles where they suffered for many
years, that period of captivity was not part of what was revealed
to Joel but he saw the time of restoration. (2Kings 24:14; 25:21-
22)
ii. This passage begins with God’s promise to restore the captivity
of Israel from their enemies. “For, behold, in those days, and in
that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and
Jerusalem…” (Joel 3:1).
iii. The phrase, “…in those days, and in that time.” refers
ultimately to the future day of the Lord, when God would
restore the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem (see also Jer.
16:15). The immediate fulfilment however, took place when
King Cyrus permitted willing Jews to return to Jerusalem.
(2Chr. 36:22-23)
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 iv. Though, the bondage of God’s people may be long and
grievous, yet, it will not last forever. The scripture says,
“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
morning.” (Ps. 30:5).
v. The restoration that God promised in this passage was referring
to the Israelites who were dispersed into other nations.
vi. The Lord said in Joel 3:2 that He would gather all the nations
that had scattered His people among the nations and parted His
land. He would bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,
and deal with them for His people and for His heritage Israel.
vii. What God promised to do in the valley of Jehoshaphat,
corresponds with the principles of redemption in Lev. 25:1-55.
The principles point to how Jesus Christ would redeem those
who are under the bondage of sin and Satan. The study of Isa.
61:1-2; Lk. 4:18-19 and Matt 1:21 provides more knowledge
about this redemptive work of Christ.
viii. The atrocities of those nations who took Israel captive could be
understood in Joel 3:3. They had cast lots for God’s people; and
had given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, so that
they might drink.
ix. From this passage, we can see the extent or level of human
wickedness. It is very clear to see here that the nations which
had taken the people of Judah and Jerusalem captive had no
value for human life. Hence they derived pleasure in selling
boys and girls in exchange for harlotry and wine.
x. What happened in this passage was pointing to what Jesus
Christ came to do later on earth. By laying down His own life
as a ransom, the Lord Jesus Christ came to set us free from the
bondage of sin and Satan (Isa. 61:1-2; Matt. 1:21; Lk. 4:18-19).
He came, so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish,
but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
xi. Jesus Christ has come to redeem sinners, but only those who
confess and forsake their sin, and accept Him as their Saviour
and Lord shall enjoy the redemptive work done by Him.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
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 i. Are you in any captivity of sin which you find difficult to
overcome?
ii. Do you know that, God has power to forgive those who truly
repent from their sin and ask for forgiveness of it?

2. Second Message (10B): The Judgement of Judah’s Enemies

Text: Joel 3:4-8
a) Objective: To show that God will judge all the enemies of His people
for their wickedness and defend His people with His mighty power.
b) Memory Verse: But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty
shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I
will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy
children (Isaiah 49:25).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 735, App. 27
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. We have read in our previous lesson (Joel 3:1-3), how God
promised to restore the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem.
ii. In this passage (Joel 3:4-8), the Lord God charged the enemies of
His people, for committing crimes and then told them what He
would do to punish them.
iii. The people whom God accused of committing crimes were: The
people of Tyre, Zidon and all the coasts of Palestine.
iv. It appears in Ezekiel 25:15-17, that the nations mentioned above
had long been enemies of Judah.
v. God promised to recompense the enemies. That means that He
would do to them, exactly what they had done to Israel (Joel 3:4).
vi. These enemies had taken the silver and gold that belonged to God,
and had carried them away to their foreign temples (Joel 3:5).
vii. The desecrating act in Joel 3:5, may be referring to the plundering
of Judah and Jerusalem during the time of Jehoram (see 2Chr.
21:16-17).
viii. Also, the indicted nations had sold the children of Israel to the
Greek slave traders, who took them far away from their homeland
(Joel 3:6).
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 ix. Aside from judging the offending nations, the Lord God would
bring out the children of Israel from the places to which their
enemies had sold them (Joel 3:7).
x. Also, the Lord would sell the sons and daughters of the enemy
nations to the people of Judah, who would then resell them to the
Sabeans (Joel 3:8), a nation believed to be far away.
xi. The concluding clause, “for the LORD hath spoken it.” In Joel
3:8, asserts the authority and certainty of the prophecy as God’s
word must be certainly performed (Matt. 24:35).
xii. Now, it can be seen from this passage and also from Matthew
25:31-46, that any wrong done against the people of God, is also
done against God.
xiii. It should also be noted that all crimes against God and against His
people shall attract severe judgment.
xiv. Therefore, let those who always think that they can hurt God’s
people or desecrate what belongs to Him with impunity be
warned.
xv. It is also important to know that it is God Himself that usually
rescues His people from their enemies and also fights on their
behalf. Hence, the scripture says: “For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strongholds.” (2Cor. 10:4).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Have you ever taken the law into your hands to revenge for what
someone has done to you, instead of waiting for God’s
judgement?
ii. As a Christian, how do you want your enemies to be judged by
God?

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3. Third Message (10C): Preparation for the Day of Judgment
Text: Joel 3:9-13
a) Objective: To show that God will certainly gather the unrepentant
sinners together for judgment on the last day.
b) Memory Verse: The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to
judge the people (Isaiah 3:13).
c) Relevant Hymns: App. 17, RH. 718
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. We have studied in the previous passage, the Lord’s promise to
bring back the children of Israel who were sold out by their
enemies.
ii. In this passage, we shall look at how God challenged the gentiles
to prepare for the day of judgement.
iii. Often, war comes after peace dialogues or negotiations have
failed between two or more differing nations. Such is the case
here between God and His enemies.
iv. In Joel 3:9, the Lord challenged the heathen nations, who had
been wicked to God’s people, to prepare for war.
v. Their mighty men of war were challenged to wake up, draw near
and come up for the battle.
vi. In Micah 4:3, the statement “beat their swords into plow
shares…” was meant to put an end to war. But, in Joel 3:10, the
statement is the opposite.
vii. The nations were exhorted to reshape their agricultural tools into
weapons of war. That was a serious indication that the time of
peace for the enemies of God’s people had ended.
viii. The weak among these nations were even challenged to dare say
that they were strong: “… let the weak say, I am strong.” (Joel
3:10). This implies that the feeble or timid among them would
not be excluded from the battle. Using this expression “Let the
weak say I am strong” to charge believers to faith is not in tune
with the spirit of the expression here.

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 ix. In verse 11, these heathen nations were summoned to dare
confront the army of God, “Assemble yourselves, and come, all
ye heathen …” (Joel 3:3).
x. When the heathen nations were woken up, they would come up
to the valley of Jehoshaphat, where God would sit to judge them
(Joel 3:12).
xi. This prediction of Joel may also refer to the judgement of the last
day, when Christ will gather together all nations before Himself.
“when the Son of man shall come in His glory and all the holy
angels with Him… And before him shall be gathered all nations…”
(Matt. 25:32).
xii. The statement in Joel 3: 13, “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest
is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow;
for their wickedness is great,” is symbolic because there is a limit
to God’s tolerance with the sinners. So, the Lord will pour down
the press of His anger upon the wicked on the day of judgment.
xiii. The realisation that the day of the Lord, which is the day of
judgment, is at hand should warn the sinners to respond to God’s
call before it will be too late. It is also charge to believers to take
the work of evangelism as urgent.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Today, some believe people that there will not be any judgement
in the last day by God. Do you agree with these?
ii. If your answer is no, are you preparing for the final day of
judgment?

4. Fourth Message (10D): The Judgment at the Valley of Decision

Text: Joel 3: 14-15
a) Objective: To make it known to us that the day is certainly coming,
when God will decide the fate of those who failed to respond to His
call.
b) Memory Verse: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and the
nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17).

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c) Relevant Hymns: App. 17, RH. 346
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Joel 3:14 talks of “multitudes, multitudes in the valley of
decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of
decision.”
ii. Some commentators have stated that the valley of decision may
be a symbolic name for the valley of Jehoshaphat that is
mentioned in Joel 3:2.
iii. The decision meant here is not going to be our own decision, nor
that of the heathen nations.
iv. Rather, it is going to be God’s decision. It is the day of the Lord,
in which God will enter into the valley of decision and the
multitudes of the nations will be gathered there before Him.
v. All the nations will be there on this day of judgment which is also
called the day of decision. It is the day in which the fate of the
heathen nations shall be decided by God.
vi. Also, it was predicted by Jesus Christ in Matt. 24:6-14 that there
shall be wars and rumours of wars, culminating in the final
gathering of multitudes in “the valley of decision” as Joel had
predicted.
vii. The heavenly signs that would accompany the day when God
will decide the fate of the world at the valley of decision are found
in Joel 3:15. The sun and the moon will be darkened, and the stars
will not shine. (Also, see Matt. 24:29)
viii. Another significant fact about this day of the Lord is its
“imminence” or “nearness”. This is because the text says the day
of the Lord is near.
ix. The good news is that sinners can still turn to God in repentance
before the day of decision comes. Thus , those of us who have
already responded to God’s call should hold fast the profession of
our faith in Christ (Heb. 10:23).
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Do you think that there will be any opportunity for a sinner to
repent at the throne of God’s judgement?

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 ii. Have you responded to God’s call to salvation?

5. Fifth Message (10E): God Is the Hope and Strength of His People.
Text: Joel 3:15-16
a) Objective: To show that in the day of judgment, the Lord will show
favour to those who had responded to His gospel on earth.
b) Memory Verse: Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day
of evil. Jer. 17:17
c) Relevant Hymns: App. 23, RH. 443
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. In our previous lesson, we saw how the multitudes were gathered
in the valley of decision for the Lord’s day.
ii. In this passage, we shall consider how God will provide hope and
strength for His people, despite what will happen in the last day.
iii. Joel 3:15 predicts that the sun and the moon shall be darkened,
and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
iv. The cosmic signs that will accompany the final judgment are
signs of the end times. The sun, the moon and the stars will not
shine, thus showing the terrible and fearful nature of the day of
judgment.
v. It is further stated in verse 16 that God will roar out of Zion, and
utter His voice from Jerusalem. Then the heavens and the earth
shall shake.
vi. God’s roaring from Zion would be against the enemies of His
people, and that roaring is an expression of His anger against the
enemies.
vii. In the midst of the calamity that will befall the heathen nations on
the day of judgment, the Lord will offer a shelter for His people.
viii. He will be their hope and their strength “… but the LORD will be
the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”
(Joel 3:16)

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 ix. Who are these God’s people? They are the righteous, only these
people will escape the judgment to come in the valley of decision.
x. The valley of decision is a place of God’s final verdict. The
verdict will be against the unbelievers but in favour of God’s
people.
xi. The answer to the question in (ix) above is that God’s people are
those who have been redeemed because of their confession of
faith in Jesus Christ.

e) Personal Assessment Questions

i. Do you have the assurance of the favour of God on the last day?
ii. What do you think will be the position of people who do not
respond to God’s call here on earth?

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LESSON 11: THE GLORIOUS FUTURE OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Text: Joel 3:17-21
Joel 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in
Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no
strangers pass through her any more.
Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall
drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers
of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the
house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
Joel 3:19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate
wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they
have shed innocent blood in their land.
Joel 3:20 But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation
to generation.
Joel 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the
LORD dwelleth in Zion.
Messages from the passage
1. First Message (11A): Jerusalem Shall Be Holy and Free from Her
Enemies
Text: Joel 3: 17
a) Objective: To let us know that the heavenly Jerusalem which shall
be set up after the final judgement shall be a holy City where no
sinner will be allowed to enter and pollute.
b) Memory Verse: For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Eph. 5:5).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 782, RH. 784.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. The Jerusalem that is mentioned in this passage may be referring
to the new Jerusalem which shall be set up in heaven after the
final judgment of the world (Rev. 3:12; 21:2,10).

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 ii. When the final battle has been fought and won, the Lord Himself
will set up a new Jerusalem. The heavenly Jerusalem, which
Heb. 12:22 describes as the city of the living God.
iii. Since it is the city of the living God, a place that has been
prepared for those who have been redeemed in the Lord (John
14:1-3), no unrighteous person will be permitted to enter there
(Eph. 5:5).
iv. The word “strangers” in this text, implies the enemies of God’s
people, as mentioned in Joel 1:6 and the sinners.
v. “My holy mountain” that is mentioned in this text should remind
us of Psalm 15:1 which says, “LORD, who shall abide in thy
tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
vi. Thus, the holy mountain of God predicted in Joel 3:17 is not a
place for “sinners or strangers”. It is a place reserved for God’s
people (the righteous and the redeemed of the Lord Jesus Christ).
vii. These “strangers” are so called because they refused to obey God
when they were still alive. They opposed the way of God through
their practices and lifestyles.
viii. When God will set up the new Jerusalem, and dwell there with
the redeemed, He will not allow these strangers to be there.
ix. Now, the question is: “Will you be numbered among the
strangers when Jesus Christ comes back to take away the elects?”
x. Now is the time for you to make a decision to give your life to
the Lord, so that you may dwell together with Him in that
heavenly Jerusalem.

e) Personal Assessment Questions

i. Are there things that you still do which will not allow you enter
the new Jerusalem?
ii. Do you live a life free from corruption and pollution in every
facet of your life?

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2. Second Message (11B): Abundant Blessing of the Saints
Text: Joel 3: 18
a) Objective: To demonstrate that, after the people have returned to
God in repentance, he will fulfil His promise of restoration.
b) Memory Verse: And I will restore to you the years that the locust
hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the
palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you (Joel 2:25).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 446, 456
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Joel 3:18 can be described as the starting point of a new life
with the land of Judah.
ii. The expression, “in that day,” indicates the prophetic future of
Judah as also used in Joel 2:8 and 3:1. The phrase describes the
fertility and fruitfulness of the land of Judah in the messianic
age.
iii. The dropping down of the new wine from the mountain and the
flowing of the milk from the hills are pointing to God’s
promised restoration of what Judah had earlier lost to locusts
and drought.
iv. That all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters as in Joel
3:18, is a boost to the farmers who had earlier been adversely
affected by the devastation which was caused by locusts and
drought (Joel 1:11-12).
v. The fountain of blessing which will flow out of the LORD’s
house will refresh His people and make their place endlessly
fruitful and flourishing again (Ps. 36:8; Ezek. 47:1-12; Rev.
22:1-2).
vi. It should be noted that in Joel 3:18, there are two references to
waters coming from two sources. The first waters flowing from
the rivers, are natural waters that will meet the natural needs of
the people of Judah.
vii. However, the waters from the fountain symbolically refer to
the Holy Spirit, which will flow during the Messianic age.
Jesus said: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,

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 out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake
he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for
the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.” (John 7:38-39).
viii. Furthermore, these life-giving waters that shall come from the
fountain of the house of the LORD to water the valley of
Shittim illustrate the blessings that come from God’s presence.
ix. Ezekiel 47: 1-12 and Revelation 22:1-2 provide more details
about this living water.
x. Here, it is very instructive to note that the same land of Judah
that was desolate and barren before (Joel 2:20) is now a land
flowing with wine, milk and water.
xi. Then, if Judah’s captivity can be restored because of their
coming back to God in repentance, why will our own lost
fortune not also be restored after we have come to Christ from
our old Adamic nature?
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. Are you among those who speak against the leaders of the
nation or the church instead of praying for them for a better
governance?
ii. What do you think we need to do for the glory of the nation and
the church to be restored?

3. Third Message (11C): Desolation Of Egypt and Edom for their

Enmity against God’s People
Text: Joel 3:19
a) Objective: To teach that God will judge the enemies of His people
for as long as His people are faithful to Him.
b) Memory Verse: “In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the
trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.”
(Neh. 4:20).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 434, App. 68
d) Lesson Exposition:

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 i. Both secular and church historians have revealed that Egypt
and Edom were two of Israel’s persistent enemies in the past.
ii. Egypt was the first known nation to enslave Israel for more
than 400 years (Ex. 12:40).
iii. The nations of Edom and Israel were descendants of Isaac.
Although, they shared the same borders together, there was
bitter hatred between them.
iv. The Edomites did not come to help Israel when the city of
Jerusalem was surrounded and attacked by the Babylonian
army. Instead, they rejoiced when Jerusalem was destroyed
(Jer. 49:7-22; Oba. 1:1-12; Ps. 137:7).
v. Egypt and Edom are here mentioned in Joel 3:19 as
representatives of the Gentile nations that God will judge
before the establishment of the Messiah’s kingdom.
vi. God will punish the two nations with desolation because of
their hostility and violence against His people.
vii. Also, the two nations were accused of shedding innocent blood
in their land. “… because they have shed innocent blood in
their land.” (Joel 3:19).
viii. The Bible forbids the shedding of innocent blood (Ex. 27:7;
Deut. 19:20). Therefore, the crime of Egypt and Edom was not
only against Israel, but a violation of God’s commandment.
ix. Also, God’s judgement of Egypt and Edom is a guarantee that
He will also judge the enemies of His people today.
x. The battle is not ours, but the Lord’s (1Sam. 17:47).
e) Personal assessment questions
i. Comparing the sin of Egypt and Edom to what is happening in
our nations today, can we say that the present situation is better
or worse?
ii. Do you pray for the salvation of your enemies or for their
destruction?

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4. Fourth Message (11D): Judah Shall Dwell Forever
Text: Joel 3:20-21
a) Objective: To show that God’s people have the assurance of a glorious
home despite all the persecutions and tribulations of this present
world.
b) Memory Verse: And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall
no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith
the LORD thy God. (Amos 9:15).
c) Relevant Hymns: RH. 648, App. 39.
d) Lesson Exposition:
i. Joel had been prophesying concerning the final judgment to
come at the close of the age and the need to turn to God in
repentance in order to be excluded from the judgment.
However, in this particular passage, he revealed what would be
the final fate or destiny of Judah and Jerusalem at the close of
the age.
ii. It should be noted here that these Judah and Jerusalem
symbolically refer to all the people of God regardless of their
nationality, gender or class.
iii. Verse 20 says Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from
generation to generation. This place of everlasting dwelling is
referring to the new Jerusalem, which God will send down at
the close of the age, after all His enemies would have been
condemned. (Rev. 21:1-4).
iv. The eternal duration of this dwelling in Zion (the new
Jerusalem) should be a great motivation for all Christians, that
our time here on earth cannot be compared to the time to be
spent in eternity in heaven.
v. The opportunity to dwell in Zion forever is not going to be
granted automatically because 1Cor. 15:50 declares that flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The flesh and
blood being referred to here, symbolically mean our Adamic or
sinful nature that is opposed to the will of God, the details of
which could be found in Galatians 5:19-21.

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 vi. The Lord would cleanse the blood of His people first before
they can be allowed to dwell in Zion forever. “For I will cleanse
their blood that I have not cleansed” (Joel 3:21).
vii. This cleansing of the blood of God’s people shall be done
because the Lord Himself dwells in Zion (Joel 3: 21). It can be
appreciated here what the presence of God in His Temple is
doing. As God’s presence in the Temple akes the place
sanctified (Heb. 10:10), so also shall His presence in the new
Jerusalem make the city holy (Rev. 21:10).
viii. Ezekiel 36:25 also says, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon
you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from
all your idols, will I cleanse you.”
ix. Meanwhile, our sinful nature, which is symbolically
represented by flesh and blood in I 1Cor. 15:50, must
be purged or washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ and the
Word of God (Heb. 9:11-14; 10:22) before we can dwell in the
promised Zion, which is the new Jerusalem.
x. The earthly Judah and Jerusalem had been attacked several
times by their enemies. They had been displaced, dispossessed
of the land and scattered among other nations. However, in the
last /day, the Lord will cleanse them and make them dwell in
their promised home forever.
xi. Jesus Christ also said in John 14:1-3, that He was going to
prepare a place for us in His Father’s house, and we believe
that it is the Zion or new Jerusalem where God’s people shall
dwell for ever, that Jesus was talking about in His statement.
xii. The hope and assurance of this everlasting dwelling for those
who are now in Christ and also for those who are yet to be
converted should arouse or stir us up to focus on rigorous and
aggressive evangelism now and till Jesus Christ comes.
e) Personal Assessment Questions
i. As a Christian, are you pursuing after earthly honour, wealth,
power and so on and so forth instead of the glorious home?
ii. What do you do when people persecutes you for being a Christian?

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