A Dry And Thirsty Land Series

Joel 1:8-20

“A Dry and Thirsty Land”

• Vs. 8 God wanted His people to mourn over their sin.

• Vs. 9 They could no longer offer the daily grain and drink offerings.

o Unless the people repented these offerings were meaningless and empty to God.

Isaiah 1:11-15 (NASB95)

11 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. 12 “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? 13 “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

o God is more concerned with our hearts and our obedience than He is to just superficial compliance.

• Vv. 10-12 This devastation of the land would have a spreading and lasting effect on the entire nation.

o Ruined produce- grain, fruit, olives, figs, dates.

o Trees destroyed- years to re-grow before they can produce (date palm 20yrs.)

o Commerce and Trade- severely crippled and even stopped.

o Lost joy- b/c they had lost God’s blessing.

Isaiah 9:3 (NKJV)

3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

• Vv. 13-14 Again God calls for remorse and repentance.

o Getting anything turned around before God involves being remorseful, but that alone is not enough, it must be followed by repentance.

o Sackcloth- course garment made of goat or camel hair and was a sign of mourning.

o Fasting- while it is an external practice (just like sackcloth) it has a strictly internal significance, it was a show of penitence and humility.

Psalm 35:13 (KJV)

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

• Vs. 15 The Day of the LORD.

o Israel saw it as when God would pour out His judgment on all their enemies.

o God’s judgment is reserved for all who are in rebellion against Him(including Israel)

o Deut. 28:15, 24, 26, 38-42 (it was in fact near)

o Tribulation and Christ’s Millennial Kingdom

o Coming of Jesus Christ

John 3:17-19 (NASB95)

17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

o Truly the Day of the LORD was and still is and will be at hand God is still judging sin and pouring His wrath out upon it, but the day is coming when that will happen one final time and it will be like nothing before it.

• Vv. 16-18 The effects of God’s wrath on sin are even seen in nature.

o No more seeds.

o Beasts have nothing left to eat.

Romans 8:19-22 (NASB95)

19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

o Even this God will restore when He brings forth the New Heaven and the New Earth.

• Vv. 19-20 Fire = judgment or severe drought (both).

o Everything is left scorched and barren  affects of sin.

o Sin can also leave our lives dry and bare and nothing on this earth is able to quench it and make it new again, however Jesus made us this promise.

John 4:13-14 (KJV)

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.