Joel: Lament, The Day of YHWH is Near! (1:13-20)
Joel calls on the nation to mourn and cry out to God. He instructs the people to put on sackcloth, fast, and gather in mournful prayer. Why? Because the “Day of YHWH” has come near. The Day of YHWH is the time of God’s judgment. The other prophets speak of this day often. It is often declared against the nations, but the prophets do not hesitate to warn Israel of the Day of YHWH as well. No one is safe from the judgment of God. Amos calls it a day of darkness (Amos 5:18,20), even for God’s people if they are not in a good relationship with Him.
Joel is saying that this swarm of locusts—the doom that has come upon the nation—is not happenstance. It has been sent by God! The Biblical view of the world is that it is under the control of a sovereign, active, and involved Creator. Things do not happen by accident or by chance. God controls the world, and He causes good and bad things to happen. He does this for His glory and so that things will turn out the way that they are supposed to. We may have a hand in causing bad things to happen, but we are not in control. By the same token, we can repent of the bad that we do, but that does not give us control over the consequences of the evil we do either.
Joel is saying that this swarm of locusts—the doom that has come upon the nation—is not happenstance. It has been sent by God! The Biblical view of the world is that it is under the control of a sovereign, active, and involved Creator. Things do not happen by accident or by chance. God controls the world, and He causes good and bad things to happen. He does this for His glory and so that things will turn out the way that they are supposed to. We may have a hand in causing bad things to happen, but we are not in control. By the same token, we can repent of the bad that we do, but that does not give us control over the consequences of the evil we do either.
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