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E-pistle

                                             Dr. Dan Hite, President                 FreeWay Foundation                    February 22, 2008

Call A Sacred Assembly!

(Joel 1:1-20)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on Joel's call to lamentation

        1.   Joel ("Jehovah Is God") called the nation of Israel to a period of mourning

              about 800 B.C. because of God's destructive judgment, the likes of which

                  had never been seen before; judgment came through a 4-stage locust

                  invasion, vv. 1-2, 4-7.

2.      God's judgment came through a drought, vv. 9-12.
3.      God's judgment came through a famine, vv. 16-18.
4.      God's judgment came through a fire, vv. 19-20.

II.  Meditation:  on the persons who were called into mourning

1.      Elders, because God's judgment affected their children, grandchildren,

and all future generations, vv. 2-3.

2.      Drunkards and others who consumed wine, because they had nothing

to drink, v. 5. 

3.      Newly-weds, because their honeymoon had been interrupted, forcing them

to wear sackcloth rather than wedding garments, v. 8.  "Sackcloth" was

rough, coarse fabric worn to symbolize deep grief and contrition before

God. 

4.      Priests, because they had no sacrifices to offer to God, vv. 9, 13.
5.      Farmers and vinedressers, because they had no harvest to celebrate, v. 11.
6.      Shepherds, because their animals were suffering and dying, v. 18.

III.  Revelation:  on the effects of God's judgment upon the nation of Israel

        1.   Their spiritual joy had withered away like their material prosperity, v. 12.

        2.   Because of the destruction of the crops and animals, no offerings were available

              to worship the Lord, vv. 13, 16.

3.      Joel called them to "consecrate" a fast, v. 14; they indeed were "fasting"

because of food shortages, but it was not a spiritually beneficial fast.

4.      Joel called them to a "sacred assembly" . . . a time of national reflection,

repentance, and prayer for forgiveness and restoration, v. 14.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

        1.   Realize that sin always brings God's judgment . . . upon individuals and

              upon a nation.

2.      Recognize that all persons are affected by a nation's rebellion against God . . .

the innocent as well as the guilty.

3.      Reflect upon my situation and circumstances, seeking to discover the causes

of the "hard times" . . . seeking to understand the spiritual lessons being

taught by God.

4.      Repent! . . . repentance is the vital spiritual element of any period of personal

or national fasting.

I Will Pour Out My Spirit

(Joel 2:1-32)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the main themes of this chapter

        1.   Joel warned of a pending invasion which would be the "DAY" of God's judgment,

              vv. 1-11.

2.      He repeated his message of chapter one, calling for fasting, mourning, and

repentance; he held out the hope of God's grace, mercy, kindness, and blessing,

vv. 12-17.

3.      He prophesied of an era of relief and blessing in which God would meet both the

physical and spiritual needs of the nation, vv. 18-27.

4.      His prophecy in verses 28-32 was fulfilled initially on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2),

and it will be culminated with the coming again of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and

the subsequent end of the world.

II.  Meditation:  on God's Spirit being "poured out"

        1.   God's promised "pouring out" of His Spirit was to be upon all flesh; young and old,

              men and women, masters and slaves, vv. 28-29.

2.      The "pouring out" would produce prophecy, dreams, and visions, v. 28.
3.      "Wonders," like the plague of Egypt, are signs of God's final judgment . . . "before

the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord,"  vv. 30-31.

4.      The "remnant" (those persons who have called on the name of the Lord) shall be

saved through the deliverance provided in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem . . . the

atonement of Jesus Christ, v. 32.

III.  Revelation:  on the fulfillment of Joel in Acts

        1.   Peter identified the miraculous events of Pentecost as the fulfilling of Joel's

      prophecy,  Acts 2:16-21.

2.      The outpouring of the Spirit in the Old Testament usually had been upon only the

spiritual or national leaders of Israel; at Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out on

everyone present, Acts 2:24.

3.      The "anointing" by the Holy Spirit is firmly linked to the bringing of persons to

salvation; both Joel and Peter proclaimed that following the outpouring of the Spirit,

"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" . . . and on that Day

of Pentecost, 3000 persons were saved, Acts 2:41.

4.      Joel's prophecy about the gift of the Holy Spirit is for all believers of every era:

" . . . to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many as the

Lord our God will call," Acts 2:38-39.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

        1.   Know for certain that all of God's promises will be fulfilled.

        2.   Daily receive the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on my life.

        3.   In the power of the Spirit, witness to the lost of God's saving grace.

        4.   Exemplify the Spirit-filled life.

Thomas Jefferson:  "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle,

                            stand like a rock."

Abraham Lincoln:   "Nearly all men can stand adversity; but if you want to test a

                             man's character, give him power."

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