NOVEMBER 23"10 2025
Turning A Prophet
PASTOR DON PIEPER
JOEL1:1-4, 14-15; 2:12-15/ 2:18, 23-32
"Who? What? When?"
When I was in high school, my mom and I had some interesting conversations, reminiscent of
one that the mom in the f{m, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, had with her son. I'd come home after
hanging out with friends and my mom would ask, "So where did you go? " 'Nowhere.'
"Who did you see? " 'Nobody.' "Well, what did you do? " 'Nothing.'
When exegeting a text, it's helpful to ask the five 'W' questions: who, what, when, where and
why, but as with me and my mom, the answers one gets from asking these of the book of Joel leads you
to some very similar answers. Unlike most of the other minor prophets we're not told where he's from,
when he served, or much at all about who he was - just that he's Pethuel's son. Well who the heck was
Pethuel? He's not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible so that pretty much tells us nothing, really.
There are twelve other men by the name of Joel mentioned in the Old Testament and it doesn't
take much digging to reveal that our Joel is none of those. Only in verse one, and in Peter's quote from
Joel in the Book of Acts, is this Joel ever mentioned. He's a bit of a mystery.
It reminds me of the quip in which Calvin's alter ego is first introduced. Calvin approaches
Hobbes sporting his Stupendous Man costume and says, " Don't I look cool? Now I can fight crime
without anyone knowing my true identity! So, what do you think? Don't I look stupendous? "
Hobbes looks at him and asks, "Why do you care that nobody knows your identity? " to which
Calvin replies, "You've seen me in action - what do you think? Obviously you don't even know me ! "
We don't know much about Joel either, other than this, he did have a great name. Just like all
the other prophets, his name holds special meaning. In Hebrew Joel means, "The Lord is God", as 'El'
is short for one of God's names in Hebrew: 'Elohim'. So this we know - Joel had a truly great name!
But when and where did he live? He doesn't say. Not a single date, historical event or person is
mentioned. Most of the other prophets tell us who was king at the time, but not Joel...!
It reminds me of an American History exam I took when I was in school.... (holding up paper)
"What happened in Concord in 1775? (thinking, thenwriting...) Let's be honest here. You're
asking me about Concord? I rely on the bus driver to find my own house. Concord could be on
Neptune for all l know. And what happened over 200 years ago? I'm a kid. I don't know what's going
on now! I don't have a shred of context for any of this nonsense! It's hopeless, Ms. Riggs!
I liked to keep my teachers on their toes!
In deciphering Joel, we don't have much more than a shred of context either. He mentions Judah
and Jerusalem so scholars have deduced that he must've lived or served there in the southern kingdom...
Some think he lived around 600 BC since his book has some similarities to Zephaniah. I throw
my hat in with those who think he lived much earlier, during the days of Elijah and Elisha. One, Joel
identifies Judah's enemies as those of their immediate neighbors rather than that of Assyria or Babylon.
Two, his book is addressed to the elders in verses 2 & 14: "Hear this, you elders; listen ull who
live in the land" (Joel I : 2), rather than a king. That matches the early days of King Joash, who took
the throne as a child, the only time Judah was ruled by a group of "elders". And three, Joel is placed
among the earliest prophets in the Hebrew canon. His reference to locusts aligns with the days of Elijah-2-
So the who, when and where of Joel is a little fuzzy - but Joel makes up for it with the what and
the why. We're offered at least four significant responses to the question, 'what is happening here?
What does Joel want God's people to know and/or to do?' Consider, for starters, 'what one'...
Which one? What One! Joel tells us about it, about what's happening, in verse 4: "ll/hat the
locust swarm has left, the great locusts have eaten..., and whatts been left other locusts have eaten."
(Joel I:4) Weeding in my parents' vegetable garden..., I once mused, 'Where's a plague of locusts when
you need one?' Joel describes the results ofa devastating drought intensified by or brought on by a
terrible plague of locusts that was no laughing matter. "It has laid waste to vines and ruinedJig trees,
stripping olf its bark and leuving their branches white. TheJields are ruined, the ground is driecl
ap; the groin is destroyed and the olive oilfails. Thefood has been cut off before our very eyes!"
(Joel 1:7, 10, 16)
That's what's happening as he prophesies to God's people. It must've been intense. Fear and
hunger were everywhere. You can sense that in Joel's opening question: "Has anytlting like this ever
happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? " (Joel L 2) It's a rhetorical question...
Like the prophets to follow, Joel is quick to put this into perspective. He suggests that God is
allowing this to happen to jar God's people out of their complency, as a kind of wake up call. It's the
danger that the prophets Hosea and Amos warned about. It's what happens when comfort and success
lull us into a place of feeling entitled and arrogant. It's the curse of complacency that Joel warns about:
"He&r this, yoa elders; listen, all who live in the land.., Wake up, you drunksrds...! Blow the
trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. See, I am coming to rouse you...!,'
(Joel I :2,5;2: I ;3 :7)
So what one tells us what's happening. God has allowed the cunent calamity in order to stir His
people out of complancy. Many saw 9/1 1 in a similar light. I(hat One is intended to shake us awake.
What Two is about what God's people are to do in response. The answer is threefold: Repent,
Fast and Worship. Joel has more calls for mourning and putting on sackcloth than any other prophet.
It's the prophets' way of urging God's people to come clean and return to God.
As he makes clear: "'Do it now'," declares the Lord, treturn to me with atl your hearts, with
fasting and weeping awl mourning.t Return to the Lord your God,for he is gracious and loving.',
(Joel 2:12-13)
Fasting for spiritual reasons is fairly foreign to us. People increasingly do it for health reasons,
or as is required prior to surgery, but not so much as a means to get closer to God. But fasting can help
us to humble ourselves and to focus on hearing and obeying God. It's particularly powerful when an
entire community of faith does it together and can lead into a breakthru of God's power/presence.
Esther calls on her family of faith to join her in doing so, prompting God's intervention. As she
told Mordecat: "Go, gather together all the Jews in Susa, andfast with me. Do not eat or drinkfor
three days. Then I will go to the king even though itts against the law. And if I perish, I perish.,,
As a result of their faithfully doing so, she and her people are saved! (Esther 4: I6)
Years ago, we fasted in pursuit of a Spirit-filled youth director and ultimately our youth group
wound up growing to it's largest numbers in Redeemer's history. What if we were to fast again, ur
*"
seek for God to lead us into a season of increase, especially among our youth. Some of us have
medical reasons we can't fast, so what if we fasted instead from social media for a season, say a week
or even a month? What if instead of giving all that anger our ear we sought God's voice?-3-
Joel couples his call for a community wide fast with his call, his trumpet blast, for a renewed
commitment to make gathering for worship their highest priority. "Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare
a holyfast, and call a sacred assembly. Gather the people to glorify the Lord!" (Joel 2:15-16)
That's 'what two' - to repent, fast and worship regularly together. That's what we'te urged to do
when the locusts of uncertainty, complacency, calamity or political polarity threaten to undo what God
has begun! 'What Three'tells us what God in tum promises to do. Joel hints at it when he writes:
"Return to the Lord your Godrfor he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding
in love... Who knows? He may in turn send you a blessing...!" (Joel 2: l3-14)
That sounds good, right? We could use a bit of that! So what kind of blessing might that be,
one may wonder. Well, Joel doesn't leave us wondering for long. He concludes that very chapter by
pointing ahead to one of God's greatest promises, one of his most profound and lifechanging blessings!
"Afterward,I will pour out my Spirit on ull people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men
and women alike,I will pour my Spirit in those days." (Joel 2:28-29)
Those of you who've been around for a while may recognize that promise. Peter quotes Joel's
prophecy on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in the New Testament. Luke, the author of Acts, tells us
that the people in the streets heard a powerful wind blowing in the room where the disciples were
praying, with tongues of fire appearing over them, and when they came out to talk to the crowds, they
were speaking in the many languages of the tourists present for the holiday, languages that the disciples
hadn't learned or ever spoken before. The people wete amazed and confused.
Peter explained that what was happening is what Joel had long ago prophesied. He went on to
explain that Jesus, who'd risen from the dead fifty days earlier, had done miracles and been risen by the
power of this Holy Spirit. As Peter put it, "that which he had receivedfromthe Father, the promised
Holy Spiril, has now been poured out as you now see and hear... You too can receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit. This promise is for yoa and your children and all who are far off,.." (Acts 2:33,39)
Three things here stand out, that are truly amazing! One, this prophecy was offered in a season
of darkness and national calamity. It points to a deep truth - that when we're going through such dark
times God offers us hope in the form of His promises. It's one reason why it's not only important to
study and learn God's word but to cling to it, trust it, in such seasons. His promises are powerful!
Two, this promise, like so many, is directly connected to the mission and person of Jesus Christ!
He's the one who makes good on this ancient promise. And three, he's still making good on it! As Peter
made clear, this promise is for you, and your children, and everyone who has felt far from God!
L't/hat One draws our attention to the what of our situation. What Two urges a specific response
- to repent, fast and worship together in community. What Three tells us what God promises to do - fill
us with his Holy Spirit. AndWhat Four - I'm so ready to give you what four - answers the why of not
only the Book of Joel but of all scripture, of why God promises to do this! It's in fact another promise,
quoted by Peter and Paul as well, that "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!"
(Joel2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans l0:13)
That's what we've seen here over and over again thru the years! So many, having had a life
changing encounter with our risen Lord as he filled them with his loving Spirit, came to faith in him!-4-
I think of Bill who was in a dark season of marital collapse and depression, who came to the
Alpha retreat, experienced a supernatural peace over the weekend and recommitted himself to Jesus. I
think of George and Amy who were experiencing the hardship of homelessness and living in a place of
spiritual darkness, who being touched by Jesus Spirit here at worship came to call on the name of the
Lord and became living witnesses of the love and compassion Joel spoke of. I think of my younger
sister, who was drinking, struggling with depression and feeling far from God, who took Alpha with us
online and moved by the Spirit of love in her small group, came back to the Lord just a couple of years
before alzheimer's took over and shortened her life. But God made her an amazingpromise....!
I love how God articulated this promise through the Joel & Peter. "In the last days, God says, I
will pour oat my Spiril on all people!" (Acts 2:17) We are living in those last days, defined as such
not so much because the apoclypse is near, but because we're living in between the first and second
coming of the Messiah, the days specifically of the Holy Spirit. I love that verse because it points to
the very heart of God - who wants to pour himself into you and through you, that you may call on the
name of the Lord with confidence knowing that His Spirit indwells you. He wants to pour himself into
us as a community that we may dream God-sized dreams and share his vision for bringing hope and
love to life all for the purpose of What Four: that "everyone who calls on him witt be saved!"
(Joel 2:32)
If you've never done so, or if you're faith seems to have faltered as of late, I want to give you an
opportunity, in the quiet of your own heart, to embrace His promise and be filled here this morning. If
that's you..., I invite you to echo this prayer in your own heart, mind and soul. Let's pray...