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Joel 1:7-12 (JDV)

Joel 1:7 It¹ has desolated² my grapevine and splintered my fig tree. It has stripped off its bark and thrown it away; its branches have turned white.

Joel 1:8 Grieve like a young woman wrapped³ in sackcloth, mourning for the husband whom she married young.

Joel 1:9 Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of Yahveh; the priests, who are ministers of Yahveh, mourn.

Joel 1:10 The fields are destroyed; the land grieves; in fact, the grain is destroyed; the new wine is dried up; and the fresh oil fails.

Joel 1:11 Be ashamed, you farmers, yell, you vintners, over the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.

Joel 1:12 The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the date palm, and the apple – all the trees of the orchard – have withered. In fact, human joy has dried up.

invitation to grieve

After suffering a devastating four phase locust invasion, the nation wants a chance to recover. But the prophet tells them that recovery is not yet on the menu. Instead, Joel invites the nation to yell, grieve, mourn and to be ashamed. The natural disaster was just to get their attention. An invading army is coming.

Jesus pronounced a blessing upon those who are mourning now. Mourners are sensitive to what God has to what God has to say, and can respond to the tragedy that is predicted.

Lord, give us your eyes to see, and your heart to grieve.