Book of Joel Overview
Key Verse: Joel 2:21
Today’s Truth
The book of Joel is a short collection of prophetic poems that are both powerful and puzzling. This book is unique among the books of the prophets for a few reasons, starting with the fact that there’s no explicit indication of when it was written. It’s most likely set during the time period of Ezra-Nehemiah, after the return from the exile, because he mentions Jerusalem and the temple but not a kingdom. Another aspect that sets this book apart is that Joel is clearly familiar with many other scriptural books, as he alludes to or quotes from the prophets Isaiah, Amos, Zephaniah, Nahum, Obadiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi, as well as the book of Exodus.
Finally, Joel never accuses Israel of any specific sin. Like the other prophets, he announces that God’s justice is coming to confront Israel’s sin, but he never says why. This is because Joel assumes that, like him, you’ve been reading the books of the prophets and already know all about Israel’s rebellion.
Discussion Question
- Watch this overview of the Book of Joel:
https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-joel/ - What are your takeaways from the video?
Life Application
God longs to show mercy to Israel if they admit and confess their sin. One day, God will defeat evil, both in our world and inside ourselves, bringing his healing presence to make all things new.
