SERMON NOTES

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Joel 3:9-16

Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord. Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

Notes

GROUP STUDY

READ

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REVIEW

In verse 10, Joel, when compared with Isaiah 2:4 + Micah 4:3, inverts the word order of plowshares + swords & pruning hooks + spears. Why?

Even though the weak are encouraged to proclaim: “I am a warrior.”, in verse 10, what is their ultimate end?

What peculiar valley is mentioned in verse 12? Why is it considered peculiar?

What does Isaiah 59:1 communicate about God’s ability to save during destruction?

REFLECT

What did you learn about verse 14 that causes you to revisit other ways you may have heard it taught? (“Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”)

How can we make a comparison between the universal desperation of verse 15 and the day of Jesus’ crucifixion?

How do the words “God’s going to take care of it. God’s going to take care of you through it.” help you view this present evil world and the coming day of judgment?

RESPOND

Think of one way the gloomy portrayal of universal judgment could help you increase your evangelistic activity. What action can you take this week to speak to someone about salvation in Jesus Christ?