Preaching Joel: The Day of the LORD and the God Who Restores
Introduction
Joel is often a neglected book, but I am convinced that this should not be.
Most scholars accept Joel as the author and historical figure used by God to speak to His people.
He is a prophet, i.e. a mouthpiece for the LORD… not necessarily dealing with future telling. Though this book has many future “Day of the LORD” implications, we don’t know much about him, aside from what v. 1 tells us… that Joel was the son of Pethuel, which means “persuaded by God.” This is the only place Pethuel is mentioned, and we know nothing else of him or Joel for that matter.
We do know that his name means “The LORD is God” or “YHWH is God.”
Joel is writing to Israel, likely the Southern kingdom of Judah. But, when exactly he wrote the book is largely uncertain.
Much of the book concerns The Day of the LORD and a locust plague.
In both themes you can make connections to the book of Exodus. Moses talks about “that day” and thus the Exodus could serve as a prototype of the Day of the LORD in Joel and throughout history. See handout.
Joel… is only Three Chapters… but it covers all human history.
Main Themes for Preaching: The Day of the LORD – A day of judgment for many and salvation for those who believe. Joel points us to that day when Jesus Christ came in grace and to when He comes again in judgement.
Repentance: The warning of judgment is to call us back to Him… leaving sin behind.
Restoration in Jesus: Physical restoration in Joel points us to spiritual restoration in Christ.
Outpouring of God’s Spirit: Anticipated in Joel, fulfilled in Acts, and He continues to be poured out through faith.
Joel gives us a framework for preaching God’s judgment, repentance, Spirit renewal, and ultimate restoration in Christ.
Text-Driven Walkthrough of Joel
Joel 1 – God’s Wake-Up Call – Locust Plague
The Problem 1:1-12 Locust (v. 13) onward… The Solustion: Cry out to God (v. 14) call to brokenness over sin. First step in repentance. Literal locust devastation is the first “Day of the LORD.” Starts with Leadership: Priests. Even Joel in (v. 19) “I cry.”
Locust Plague is comprehensive. Like the Exodus: plague language – locust devastation – call to look for a way out.
Call to Action: Call your people to leverage crisis situations in their lives as a wake-up call. Like we did with 9-11, the assassination of Charlie Kirk or similar world events. These situations can often open a door-way or even a highway to genuine repentance through Gospel proclamation. Don’t waste a disaster—let it drive you to God.
Joel 2:1–17 – The Day of the LORD Approaches
Here the call is to not only ‘cry out’ but now to return. The second step of repentance. First is to see the sin or wayward lifestyle as God sees it, but then without a change in turning back to God, it’s not genuine repentance. Joel 2:12.
As the chapter begins, we have a Day of the LORD warning… sound the alarm.
The Day of the LORD image evolves… from what had happened to them (chapter 1), to what is happening to them (chapter 2) and to what will happen to the in the future (late ch. 2 through ch. 3). All three descriptions are true.
Here may be the impending Assyrian and or Babylonian captivity. And as the description grows in Ch. 2, its starts to look much more like an invading army, marching on a city with their commander being God Himself
Joel here in v. 12-17 offers a glimpse of hope for those who return. If you repent, the LORD will relent.
Call to Action: Call your people to true repentance: not just words of some empty outward display, but inward brokenness. Because God’s mercy meets genuine humility.
Joel 2:18–27 – The God Who Restores
Transition: ‘Then the LORD became jealous for His land…’ God restores what sin and judgment destroyed.
God can redeem time. All this is to show that He is God and that it is all for His glory.
Call to Action: Proclaim that in Christ, God restores wasted years, broken families, and lost joy. Invite your people to trust His redeeming power.
Joel 2:28–32 – The Spirit Poured Out
One of the most discussed parts of Joel comes in v. 28. “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, our old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
This one verse is so important to what we believe in the NT about the Spirit coming.
Obviously, we must see it as connected to Acts 2 where at Pentecost, Peter quotes Joel 2:28 and then the outpouring comes on all that believe. And these verses end with a powerful affirmation that “whoever calls on the name of the LORD, will be saved” (v. 32). This offers hope and Paul picks up on that hope in Romans 10:13.
Call to Action: Call your people to pray for the Spirt to fall on our world and to depend upon the Spirit of God for all that they need for life and godliness.
Joel 3 – Verdict Valley: God Judges the Nations
Chapter 3 looks forward to the Day of the LORD that will be a day of decision, day of destruction (v. 1-16) and a day of deliverance (v. 17-21). (David Prior, BST, 80). This warning applies to anyone that will listen throughout time.
All nations are gathered in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, (meaning God’s Judgment). Also called valley of decision (v. 14). God’s decision is to bring charges of judgement that lead to destruction. Judgement against scattering His nation, land and people.
Much of Joel 3:9-16 describes the destruction that comes with judgment as on a battlefield. God’s army reaping a harvest of devastation. Much of the harvest imagery connects to Revelation 14.
Call to Action: Warn your people: the Day of the LORD is not myth. Christ will return as Judge. Call them to flee to Him and to seek justice without vengeance.
Joel 3:16b–21 – Eternal Hope
Final image = abundance, rivers flowing, God dwelling with His people. The deliverance imagery starts in v. 16b. The LORD is a refuge and stronghold. He delivers His people so that they will know “that I am the LORD your God.”
The way back into his presence is an act of mercy and deliverance.
Here God’s provision is overflowing, i.e. more than enough. Egypt and Edom are representatives of nations against Israel and people who hate the people of God. God has kept all the receipts.
Call to Action: Encourage your people: the God who judges is also the God who restores and dwells with us forever in Christ, in the New Jerusalem.
Christ-Centered Preaching from Joel
I would encourage you to do the work of preaching Christ from every passage you preach in Joel. Christ bore the Day of the LORD at the cross (God’s wrath poured out on Him). Christ inaugurated the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. Christ will bring the final Day of the LORD at His return.
Preach Joel, leading people to the Gospel: judgment, repentance, Spirit renewal, and final hope.
Sermon Options
One-Sermon Option
Title: The Day of the LORD: From Locusts to Last Things (Joel 1-3)
Always/Thesis: God warns through judgment and restores by mercy, so repent fully, trust Christ, and live by His Spirit until the final Day… all for His glory.
- Use disaster as a wake-up call → Repent with all your heart (Joel 1–2:27)
- Receive the Spirit by calling on Christ (Joel 2:28–32)
- Prepare for Christ’s final judgment and eternal hope (Joel 3)
Call to Action: Wake up. Repent. Call on the Lord. Live in hope.
Two-Sermon Option
1. Title: Turn Back Before you Can’t (Joel 1–2:27)
Always: God warns through disaster so we will repent with our whole heart and trust Christ to restore what sin has tainted.
– Wake up to God’s Warning (1:1-12)
– Cry Out in Desperation (1:13-20)
– Turn Back with by Being Broken Within (2:1-17)
– Believe that God can Restore (2:18-27)
Christ Connection: Jesus born our Judgment on the Cross so we might turn back to God and be restored.
Call to Action: Call people to wake up, cry out, and turn back in repentance and trust God’s restoring mercy in Christ.
2. Title: Live by the Spirt and Look to the Future (Joel 2:28–3:21)
Always: Trust in Christ, receive His Spirit and be ready for God’s blessing of deliverance in the final day.
– Receive the Spirit through Repentance and Faith (2:28-29)
– Call the Name of Jesus and Be Saved (2:30-32)
– Be Prepared for the Valley of Judgement (3:1-16)
– Receive God’s Blessing of Deliverance (3:17-21)
Christ Connection: At Pentecost (Acts 2), Jesus poured out His Spirit on those who believe and empowers them to live for God’s Glory.
Call to Action: Call people to receive the Spirit, prepare for judgment, and live with eternal hope in Christ.
Three-Sermon Option
1. Don’t Waste Disaster: Use it as a Wake-Up Call (Joel 1)
Always: God’s uses the Locust plage to wake His people up, so might He also use a modern crisis to wake us up so we will cry out to and find mercy in Christ
– Pay Attention (1:1-4).
– Greive over sin and brokenness (1:5-12)
– Cry out to the LORD for Mercy (1:13-20)
– Call your people to repentance in the face of devastation.
Call to Action: Call your people to see devastation as a tool that can be used for good in the providential hand of God (Rom. 8:28).
2. Rend Your Heart and Trust God For Restoration (Joel 2)
Always: God Calls for real repentance of the heart and promises to bring restoration to that which sin corrupted through Christ and His Spirit
– Come to God with true repentance which is of the heart (2:12-13)
– Spiritual Leaders Lead others to repentance (2:15-17)
– Trust God to restore the years the locusts have eaten (2:18-27)
– Pray for the Spirit’s outpouring in Christ (Revival) (2:28-32)
Call to Action: Call your people to rend their hearts, trust God for restoration and to pray for God’s Sprit to be poured on our nation in revival.
3. Flee from Judgement and Cling to Jesus, Our Refuge of Hope (Joel 3)
Always: God will judge the nations and deliver His people… so take refuge in Jesus Christ and be blessed forever.
– Take heart, the wicked will face God’s judgment (3:1-15)
– The LORD is a terror to His enemies and a shelter to His people (3:16-17)
– Enjoy His Eternal Blessing (3:18-21)
Call to Action: Preach Christ as both Judge and Refuge
Commentaries:
- David Prior, The Message of Joel, Micah, and Habakkuk (Bible Speaks Today)
- David W. Baker, Joel, Obadiah, Malachi (NIV Application Commentary)
- John Calvin, Joel (multiple options)
- Duane Garrett, Hosea, Joel (New American Commentary)
- Leslie C. Allen, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah (NICOT)
- Douglas Stuart, Hosea–Jonah (Word Biblical Commentary)
- James N. Pohlig, An Exegetical Summary of Joel (SIL Exegetical Summary Series)
Closing Charge to Pastors
- Don’t skip Joel or other hard passages, your people will appreciate it.
- Preach the Gospel from the text: let His structure guide you. Judgment at the cross, Spirit at Pentecost, Glory at Christ’s return
- Preach with urgency: ‘Valley of Judgement!
- Create a Preaching Team and meet weekly
The Day of the Lord
The Great and Terrible Day
The Day of the Lord is a central biblical theme describing moments when God decisively confronts human wickedness, topples oppressive human empires, and delivers His people. It’s called “the day” in the singular, but the prophets did not understand the day to be one 24 hour period. Rather, it is an archetype event that runs throughout Scripture, from the Exodus to the prophetic writings, and into the work of Christ—during his first and second advent.
To understand it fully, it helps to approach it from three complementary perspectives. Thematically, it captures the recurring pattern of God’s judgment on the proud and salvation for the humble, often expressed in paradoxical imagery. Historically, it unfolds across specific events — from God’s liberation of Israel in Egypt to the judgments on empires like Babylon, and culminating in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Theologically, the Day of the Lord reveals God’s character as warrior, judge, and savior, shows how Christ fulfills and transforms the pattern, and frames the life of the believer in the “already/not yet” tension of God’s kingdom.
The Day as Theme
- Definition: The Day of the Lord = God breaking into history to confront evil, bring justice, and deliver His people. (Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1–2, 11)
- Pattern: 1) Judgment on oppressive kingdoms, 2) Salvation for God’s people, 3) Call to new life as God’s kingdom (e.g., “a kingdom of priests” in Exodus 19). (Exodus 19:5–6; Joel 2:28–32)
- Paradox: Hope for the oppressed, terror for the oppressor. Even God’s own people can become “Babylon” and face judgment. (Key Texts: Amos 5:18–20; Zephaniah 1:14–18)
- Mountain Range Analogy: Prophets often describe multiple Days of the Lord (near, climactic, final) as one reality — like mountain peaks that look close from far away but are separated by valleys of time.
The Day in History
- Exodus: The first great Day of the Lord — God topples Pharaoh with plagues and the sea, liberates Israel, and forms them into a new kingdom.
- Prophets: Apply the Exodus pattern to later empires (Assyria, Babylon, Rome). They warn that every oppressive kingdom — even Israel — can become Babylon and face God’s judgment.
- Joel: Uses Exodus-style imagery (darkness, armies, cosmic upheaval) to describe his own time, while anticipating a future Day.
- Jesus: The climactic Day of the Lord — at the cross, God judges sin and evil while bringing salvation. The resurrection confirms His victory over the powers.
- Future: A final Day is still to come when Christ returns to end evil fully and renew creation.
The Day in Theology
- God as Warrior: The Day reveals Yahweh as the divine warrior — not arbitrary in violence but fighting for the oppressed and confronting evil. (Exodus 15:3; Joel 3:12–14; Psalm 24:8–10)
- Christ’s Inversion: Jesus fulfills the Day of the Lord paradoxically — conquering not by killing enemies but by bearing judgment Himself, achieving victory through the cross and resurrection. (Isaiah 53; Mark 10:45; Colossians 2:13–15)
- Spirit and Mission: Joel 2:28–32 fulfilled at Pentecost shows that the Day of the Lord ushers in the Spirit’s outpouring and the church’s mission. (Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:1–21)
- Already/Not Yet: Believers live “in between” — already experiencing deliverance in Christ but awaiting the final Day. The theme shapes Christian life now: repentance, hope, and witness. (Romans 13:11–12; 2 Peter 3:10–13; Revelation 5)
Joel and the New Exodus
Joel in the Storyline of Scripture
One of the most helpful steps you can take in preparing to preach or teach on a specific book is identifying the major theme or themes that connect the work to the larger scope of Scripture. In Joel’s case, the imagery and language is rooted in the Exodus story. Not surprisingly, Joel’s description of Israel’s current state communicates to the reader that a New Exodus is needed.
The term Exodus, means “the way out,” which the conditions in Joel make it clear, the people need a way out. Joel’s prophecies are linked into the Exodus pattern that’s repeated in several OT and NT works. The pattern established in Exodus is: 1) The way out of slavery 2) The way through the wilderness 3) The way into the promised land.1 Joel follows this pattern in his warnings: 1) The Way out of a sin ravaged nation/physical land 2) the way through by repentance/the Day of the Lord 3) The way in to a new life by the pouring out of the Spirit.
Joel and the Exodus Pattern
1. The Way Out
- Joel describes a land devastated by locusts and famine (1:4, 10–12). This is directly related to Israel’s sin.
- Rather than being oppressed by a wicked king, their oppression is rooted in their own idolatry and injustice—they are a sin-ravaged nation.
- Christ connection: The Gospel of Matthew, as well as Paul’s writings, also pick up the exodus theme and enslavement motif. One of the ways Jesus talked about his work was one of liberation from slavery.
- Application: Sin is not private—it enslaves and destroys God’s good creation.
2. The Way Through
- God confronts the wickedness and calls His people to repentance (2:12–17).
- The Day of the Lord (See The Day of the Lord handout)
- In the Exodus, the blood of the lamb shielded Israel; here, repentance shields from wrath.
- Christ Connection: Seeking shelter under the lamb of God is our only hope. Jesus’ death at Passover is a direct line to the Exodus, declaring he is the ultimate expression of God’s judgement and deliverance.
- Application: God always provides a way of salvation when judgment looms. Repentance = not just regret or asking forgiveness, but a turning (Heb. Shuv)—the doorway into God’s safety and presence.
3. The Way In
- God promises deliverance (2:18–3:16).
- Just as He toppled Pharaoh, He will topple oppressors and bring justice.
- He then promises new life through His Spirit (2:28–32; 3:17–21).
- Christ Connection: Pentecost (Acts 2) shows Joel’s promise has already begun. We live in the “new creation life” of the Spirit today.
- Application: The story ends with fruitful fields, living water, and God dwelling with His people in Zion. God’s story from beginning to end is about humans flourishing in the presence of God, yet our own twisted desires work against the very thing we deeply long to experience.
Conclusion
Joel shows us that:
- God’s judgment is real. God’s mercy is greater.
- In Christ, we have:
- Been led out of sin and death
- Passed through the greater Day of the Lord at the cross
- Entered into the Spirit-filled life of the new covenant
| Exodus | Joel | NT Fulfillment | Implications | |
| The Adversary | Pharaoh hardens his heart against God’s commands, oppressing God’s people. | Israel/Judah has hardened their hearts, becoming like Pharaoh. God’s covenant people are now the object of judgment. | The adversary is the kingdom of darkness—the reign of sin and death (Rom. 5:17, Col. 1:13). | The adversary of sin and death is one from which we have no hope of escape in our own strength |
| Enslavement | Israel is enslaved under Pharaoh’s cruel oppression, crying out to God. | God’s people are enslaved to their idolatry, resulting in devastation and hopelessness. The land functioned as a barometer of covenant faithfulness, so it’s decay, symbolized by the locust plague, famine, and drought (Joel 1:10–12), shows this enslavement is of their own making. | All peoples are enslaved to sin and death (John 8:34; Rom. 6:17, 23). Sin is both a power that we’re enslaved to, and willful rebellion. | Sin and rebellion always enslave. Without repentance, God’s people look just as hopeless as Egypt. |
| The Invitation to Deliverance | Deliverance comes through the blood of the lamb on the doorposts (Ex. 12). The sacrifice shields from judgment. | Deliverance comes through repentance—“Return to Me with all your heart…rend your hearts, not your garments” (Joel 2:12–13). | Jesus proclaims: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). At the cross, He takes the Day of the Lord on Himself, toppling sin and death. | God’s invitation is always rooted in grace. He doesn’t delight in judgment but in mercy. |
| The Judge and Redeemer | Yahweh strikes Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt with plagues, then parts the sea to bring His people through. | Yahweh comes in power on the “Day of the Lord”—to judge the unrepentant (locusts, armies, nations) and to deliver His people (Spirit poured out, creation restored, His presence dwelling in Zion). | Through repentance and faith, we are redeemed from the reign of sin and death. At the cross, Christ bore judgment, and in His resurrection, He crushed sin and death, rescuing His people (1 Cor. 15:54–57). | God is both Judge and Savior. The same presence that brings destruction to the arrogant brings life and renewal to the humble. |
- BibleProject, “The Exodus Way,” BibleProject Guide, accessed September 18, 2025, https://bibleproject.com/guides/the-exodus-way/.
L. Michael Morales, Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2020).
Bryan D. Estelle, Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018) ↩︎
