How does Joel 1:4 connect with other biblical warnings about spiritual neglect? Joel 1:4—Four Locust Waves That Expose Neglect “What the cutting locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.” (Joel 1:4) - Cutting locust: the first nibble—small compromises. - Swarming locust: unchecked habits—sin spreads. - Young (crawling) locust: depth of loss—spiritual vitality stripped. - Destroying locust: total desolation—judgment lands when nothing remains. A Familiar Pattern in the Rest of Scripture - Proverbs 6:10-11; 24:30-34—“a little sleep… poverty will come like a robber.” Neglect grows quietly, then plunders suddenly. - Songs 2:15—“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards.” Small sins spoil the harvest just as early locusts start the ruin. - 1 Corinthians 5:6—“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough?” Tolerated sin works through the whole life or church. - Hebrews 2:1-3—“We must pay the most careful attention… lest we drift away.” Drifting mirrors the slow advance from one locust stage to the next. - Revelation 2:4-5—“You have forsaken the love you had at first… repent.” Love neglected becomes devotion devoured. - Revelation 3:2-3—“Wake up and strengthen what remains.” Joel’s call to awaken the elders (1:13-14) echoes here. - Haggai 1:4-11—neglecting God’s house leads to drought and emptiness, the same barrenness Joel describes. - Judges 2:10-14—successive generations forget the Lord; oppression follows, paralleling the progressive locust invasion. What Disappears When We Neglect the Lord - Grain offerings—daily dependence on God’s Word (Joel 1:9; Matthew 4:4). - New wine—joy of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). - Oil—anointing for service (1 John 2:20). - Fruit trees—public testimony and witness (John 15:8). - Herds and flocks—corporate worship (Hebrews 10:25). One stage of neglect removes one element; continued neglect strips them all. Spiritual Neglect Is Progressive, Never Static - Sin seldom arrives full-grown; it advances like locust armies. - Early warning signs—dry devotion, crowded schedules, indifference to sin—are the “cutting” stage; ignoring them invites the swarm. God’s Remedy in Joel and Beyond - “Consecrate a fast… cry out to the LORD.” (Joel 1:14) - “Return to Me with all your heart… for He is gracious and compassionate.” (Joel 2:12-13) - Compare James 4:8—“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Restoration begins the moment neglect is confessed and wholehearted pursuit is renewed. Takeaway Joel 1:4 is a vivid snapshot of how spiritual carelessness moves from minor nibbling to utter ruin, a theme repeated from Proverbs to Revelation. Scripture’s consistent plea: recognize the first locust, repent promptly, and the Lord will halt the swarm before everything is eaten away. |
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