What is the meaning of Joel 1:4? What the devouring locust has left “What the devouring locust has left…” (Joel 1:4a) • The verse opens by showing that something has already been ravaged; the first wave of locusts has done real damage. • In Scripture, locusts frequently picture divine judgment that strips away self-reliance (Exodus 10:3-6; Deuteronomy 28:38). • For Judah, the devastation was literal—crops, vines, and trees she depended on were now bare. • Spiritually, God sometimes allows an initial “devouring” season to expose hidden idols and invite His people to turn back (2 Chronicles 7:13-14). …the swarming locust has eaten “…the swarming locust has eaten…” (Joel 1:4b) • A second, more mobile cloud arrives, consuming what little survived. • The compound blow shows how God can intensify discipline when the first warning is ignored (Amos 4:9). • Notice the mercy: judgment comes in stages, giving time to repent between waves. • In our lives, unresolved sin or stubbornness can lead to successive losses—relationships, health, resources—until we finally listen. what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten “…what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten…” (Joel 1:4c) • “Young” (newly hatched) locusts chew low growth and fresh shoots, wiping out any hope of recovery. • God’s escalating judgments target every level: ripe fruit, standing grain, and now tender sprouts (Isaiah 5:5-6). • The image warns that partial repentance will not preserve the “new beginnings” we cling to unless it is genuine and complete. and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten “…and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.” (Joel 1:4d) • The final wave finishes the job; nothing edible remains (Nahum 3:15). • Total ruin underscores God’s right to strip away all He earlier gave (Job 1:21). • Yet even here, hope glimmers: once everything false is removed, God can restore more beautifully than before (Joel 2:25). • Believers are urged to heed early warnings, avoiding the need for severe measures (Hebrews 12:5-11). summary Joel 1:4 paints four successive locust invasions to show the completeness of God’s chastening when His people persist in sin. Each wave intensifies the loss, yet each also offers a pause for repentance. The passage is both a sober reminder that God will not tolerate continued rebellion and a gracious call to return before everything is consumed. Trusting His character, we respond quickly to His convictions, confident that even if the fields are stripped bare, “He will restore the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25). |
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