Joel 1:3
Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.
Tell it to your children;

The devastating locust plague was to be remembered as a real act of divine judgment, not dismissed as a passing disaster. Israel’s parents were responsible to teach God’s works, warnings, and covenant commands diligently, as Deuteronomy 6:6–7 requires.

Deu 4:9 Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves…
Exo 10:2 and that you may tell your children and grandchildren…
Psa 78:4 We will not hide them from their children…

let your children tell it to their children,

Each generation was to preserve the memory of the Lord’s dealings with His people. Psalm 78:4–6 likewise calls God’s people to declare His mighty acts so that future generations might set their hope in Him and remain faithful.

Psa 78:5-6 For He established a testimony in Jacob,…
Deu 6:7 And you shall teach them diligently to your children…
2Ti 2:2 And the things that you have heard me say…

and their children to the next generation.

The judgment recorded by Joel carried an enduring warning: sin brings accountability before the Lord, and repentance is never outdated. By preserving the account, Israel would recognize that the Lord rules over creation and history and would be prepared to heed His call when the day of the Lord draws near.

Psa 71:18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God,…
Psa 102:18 Let this be written for the generation to come,…
Psa 145:4 One generation will commend Your works to the next,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joel
The prophet who authored the book, delivering God's message to the people of Judah.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, where Joel's prophecy was directed.

3. The Locust Plague
A devastating event described in Joel, symbolizing judgment and calling for repentance.

4. Generations
The focus on passing down the message through successive generations.

5. The Day of the LORD
A central theme in Joel, referring to a time of divine intervention and judgment.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Spiritual Legacy
Passing down faith is a biblical mandate. We are called to ensure that the knowledge of God and His works is not lost but rather enriched and expanded through each generation.

Active Storytelling
Sharing personal testimonies and biblical accounts with children and grandchildren can instill a deep-rooted faith and understanding of God's character and deeds.

Responsibility of Parents and Elders
Parents and elders have a crucial role in teaching and modeling a godly life. This responsibility is not just about words but also about living out faith authentically.

The Power of Remembrance
Remembering and recounting God's past faithfulness can strengthen faith and provide hope during challenging times. It serves as a reminder of God's unchanging nature.

Preparing for the Future
By teaching the next generation, we prepare them to face future challenges with a strong foundation in God's truth and promises.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can you actively share your faith and experiences of God's work in your life with the next generation?

2. What are some practical ways to incorporate the teaching of God's Word into your daily family routine?

3. Reflect on a time when remembering God's past faithfulness helped you through a difficult situation. How can you share this testimony with others?

4. In what ways can the church community support parents and guardians in passing down the faith to children?

5. How does understanding the concept of "The Day of the LORD" in Joel influence your perspective on current events and future hope?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Emphasizes the importance of teaching God's commandments to children, highlighting the continuity of faith across generations.

Psalm 78:4-6
Speaks about declaring God's works to the next generation, reinforcing the theme of passing down spiritual heritage.

Exodus 10:2
God instructs Moses to tell future generations about the signs performed in Egypt, illustrating the importance of remembering and recounting God's deeds.

2 Timothy 2:2
Paul instructs Timothy to entrust teachings to faithful people who can teach others, mirroring the generational transmission of faith.

Proverbs 22:6
Advises training a child in the way they should go, underscoring the long-term impact of early spiritual education.
God's LocustsJoseph Parker, D. D.Joel 1:1-4
JoelIsaac Williams, B. D.Joel 1:1-4
JoelBishop Boyd-Carpenter.Joel 1:1-4
National CalamityHomilistJoel 1:1-4
National CalamityD. Thomas Joel 1:1-4
Palmer-Worm, EtcDean Farrar, D. D.Joel 1:1-4
Successive Foes of Spiritual LifeG. H. Morgan, Ph. D.Joel 1:1-4
Terrible Divine JudgmentsGeorge Hutcheson.Joel 1:1-4
The Individuality of Men's MessagesJoseph Parker, D. D.Joel 1:1-4
The Word of the Lord to a Sinful NationJ. S. Exell, M. A.Joel 1:1-4
TraditionJ.R. Thomson Joel 1:2, 3
People
Joel, Pethuel
Places
Zion
Topics
Generation, Sons, Story, Talk
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Joel 1:3

     5666   children, needs

Joel 1:2-12

     4843   plague

Library
Grace Before Meat.
O most gracious God, and loving Father, who feedest all creatures living, which depend upon thy divine providence, we beseech thee, sanctify these creatures, which thou hast ordained for us; give them virtue to nourish our bodies in life and health; and give us grace to receive them soberly and thankfully, as from thy hands; that so, in the strength of these and thy other blessings, we may walk in the uprightness of our hearts, before thy face, this day, and all the days of our lives, through Jesus
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Lamentation of all Creation.
The effects of the Fall have been far-reaching--"By one man sin entered the world"(Rom. 5:12). Not only was the entire human family involved but the whole "Kosmos" was affected. When Adam and Eve sinned, God not only pronounced sentence upon them and the Serpent but He cursed the ground as well--"And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, Cursed is the ground for thy sake;
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Of a Private Fast.
That we may rightly perform a private fast, four things are to be observed:--First, The author; Secondly, The time and occasion; Thirdly, The manner; Fourthly, The ends of private fasting. 1. Of the Author. The first that ordained fasting was God himself in paradise; and it was the first law that God made, in commanding Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit. God would not pronounce nor write his law without fasting (Lev. xxiii), and in his law commands all his people to fast. So does our
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Of the Public Fast.
A public fast is when, by the authority of the magistrate (Jonah iii. 7; 2 Chron. xx. 3; Ezra viii. 21), either the whole church within his dominion, or some special congregation, whom it concerneth, assemble themselves together, to perform the fore-mentioned duties of humiliation; either for the removing of some public calamity threatened or already inflicted upon them, as the sword, invasion, famine, pestilence, or other fearful sickness (1 Sam. vii. 5, 6; Joel ii. 15; 2 Chron. xx.; Jonah iii.
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Joel
The book of Joel admirably illustrates the intimate connection which subsisted for the prophetic mind between the sorrows and disasters of the present and the coming day of Jehovah: the one is the immediate harbinger of the other. In an unusually devastating plague of locusts, which, like an army of the Lord,[1] has stripped the land bare and brought misery alike upon city and country, man and beast--"for the beasts of the field look up sighing unto Thee," i. 20--the prophet sees the forerunner of
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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