Joel 1:1-7

A terrible plague of locust -- Joel 1:1-7: The message of this book was an inspired message. Observe the expression, "The word of the LORD that came to Joel." Joel describes a locust plague in that present day or in some following days that would be unlike any plague seen by old or young. They were to spread the information about the seriousness of "the day of the Lord." "Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation." (Joel 1:3) The Lord afflicted the land with literal pests. Joel wrote, "That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten." (Joel 1:4)

The locusts were a chastisement of the Lord. If the people failed to repent when the locust came God would punish them by the hand of a foreign army. These locusts were a type of the invading army that God would release upon the land. The locust and the army would take away the wealth of the land and bring miserable punishment upon the people because of their rebellion against God. The wine drinkers and alcoholics will be affected by the plague because they will not be able to get their drug of choice. The locust and the invading army would render the fruit-bearing plants barren. Sin brings terrible consequences.