Joel uses a recent calamity in the nation of Judah to teach his hearers a prophetic lesson. A locust plague had invaded the land, destroying every green thing in its path. Grapevines were stripped clean; grain fields lay bare; fruit trees stood leafless and unproductive. The devastation was so complete that even grain offerings to God were impossible. Joel uses the locust invasion as the starting point of his sermon. As bad as the locust plague was, it would pale by comparison with what God was about to bring upon His people. An army from the north would come to attack the nation, leaving behind devastation even more complete than that of the locusts. The only hope for Joel’s hearers: heartfelt repentance before that terrible day arrives.  Joel 1:1 “The Word of the Lord that came to Joel” – this underscores that this is the very word of God, and I don’t think we can be reminded of this too often. What Joel received, Judah heard, and today we’re reading it.  Join us as Michael teaches on Joel, a small but influential text which calls us to repentance.