unishment, Chs. 9-11.

3. Israel's repentance and restoration, Chs. 12-14.
For Study and Discussion. (1) Make a list of all the
exhortations to penitence and reformation and study them. (2) Point
out the different utterances of judgment upon the people. (3) Make a
list of all the different sins condemned. (4) Make a list of the
expressions of tender love for the wayward and backsliding one. (5)
Make a list of all passages indicating grief and suffering because of
the sin and danger of the one loved. (6) Political and religious
apostacy. (7) Sin as infidelity to love-as spiritual adultery. (8) The
invitations of the book.

Joel.

The Prophet. His name means "Jehovah is God," but his birth-place and
conditions of life are unknown. He very probably prophesied in Judah
(2:15-17) and the time of his ministry is commonly thought to have
been during the reign of Joash, king of Israel, and Amaziah, king of
Judah. It seems certain his is one of the earliest (some think the
very earliest) of the prophetic books, and his references to the
temple and its services have caused some to conclude he was a priest.

The Prophecy. (1) The occasion of the prophecy was four successive
plagues of insects, particularly the locusts (2:25) and a drouth
(2:23) which had been unprecedented. These calamities the prophet
declares are the results of their sins and should call them to
repentance, that God may bless instead of curse their land. (2) The
people repent and the calamity is removed. This is used by the prophet
to foreshadow the coming destruction and restoration of Israel and
this restoration is also doubtless used to prefigure Christian church
and its triumph on earth. (3) The great subject is the terrible
judgments of God which were to come upon the people because of their
sins. (4) His great distinctive prophecy is 2;28-32 which was
fulfilled on the day of pentecost, Acts 2:16-21. (B) In it all, he is
emphasizing the rewards of the righteous and certain punishment of the
wicked and thus he appealed to both the hopes and the fears of men.
But the relief value of the book is its optimism. There was victory
ahead, the righteous would finally triumph and be saved and God's
enemies will be destroyed. The conflict of good and evil and of
Israel and her enemies will end in entire and glorious triumph for
Israel and right.

Analysis.

I. The Call to Repentance, Chs. 1:1-2:17.

1. By the past scourge of locusts and d