The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading PlanSample

Word Power: New Prophets with a Different Approach

With a few exceptions, such as Elijah and Elisha, God’s prophets rely less on displays of the supernatural and more on the power of God’s word. The prophet Joel typifies such “prophets of the word.”

No one knows for sure when Joel delivered his messages. No one is even sure whether Joel lived in Israel (in the north) or in Judah (in the south). In gripping prose, this mystery man warns his people of a terrible disaster to come.

Three-Part Message

Joel 2 offers a fine capsule summary of the essential message of every Old Testament prophet:

A day of judgment. Nearly every prophet begins with words meant to inspire fear and dread. Some warn of invading armies, and some of natural disasters. For example, Joel paints vivid pictures of an army of locusts, which may symbolically represent human armies. People who have lived through a locust invasion never forget the experience.

A call to repentance. The prophets raise the alarm with good reason, for they see such disasters as a consequence of their nation’s unfaithfulness to God. They urgently call on their people to turn from their evil ways. Joel 2:13 could stand as a single, eloquent summary of the heart of every prophet’s message.

A future of hope. Every Biblical prophet, no matter how dour, gets around to a word of hope. Taken together, these messages tell of a time when God will make right everything wrong with the earth, a time when the world as it is will finally match the world as God wants it.

Life Questions

When have you repented of something you’ve done? What was the result?

Taken from NIV Student Bible