Question 1

What does it mean for the priests to gird themselves and lament in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When the prophet tells the priests to gird themselves and lament, he is calling them to put on sackcloth and take a posture of deep sorrow before God. Girding meant tying up their garments to get ready for serious work, here the work of prayer and mourning. These priests had led joyful worship when offerings were plentiful, but now even the grain and drink offerings are cut off. They are to cry out to God all night, showing that sin and judgment are not small matters and that leaders should be first to humble themselves.

Question 2

Why is a fast and solemn assembly commanded for everyone in the land?

Accepted Answer

The fast and solemn assembly are commanded because the disaster affects the whole community and points to their shared guilt. Crops have failed, offerings have stopped, and even animals are suffering. So the prophet does not call only a few to pray in private. He tells the priests to set apart a special time, stop normal work, gather the elders and all the inhabitants into the house of the Lord, and cry out together. This shows that when sin and judgment touch a nation, there should be honest, united repentance, not just quiet regret.

Question 3

What is meant by the phrase “the day of the Lord is at hand” here?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, “the day of the Lord is at hand” means that a time of more open and severe judgment from God is very near. The locusts, drought, and fire that have already ruined the land are like a warning sign of a greater day to come. That day is pictured as destruction from the Almighty, something no one can resist. It is not just another bad season, but a time when God clearly shows His anger against sin. The warning is given so that people will not stay careless, but turn back to Him while there is still time.

Question 4

How did the locust plague and drought affect worship in the house of God?

Accepted Answer

The plague and drought hit worship at its core. Grain and wine were needed for the regular offerings. When the fields failed and the vines withered, the meat offering and the drink offering were “withholden from the house of your God.” That means the daily rhythm of sacrifice and joy in God’s house was broken. There were no firstfruits to bring, no grain or wine to lay on the altar. Joy and gladness disappeared from the house of God, showing that sin and judgment reach beyond daily life and even disturb public worship and the sense of God’s favor.

Question 5

Why are the animals and fields described in such painful detail?

Accepted Answer

The prophet talks about seed rotting, barns empty, pastures burned, rivers dried up, and beasts groaning to show how far the judgment has spread. It is not just people who suffer loss. Cattle are confused because there is no pasture, and sheep are left desolate. Even the wild animals seem to cry to God. This picture makes the disaster feel real and heavy. It also shows how closely the whole creation is tied to human sin. When people ignore God, the effects spill out into the land and living creatures that depend on God’s blessing through the seasons.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about how to respond when God’s judgment falls?

Accepted Answer

This passage teaches that the right response to God’s judgment is not denial or hardening, but humble prayer and repentance. The prophet does not only describe the ruin, he calls priests and people to fast, gather, and cry out to the Lord. He himself says, “O Lord, to thee will I cry,” giving an example of personal prayer. They are to admit that their joy has dried up and that they depend completely on God’s mercy. For readers today, it shows that in times of crisis we should examine our hearts, turn from sin, and seek God together, not just look for human fixes.

Question 7

Who are the elders and why are they singled out to gather before God?

Accepted Answer

The elders are the leaders and older representatives of the people, those with responsibility and influence in the community. They are singled out because leadership carries special weight in both sin and repentance. When the prophet calls, “gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land,” he is making clear that leaders must not stand apart or pretend they are fine while others suffer. Instead they should be in the front, humbled with everyone else, calling on God. Their presence in the assembly encourages the whole people to take God’s warning seriously.

Question 8

Why does the prophet himself cry out to the Lord in this section?

Accepted Answer

After urging the priests and people to cry to God, the prophet speaks personally: “O Lord, to thee will I cry.” He does this to show that he is not only giving orders from a distance. He shares in the grief over the land, the burned pastures, and the thirsty animals. His own prayer shows that true spiritual care includes feeling the weight of judgment and bringing it before God. It reminds us that calling others to repent should go along with our own honest, earnest prayer for mercy on them and on ourselves.

Question 9

How can this passage on fasting and lament apply to believers today?

Accepted Answer

This passage can speak to believers today any time there is deep trouble, whether in a church, a family, or a nation. When we see signs of God’s displeasure and the loss of spiritual joy, it is fitting to set aside normal routines, humble ourselves, and pray together. Fasting and lament here are not empty rituals but signs of real sorrow over sin and real dependence on God. While our outward forms may differ, the heart response is the same: turning from self‑reliance, admitting our need, and seeking God’s restoring grace as our only true hope.

Joel 1:13

Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

A Call to Repentance

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Joel 1:13

Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

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A Call to Repentance

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