Palmerworm, Locust, Cankerworm and Caterpillar Joel 1:4

As Joel the prophet introduced himself, he declared he was the “son of Pethuel” and called upon the “old men” and “inhabitants” of the land of Judah to consider how their current conditions compared to those in previous “days”. He also instructed them to “tell” their “children” who were to “tell” their “children” ad nauseam concerning their times. In chapter one and verse four of his prophesy, Joel described the disaster that has occurred by using “the palmerworm, the locust, the cankerworm and the caterpillar” where we read:

That which the palmerworm has left has the locust eaten; and that which the locust has left has the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm has left has the caterpillar eaten.

The verse begins, “That which the palmerworm has left has the locust eaten; and that which the locust has left has the cankerworm eaten;” Joel began with the phrase, “That which the palmerworm” which refers to “locusts such as a creeping locust without wings” “has left” or “remainder, remnant, rest and other part or excess or abundance” “has the locust” which means “a kind of locust swarm” “eaten” or “devoured, burned up, consumed and destroyed”; “and that which the locust” or “a kind of locust swarm” “has left” which means “remainder, remnant, rest and other part or excess or abundance” “has the cankerworm” or “young locust in the early stage of development” “eaten” which means “devoured, burned up, consumed and destroyed”. We notice these locust begin from the mature ones to the developing.

The verse goes on to say, “and that which the cankerworm has left has the caterpillar eaten.” Joel continued, “and that which the cankerworm” or “young locust in the early stage of development” “has left” which means “remainder, remnant, rest and other part or excess or abundance” “has the caterpillar” which refers to “a locust not yet winged” “eaten” or “devoured, burned up, consumed and destroyed”. Joel continued to share how even the beginning stages of the locusts were wrecking destruction upon the land.

When we thing through these words of Joel, we see the damages and destruction the people of Judah were experiencing. These stages of locusts devoured the land was from fully developed to those that were simply caterpillars. Let us remember, Joel is declaring the horror that is upon the land of Judah, and if we remember that Jesus came to redeem the “destruction” that has occurred in people's lives, we will constantly be reminded that when disaster comes, our God is ready to save.

Next time Joel shares concerning “drunkards” and “drinkers of wine”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.