Eating Plenty and Satisfied Joel 2:26

Joel the prophet told the people of Judah about the manner in which the LORD would bring blessings because they humble themselves before Him. The LORD was to “restore to” them “the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm” His “great army which” He “sent among” them. In chapter two and verse twenty-six of His prophecy, Joel shares how the people will “eat in plenty, and be satisfied” where we read:

And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that has dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

The verse begins, “And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God,...” Joel began with the phrase, “and you shall eat” which is the Hebrew word “akal” and means “devour, burn up and consume” “in plenty” which repeats the same Hebrew word “'akal” and means “devour, burn up and consume”, “and be satisfied” or “be sated, fulfilled and surfeited”, “and praise” which means “to shine, flash forth and be boastful” “the name” or “reputation, fame, glory and memorial” “of the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God” “your God” or “the ruler, judge and divine one”. Joel shared how there would be much available to consume, and they would be so fulfilled they would “praise” the LORD's name.

The verse continues, “...that has dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” Joel went on to write, “that has dealt” which means “fashioned, accomplished, made and produced” “wondrously” or “marvelously, surpassing, extraordinary and separate by distinguishing action” “with you” which refers to the people of Judah: “and my people” which refers to the people of Judah” “shall never” or “with long duration, antiquity, futurity, everlasting, perpetual, old and ancient” “be ashamed” which means “put to shame, disconcerted and disappointed”. Rather than be ashamed as they had been in the past, the people of Judah would experience the “extraordinary and surpassing” blessings of the LORD.

When we meditate upon these words of Joel, these promises must have been a delight for the people of Judah to hear. They had abandoned and forsaken the ways of God, and His judgment fell upon them. However, once they turned their hearts and minds toward Him and made Him the priority of their lives, they enjoyed His provision and blessings in extraordinary ways. When people who have not received Jesus as their LORD and Savior turn their lives over to Him, they too will not only know the peace that God has to offer, but as the people of Judah, they shall enjoy the LORD's blessings which shall afford them shame no more.

Next time Joel tells the people they will “eat in plenty, and be satisfied”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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