Joel 1:13-14
Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The prophet doesn't just tell the priests to mourn; he commands them to "lie all night in sackcloth" in the house of God. This isn't just about outward shows of sorrow, but an urgent call for the spiritual leaders to remain in desperate prayer and repentance before God, even through the night, because the very means of their connection to God – the offerings – have been cut off.
The prophet Joel is calling for a solemn day of fasting and repentance, urging all people to lament. He specifically addresses the priests, calling them to express their grief through fasting, wearing sackcloth, and praying through the night. This intense mourning is directly linked to the devastating locust plague that has destroyed the land's crops, cutting off the grain and drink offerings that sustained worship in God's house.
The prophet’s first words in this dire prophecy aren't to the common people, but to the priests. Why start there?
Joel calls the priests to action first, instructing them to 'gird yourselves and lament.' This isn't just a suggestion; it's a command for those who held a unique position in Israel.
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The reason for the priests' lamentation is stark: the 'grain offering and drink offering' are gone. What does this loss truly signify?
The absence of the grain and drink offerings wasn't just a ritual inconvenience; it was a profound sign of divine displeasure and national disaster.
The prophet commands the priests to 'put on sackcloth.' What does this garment of mourning truly represent?
Sackcloth was more than just uncomfortable clothing; it was a potent symbol of deep-seated sorrow and humility before God.
Understand the original words
saq · Hebrew Noun
A coarse fabric, typically made of goat's hair, worn as a sign of deep mourning, repentance, or extreme distress. It symbolizes humiliation and the renunciation of personal comfort in the face of judgment.
caphad · Hebrew Verb
A formalized way of expressing sorrow, grief, or mourning, often involving vocalized wailing or weeping. In a spiritual context, it is an appropriate response to the judgment or discipline of God.
minchah · Hebrew Noun
A religious sacrifice consisting of ground grain or flour mixed with oil, often offered alongside animal sacrifices. It symbolizes the dedication of the fruit of one’s labor to God.
nesek · Hebrew Noun
A ritual offering of wine poured out before the Lord, signifying the offering of life or joy, often accompanying other sacrifices to complete the act of worship.
qadash · Hebrew Verb
To set apart as holy or dedicated for a specific sacred purpose. It involves cleansing or preparing oneself to stand in the presence of God.
tsowm · Hebrew Noun
A time of voluntary abstinence from food for the purpose of seeking God's face, humbling the soul, and focusing on prayer and repentance.
atsarah · Hebrew Noun
A special gathering of the covenant community for the purpose of worship, repentance, or seeking the Lord during a time of crisis. It marks a suspension of normal activity to focus entirely on God.
Yahweh · Hebrew Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, YHWH, who enters into a covenant relationship with His people and is characterized by faithfulness and mercy.
The devastating ecological crisis described in Joel is not just a natural disaster, but a profound sign pointing to a spiritual crisis and an impending divine judgment, urging immediate repentance.
c. 800-750 BC
Prophetic Ministry Flourishes
Joel, possibly one of the earlier prophets, delivers his message during a time when prophetic voices were prominent in Israel and Judah.
c. 800-750 BC— this verse
Locust Plagues and Drought
Severe ecological disasters, including devastating locust plagues and prolonged drought, strike the land, causing widespread famine and devastation.
c. 800-750 BC
Call to National Repentance
The prophet Joel calls the entire nation, especially the priests and elders, to a solemn assembly, fasting, and repentance to avert further divine judgment.
c. 800-750 BC
The Day of the Lord Announced
Joel warns of an even greater impending judgment, referred to as the 'Day of the Lord,' which will bring destruction and judgment upon the wicked.
This passage describes a similar divine discipline where, if God's people remain unrepentant, their places of worship will be laid waste and their offerings cease, mirroring the cause of the priests' lament in Joel.
Nehemiah 9:1-2Here, the people gather in fasting and sackcloth, confessing their sins and acknowledging that their descendants are not bound by the covenant in the same way, reflecting the penitential atmosphere Joel is calling for.
Isaiah 22:12-13This passage from Isaiah also calls for mourning and the wearing of sackcloth in a time of crisis, emphasizing the need to turn to God for forgiveness rather than relying on superficial celebrations, much like Joel's message.
Lamentations 2:10The elders of Zion sit in the dust and wear sackcloth, a vivid image of deep grief and repentance, directly paralleling the posture of mourning Joel demands from the priests.
jfbJoel 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."
- Gird yourselves—namely, with sackcloth; as in Isa 32:11, the ellipsis is supplied (compare Jer 4:8).lament, ye priests—as it is your duty to set the example to others; also as the guilt was greater, and a greater scandal was occasioned, by your sin to the cause o…
calvinJoel 1:13-15: "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."
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.
Accingimini et plangete sacerdotes;…
The prophet doesn't just tell the priests to mourn; he commands them to "lie all night in sackcloth" in the house of God. This isn't just about outward shows of sorrow, but an urgent call for the spiritual leaders to remain in desperate prayer and repentance before God, even through the night, because the very means of their connection to God – the offerings – have been cut off.
The prophet Joel is calling for a solemn day of fasting and repentance, urging all people to lament. He specifically addresses the priests, calling them to express their grief through fasting, wearing sackcloth, and praying through the night. This intense mourning is directly linked to the devastating locust plague that has destroyed the land's crops, cutting off the grain and drink offerings that sustained worship in God's house.
The prophet Joel is calling for a solemn day of fasting and repentance, urging all people to lament. He specifically addresses the priests, calling them to express their grief through fasting, wearing sackcloth, and praying through the night. This intense mourning is directly linked to the devastating locust plague that has destroyed the land's crops, cutting off the grain and drink offerings that sustained worship in God's house.
"Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of you…" — The prophet doesn't just tell the priests to mourn; he commands them to "lie all night in sackcloth" in the house of God. This isn't just about outward shows of sorrow, but an urgent call for the spi…
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