May 20, 2013 Tell It Forward

Read Joel 1 Tell It Forward Joel 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? 3 Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. JOEL was a prophet to the nation of Judah, also known as the southern kingdom. Although the 12 tribes of Israel had been united under David and Solomon, after Solomon's death, the kingdom had divided into two parts. Two of the tribes—Judah and Benjamin—stayed loyal to David's line and accepted Solomon's son Rehoboam as king. They became the southern kingdom, also called Judah (after the larger tribe). Around the time of Hosea and Isaiah, God destroyed the nation Israel because of their great sin. He preserves Judah for the purpose of bringing Jesus out of the tribe of Judah as prophesied. Joel’s message is the timeless message: Sin brings God's judgment; yet with God's justice there is also great mercy. God uses Joel to declare both and begins with speaking to the elders, then the people of Judah. And note what he says. “Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.” It is imperative that you tell the next generation who God is. You must tell God is creator, Savior and judge. The next generation must know over and over again that all people are born into a deadly problem with sin, and God has solved that problem through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. May the Spirit of God be on you as you tell God’s story. It’s True! The truth must be known.