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"Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment"

Text: Joel 1:18

THE DAMAGE FELT ACROSS THE NATION

Though the king and his court refused to admit that the nation was in serious difficulty, nevertheless the truth cannot be denied. The whole nation was suffering and reeling in pain and shock.

“The seed shrivels under the clods,
Storehouses are in shambles;
Barns are broken down,
For the grain has withered.
How the animals groan!
The herds of cattle are restless,
Because they have no pasture;
Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment”
Joel 1:17-18

1. Agricultural disaster

a) “The seed shrivels under the clods”

i) This happens when there is no rain.

ii) The ground is infertile.

iii) It cannot cause the seed to grow.

b) “The grain has withered”

i) Whatever grain grew it soon withered.

ii) The environment was fatal to the grain.

c) “Storehouses”

i) They were not maintained.

ii) They were in shambles because there was nothing to store.

d) “Barns”

i) They were broken down.

ii) They were also not maintained.

2. Animal husbandry

a) The animals kept:

i) Cattle

ii) Sheep

b) The animals:

i) They groaned.

ii) They were restless.

iii) It felt as if they were being punished.