Joel

This is the twenty-third in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament.  This is the second in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Joel.

a   devastating locust invasion (1:2-14)
     b   suffering of all creatures from the locust plague (1:15-20)
          c   Yahweh himself brings the locust army against Judah (2:1-11)
               d   CENTER: call to repentance (2:12-17)
a'  promise that devastation of locust invasion will be reversed (2:18-27)
     b'  in the future all the inhabitants of Judah will experience Yahweh's spiritual blessings (2:28-32))
          c'  in future, Yahweh will bring the nations' armies against Judah
               but he will destroy them and restore Judah  (3:1-21)

The 'a' pattern connects the devastation of the initial section with the restoration of the second section.  The first section shows four locust species devouring the land.  The second section shows the reversal of devastation of the four species of locusts that devoured the land.  The first section relates devastation of grain, new wine, and oil.  The second section relates restoration of grain, new wine, and oil.  The first section conveys the withering of trees, vine, and fig tree.  The second section conveys rejuvenation of trees, vine, and fig tree.  The first section shows themes of the land being dried up, withered, destroyed, empty, wailing, and mourning.  The second section shows themes of rains and watering, renewal, replenishing, filling, rejoicing, and gladness.

The 'b' pattern have the weakest links between them.  They are both short units.  Both discuss the coming of the day of Yahweh.  The first section includes the quote, "I will call on you, O Yahweh," while the second section includes the quote, "everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved."  Finally, while the first section relates how all creatures, including all the animals suffer from the devastation, the second section relates how all people will experience Yahweh's spiritual blessings.

The 'c' pattern is linked by the connection between locust armies in the first section, and the armies of the nations in the second section.  Both sections have images of earth, heavens, shaking, sun and moon darkening, stars no longer shining, and Yahweh thundering.  In the first section, the day of Yahweh is near amid warnings of destruction of agriculture.  In the second section, the day of Yahweh is near, amid hope of restoration of agriculture.  In the first section, locusts are warriors and soldiers.  The second section refers to actual warriors and soldiers.  In the first section, Judah becomes a desert waste.  In the second section, Edom will become a desert waste.

The 'd' section is central, calling for Judah to repent.  Dorsey writes: "The unit offers no hope of avoiding the locust plague; rather, it promises that if Judah repents and appeals to Yahweh, he may be merciful and help them in the plague's aftermath." (274-275)