the god of restoration

THE GOD OF
RESTORATION
GOLDEN TEXT
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you
the years that the locust hath
eaten, the cankerworm, and the
caterpillar, and the palmerworm,
my great army which I sent
among you.
INTRODUCTION
 Author – Joel
 ‘Joel’ means ‘Jehovah is
God’
 Message
• Joel calls attention to a
massive locust plague and
severe drought that had
recently swept through Judah
(1:7)
•These destructive locust
striped the foliage from all
the trees, shrubs and crops
(1:7)
•The people of Judah were
facing a threat of starvation
because of the famine that
followed this invasion
(1:15 – 18)
•The prophet declares that
more catastrophe is to
follow, and the only way of
escape is to turn to God
“with all their heart, with
fasting, and with mourning”
(2:12)
•After Joel delivers his plea
for repentance, God Himself
speaks to His people
•God declares that there will
be plenty to eat in the days
of blessing to come
(2:18 – 19)
•This day of renewal and
restoration will be marked by
the outpouring of His spirit
on all people (2:28 -29)
GOD IS A GOD OF
RESTORATION
THE DOCTRINE OF
RESTORATION
In OT ‘Restore’ carries following
connotations: to be completed;
to finish; to make prosper; to
recompense; to rescue; to
refresh; to set again; to retrieve;
to cause to renew.
Restoration according to bible; is
the putting back into existence
or use that which has been lost,
stolen or misplaced
OT EXAMPLES OF
RESTORATION
a. Job – Ch1:1, 20 -22; 19:25
b. Abraham & Sarah – Gen 18
c. Valley of dry bones – Ez 37
‘RESTORATION IN THE
NEW TESTAMENT
Ac 3:21 Restitution(restoration)
– to set something to its
original order.
Secular Gk word to indicate the
return a possession or piece
of land the rightful owner
NT EXAMPLES OF
RESTORATION
This word used in the various
miracles of Jesus who healed
various conditions
a. Mk 3:5 -Man withered hand
b. Mk8:25 -Blind man in
Bethsaida - eyes were restored
c. Jn 5:6,9 – Man at pool of
Bethesda
SPIRITUAL
SIGNIFICANCE OF
RESTORATION IN
RELATION TO CHURCH
RESTORATION INVOLVES:
 recovery of divine
principles and truths that
were known, believed,
taught and experienced by
the early church (Eph 2:20,
1Cor 3:10)
a renewal of that spiritual
life, that is the result of the
application of those principles
(1 Tim 4:15,16)
 a completion of God’s plan
of the ages. A bringing into
existence of those things
which were foretold b the
prophets (1 Cor 15:26)
WHAT WILL GOD
RESTORE?
Joel 2:25 KJV ‘I will restore to
you the years that the locust
has eaten, the cankerworm,
the caterpillar, and the
palmerworm’
Joel 2:25 NLT “I will give
you back what you lost to
the swarming locusts, the
hopping locusts, the
stripping locusts, and the
cutting locusts”
WHAT GOD RESTORES
Years – a year
(as a revolution of time)
Locusts - can represent a day,
time or season of devastation
NB. Locusts appear suddenly
and disappear suddenly
FOUR TYPES OF LOCUSTS
(DEVASTATION)
•Locust - ‘arbea’ locust (from
its rapid increase); swarming
locust
•Cankerworm (crawling ) –
creeping stage of locust, a
young locust while unwinged. The licking hopping
locust
• Caterpillar – consuming
locust or the stripping locust
or ravager
• Palmerworm – chewing
locust, the cutting locust. This
locust does not destroy the
crop, but it affects it
CONCLUSION
But God says “..I will restore
to you the years that the
locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25)
When God restores, He does
not give you what you lost, He
gives back MORE than what
you lost!!