Joel is not unique among the prophets. Depending on how it is dated, most scholars beleve either Joel borrowed from Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, or they all borrowed from him! This should not trouble us. It is actually affirmation of the validity of the message of the prophets. There is great agreement among them about what the problem was, how their experiences were to be interpreted in light of God’s revelation, and what the solution and end result would be. In Joel’s case, the swarm of locusts is a harbinger of the judgment of God–the coming Day of the Lord. His word is, like the other prophets, that Israel has been unfaithful and there will be judgment as a result. But with repentance there is hope.
Joel does have one of the most famous passages that is quoted in Acts 2:16. It is the prophecy that in the later days God’s Spirit would be poured out and sons and daughters would prophecy and that on BOTH MEN AND WOMEN would be servants of God and the Spirit of God would be given to them. This is great affirmation, even in the Old Testament, of God’s impartiality in equipping people for service. Even in a very partriarchal time and place God reveals that men and women would be used by him for his purposes. The Spirit of God and the equipping for service is given to whoever God chooses in order to accomplish his purposes. God is no respector of persons and as Paul reiterates in Galations 3:28, in Christ there is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, but we are all one in Christ. There is no hierarchy in God’s economy. He is the head, the ruler of all and the rest of us all fall at his feet and worship and live to glorify and serve him alone. And Christ set the ultimate example. He, who was Lord, layed down his life to serve us. If we are to be like him, we cannot worry about our “position” or “status” but only seek to use everything God has given us to make him known. Joel is just one more voice in the history of God’s revealing himself confirming that God is in charge. Sin will be punished. And grace is available for those who repent. In this plan God uses men and women, boys and girls from every tribe and nation.