DISCOURAGING LAMENT (vv. 5, 8–14) The message of the plague was directed to five groups in Judah. First, God called the drunkard to awaken from his stupefying intoxication to see the destruction coming upon the land. “Awake, ... weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of wine,” (v. 5) said Joel. They were called to lament the cutting off of their source of wine. The quick and best cure for alcoholism is to remove the source of the drink—this God did! Alcoholism is a downfall to any nation. In the United
Joel 1:5