John Calvin Commentary Joel 1:9

"The meal-offering and the drink-offering are cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, Jehovah`s ministers, mourn." — Joel 1:9 (ASV)

Here, in other words, the Prophet paints the calamity. For, as has been said, we see how great is the slowness of people to discern God’s judgments; and the Jews, we know, were not more attentive to them than we are now.

It was, therefore, necessary to prick them with various goads, as the Prophet now does, as if he were saying:

“If you are not now concerned about the lack of food, if you do not even consider what the very drunkards are forced to feel—who do not perceive the evil at a distance, but taste it on their lips—if all these things are of no importance to you, do at least look at the temple of God, which is now lacking its usual services. For through the barrenness of your fields, through so great a scarcity, neither bread nor wine is offered.

“Since, then, you see that the worship of God has ceased, how is it that you yourselves still remain? Why is it that you do not perceive that God’s fury is kindled against you? For surely, unless God had been most grievously offended, He would at least have had some regard for His own worship; He would not have allowed His temple to remain without sacrifices.”

The Jews, we know, daily poured their libations and offered meat-offerings. When, therefore, Joel mentions מנחה meneche and libation, he undoubtedly meant to show that the worship of God was nearly abolished. But God would never have permitted such a thing, unless He had been most grievously offended by the sins of humankind. Hence the indifference, or rather the stupidity of the people, is more clearly proved, since they did not perceive the signs of God’s wrath made evident even in the very temple.