Joel 3:17-21 is my reading for today.
After all the thunder and lightening of the previous passages, we get to the end of the story.
It is an idilic picture that draws on the agrarian imagery the Jewish people of that era would know well.
Then you will know that I, the LORD your God,
dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy;
never again will foreigners invade her.
In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
and the hills will flow with milk;
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house
and will water the valley of acacias.
This state of peace and plenty occurs after God dwells in Zion (literal Zion or figurative Zion?) and the enemies are gone.
I've always wondered how passages like this would be written if there was a 21st Century Joel in America?
Would they use the same kind of imagery or what it be completely different?
I can't help but feel this kind of passage is descriptive of some future occasion though I suppose some might argue that it is symbolic for the blessings that Christ's coming has inaugurated.
Many of my blog posts on Joel have dwelt on this question.
One question I sometimes ask about life in the modern world is why doesn't God make it more obvious that He is active?
Have you ever seen the play on letter perception?
Godisnowhere.
We can read it. "God is nowhere" or as "God is now here."
This passage in Joel seems to be describing the state when there is no doubt as to whether God is around. The destruction of the enemies and the peace and prosperity make that pretty clear.
But what about today?
We live in a world where there are many who oppose God and what is good. Peace is hard to find and some places are desperately poor and in rich America, there is poverty of the soul.
I suppose the analogy can be made to the time between D-day and victory in Europe day. On D-day, the US, British, Canadian and allied forces invaded Normandy to gain a foothold in Europe. It would take nearly a year of additional fighting before the Nazis were defeated.
God has invaded into human affairs at various times by various means in the Hebrew Scriptures. Joel's message in some ways was God invading into that time and place. It was a message regarding a particularly devastating locust invasion and had its meaning in its time. But its broader theme of the Day of the LORD may have had partial fulfillment in its time but awaits complete fulfillment in a time yet to be?
The ultimate invasion was Jesus. Restoration and victory have been set in motion but it is not here yet in full.
But Egypt will be desolate,
Edom a desert waste,
because of violence done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
Judah will be inhabited forever
and Jerusalem through all generations.
Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned,
I will pardon."
The LORD dwells in Zion!
In the intellectual abstract situation people might wonder out loud is there really a right and wrong or is it purely a social convention these notions of good and evil. But as a gut level, we seem to know and want to believe there is punishment for those who seem to get away with things in this world. Inside the human heart is the desire to see the wicked punished. That doesn't mean a savage glee in reading a passage like this but rather a quiet assurance that the scales of justice will be evened out.
Which leads to the problem at hand for me as an ordinary human being. I'm guilty of sin. My sense of justice toward the outside has to be turned inside too. I need forgiveness. And so the book of Joel is also about how God calls people to himself and forgives them and blesses them in addition to the judgement in the Day of the LORD.
Lord Jesus, thank you that you have left the heavenly realms so that we would not be left stuck in our sins. Please speed the day when the scales of justice are balanced. There are many more faithful than me and more righteous than me who long to see injustice recompensed. For them I ask your Kingdom would come in full and take full realization. For those who stand outside your ruling in their hearts, may they be convicted of their sin and see your justice and your mercy and be drawn to you. Amen.
Showing posts with label Joel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joel. Show all posts
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Monday, October 02, 2006
Joel 3:4-16
Am looking at Joel 3:4-16.
One of the unanswered questions about Joel is when in the history of the Jewish people did these events take place. The answer is we don't know. Some OT books will refer to some king and we can place that into some time frame easily. Or there will be a reference to an event large enough that it shows up in current history books or in archeological finds.
We gain some geographic information here about the peoples of that time.
"Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. "See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken.
Tyre has a long history of being a powerful city so that doesn't narrow down the time frame too much. The same is true of Sidon.
Seeing the Greeks mentioned doesn't narrow down the timeline either as the Greeks were on the scene a long time though they clearly rose to their apex under Alexander.
Who are the Sabeans?
Jewish Encylopeida.com says they from the kingdom of Sheba in South Eastern Arabia. Helpful geographically but again tells us nothing about when.
However, the message is pretty clear.
Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
"I am strong!"
Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there.
Bring down your warriors, O LORD!
Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit
to judge all the nations on every side.
Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow -
so great is their wickedness!"
Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
The LORD will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the sky will tremble.
But the LORD will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.
This really sounds like all that "end of the world as we know it" kind of language that Jesus used in places like Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 and in the book of Revelation.
In this passage, it is bracketed by verse 1 that says, In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem and verse 16 that says, the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
There are theological systems that transfer all the promises to Israel to the Church and so they don't believe Israel as a national entity has a role to play in how things unfold. I suppose that view held some appeal until 1948 when Israel came back into existence.
Anyway, if one takes that position it would be possible then the fulfillment of this passage would be at the Cross. By what Jesus has done, he has restored the fortunes of humanity (v. 1 using Judah and Jerusalem as a symbol for humanity) and that amidst the judgement that falls in verses 2-15, Jesus provides the refuge and stronghold of verse 16.
However, if we think that Israel as a entity still has a role to play than a more literal reading of this passage might work.
It is truly amazing that today, Israel, a nation the size of New Jersey and a little over 6 million people is at the center of many of the geopolitical conflicts of the world.
Iran with nearly 69 million people has a leader who would like to see Israel destroyed!
Every Arab country with the exception of Egypt and Jordan has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
However you read this passage though, one thing is clear: God's justice will prevail and wickedness will be punished and those who have sought refuge in God will be protected.
Lord, you say the kingdom is at hand yet you say we should pray thy kingdom come. You rule in the hearts of some in this world but not all but one day your rule will be without dispute. I bow before you because of your mercy and grace in forgiving my sins. I can enter your throne room because of the Cross. But so many in this world don't see a sin problem and will not bow to you but shake a fist. Lord, help them see their true state. Help them to see that you have offered a way back in Jesus. Help me to point the way to those you bring into my path. Amen.
One of the unanswered questions about Joel is when in the history of the Jewish people did these events take place. The answer is we don't know. Some OT books will refer to some king and we can place that into some time frame easily. Or there will be a reference to an event large enough that it shows up in current history books or in archeological finds.
We gain some geographic information here about the peoples of that time.
"Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. "See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken.
Tyre has a long history of being a powerful city so that doesn't narrow down the time frame too much. The same is true of Sidon.
Seeing the Greeks mentioned doesn't narrow down the timeline either as the Greeks were on the scene a long time though they clearly rose to their apex under Alexander.
Who are the Sabeans?
Jewish Encylopeida.com says they from the kingdom of Sheba in South Eastern Arabia. Helpful geographically but again tells us nothing about when.
However, the message is pretty clear.
Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
"I am strong!"
Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there.
Bring down your warriors, O LORD!
Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit
to judge all the nations on every side.
Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow -
so great is their wickedness!"
Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
The LORD will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the sky will tremble.
But the LORD will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.
This really sounds like all that "end of the world as we know it" kind of language that Jesus used in places like Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 and in the book of Revelation.
In this passage, it is bracketed by verse 1 that says, In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem and verse 16 that says, the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
There are theological systems that transfer all the promises to Israel to the Church and so they don't believe Israel as a national entity has a role to play in how things unfold. I suppose that view held some appeal until 1948 when Israel came back into existence.
Anyway, if one takes that position it would be possible then the fulfillment of this passage would be at the Cross. By what Jesus has done, he has restored the fortunes of humanity (v. 1 using Judah and Jerusalem as a symbol for humanity) and that amidst the judgement that falls in verses 2-15, Jesus provides the refuge and stronghold of verse 16.
However, if we think that Israel as a entity still has a role to play than a more literal reading of this passage might work.
It is truly amazing that today, Israel, a nation the size of New Jersey and a little over 6 million people is at the center of many of the geopolitical conflicts of the world.
Iran with nearly 69 million people has a leader who would like to see Israel destroyed!
Every Arab country with the exception of Egypt and Jordan has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
However you read this passage though, one thing is clear: God's justice will prevail and wickedness will be punished and those who have sought refuge in God will be protected.
Lord, you say the kingdom is at hand yet you say we should pray thy kingdom come. You rule in the hearts of some in this world but not all but one day your rule will be without dispute. I bow before you because of your mercy and grace in forgiving my sins. I can enter your throne room because of the Cross. But so many in this world don't see a sin problem and will not bow to you but shake a fist. Lord, help them see their true state. Help them to see that you have offered a way back in Jesus. Help me to point the way to those you bring into my path. Amen.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Joel 3:1-3
One of the debates in Christian theology is how does the world as we know it come to an end. We all agree that in the end, God's justice will prevail. However, how do we get there?
Joel 3 appears to be one of those passages in the Bible that looks at how it all works out. Its long and its confusing so I'll try to blog through it a little bit at a time.
I'll make the disclaimer right up front: I'm not a theologian. I'm just an ordinary Christian who is trying to understand what the Bible is saying. On 99% of matters, the Bible is pretty clear - what part of the 10 Commandments do I not understand? Or how does my life stack up to the definition of love in I Corinthians 13.
Here goes, the first three verses of Joel 3:
In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will enter into judgment against them
concerning my inheritance, my people Israel,
for they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine
that they might drink.
In Joel 2, we had seen (1) the locusts (or some other great troubles) do damage, (2) the people turn back to God, (3) God blessing the people, (4) the Spirit poured out and then (5) the Day of the Lord.
Question: does this cycle of events repeat itself throughout human history?
The 5th event of this cycle is described in very cataclysmic fashion. So perhaps the events of 1 to 4 are repeated and in the last iteration we finally have step 5?
I'll set aside that question for now because I don't have an answer!
But what is here before us in Joel 3:1-3.
... when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem ...
When is that?
There is debate among Bible scholars as to when the book of Joel was written. Since there is a reference to King Jehoshaphat, the earliest would be when he was king (873–849 B.C.).
Since there is also a statement that suggests Judah and Jerusalem are in a shambles and one day will be restored, there are two possible time points I can think of:
(1) Exile period post 586 BC destruction of Jerusalem but before the restoration under Ezra-Nehemiah which means in some sense this has been fulfilled
(2) Ezra-Nehemiah period and beyond - the restoration of Jerusalem was regarded as somewhat under-whelming compared to its prior glory so Joel may be describing some much grander restoration.
Those who take a literalist approach to this passage would point to 1948 when the nation of Israel was re-established.
Those who take a non-literal approach would say the blessing promised here to Israel has been transfered to the church and will be fulfilled in a spiritual way. St. Peter cited Joel 2 in his sermon in Acts 2 which suggests he believed the pouring out of the Spirit applied to the church and one wonders if St. Peter believed that Joel 3 logically and temporally followed that event?
Again, I can't say I know which explanation is more valid.
What next?
... I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat ...
Alas, there is no Valley of Jehoshaphat in Israel. However, we do know Jehoshaphat means "the LORD judges." We also know that Jehoshaphat was one of the rare good kings. So perhaps the meaning would be similar to "valley of decision" as seen in Joel 3:14.
Indeed, that is what happens there.
... there I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel ...
Why should judgement fall against these people
they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine
that they might drink.
Well deserved. There should be a special place in hell for those who buy and sell children.
Lord, I don't know when this passage will come to fulfillment. It is a sad fact that some of these things happen today. I trust that a time will come when judgment will fall upon those who do such evil. In the meantime, may Christians be at the forefront fighting for justice until your final justice arrives. In the meantime, I don't know how to pray for people who kill people with suicide bombs. But I pray that your Spirit would tell them it is wrong and if they should harden their hearts, I trust that justice will be done to them in this life and in the next. Lord, open my eyes to my own sin so that I may turn to you and ask for mercy, forgiveness and the power to be transformed into Christ-likeness. Amen.
Joel 3 appears to be one of those passages in the Bible that looks at how it all works out. Its long and its confusing so I'll try to blog through it a little bit at a time.
I'll make the disclaimer right up front: I'm not a theologian. I'm just an ordinary Christian who is trying to understand what the Bible is saying. On 99% of matters, the Bible is pretty clear - what part of the 10 Commandments do I not understand? Or how does my life stack up to the definition of love in I Corinthians 13.
Here goes, the first three verses of Joel 3:
In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will enter into judgment against them
concerning my inheritance, my people Israel,
for they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine
that they might drink.
In Joel 2, we had seen (1) the locusts (or some other great troubles) do damage, (2) the people turn back to God, (3) God blessing the people, (4) the Spirit poured out and then (5) the Day of the Lord.
Question: does this cycle of events repeat itself throughout human history?
The 5th event of this cycle is described in very cataclysmic fashion. So perhaps the events of 1 to 4 are repeated and in the last iteration we finally have step 5?
I'll set aside that question for now because I don't have an answer!
But what is here before us in Joel 3:1-3.
... when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem ...
When is that?
There is debate among Bible scholars as to when the book of Joel was written. Since there is a reference to King Jehoshaphat, the earliest would be when he was king (873–849 B.C.).
Since there is also a statement that suggests Judah and Jerusalem are in a shambles and one day will be restored, there are two possible time points I can think of:
(1) Exile period post 586 BC destruction of Jerusalem but before the restoration under Ezra-Nehemiah which means in some sense this has been fulfilled
(2) Ezra-Nehemiah period and beyond - the restoration of Jerusalem was regarded as somewhat under-whelming compared to its prior glory so Joel may be describing some much grander restoration.
Those who take a literalist approach to this passage would point to 1948 when the nation of Israel was re-established.
Those who take a non-literal approach would say the blessing promised here to Israel has been transfered to the church and will be fulfilled in a spiritual way. St. Peter cited Joel 2 in his sermon in Acts 2 which suggests he believed the pouring out of the Spirit applied to the church and one wonders if St. Peter believed that Joel 3 logically and temporally followed that event?
Again, I can't say I know which explanation is more valid.
What next?
... I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat ...
Alas, there is no Valley of Jehoshaphat in Israel. However, we do know Jehoshaphat means "the LORD judges." We also know that Jehoshaphat was one of the rare good kings. So perhaps the meaning would be similar to "valley of decision" as seen in Joel 3:14.
Indeed, that is what happens there.
... there I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel ...
Why should judgement fall against these people
they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine
that they might drink.
Well deserved. There should be a special place in hell for those who buy and sell children.
Lord, I don't know when this passage will come to fulfillment. It is a sad fact that some of these things happen today. I trust that a time will come when judgment will fall upon those who do such evil. In the meantime, may Christians be at the forefront fighting for justice until your final justice arrives. In the meantime, I don't know how to pray for people who kill people with suicide bombs. But I pray that your Spirit would tell them it is wrong and if they should harden their hearts, I trust that justice will be done to them in this life and in the next. Lord, open my eyes to my own sin so that I may turn to you and ask for mercy, forgiveness and the power to be transformed into Christ-likeness. Amen.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Joel 2:28-32
Joel 2:28-32 is on the screen in front of me.
To recap, previously, there was the vivid descriptions of the locusts and the damage they leave in their wake. This was followed by calls to repentance. In the passage before this one, we see how the Lord answers and restores what the locusts have eaten.
What happens next?
And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Isn't this a beautiful sight?
We think of prophesy as people predicting the future like a fortune teller. There is some of that but mostly it is about speaking for God.
God is not silent. As part of restoration after repentance, God will pour the Spirit on people such that even though they are of the younger generation, they will speak for God. Additionally, it mentions that both sexes will participate in this outworking of the Spirit. The blessing is then repeated saying both young and old will have visions and dreams. The blessing is repeated again, in this case re-iterating that men and women are mentioned as equal recipients of the Spirit's power.
Look at the structure:
A' Pour out Spirit on all people
B' Sons and daughters will prophecy
C' Old dream dreams
C" Young see visions
B" both men and women
A" Pour out Spirit in those days
That is how poetry often works: saying the same thing in a slightly different way to reinforce the main idea - pouring out the Spirit.
As a brief tangent, in Christianity, there has been a long running controversy on what the role of women should be in the church. Many volumes of books have been written and many presentation given. I've read a few of the discussions on the subject and have had dialogs with people on both sides of the issue. Perhaps, I'll share my perspective on some other occasion. However, I will mention that this passage is often cited by those who support a larger role for women in the church.
Repentance, restoration, pouring out of the Spirit ... what next?
I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
The astronomical signs are frightening. Literal or figurative?
Don't know. Certainly, when the locusts filled up the sky it seemed quite literal to the people. I'm sure to people who have lived near where a volcano blows up and the air is filled with stuff, it looks like this. Probably even people who have lived near a major brush fire, have seen something like this. In any case, the feeling evoked is that the end of the world as we know it is at hand. Literal or figurative, either way, the Day of the LORD looms.
Interestingly, four out of five occurrence of the phrase "Day of the LORD" is in the future tense in Joel. You can run the search too!
Joel 1:15, the day of the LORD is near
Joel 2:1, the day of the LORD is coming
Joel 2:11, day of the LORD is great
Joel 2:31, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD
Joel 3:14, the day of the LORD is near
The day indeed will be dreadful. But there is still hope.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls.
God's hammer of justice will ultimately fall but not before God exhausts every possible attempt to achieve reconciliation. God's biggest intervention for this purpose is the sending of Jesus.
With this in mind, Peter in his sermon in Acts 2:14-21 cited large portions of this passage in Joel.
Peter probably saw the times he lived in as the years that the locusts had eaten. Jesus came to restore the people. After the restoration, the Spirit is poured out.
Lord, thank you that there is still time. The dreadful day of the LORD remains to come. Until then, the Spirit is being poured out and people speak out for God bringing hope. God help me to confess my sin and repent and ask you for restoration and then ask you for the Spirit to help me speak for you so others will have hope. Looking around the world today it seems so bleak. In places on this planet, the locusts have done their damage. In the lives of too many people there is just ashes. But you remain ready, willing, longing, reaching to restore. God help me to be one of your instruments in that great quest. Amen.
To recap, previously, there was the vivid descriptions of the locusts and the damage they leave in their wake. This was followed by calls to repentance. In the passage before this one, we see how the Lord answers and restores what the locusts have eaten.
What happens next?
And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Isn't this a beautiful sight?
We think of prophesy as people predicting the future like a fortune teller. There is some of that but mostly it is about speaking for God.
God is not silent. As part of restoration after repentance, God will pour the Spirit on people such that even though they are of the younger generation, they will speak for God. Additionally, it mentions that both sexes will participate in this outworking of the Spirit. The blessing is then repeated saying both young and old will have visions and dreams. The blessing is repeated again, in this case re-iterating that men and women are mentioned as equal recipients of the Spirit's power.
Look at the structure:
A' Pour out Spirit on all people
B' Sons and daughters will prophecy
C' Old dream dreams
C" Young see visions
B" both men and women
A" Pour out Spirit in those days
That is how poetry often works: saying the same thing in a slightly different way to reinforce the main idea - pouring out the Spirit.
As a brief tangent, in Christianity, there has been a long running controversy on what the role of women should be in the church. Many volumes of books have been written and many presentation given. I've read a few of the discussions on the subject and have had dialogs with people on both sides of the issue. Perhaps, I'll share my perspective on some other occasion. However, I will mention that this passage is often cited by those who support a larger role for women in the church.
Repentance, restoration, pouring out of the Spirit ... what next?
I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
The astronomical signs are frightening. Literal or figurative?
Don't know. Certainly, when the locusts filled up the sky it seemed quite literal to the people. I'm sure to people who have lived near where a volcano blows up and the air is filled with stuff, it looks like this. Probably even people who have lived near a major brush fire, have seen something like this. In any case, the feeling evoked is that the end of the world as we know it is at hand. Literal or figurative, either way, the Day of the LORD looms.
Interestingly, four out of five occurrence of the phrase "Day of the LORD" is in the future tense in Joel. You can run the search too!
Joel 1:15, the day of the LORD is near
Joel 2:1, the day of the LORD is coming
Joel 2:11, day of the LORD is great
Joel 2:31, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD
Joel 3:14, the day of the LORD is near
The day indeed will be dreadful. But there is still hope.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls.
God's hammer of justice will ultimately fall but not before God exhausts every possible attempt to achieve reconciliation. God's biggest intervention for this purpose is the sending of Jesus.
With this in mind, Peter in his sermon in Acts 2:14-21 cited large portions of this passage in Joel.
Peter probably saw the times he lived in as the years that the locusts had eaten. Jesus came to restore the people. After the restoration, the Spirit is poured out.
Lord, thank you that there is still time. The dreadful day of the LORD remains to come. Until then, the Spirit is being poured out and people speak out for God bringing hope. God help me to confess my sin and repent and ask you for restoration and then ask you for the Spirit to help me speak for you so others will have hope. Looking around the world today it seems so bleak. In places on this planet, the locusts have done their damage. In the lives of too many people there is just ashes. But you remain ready, willing, longing, reaching to restore. God help me to be one of your instruments in that great quest. Amen.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Joel 2:18-27
Am looking at Joel 2:18-27.
Previously, we saw vivid descriptions of the locust swarm that was about to hit the nation. This was followed by a call to return to God. This was the organization of chapter one as well as the beginning part of chapter two.
Here we continue on in chapter two and find the response of God.
Then the LORD became jealous for his land
and had pity on his people.
Ever heard of the word, anthropomorphism?
This idea is the habit of humans to give human attributes to the non-human. Some might go so far as to say, humans have created god in his own image. Certainly, those who don't believe in god would spin it that way.
However, if there is a god, then how do we describe that god?
Alas, we have to use human terms however imperfect they may be.
In my journey of faith, the book Disappointment with God helped me more fully grab onto the idea of God as wanting a relationship with us.
Indeed, there are descriptions of God as fiery and angry at sin and evil and injustice. And there are passages like this one where God is seen as compassionate and desiring restoration.
The LORD answered and said to his people,
"Behold, I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
Then the passage briefly switches to what happens to the locusts.
"I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard into the eastern sea,
and his rear guard into the western sea;
the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
They are once again personified as an enemy army. Because of the geography of the land of Israel, many invaders would come from the north.
The eastern sea is probably a reference to the Dead Sea and the western sea would obviously be the Mediterranean. These explanations were offered in one of the resource books I've been looking at occasionally as I read through Joel has been Bible Background Commentary - Old Testament". I also have the companion volume for the New Testament.
Joel returns to sharing the positive news of God's blessing returning to the nation as a result of their repentance.
"Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the LORD has done great things!
Fear not, you beasts of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
"Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the LORD your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.
"The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
Isn't this a beautiful turn of phrase, I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.
Certainly, in the past few days as we remembered 9/11, sadness draped over many people. Even living here in Los Angeles and not knowing anyone who was lost, I felt the sense of mourning and just didn't have any spring in my step on Monday. I can't imagine what it was like for those who did lose someone.
Yet, I'd like to believe, for all those family and friends, hope rises with the morning and that during the day, new blessings mingle together with sad memories and that at the end of the day, there is satisfaction and gratitude that the mercies of God have ruled the day.
Lord, we have all suffered loss in some way. Yet, in this story, there is restoration. Help me to turn to you with all the broken pieces of my life and give them over to you. I ask that you would restore and re-create as you will the features of my life. Amen.
Previously, we saw vivid descriptions of the locust swarm that was about to hit the nation. This was followed by a call to return to God. This was the organization of chapter one as well as the beginning part of chapter two.
Here we continue on in chapter two and find the response of God.
Then the LORD became jealous for his land
and had pity on his people.
Ever heard of the word, anthropomorphism?
This idea is the habit of humans to give human attributes to the non-human. Some might go so far as to say, humans have created god in his own image. Certainly, those who don't believe in god would spin it that way.
However, if there is a god, then how do we describe that god?
Alas, we have to use human terms however imperfect they may be.
In my journey of faith, the book Disappointment with God helped me more fully grab onto the idea of God as wanting a relationship with us.
Indeed, there are descriptions of God as fiery and angry at sin and evil and injustice. And there are passages like this one where God is seen as compassionate and desiring restoration.
The LORD answered and said to his people,
"Behold, I am sending to you
grain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
Then the passage briefly switches to what happens to the locusts.
"I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard into the eastern sea,
and his rear guard into the western sea;
the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
They are once again personified as an enemy army. Because of the geography of the land of Israel, many invaders would come from the north.
The eastern sea is probably a reference to the Dead Sea and the western sea would obviously be the Mediterranean. These explanations were offered in one of the resource books I've been looking at occasionally as I read through Joel has been Bible Background Commentary - Old Testament". I also have the companion volume for the New Testament.
Joel returns to sharing the positive news of God's blessing returning to the nation as a result of their repentance.
"Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the LORD has done great things!
Fear not, you beasts of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
"Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the LORD your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.
"The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.
"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
Isn't this a beautiful turn of phrase, I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.
Certainly, in the past few days as we remembered 9/11, sadness draped over many people. Even living here in Los Angeles and not knowing anyone who was lost, I felt the sense of mourning and just didn't have any spring in my step on Monday. I can't imagine what it was like for those who did lose someone.
Yet, I'd like to believe, for all those family and friends, hope rises with the morning and that during the day, new blessings mingle together with sad memories and that at the end of the day, there is satisfaction and gratitude that the mercies of God have ruled the day.
Lord, we have all suffered loss in some way. Yet, in this story, there is restoration. Help me to turn to you with all the broken pieces of my life and give them over to you. I ask that you would restore and re-create as you will the features of my life. Amen.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Joel 2:12-17
Checking out Joel 2:12-17 today.
In chapter one, there was a section describing the locusts, Joel 1:2-11 and then a part describing the response Joel 1:13-20. The same appears to be true in Joel chapter two. Joel 2:1-11 described the locusts and now this part in verses 12-17 looked at the response desired by God.
"Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing --
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.
God's desire is a whole hearted genuine return on the part of the people.
Sometimes people have a picture of God, especially the God of the Old Testament, as a blood thirsty God.
There is no question that God cares about holiness because God is holy. The tri-fold repetition of holy, holy, holy testifies to the importance to God's holy character.
Thus, indeed, God can and does bring the hammer down at the unholiness that is running about on the earth. Yet, I don't think it is ever without warning. I'm not an Old Testament scholar and know every instance of God executing His judgment. However, it seems that those who wind up under His wrath are usually warned. Judgement was going to fall on Nineveh but God gave them a chance by sending Jonah. The Prophets were sent to warn and in some cases people turned from their sin and were spared and sometimes not.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.
Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,
weep between the temple porch and the altar.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?' "
The call goes out for fasting and prayer. the call is for everyone, young, old, newlyweds, nursing babies to gather together.
In the modern world, when we see the word trumpet we think of something like this ...
Image source: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textt/Trumpet.html.
However, a Jewish trumpet of that time was probably something more like this ...
Image source: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/texts/Shofar.html
Hear a shofar.
Sound source: http://www.aish.com/hhRosh/hhRoshDefault/Symbolism_of_the_Shofar.asp
Lord, may I hear the call to return to you. And may I sound that call to others. You have not left us unaware of your desire for holiness. You have not left us without provision to make things right with you. You have sent Jesus to restore and it is up to us to choose the path back to you. God help me to follow that path daily and help me to bring others along. Amen.
In chapter one, there was a section describing the locusts, Joel 1:2-11 and then a part describing the response Joel 1:13-20. The same appears to be true in Joel chapter two. Joel 2:1-11 described the locusts and now this part in verses 12-17 looked at the response desired by God.
"Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing --
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.
God's desire is a whole hearted genuine return on the part of the people.
Sometimes people have a picture of God, especially the God of the Old Testament, as a blood thirsty God.
There is no question that God cares about holiness because God is holy. The tri-fold repetition of holy, holy, holy testifies to the importance to God's holy character.
Thus, indeed, God can and does bring the hammer down at the unholiness that is running about on the earth. Yet, I don't think it is ever without warning. I'm not an Old Testament scholar and know every instance of God executing His judgment. However, it seems that those who wind up under His wrath are usually warned. Judgement was going to fall on Nineveh but God gave them a chance by sending Jonah. The Prophets were sent to warn and in some cases people turned from their sin and were spared and sometimes not.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.
Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,
weep between the temple porch and the altar.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?' "
The call goes out for fasting and prayer. the call is for everyone, young, old, newlyweds, nursing babies to gather together.
In the modern world, when we see the word trumpet we think of something like this ...
Image source: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textt/Trumpet.html.
However, a Jewish trumpet of that time was probably something more like this ...
Image source: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/texts/Shofar.html
Hear a shofar.
Sound source: http://www.aish.com/hhRosh/hhRoshDefault/Symbolism_of_the_Shofar.asp
Lord, may I hear the call to return to you. And may I sound that call to others. You have not left us unaware of your desire for holiness. You have not left us without provision to make things right with you. You have sent Jesus to restore and it is up to us to choose the path back to you. God help me to follow that path daily and help me to bring others along. Amen.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Joel 2:1-11
Am looking at Joel 2:1-11 this Labor Day morning.
Remember the context of the passage, in chapter one, Joel described the locust swarms. This reality hung over their heads. In chapter two, he described the dread they felt knowing what was coming. Also, remember that he was writing in poetic style so imagine the pictures he has created with his words and listen for the sound of it.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand:
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
If you have ever been hiking you know that you don't want to get caught outside in a thunderstorm where you can get drenched or worse hit by lightening. As you are hiking along and you see the clouds gathering quickly ... its nervous time.
In addition to visualizing the motion picture, listen for the sound of what he described ... a marching army, a crackling fire and trampling horses ...
A people come, great and strong,
The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like swift steeds, so they run.
With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.
Before them the people writhe in pain;
All faces are drained of color.
They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Every one marches in formation,
And they do not break ranks.
They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not cut down.
They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter at the windows like a thief.
The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
Frightening.
As urban dweller in 21st Century America, this is completely outside my personal experience. The only time I see bugs is driving in the country side as they splatter onto my window or when I go hiking and the mosquitos envelope us when we stop moving.
That is nothing compared to what is described here: a swarm so massive that the sun and moon is obscured.
The LORD gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?
Joel identified that the LORD (YHWH) was behind the locust swarm.
This is the theological question of the ages: when something bad happens, is God behind it? Is the judgment of God part of the equation?
In the pre-scientific age, if someone were to claim, calamity X is due to God, it was probably believed.
Today, such a claim would be viewed less favorably.
If there is no god then any claim to god being behind locust swarms, earthquakes, tsunamis or hurricanes would be foolish.
But what if there is a god?
If god is the "deist" clockmaker god who builds the universe and lets it tick away on its own then the existence of disasters would testify to a lousy clockmaker.
If god is in the "theist" mode who builds the universe and periodically intervenes in human affairs then one might argue:
(1) god is not good because god doesn't intervene
(2) god is not powerful enough to intervene - though it would seem strange that god would be powerful enough to create the universe and not be able to intervene.
The existence of evil and suffering is the greatest challenge to the belief in the existence of god. However, some turn that argument on its head and say the very existence of notions of evil and suffering testify to god.
For a detailed discussion check out this item on theodicy. There is a LOT to chew on there and I'm going to have to re-read that item a few times and I'll still not be sure if I know what to believe with precision!
As I sit here at the comfort of my laptop, when disater strikes, I am not going to make any claims of it is or is not God's judgement. Call it a cop out call it what you want, I'm not making that claim. Joel can make that claim because he was a prophet but I'm not.
However, as a Christian, I do believe a day (I don't know when and it may well be after we are all dead) will come when God will judge and on that day, there will be no doubt because it won't be me or some other human agency making the claim it is God's judgement.
On that day, indeed, who can endure it?
We can only endure it if we take a hold of Christ whose sacrifice pays for our sin and whose life covers us in righteousness.
Lord, we live in a world that is in bad shape. Yet, you did not remain idle content to see it fall apart. Instead, you sent Jesus to restore us and the world. While we await your establishing the kingdom in fullness, help me to work where I can to extend your kingdom. Your call is for love and truth. Help me to live that in my life. Help me to be that for others. Help me to fight for justice with humility trusting in your ultimate justice and goodness. Amen.
Remember the context of the passage, in chapter one, Joel described the locust swarms. This reality hung over their heads. In chapter two, he described the dread they felt knowing what was coming. Also, remember that he was writing in poetic style so imagine the pictures he has created with his words and listen for the sound of it.
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand:
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
If you have ever been hiking you know that you don't want to get caught outside in a thunderstorm where you can get drenched or worse hit by lightening. As you are hiking along and you see the clouds gathering quickly ... its nervous time.
In addition to visualizing the motion picture, listen for the sound of what he described ... a marching army, a crackling fire and trampling horses ...
A people come, great and strong,
The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like swift steeds, so they run.
With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.
Before them the people writhe in pain;
All faces are drained of color.
They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Every one marches in formation,
And they do not break ranks.
They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not cut down.
They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter at the windows like a thief.
The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
Frightening.
As urban dweller in 21st Century America, this is completely outside my personal experience. The only time I see bugs is driving in the country side as they splatter onto my window or when I go hiking and the mosquitos envelope us when we stop moving.
That is nothing compared to what is described here: a swarm so massive that the sun and moon is obscured.
The LORD gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?
Joel identified that the LORD (YHWH) was behind the locust swarm.
This is the theological question of the ages: when something bad happens, is God behind it? Is the judgment of God part of the equation?
In the pre-scientific age, if someone were to claim, calamity X is due to God, it was probably believed.
Today, such a claim would be viewed less favorably.
If there is no god then any claim to god being behind locust swarms, earthquakes, tsunamis or hurricanes would be foolish.
But what if there is a god?
If god is the "deist" clockmaker god who builds the universe and lets it tick away on its own then the existence of disasters would testify to a lousy clockmaker.
If god is in the "theist" mode who builds the universe and periodically intervenes in human affairs then one might argue:
(1) god is not good because god doesn't intervene
(2) god is not powerful enough to intervene - though it would seem strange that god would be powerful enough to create the universe and not be able to intervene.
The existence of evil and suffering is the greatest challenge to the belief in the existence of god. However, some turn that argument on its head and say the very existence of notions of evil and suffering testify to god.
For a detailed discussion check out this item on theodicy. There is a LOT to chew on there and I'm going to have to re-read that item a few times and I'll still not be sure if I know what to believe with precision!
As I sit here at the comfort of my laptop, when disater strikes, I am not going to make any claims of it is or is not God's judgement. Call it a cop out call it what you want, I'm not making that claim. Joel can make that claim because he was a prophet but I'm not.
However, as a Christian, I do believe a day (I don't know when and it may well be after we are all dead) will come when God will judge and on that day, there will be no doubt because it won't be me or some other human agency making the claim it is God's judgement.
On that day, indeed, who can endure it?
We can only endure it if we take a hold of Christ whose sacrifice pays for our sin and whose life covers us in righteousness.
Lord, we live in a world that is in bad shape. Yet, you did not remain idle content to see it fall apart. Instead, you sent Jesus to restore us and the world. While we await your establishing the kingdom in fullness, help me to work where I can to extend your kingdom. Your call is for love and truth. Help me to live that in my life. Help me to be that for others. Help me to fight for justice with humility trusting in your ultimate justice and goodness. Amen.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Joel 1:13-20
In chapter one, we see the locusts swarming through and eating everything in sight.
In Joel 1:13-20 we get a picture of some of the response to the devastation.
Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;
wail, O ministers of the altar.
Go in, pass the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
Because grain offering and drink offering
are withheld from the house of your God.
What is sackcloth?
A Google search yields this item. Excerpt:
call a solemn assembly.
Gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the LORD your God,
and cry out to the LORD.
Should we do this today?
With all the troubles in the world, I wonder if our churches should call for a fast and spend time in prayer to God for this lost and dying world?
On a few occasions, the churches I've attended have called for a day of prayer and the part about fasting is left to individual choice. Usually, the calls for a day of prayer is precipitated by some kind of crisis either in the world around us or some problem within the church.
Of the various spiritual disciplines, I freely admit fasting isn't one I practice. In my life, probably, I can count on one hand the number of times I've fasted.
Alas for the day!
For the day of the LORD is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
Here the parallel structure suggests that the "day of the LORD" is equal to "destruction from the Almighty."
Yet, interestingly, it say, it is near but not yet here?
If I saw locusts descending and then destroying everything in sight, I'd say destruction is HERE NOW!
Does this mean it could actually be worse??
Is not the food cut off
before our eyes,
joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
The seed shrivels under the clods;
the storehouses are desolate;
the granaries are torn down
because the grain has dried up.
How the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle are perplexed
because there is no pasture for them;
even the flocks of sheep suffer.
The ruins of the locust swarm is described in vivid detail. I say again, it would seem as the Day of the LORD has already hit?
Perhaps, the key thing is that in this context, there is still time to turn to God as we saw in the call to prayer and fasting.
Perhaps, when the Day of the LORD truly hits, it is truly TOO LATE?
To you, O LORD, I call.
For fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,
and flame has burned
all the trees of the field.
Even the beasts of the field pant for you
because the water brooks are dried up,
and fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.
And so we conclude with Joel calling out to God describing the miserable situation the people are in.
Lord, when terrible things happen, sometimes I shake a fist at you in anger. Sometimes, I get on my knees and call upon you for help. From reading this chapter of Joel, I want to call upon you. I need to think about fasting and how perhaps that might be a spiritual discipline I need to practice so that I can draw closer to you. Amen.
In Joel 1:13-20 we get a picture of some of the response to the devastation.
Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;
wail, O ministers of the altar.
Go in, pass the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
Because grain offering and drink offering
are withheld from the house of your God.
What is sackcloth?
A Google search yields this item. Excerpt:
Term originally denoting a coarsely woven fabric, usually made of goat's hair. It afterward came to mean also a garment made from such cloth, which was chiefly worn as a token of mourning by the Israelites. It was furthermore a sign of submission (I Kings xx. 30 et seq.), and was occasionally worn by the Prophets.Consecrate a fast;
As the Old Testament gives no exact description of the garment, its shape must be a matter of conjecture. According to Kamphausen, the saḳ was like a corn-bag with an opening for the head, and another for each arm, an opening being made in the garment from top to bottom.
call a solemn assembly.
Gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the LORD your God,
and cry out to the LORD.
Should we do this today?
With all the troubles in the world, I wonder if our churches should call for a fast and spend time in prayer to God for this lost and dying world?
On a few occasions, the churches I've attended have called for a day of prayer and the part about fasting is left to individual choice. Usually, the calls for a day of prayer is precipitated by some kind of crisis either in the world around us or some problem within the church.
Of the various spiritual disciplines, I freely admit fasting isn't one I practice. In my life, probably, I can count on one hand the number of times I've fasted.
Alas for the day!
For the day of the LORD is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
Here the parallel structure suggests that the "day of the LORD" is equal to "destruction from the Almighty."
Yet, interestingly, it say, it is near but not yet here?
If I saw locusts descending and then destroying everything in sight, I'd say destruction is HERE NOW!
Does this mean it could actually be worse??
Is not the food cut off
before our eyes,
joy and gladness
from the house of our God?
The seed shrivels under the clods;
the storehouses are desolate;
the granaries are torn down
because the grain has dried up.
How the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle are perplexed
because there is no pasture for them;
even the flocks of sheep suffer.
The ruins of the locust swarm is described in vivid detail. I say again, it would seem as the Day of the LORD has already hit?
Perhaps, the key thing is that in this context, there is still time to turn to God as we saw in the call to prayer and fasting.
Perhaps, when the Day of the LORD truly hits, it is truly TOO LATE?
To you, O LORD, I call.
For fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness,
and flame has burned
all the trees of the field.
Even the beasts of the field pant for you
because the water brooks are dried up,
and fire has devoured
the pastures of the wilderness.
And so we conclude with Joel calling out to God describing the miserable situation the people are in.
Lord, when terrible things happen, sometimes I shake a fist at you in anger. Sometimes, I get on my knees and call upon you for help. From reading this chapter of Joel, I want to call upon you. I need to think about fasting and how perhaps that might be a spiritual discipline I need to practice so that I can draw closer to you. Amen.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Joel 1:2-12
Image source: 2005 article in Sudan Tribune
Joel 1:2-12 relates the story of a massive locust invasion.
Hear this, you elders;
give ear, all inhabitants of the land!
Has such a thing happened in your days,
or in the days of your fathers?
Tell your children of it,
and let your children tell their children,
and their children to another generation.
What the cutting locust left,
the swarming locust has eaten.
What the swarming locust left,
the hopping locust has eaten,
and what the hopping locust left,
the destroying locust has eaten.
Awake, you drunkards, and weep,
and wail, all you drinkers of wine,
because of the sweet wine,
for it is cut off from your mouth.
As a 21st Century dweller, it is something outside my experience. Living in the USA, I don't know if in recent memory there have been any locust swarms.
A quick Google search yields this item from the University of Florida describing the largest locust swarm on record. Excerpt:
The Desert Locust, Schistocerca gregaria, forms the largest swarms. In early 1954, a swarm that invaded Kenya covered an area of 200 km2. The estimated density was 50 million individuals per km2 giving a total number of 10 billion locusts in that swarm.BBC has an informative picture gallery of what a locust swarm can do. Excerpt:
A ton of locusts, which is a tiny part of the average swarm, eats the same amount of food in a single day as 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2,500 people.Some people might argue from verse 6 that the locusts are a metaphor for an invading army.
For a nation has come up against my land,
powerful and beyond number;
its teeth are lions' teeth,
and it has the fangs of a lioness.
Of course, it is possible that the opposite is true: an invading army is a metaphor for the locusts!
My view is to take the Bible at face value. However, of course, there are times when there is good reason to take it as metaphor!
In this case, Israel of the distant past being an agrarian society, the idea of the locusts being literal would be quite reasonable.
The results of the locust swarms leave the people in a miserable state.
It has laid waste my vine
and splintered my fig tree;
it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down;
their branches are made white.
Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth
for the bridegroom of her youth.
The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
from the house of the LORD.
The priests mourn,
the ministers of the LORD.
The fields are destroyed,
the ground mourns,
because the grain is destroyed,
the wine dries up,
the oil languishes.
Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil;
wail, O vinedressers,
for the wheat and the barley,
because the harvest of the field has perished.
The vine dries up;
the fig tree languishes.
Pomegranate, palm, and apple,
all the trees of the field are dried up,
and gladness dries up
from the children of man.
When I read my Bible, I remind myself that it is about real people and real situations.
Horrible things happen in our fallen world and this passage vividly described a tremendous disaster.
These kinds of things still happen today. Locusts still swarm in parts of the world. There are also other kinds of calamities that strike. In recent memory, think of the tsunami of southeast Asia or the hurricane that hit New Orleans.
When these things happen, as Christians, especially as RICH Christians and even the poorest of us in America are RICH in comparison, we need to do whatever we can to help those suffering and in need. This is the point of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
The first response is the practical one. Later on, one could contemplate more philosophically and theologically.
Lord, there are terrible things that happen in this world. You have called us to meet needs where ever we find them. Help the church to rise up in generosity to meet needs. Help me to see what you see and hear what you hear and respond however I can. Lord, speed the day when you restore what the locusts have taken. In the meantime, help me, help us to be your instruments of mercy in a lost and dying world. In Jesus name, amen.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Joel 1:1
How do you like visiting this site so far?
Comments welcome in the comments section or if you want to email me, you can send thoughts to rrblog_at_yahoo_dot_com.
I inaugurated this blog with something very familiar (Philippians) to many Christians.
I think I needed the great challenges and reminders of that beloved book of the Christian Scriptures.
For the next book of this blog tour of the Bible, let's go to a more obscure portion: Joel.
Ever heard a sermon from Joel?
image source: http://www.romaculta.it/det/sistina/prophet_4.html
The image is from the Sistine Chapel as painted by Michelangelo.
If you have heard a sermon from Joel, what was it about?
I've taken a quick read and here are some quick impressions.
Since the title of the post is Joel 1:1, let's take a look at it:
The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel.
When we see "LORD" in our Old Testament, the Hebrew word is YHWH, the divine personal name of God. It was a name the Jewish people would never say. When they would come across YHWH, they would instead say adonai which appears in our Bibles as the word, Lord.
FYI, when the word God appears in the Old Testament, it from the Hebrew elohim. And of course, when you see Lord that is the Hebrew word adonai.
Who?
We know nothing about Joel from other parts of Scripture. There are other people named Joel but there is no clear connection to the Joel of this book.
He is the son of Pethuel. We know nothing about Pethuel either.
We do know Joel means, "the LORD is God."
When?
We can't be sure when he wrote because the events described in the book are not specific enough to assign a certain date.
He addresses "elders" in Joel 1:2 which some commentators suggest he was speaking to the nation prior to the rise of kings ruling the nation of Israel which would put it around 9th Century BC.
Another possibility is that it is in the post-exile era when there were no more kings. Supporters of that view will also cite Joel 3:1-3 which describes in past tense events that may have taken place when the nation was destroyed by the Babylonians. This would put the book around the 6th Century BC.
A short history of Israel is as follows:
Exodus out of Egypt
Entering the Land under Joshua
Lead by various Judges
The Kingdom under Saul, David and Solomon
The Kingdom divided North and South
The Northern Kingdom is defeated by the Assyrians
The Southern Kingdom is defeated by the Babylonians
Post-Exile
What?
The phrase "The Day of the LORD" appearssix five times in Joel and in the whole Bible it appears 26 23 times.
So nearly 1/4 of all appearances of that phrase occurs in Joel!
Do you know how big a book Joel is?
Three chapters!
What else is in Joel?
If you have read Acts 2:17-21 then you have read Joel 2:28-32.
I came across an interesting verse in Joel 3:10.
Have you ever heard the phrase, beat your swords into plowshares?
Well, in Joel 3:10, we have an inversion of that famous phrase, Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!"
Okay, that is a quick introduction to Joel.
Lord, thank you that you are a God who cares about us. You came to Joel to tell him things You wanted the people to know. May in some small way this blog be the Word of the LORD that comes through this small blogger to who ever clicks here. May the visitors of these pages be shown a little bit of Your light. Amen.
Comments welcome in the comments section or if you want to email me, you can send thoughts to rrblog_at_yahoo_dot_com.
I inaugurated this blog with something very familiar (Philippians) to many Christians.
I think I needed the great challenges and reminders of that beloved book of the Christian Scriptures.
For the next book of this blog tour of the Bible, let's go to a more obscure portion: Joel.
Ever heard a sermon from Joel?
image source: http://www.romaculta.it/det/sistina/prophet_4.html
The image is from the Sistine Chapel as painted by Michelangelo.
If you have heard a sermon from Joel, what was it about?
I've taken a quick read and here are some quick impressions.
Since the title of the post is Joel 1:1, let's take a look at it:
The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel.
When we see "LORD" in our Old Testament, the Hebrew word is YHWH, the divine personal name of God. It was a name the Jewish people would never say. When they would come across YHWH, they would instead say adonai which appears in our Bibles as the word, Lord.
FYI, when the word God appears in the Old Testament, it from the Hebrew elohim. And of course, when you see Lord that is the Hebrew word adonai.
Who?
We know nothing about Joel from other parts of Scripture. There are other people named Joel but there is no clear connection to the Joel of this book.
He is the son of Pethuel. We know nothing about Pethuel either.
We do know Joel means, "the LORD is God."
When?
We can't be sure when he wrote because the events described in the book are not specific enough to assign a certain date.
He addresses "elders" in Joel 1:2 which some commentators suggest he was speaking to the nation prior to the rise of kings ruling the nation of Israel which would put it around 9th Century BC.
Another possibility is that it is in the post-exile era when there were no more kings. Supporters of that view will also cite Joel 3:1-3 which describes in past tense events that may have taken place when the nation was destroyed by the Babylonians. This would put the book around the 6th Century BC.
A short history of Israel is as follows:
Exodus out of Egypt
Entering the Land under Joshua
Lead by various Judges
The Kingdom under Saul, David and Solomon
The Kingdom divided North and South
The Northern Kingdom is defeated by the Assyrians
The Southern Kingdom is defeated by the Babylonians
Post-Exile
What?
The phrase "The Day of the LORD" appears
So nearly 1/4 of all appearances of that phrase occurs in Joel!
Do you know how big a book Joel is?
Three chapters!
What else is in Joel?
If you have read Acts 2:17-21 then you have read Joel 2:28-32.
I came across an interesting verse in Joel 3:10.
Have you ever heard the phrase, beat your swords into plowshares?
Well, in Joel 3:10, we have an inversion of that famous phrase, Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, "I am strong!"
Okay, that is a quick introduction to Joel.
Lord, thank you that you are a God who cares about us. You came to Joel to tell him things You wanted the people to know. May in some small way this blog be the Word of the LORD that comes through this small blogger to who ever clicks here. May the visitors of these pages be shown a little bit of Your light. Amen.
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