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.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
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.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Philippians 4:10-23
Am looking at Philippians 4:10-23 this morning.
As I read it, I found myself thinking of the book, The Five Love Languages. If you aren't familiar with the idea, the author believes that love is expressed by five different languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.
In this Letter to the Philippians, there are Word of Affirmation a plenty throughout. Here is a good example.
In Paul's plans to send Timothy and his hopes of eventually seeing them, he shows the desire for Quality Time.
In this last passage, we see a lot on Receiving Gifts.
Take a look:
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Paul got a care package from the Philippians!
Gift giving is not completely one-way. Certainly the receiver gets something as that is definitional. However, as you can see from the text, Paul points out that the giver gains something as well.
It can be hard for us to need help or ask for help but in life, the feeling of autonomy is mostly illusionary. Whether we like it or not, whether we admit it or not, we need help all the time. Can we recognize that in our need, we can give someone else the opportunity to learn and show love in meeting our need?
Paul finishes off the letter with blessings and greetings:
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The family of faith spans the globe. Paul was in Rome and the Philippians were in Philippi (Macedonia).
We may live in different parts of the world but the desire to Glorify God is an aspiration we share.
You might be clicking onto this web page where it is night time as I typed this in the morning and yet, you too need Jesus like I do.
So where ever you are reading this, I send you greetings from Los Angeles and may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit!
As I read it, I found myself thinking of the book, The Five Love Languages. If you aren't familiar with the idea, the author believes that love is expressed by five different languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.
In this Letter to the Philippians, there are Word of Affirmation a plenty throughout. Here is a good example.
In Paul's plans to send Timothy and his hopes of eventually seeing them, he shows the desire for Quality Time.
In this last passage, we see a lot on Receiving Gifts.
Take a look:
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Paul got a care package from the Philippians!
Gift giving is not completely one-way. Certainly the receiver gets something as that is definitional. However, as you can see from the text, Paul points out that the giver gains something as well.
It can be hard for us to need help or ask for help but in life, the feeling of autonomy is mostly illusionary. Whether we like it or not, whether we admit it or not, we need help all the time. Can we recognize that in our need, we can give someone else the opportunity to learn and show love in meeting our need?
Paul finishes off the letter with blessings and greetings:
To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
The family of faith spans the globe. Paul was in Rome and the Philippians were in Philippi (Macedonia).
We may live in different parts of the world but the desire to Glorify God is an aspiration we share.
You might be clicking onto this web page where it is night time as I typed this in the morning and yet, you too need Jesus like I do.
So where ever you are reading this, I send you greetings from Los Angeles and may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit!
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