The prophet and his prophecy--Nothing is known of Joel except that he was the son of man named Pethuel (Joel 1:1); his name means "Jehovah is his God." Since he doesn’t mention any of the later world powers, such as Assyria or Babylon, it’s often been suggested that he prophesied early, perhaps in the 9th century, or several decades before Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, Micah, who were the great 8th century prophets. There is a reference in Joel 3:1 to bringing back “the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,” but this is in a Messianic context and probably doesn’t refer to the Babylonian captivity. I think the book was written early, i.e, late 9th century B.C. The context of the book is a devastating locust plague, “my army” the Lord calls it in 2:25. It appears to be a warning from God, a reminder that the people of Israel need to be faithful to Him. When the warning doesn’t work and the people remain idolatrous, then the prophets Hosea, Amos, etc. show up, denounce the idolatry, and predict captivity. That appears to be the sequence. God gave Israel a chance to repent; and Joel will advise that frequently through his book. It doesn’t work, so Assyria and Babylon will come for further punishment. “The day of the Lord” is a frequent theme running through the book.
The most significant passage in Joel is 2:28-32, which is the Scripture Peter quotes on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2; the events of that day were the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. And since 2:28-32 ends that chapter, and the first verse of chapter 3 begins, “For behold, in those days and at that time,” we have to understand chapter 3 as referring to the New Testament church age. I’ll discuss that more when we get there.
Joel is a short book, but contains some powerful lessons for us. It is certainly worthy of our study.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Hosea 14
The final chapter of this wonderful book ends with a plea and a message of hope. “O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; take words with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips’” (vs. 1-2). Part of that repentance is acknowledging that “Assyria will not save us” (v. 3), and a denunciation of idol worship (v. 3). Unfortunately, this won’t happen in the northern tribes for nearly two centuries.
But if they would “return to the Lord your God”—and this is equally valid to us—God would “heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (v. 4). There are some beautiful metaphors to describe God’s blessings upon Israel: “I will be like the dew…he shall grow like the lily” (v. 5); “his branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon” (v. 6). Lebanon was famous for its magnificent cedar trees, which smell delightful. Israel would be “revived like grain and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon,” (v. 7), so that commodity must have been enchanting as well. With this repentance, Ephraim would turn from idols and finds its “fruit” in Jehovah (v. 8). Verse 9 is an excellent closing statement: “Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” That is a message that is as needed today as it was 2700+ years ago when Hosea first wrote it.
Next: the book of Joel
But if they would “return to the Lord your God”—and this is equally valid to us—God would “heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (v. 4). There are some beautiful metaphors to describe God’s blessings upon Israel: “I will be like the dew…he shall grow like the lily” (v. 5); “his branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon” (v. 6). Lebanon was famous for its magnificent cedar trees, which smell delightful. Israel would be “revived like grain and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon,” (v. 7), so that commodity must have been enchanting as well. With this repentance, Ephraim would turn from idols and finds its “fruit” in Jehovah (v. 8). Verse 9 is an excellent closing statement: “Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” That is a message that is as needed today as it was 2700+ years ago when Hosea first wrote it.
Next: the book of Joel
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Hosea 13
There is a way to greatness—humble yourself before God, and when Ephraim did that (v. 1), God exalted her. But then the people turned to Baal and “died.” Their sin increased more and more—idol worship: ”Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!” (v. 2) And, as a result, “they shall be like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passes away” (v. 3). Greatness is fleeting when we turn from God.
But, eventually, the Israelites would turn from their idols: “Yet I am the Lord your God ever since the land the Egypt, and you shall know no God but me” (v. 4). Indeed, after the Jews came back from Babylonian captivity, they never worshipped false gods again. So here we have a prophetic statement regarding Israel’s future. God had taken care of them, but, over time, “they were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot me” (v. 6). We must be extremely cautious that we do not let “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word” (Matt. 13:22). Meeting God in that condition is not favorable: “I will be to them like a lion” (v. 7); “I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs, I will tear open their rib cage, and there I will devour them like a lion” (v. 8). Destruction was inevitable (v. 9), but any help they would get would come from God. “I will be your King; where is any other that he may save you in all your cities?” (v. 10). If they had only trusted Jehovah. As we read in I Samuel 8, God never wanted them to have an earthly king and warned them openly about it. And now the fruit had been born: “I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in my wrath” (v. 11). Ephraim’s sin had been “stored up” for centuries (v. 12), and now, “the sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him” (v. 13). But, as noted several times in the book, God will bring them back. Their captivity is pictured as death and the grave, so in verse 14, the Lord says, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!” The apostle Paul quotes this in I Corinthians 15 in reference to our final victory over death. So Israel’s “resurrection” from the “grave” of captivity is a type of our resurrection over physical death in the last day. Ezekiel 37 is another marvelous picture of this.
Yet, before that time, “An east wind shall come; the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up” (v. 15). The east wind is the hot, dry one; look at a map and see what is directly east of Israel--nothing but desert. And verse 16 presents a horrid picture of the consequences of sin: “They shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child ripped open.” All of this because “Samaria is held guilty; for she has rebelled against her God.” As we saw in chapter 11, it was only because of the higher purpose of a merciful God that He did not completely destroy these wicked people. That, and there were a remnant that remained faithful to Jehovah: “Unless the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:9). That "remnant," of course, is the one through whom the Messiah would come. But notice, it was the "LORD of hosts" that had allowed it to remain.
But, eventually, the Israelites would turn from their idols: “Yet I am the Lord your God ever since the land the Egypt, and you shall know no God but me” (v. 4). Indeed, after the Jews came back from Babylonian captivity, they never worshipped false gods again. So here we have a prophetic statement regarding Israel’s future. God had taken care of them, but, over time, “they were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot me” (v. 6). We must be extremely cautious that we do not let “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word” (Matt. 13:22). Meeting God in that condition is not favorable: “I will be to them like a lion” (v. 7); “I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs, I will tear open their rib cage, and there I will devour them like a lion” (v. 8). Destruction was inevitable (v. 9), but any help they would get would come from God. “I will be your King; where is any other that he may save you in all your cities?” (v. 10). If they had only trusted Jehovah. As we read in I Samuel 8, God never wanted them to have an earthly king and warned them openly about it. And now the fruit had been born: “I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in my wrath” (v. 11). Ephraim’s sin had been “stored up” for centuries (v. 12), and now, “the sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him” (v. 13). But, as noted several times in the book, God will bring them back. Their captivity is pictured as death and the grave, so in verse 14, the Lord says, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!” The apostle Paul quotes this in I Corinthians 15 in reference to our final victory over death. So Israel’s “resurrection” from the “grave” of captivity is a type of our resurrection over physical death in the last day. Ezekiel 37 is another marvelous picture of this.
Yet, before that time, “An east wind shall come; the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up” (v. 15). The east wind is the hot, dry one; look at a map and see what is directly east of Israel--nothing but desert. And verse 16 presents a horrid picture of the consequences of sin: “They shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child ripped open.” All of this because “Samaria is held guilty; for she has rebelled against her God.” As we saw in chapter 11, it was only because of the higher purpose of a merciful God that He did not completely destroy these wicked people. That, and there were a remnant that remained faithful to Jehovah: “Unless the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:9). That "remnant," of course, is the one through whom the Messiah would come. But notice, it was the "LORD of hosts" that had allowed it to remain.
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