May I have a WORD with you?

Ep 124 (S7E9) Joel - Part 1

• John • Season 7 • Episode 9

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0:00 | 33:30

References:

  • Setting and background/context of Joel
    • Who was Joel?
    • When did Joel work as God’s Prophet?
      • Some suggestions from the text
        • Temple - Jerusalem
          • No kings - ?
          • Most likely post-exhile in the time of Ezra/Nehemiah
        • Joel shows familiarity with many other prophets
      • Joel never identifies any specific sin on Israel’s part
        • He announces God’s judgment, but doesn’t say why.
        • Perhaps he assumes that the people, like himself, are familiar with the work of the other prophets.
    • How is this short book layed out?
      • Mirror image prophetic poems - sin leads to disaster
        • Ch 1 - a past Day of the Lord
        • Ch 2 - vss 1-17 - a future Day of the Lord
      • Ch 2 - vss 18-27 - God’s response - mercy leads to hope
        • God’s defeat of enemies
        • God’s restoration of the land
        • God’s presence among His people
      • Ch 2&3 - vss 2:28-3:21 - THE Day of the Lord - God’s Kingdom in its fullness
        • God’s Spirit poured out - 2:28-32
        • God’s defeat of evil among all nations - 3:1-16
        • God’s renewal of all creation - 3:17-21
  • Joel 1:1-4 - announcement of disaster
    • The mystery of v 4
      • The four types of “locusts”
        • Locust #1 גָּזָם (gaw-zawm)
        • Locust #2 אַרְבֶּה (ar-beh’) most common in OT
        • Locust #3 יֶלֶק (yeh'-lek) young locust
        • Locust #4 חָסִיל (khaw-seel') 
      • A literal biological view - an infestation of desert locust described at each stage of its biological development from larvae to winged adult
      • A political view - metaphor for four successive empires that invaded Israel
        • The Babylonians
        • The Medo-Persians
        • The Greeks (Macedonians)
        • The Romans 
    • A looking back - the 8th plague upon Egypt (Ex 10) has come upon Israel
    • THE Day of the Lord view - Acts and Revelation draw from Joel’s imagery
      • Acts 2 - Pentecost: Peter says is a fulfillment of Joel
      • Rev 9:1-11 - the 1st terror
  • Joel 1:5-18 - a call to repentance
    • Drunkards, for there is no more wine, like a bride in black mourning her dead husband
    • Priests, farmers, leaders
      • Put on sackcloth (burlap) שַׂק (sak)
      • First mentioned in Gen 37:34 as Jacob mourned for his son Joseph
  • Joel 1:19-20 - Calling out to the Lord (an act of repentance)