Holroyd / Ortlund Joel, Amos, and Obadiah

A 12-Week Study
1. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4335-5809-2
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 96 Seiten

Reihe: Knowing the Bible

The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) 'Gospel Glimpses' highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) 'Whole-Bible Connections' show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) 'Theological Soundings' identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on every page of the Bible. The books of Joel, Amos, and Obadiah are revelations from God spoken through his prophets, calling his chosen people to repent and return to him. Even though God promises judgment for their unfaithfulness, he also offers hope of restoration in the Promised Land and reconciliation to him as their Lord. This 12-week study helps readers see how the justice and mercy of God lead to the hope of glorious salvation, as we wait for the day when Jesus returns to free us from our enemies and our sin and establish his rule over all the nations. Part of the Knowing the Bible series.

Kristofer Holroyd (PhD, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium) serves as senior pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Muncie, Indiana.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Holroyd, Kristofer

Ortlund, Dane

Leseproben

Week 2: Locusts and Armies

Joel 1:1–2:17

The Place of the Passage

The book of Joel opens with a description of the aftermath of a terrible locust plague. The prophet Joel, in light of the devastation left by the plague, calls God’s people to grieve and lament the destruction. This destruction and lamentation provide the occasion for Joel to warn of an invading army that will come from the north and, like the locusts, will bring about devastation to the land and people. Joel’s warning of the invading army is a call to Judah to repent and turn back to the Lord, who is gracious and merciful and may relent of the impending judgment.

The Big Picture

God is bringing judgment on Judah; however, it is not too late to repent, turn back to God, and receive his mercy.

Reflection and Discussion

Read through the complete passage for this study, Joel 1:1–2:17. Then write your reflections on the following questions. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 1646–1650; available online at www.esv.org.)

1. Locust Invasion (1:1–1:20)

The locust, a kin of the grasshopper, can travel in large swarms and bring devastation upon all surrounding plant life. Describe the devastation that the locust plague has brought upon Judah, as recorded by Joel.

To lament “like a virgin . . . for the bridegroom of her youth” would be to experience grief like that of an engaged woman whose fiancé dies before the marriage. Read verses 8–12 again. Try to imagine what it must have been like for the people living in the aftermath of this terrible plague. How does Joel depict the people’s suffering?

Have you ever experienced such total devastation either personally or as part of a community or nation? What was it like for you to endure such devastation?

Read verses 13–20 again. How does Joel tell the people to respond to their grief?

Joel 1:15 reminds the readers that destruction comes from God Almighty. How does it feel to be confronted with the truth that the Lord himself brought this devastation upon his own people?

2. Army Invasion (2:1–2:17)

Review the possible interpretations of the locust invasion given in the ESV Study Bible, page 1644. It seems that God is using the past experience of a locust plague to describe the future invasion of a foreign nation’s army. Read through Joel 2:1–11 and note below the ways in which the army is compared to a locust plague.

Joel does not provide a reason for this predicted invasion; however, the people of Israel should already know why such an invasion might happen. Earlier in Israel’s history, God had given them their land, the land of Canaan, where they were to live in relationship with him and to reveal and represent him to the nations of the world. As the people prepared to enter into that land, God made certain promises to his people (Deuteronomy 28), promises that included blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The curses included such things as the locusts consuming their fields (Deut. 28:38), the crickets possessing their trees and fruit (Deut. 28:42), and the people’s being oppressed by a foreign nation (Deut. 28:36). Read Deuteronomy 28:45–51. Why might this foreign army described in the book of Joel be invading Judah?

In light of Deuteronomy 28:47, why does Joel tell the people to rend their hearts and not their garments1 (Joel 2:12–13)? What does it mean to “rend” their hearts?

In what areas of your life are you not serving the Lord your God “with joyfulness and gladness of heart”? What would it look like for you to “rend your hearts and not your garments” and to “return to [the Lord] with all your heart”?

Read through the following three sections on Gospel Glimpses, Whole-Bible Connections, and Theological Soundings. Then take time to consider the Personal Implications these sections may have for you.

Gospel Glimpses

JUDGMENT FOR SIN. God’s holiness2 and perfect character demand that same perfect morality from all people. When we fail to obey God’s demands, that disobedience—sin—earns God’s judgment. Just as a violation of civil law earns the penalties of the law, so do violations of God’s character and laws earn his judgment and penalties. Sometimes, as in the case for Israel during the ministry of the prophet Joel, such judgment comes in this life, with tangible consequences for sin, such as locust plagues or invading armies. On the other hand, it sometimes seems that the disobedient do not suffer judgment in this life. Nevertheless, through consequences in this life or in the life to come, God always judges sin, and all people will one day stand before him and receive from him according to what they have done, “whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10).

REPENTANCE. Repentance is a change of heart and mind over one’s attitude toward God or one’s actions; it is a turning away from sin and a turning toward God. Accordingly, repentance involves more than just an external confession of guilt or expression of regret; rather, this inward change of heart and mind must result in a grieving over the wrong committed, a hating of the offense, and an earnest desire for the mercy and forgiveness of God. Such repentance necessarily results in changed behavior. See Jeremiah 31:18–19 and 2 Corinthians 7:10–11.

Whole-Bible Connections

LAMENTING. Throughout the Bible we see whole groups of people weeping over disaster, such as the nation of Israel weeping over the near extinction of the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 21. We see families weep in times of hardship, such as Naomi and her daughters-in-law in Ruth 1. And we see individuals weep in sorrow, such as Abraham at the death of his wife in Genesis 23. Moreover, an entire book of the Bible (Lamentations) is dedicated to mourning the destruction of Jerusalem, and even our Lord Jesus Christ wept at the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11) and over his people’s rejecting him (Matthew 23:37–39; Luke 19:41–44). Grieving, weeping, and lamenting are part of experiencing life in this world, but God’s people do not grieve like the rest of the world. For example, the resurrection of Jesus Christ teaches us to grieve with hope in the future (1 Thess. 4:13–14), and godly sorrow leads us to examine ourselves and turn from sin in repentance to God through faith3 in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 7:9–10).

THE DAY OF THE LORD. The “day of the Lord” is a frequent theme in the books of the prophets. It variously heralds a day in which God judges unfaithfulness among his people; a day in which God comes to judge the nations; and/or a day in which God establishes his throne and rules over the nations, saving his people. In the New Testament, this same theme is taken up to describe the return of Christ Jesus. For more on the day of the Lord, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 1668–1669.

Theological Soundings

SOVEREIGN DISASTERS. Israel as a nation had a special relationship with God, unlike any nation today. Because of this special relationship, there existed in her day a much closer connection between national hardships, such as natural disasters, and the sin of God’s people. Nevertheless, the Lord God Almighty rules over all things, all places, and all people. Nothing happens outside of or apart from his will, his plans, and his purposes. This means that, even today, disasters happen underneath God’s sovereign will: either he allows them or he directly causes them. Although God sometimes allows bad things to happen (for example, read the book of Job and see how God allows the Enemy to bring about harm), he sometimes brings disaster himself. Such disasters may be a punishment for sin or may function for some other purpose within God’s plans and purposes. Regardless of why they happen, such disasters point us to the coming judgment of God, when all people will be required to give an account not only for their deeds (Rev. 22:12) but even for their very words (Matt. 12:36–37).

PROMISED LAND. God promised Abraham that his descendants would inhabit the land of Canaan, and eventually they did. After the exodus from Egypt and the wandering in the wilderness because of their disobedience, the Israelites finally entered into the Promised Land, taking possession of it and establishing what would eventually be the...