Category: Exile Stream

Posted on

June 15



Joel 3

We are in the Exile Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord you are coming in clouds of glory. We have read about clouds of locusts and judgment. But we know your real love is us and restoration and being together again as blessings flow like streams down mountainsides just as blessings flow from your house. Lord we are with you and await this day.

Joel’s finale~ –   Two swarmings and followed by calls to repentance have led us to a Pentecost foretelling and then comes chapter 3.  As this phase of history reaches its culmination, God will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel.  The theme being “The Day of the LORD”.  The nations will be gathered in the Valley of Jehoshaphat / later called the Valley of Decision.  You remember the battle being recalled here from II Chronicles 20 when a huge multitude gathered against Jerusalem and commenced to march upon them when they turned on each other – until all were dead.  Judah’s army simply walked through thousands upon thousands of dead enemy soldiers and gathered valuables for three days.  Well, the multitudes are going to gather for judgment on the Day of the Lord as told in Joel 3.  Vast wealth will be returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Slaves will be returned.  It will be a great time of arighting things that have been wrong for a long time.  There is Apocalyptic overtones to Joel 3 that speak of signs that will symbolize End Times, the Lord’s Return, the day of reckoning …
The blessing and bounty and peace on the land of Israel is impressive as described here: wine and milk and fresh water flow in abundance.  The enemies of God’s land and people are laid waste – never to rise against Israel again for the LORD dwells in Zion; the high point of Jerusalem city.  Glorious things are coming for God’s people.
Posted on

June 1

 

Joel 1

We are starting a new book in the Exile Stream today. We are reading from the Modern English Version this week.

 

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God’s response to the nations sinfulness is the theme that Joel is driving at.  There are hints of restoration and promises that God will come and pour Himself out and bless in ways the world had yet to see.  But the theme that arises in this book is “the day of the Lord.” The Lord is going to come and bless those who are His. He is also going to come and judge those who are against the Lord and His workings.  Many may remember those dreaded hours of in trepidation when they had disobeyed and mother when she stated, “wait until your father gets home!”  The time between that statement and the arrival was uh, rather stressful for youngsters.  There is an element of that here when Joel articulates “the day of the Lord.” They should be scared and/or in total awe of this imminent event.  Perhaps we are jumping ahead,  as we will be in Joel today and for the next two Wednesdays.  Be that as it may. It is one of the earlier prophecies to Judah.  It was written a century after the nation split [at the earliest]. ca. 830 B.C. nothing specific of the date is known beyond that.

 
1 – Joel is the son of Pethuel and that’s all that is assured of his identity.
A plague of locusts have stripped the country and the vineyards are devastated, the wheat harvest is gone, food is scarce and there is nothing to eat as well as there being nothing to sacrifice to the Lord on the altar.  The Lord is not concerned with that part -the absent sacrifices-  for the people have been offering sacrifices to God and yet having hearts that were NOT THERE.  They may as well be dropping an offering in the plate and then shaking their fists and hollering, “hey God, you got my offering now leave me alone this week, ok!, you hear me, ‘sky-guy’ ?”     … pretty bad, huh? yes it is. So God is getting their attention  These locusts left nothing green and Joel is using the situation to teach a colossal lesson.        Joel, speaking for God, wants repentance. He wants Judah to change and have a transformed heart for Him.  He wants prayer, a mind for him, fasting, He wants Judah seeking His face.  God is dead serious with these Judeans.  He wants them hungry for Him, and he’s made them hungry to prove His point.  The granaries and storehouses are empty as are the fields, the animals are so hungry that they are dizzy, the grasses have been devoured by fire. Joel states some rather piercing symbolism when he writes that even the beasts of the field are longing for God.  Now to get the Judeans to long for God – it’s a great plan, but how?