JOEL

INTRODUCTION Nothing known about him – for sure – 12 Joels in Bible Name means Jehovah is God Nothing known about his father – Pethuel, named in 1:1 Prophet to Judah, most likely very early Book has been called “the locust plague and what it teaches” Apparently an unheard of, severe plague caused Joel to write A particular instance and not just his life of work

CHAPTER 1:2-12 – PLAGUE AND DRAUGHT Something very unusual has happened or “will” happen Most felt that this was an actual event Read some of account of locust in 1915 Had not been seen or will be seen for generations Everything will be eaten and all grapes lost – grapes and figs mentioned There is drought or no produce

CHAPTER 1:13-20 PREPARE FOR DAY OF LORD Get ready Day is near Describe famine, drought Joel is using an actual even,t, known to man Then figuratively showing how Day of Lord will be v. 19 – will cry or turn to God!

CHAPTER 2:1-11 DESCRIPTION OF DAY OF LORD Dark – dark – dark v. 2 and 6 Lot of figurative language – i.e. fire/like army Describes a catastrophic event – locusts/fall of Israel or Judah/Judea V. 11 – day is terrible and who can abide or endure it?

CHAPTER 2:12-30, REPENT! God is still there for them Pattern for repentance Give entire heart Fasting – concentration Weeping and mourning – true sorrow for wrong Feel it in heart, not just outward show Turn to God Good for all times

CHAPTER 2:12-30 (CONT) Stop whatever is being done – repent now! Urgent! Blessings – think of locusts and compare to judgement Feed them Protect them Do great things Restore what locust has eaten Be their God once again v , Day of Lord will be bad unless you repent – quoted on day of Pentecost, Peter’s first sermon, Acts 2:17-24

CHAPTER 3 – PUNISHMENT AND BLESSINGS V. 1-8, how enemies of God’s people will be treated Identifies those to be punished Those who have done wrong to God’s people Why or is it important to know this? Punishment – v. 7 and 8 – what you did will be done to you

CHAPTER 3 (CONT) V. 9-17, actual day of judgment Will be like a terrible war or battle, v. 9 Will sit in judgment, v. 12 Like harvest, v. 13 V. 14, valley of decision – God’s decision or judgment v. 16 – hope of God’s people, no fear v shows this is final judgment God’s people will endure/prosper/be saved God’s enemies will be desolute

Prophet of Social Justice AMOS

INTRODUCTION

AMOS – SHEPHERD IN TEKOA, 12 MILES SOUTH OF JERUSALEM AND 6 MILES SOUTH OF BETHLEHEM From southern kingdom but prophesied in Israel Dated himself during reigns of Uzziah (Judah) and Jereboam II (Isa.) 30 years before captivity of north Chapter 7:10-17

TYPICAL APPROACH USED IN AMOS Speaks out against neighboring countries Addresses Israel’s sins Declares there is hope

SINS OF NEIGHBORING NATIONS Chapters 1 and 2

WHY PUNISH OTHERS? They have treated God’s people unjustly They did not have law?! Rom. 1:18- 20

SOME NATIONS MENTIONED Damascus – threshing Gilead Gaza – Delivered captives to Edom Tyrus – delivered captives to Edom Edom – pursuing his brother without pity Ammon – cruelty to Gilead (ripped open pregnant women) Judah – rejected God’s law

ISRAEL In same context, Israel condemned for sin Materialistic Oppress poor Incest Fraud – clothes by pledge, have to be returned by night What God has done Destroyed their enemies Delivered them from Egypt There were prophets and from Israel They responded by rejecting them

ISRAEL (CONT) God is hurt, but has to punish them “Weighted” down by all this God’s just nature requires him to punish injustice

CHAPTERS 3-5 Israel: Addressed

CHAPTER 3:2-8, ISRAEL CHOSEN Got more will surely be punished more, Luke 12:41-48 God knows all – certainty of justice – only right!! Chapter 3:11-15 – certainty of justice – only right!!

CHAPTER 3:11-15 Foretells captivity

CHAPTER 4 – CONDITIONS OF ISRAEL V. 1-3, heathen wives will leave to captivity V. 4-5, go through rituals V. 6-11, God had tried to motivate Israel to come back V Powerful

CHAPTER 5:4-15, TOLD TO SEEK GOD V. 4-5, anywhere else is trouble V. 6-7, Do it before it is too later V. 8-9, God made all and will initiate destruction V , Seek God by seeking Good V , no hope in evil They wanted God to come but if not ready…

CHAPTER 6 Earthly pleasures/prosperity will become curse

V. 1 Woe/beware if you are “at ease” – satisfied, complaicent

SEVERAL THINGS MENTIONED AND PUT INTO THEIR PLACE Furniture Food idle entertainment Alcohol Oils Parties Houses

V. 11 Destruction

CHAPTER 7:1-9:6 5 visions

CHAPTER 7:1-3 – LOCUST Amos prayed God changed his mind

CHAPTER 7:4-6 Fire – again Amos prayed and God changed mind

CHAPTER 7:7-9 Plumbing

CHAPTER 7:10-17 Authorities tried to stop Amos

CHAPTER 8: ISRAEL “RIPE” OR READY FOR DESTRUCTION V. 4-10, Israel’s sins Trample needy Dishonest scales This all will end

CHAPTER 8:11-14 Famine of God’s Word

CHAPTER 9:1-4 No escape Lesson for today? A day of reckoning will happen!

STILL HOPE – IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING! God has been good to his people – out of Egypt Identity of people or nation will be lost – remnant left Jeremiah 30:11 Jeremiah 31:36 Joel 2:32

PEOPLE SOFTEN

SINNERS WILL “DIE” By sword Will try to deny inevitable

PERMANENT MESSAGES IN BOOK God’s diving nature 4:13, 5:8, 9:5-6 Sincere worship 5:21, 5:23 Social justice 5:24, 2:6-8, James 1:27

PERMANENT MESSAGES (CONT) Responsibility comes with privilege Meaning of adversity God will never stop warning Need for all to have personal conviction 7:14-15, even a prophet Cannot be done by proxy

OBADIAH

INTRODUCTION Book emphasizes that God is God of all nations God will hold all responsible for sin Foreign nations were condemned for mistreatment of God’s people V. 15 Obadiah means servant of Yahweh

INTRODUCTION (CONT) No agreement as to date Destruction of Jerusalem in v. 11 is no help Various scholars have date from 845 to 450! Jack Lewis has it as 586 – fall of Jerusalem

INTRODUCTION (CONT) Unique focus of book An oracle against Edom – Esau’s descendants Became Israel’s enemy – mistreated God’s people Obadiah denounced them and predicted their destruction God still recognized and honored their ties of brotherhood

INTRODUCTION (CONT) Theme – destruction of Edom because of mistreatment of Judah Edom’s acts of mistreatment listed Basically faired to act as a brother Unlikely preached to Edom but given to Judah for comfort Edomites (Idumeans) disappeared in 2 nd century AD

HOW EDOM WAS TO BE DESTROYED, V. 1-9 V. 1 Background V. 2 Initial prophecy V. 3 Cause of their downfall – arrogance V. 4 No way to escape V. 5 & 6 All wealth would be taken V. 7 Friends with turn on you V. 8 and 9 Wise and strong will be brought down

V , WHY EDOM HAS TO BE DESTROYED V. 10 Treated “brothers” violently V. 11 Did not help brothers in time of need V. 12 Delighted in brothers problems V. 13 Actually looted brothers wealth V. 14 Would kill “refugees” instead of helping

V , WHEN EDOM WAS TO BE DESTROYED V. 15 “Day of Lord” V. 16 Forced to drink cup of suffering V Salvation of Judah V. 17 Restore land and worship V. 18 Judah will defeat enemies v. 19 Judah will possess Edom’s land V. 20 Exiles will come back V. 21 God will be in control