Joel

BOOK OF JOEL

A brief prophetic book of the Old Testament that prophesies the outpouring of the spirit of God on all people-a prophecy fulfilled many centuries later on the Day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-21). The title of the book comes from its author, the prophet Joel, whose name means Jehovah is God.

Structure of the Book.

The three brief chapters of this book are divided into two major sections of about equal length.

Ø In the first section (1:1-2:11) the Joel introduces himself and speaks to his readers about their need to repent of their sins.

Ø In the second part of the book (2:12-3:21) the all-powerful God, warns His people about the approaching day of judgment and guarantees them His constant presence, in spite of their back-slidden state.

In the first section of the book, Joel calls attention to a devastating swarm of locusts that had recently swept through the land (1:4). These destructive locusts stripped the foliage from all trees, shrubs, and crops (1:7). The people and livestock of Judah were facing the threat of starvation because of the famine that followed this invasion (1:15-18); as bad as this natural catastrophe had been, Joel declares it is nothing compared to the coming day of the Lord. This day is the day of JUDGMENT, when God will severely chastise His sinful and backsliding people. Joel also informs the people that this terrible day can be avoided. The way of escape is to repent and turn to God "with all your heart, with fasting, and with mourning" (2:12).

After Joel delivers his pleas for repentance, God Himself speaks to His backsliding people. In spite of the famine, He declares that there will be plenty to eat in the days of blessing in the future (2:18-19). This day of restoration will be marked by the outpouring of His spirit (2:28-29). This is surely a reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost --- cf., Acts 2:16-33.

Special Considerations. Readers of Joel are always impressed with the prediction of the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:28-32). The apostle Peter used this passage to explain the exciting events of PENTECOST to his hearers (Acts 2:16-21). Just as Joel predicted, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Jews at Pentecost and the Gentiles at the home of Cornelius some time later (cf., Acts 10-11).

Consider this:

The second section no doubt refers to the joys and blessings that would flow to the people for their repentance and return to faithfully observing Jehovah's instructions.

This second section, in part, may be a reference to the establishment of the church that Jesus promised in Matthew 16:16.

Hilliard, Ohio

Commentary project under construction.

Please keep up with our efforts and give us your comments, questions, and critizisms.

glclair@aol.com

--- THE BOOK OF MALACHI ---

Malachi

I. Introduction

A. Malachi (messenger)

B. Disputation with the people of post-exilic Judah

C. Let us consider the book

II. Malachi: The Details

A. Authorship

1. Material from "Malachi" (Malachi 1:1)

2. Believed to be a name; could also be a title ("the messenger")

3. His message affirmed as inspired (Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2,

Luke 1:17, 7:27)

4. Nothing known regarding final compiler

B. Dating

1. The book itself provides no date

2. It seems that the Temple is in existence

(Malachi 1:10, 3:1, 3:8), thus, after 516 BCE

3. Reference to governor in Malachi 1:8 gives indication that it

is within Persian period (ca. 539-332 BCE)

4. Thus, sometime between 516 and 332 BCE, most likely

contemporary with Ezra and Nehemiah (ca. 460 BCE)

C. Audience

1. Post-exilic Judah

2. Much we can gain from it

D. Purpose

1. To reveal the oracle of God that came to Malachi

2. To warn the people regarding their inappropriate behavior

3. To promise the return of "Elijah"

III. Malachi: The Story

A. The LORD, Israel, the Priests, and the People (Malachi 1-2)

1. Introduction (Malachi 1:1)

2. God loves Israel, but Israel doubts; God compares Esau and

Jacob, how he loved Jacob but hated Esau; Edom may try to

rebuild but God will tear it down; God angry with them

forever; Israel will see it, will declare greatness of God

(Malachi 1:2-5)

3. Son honors father, servant his master, but God is not honored;

priests have not honored God because they have offered

polluted food on the altar-- defective and inferior animals,

not the best of the flock; God encourages them to take such

creatures to the governor and see if he will accept them; God

wants them to shut Temple doors and have no fire on altar, for

He has no pleasure in them and will not accept offerings from

them; God's name to be great among the nations and yet Israel

dishonors it by polluting altar; Israel considers it as

weariness, bringing inferior offerings, and God asks whether

He is to accept them; curse to the cheat who makes a vow but

substitutes an inferior animal; God as great King, Name to be

feared by the nations (Malachi 1:6-14)

4. Command now comes to priests: if they will not listen and will

not honor God's name, the curse will be sent upon them and

their blessings; they are already cursed since priests have

not laid it to heart; their offspring to be rebuked, dung on

their faces and offerings, and they all will be taken away

with them; priests will then know that God sent this command

to them to keep covenant with Levi-- a covenant of fear, and

Levi feared God; Levi as exemplary believer; priests should be

exemplary believers, but they have turned from the way; many

have stumbled because of their instruction; they corrupted the

covenant with Levi, and God will make them despised and abased

before the people, since they do not keep God's ways but show

partiality in instruction (Malachi 2:1-9)

5. Questions regarding singularity of Father, that one God has

created them; people as faithless with one another, profaning

covenant of fathers; Judah as profaning Temple by marrying

daughter of foreign god; petition for God to cut off from

Israel any who do this and bring offerings to God

(Malachi 2:10-12)

6. People as covering altar with tears because God does not

regard or accept offerings; God does not do so because He is

witness between the people and the wives of their youths to

whom they have been faithless; God made them one, seeking

godly offspring; people to guard themselves, not be faithless

to wife of youth; God hates divorce; one who divorces covers

garment with violence; they are not to be faithless

(Malachi 2:13-16)

7. People as wearing God with their words; they do this by

declaring that those doing evil are good in the sight of God

and by asking where the God of justice has gone (Malachi 2:17)

B. The Messenger, Contributions, Elijah (Malachi 3-4)

1. God to send His messenger who will prepare the way; God will

be in the Temple, messenger is coming; who can stand when He

comes?; God as refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; He will

refine and purify Levites and they will bring proper

offerings; God will then be pleased with offerings as He was

in olden times (Malachi 3:1-4)

2. God will then draw near for judgment, will be a witness

against sorcerers, adulterers, oppressors (Malachi 3:5)

3. The LORD does not change, Jacob not consumed; people as

constantly turning aside from God's statutes; return to God,

He will return to them; people as robbing God through their

tithes and contributions; people are to bring full tithes to

the storehouses and put God to the test-- see if He will pour

out blessings for their obedience; He will rebuke devourer so

that their crops will not fail; all nations will call them

blessed (Malachi 3:6-12)

4. Words of people hard against God; they have said that it is

vain to serve God, do not see profit in following Him; they

call the arrogant blessed, say that evildoers prosper and put

God to the test and escape (Malachi 3:13-15)

5. Those fearing God speak together; God hears them, book of

remembrance written before those who fear God and esteem His

name; they will be God's when He makes up His treasured

possession, and they will be spared; they will then see

distinction between righteous and wicked, the servant and the

disobedient (Malachi 3:16-18)

6. A day is coming when arrogant and evildoers will be consumed

as by fire; yet for those who fear God, sun of righteousness

will rise; they will go out as calves leaping; they will tread

down the wicked; people to remember Law of Moses and its

statutes (Malachi 4:1-4)

7. God will send Elijah the prophet before the day of the LORD;

he will turn hearts of fathers to children, vice versa, lest

God come and strike land with decree of destruction

(Malachi 4:5-6)

IV. Malachi: Important Passages

A. Malachi 1:2 / Romans 9:13

B. Malachi 2:16

C. Malachi 3:1 / Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27

D. Malachi 3:17 / 1 Peter 2:9

E. Malachi 4:5-6 / Matthew 17:10, Mark 9:11, Luke 1:17

V. Malachi: Conclusion

A. Thus we see the oracle of God to Malachi

B. A message of warning for a complacent, complaining people

1. Not giving God their best, not being faithful to wives

2. People who doubt God's watchful eye, faithfulness

3. It will not go well for them!

C. Malachi provides a message of hope and expectation

1. Day of the LORD will come

2. The messenger and the King

D. A fitting end to the Old Testament: hope in the promise that will

be fulfilled by John the Baptist and Jesus!

E. Let us trust in God and serve Him fervently!

F. Invitation/songbook

Outline by - Ethan R. Longhenry

November 18, 2009

Consider Magazine is an independent work by Garreth L. Clair

Garreth has over 50 years experience as a preacher, and is currently the preacher for the church that meets at 4840 Cemetery Road, in Hilliard OH.

http://www.cemeteryroadchurchofchrist.org/

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