May I have a WORD with you?

References:

• Review
  • Setting and background/context of Joel
  • Structure
    • Poem 1 - 1:1-20
    • Poem 2 - 2:1-17
    • God’s response - 2:18-27
    • THE Day of the Lord - 2:28-3:16
• 2nd Prophetic poem - Joel 2:1-17
  • Announcement of disaster - 2:1-11
    • The sounding of the shofar שׁוֹפָר (sho-far')
      • Meant to trigger an immediate physiological response: fear (awe) and readiness. 
        • Military Alert: It signaled that an invading army was visible from the watchtower.
        • Judgment: While many Israelites expected the Day of the Lord to be a time of triumph over their enemies, Joel uses the trumpet to warn that the judgment is actually directed at them. 
      • 1st use: Ex 19:16-20; 20:18 the heavenly shofar
      • Jerico - Josh 6 - the shofar as a weapon of God’s holiness
      • The festival of trumpets - Lev 23:23-25 (Rosh Hashanah)
      • NT - σάλπιγξ (salpigx) trumpet
        • At Christ’s return 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thes 4:16
        • By the seven angels of Rev 8:6-11:19
        • Specifically the 5th trumpet, 1st terror
    • The Eden imagery of 2:3 and shalom
      • Gen 2 - Eden created
      • Joel 2 - Eden de-created
        • Before - shalom
        • After - desolation
      • Rev 22 - Eden re-created
    • Descriptions of the judgement forces
      • We’ve moved beyond locusts to a cosmic sort of army (think Rev 9)
      • What to think of current events in light of these prophetic words?
    • God’s army - 2:11
      • The Lord is the One pronouncing judgement
      • The Day of the Lord is a terrible thing
      • Who can survive?
  • A call to repentance - 2:12-14
    • Repent while there is time
    • Rend not clothing (an outward show) but hearts (an inward sorrow for sin)
    • God’s character (2:13)
      • Ex 34:6
      • Psalm 103:8
    • God’s mystery (2:14) “who knows” 🤷
  • An act of repentance - calling out to the lord - 2:15-17
    • The shofar again, this time not for warning but for assembly
    • Gather ALL people - see description in MSG
    • Pray: spare your people O Lord

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)

References:

• 40 Days of Lent
  • A season of introspection, devotion and journeying to the cross and the empty tomb
  • Consider Biblical 40 day/night periods
    • Noah and the flood - Gen 7 (purifying)
    • Moses on Mt Sinai - Ex 24 (law-giving)
    • Elijah’s journey to Mt Sinai - 1 Kings 19 (preparing)
    • Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness - Mt 4; Lk 4 (fighting for us)
• Sackcloth, dust and Ashes
  • A sign of mourning - Esther 4:1
  • A sign of repentance - Job 42:6; Jonah 3:6
  • Nathan in The Chosen
• Spiritual disciplines: Prayer, Fasting and Alms-giving
  • Mat 6:1-6, 16-21
    • In secret - κρυπτός from κρύπτω (kryptō)
    • Reward - ἀποδίδωμι (ap-od-eed'-o-mee)
• Joel and the Day of the Lord
  • One’s heart vs one’s outward appearance
    • One of the most famous lines in the passage is: “Rend your hearts and not your garments.” This is crucial for Ash Wednesday because it prevents the ritual of receiving ashes from becoming a mere outward show. It sets a mandatory annual reminder that the 40-day journey ahead is an internal transformation that God works as we humbly align with Him.
  • A total communal response
  • The great refrain: "For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love..."

References: 

• The Day of the Lord - v 1
  • Burning בָּעַר (bāʿar) - see Ex 3:2
    • Joel 2:28-32
    • Acts 2:16-21
  • The זֵד (zade') arrogant and the רִשְׁעָה (rish-aw') wicked
  • Same words as in 3:15 - the reversal making evil good and good evil
    • From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. 
    • For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.
  • Not only consuming the arogant and wicked, but their legacy and influence as well
    • Roots שֶׁרֶשׁ (sheh'-resh)  and
    • Branches עָנָף (aw-nawf')
  • Judgement: historical and future/final
• Sun of Righteousness - v2
  •   Compare the judgement images in Joel with v 2
    • The sun is turned to darkness Joel 2:10, 31, 3:15
    • The sun brings healing - Mal 4:2
  • Translator’s use of upper case for Sun or Righteousness
    • Interpreting this as Messianic prophecy
      • Healing in (His/his/its) wings
      • See Matthew 9:20-21 (fringe, hem, tassels)
  • Vs 3 - the restoration of God’s justice and good/evil standard
• The Law and the Prophets - vss 4-6
  • The תּוֹרָה (Torah) of Moses: instruction, direction
  • Elijah to return BEFORE… devout Jews, particularly in Orthodox Judaism, are still waiting.
    • During the Passover Seder, a cup of wine is poured and a chair is left empty for Elijah
    • Elijah will arrive to resolve disputes, reconcile families (v 6), and announce the final redemption.
    • The arrival of Elijah is considered a direct precursor to the Messiah
  • V 6: He will turn the heart (singular) of fathers (plural) to their children (plural) and the heart (singular) of children to their fathers
    • A singular “heart” implies restoring a singular, unified, and loving relationship rather than fragmented, individual feelings.
    • “Fathers” often refers to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and their covenant, meaning the hearts of the children (current generation) are to be turned toward that singular, ancestral, and righteous covenantal foundation.
  • Matthew 17:3
    • Each of the stories of Jesus’ transfiguration
    • Luke 24:27 - post resurrection, Jesus took them through all the scriptures beginning with Moses and all the Prophets.
• “Otherwise” - the OT concludes and a period of four hundred odd years of Prophetic silence ensues.
  • Mat 11:13-15
    • Prophets and Law
    • John IS Elijah
  • The Sound of 400 years of silence?
    • Cultural unification under the Greeks (Hellenization)
    • Political infrastructure under the Romans
    • Spiritual preparation in Jewish diaspora with the establishment of the system of synagogues. 
  • Galatians 4:4-7… Period. Prophecy of Malachi 4:6 fulfilled

References: 

• The sixth argument - 3:13-15
  • God says “You’ve been hard on me” v 13
  • The peoples’ typical response, “what are you talking about? How?”
  • Vss 14-15 - “Why do the evil prosper and the righteous suffer?”
    • A prominent question being wrestled out in Job
    • The theory of “temporal retribution.”
    • See John 9 - “Who sinned that this man was born blind?”
• The Scroll of Rememberance - 3:16-18
  • The remnant
    • Remember Elijah’s morose assessment and
    • God’s correction - 1 Kings 19:9-18
  • Names of the faithful recorded
    • See Dan 12:1; Lk 10:20; Heb 12:23; Rev 21:27
    • Personal see Isa 49:16 - Don’t you love the image?
  • Vss 17-18 - the answer to the peoples’ question in vss 14-15 
• What sense do we make of this?

References: 

• The fifth argument - 3:6-12
  • Immutability of God - vs 6
    • See Hebrews 6:16-20
    • Also Hebrews 13:8
  • Therefore… 
    • People referred to as children of, or descendents of Jacob
    • Another point back to Genesis; Jacob as deceiver, cheater, robber.
  • An unanswered question of the people? Vs 7
    • Consider God’s question to Adam “Where are you?” Gen 3:9
    • To Cain “Where is Abel?” Gen 4:9
  • Is it unanswered? God goes on to argue that the people have cheated (NLT) robbed (ESV, MSG) 
    • “Should people קָבַע (kaw-bah') cheat, rob
      • A word used only here in vss 8 & 9, and in Prov.
      • See Prov 22:22-23 (used 2x in v 23) - context
    •  Vs 10 - Bring the full tithe… An answer to the peoples’ question in vs 7? 
      • Abraham - Gen 14:18-20
      • Jacob - Gen 28:20-22
      • Torah - Lev 27:30
      • Nehemiah - Neh 13:10-12
    • Putting God to the test
      • Deut 6:16 - do NOT
      • Mat 4:7 - do NOT
      • Mal 3:10 - “Put me to the test!”
• Can we make sense of all this?

References: 

• Review Malachi 1:1-2:9
  • Love vs hate
    • Love = God’s covenant faithfulness
    • Hate = God’s disdain for prideful self reliance
  • Honor vs contempt
    • Correcting from Part 1 - Mal 1:14
      • The “cheat” נָכַל (naw-kal') - to be deceitful, be crafty, be knavish
      • Curse - Septuagint ἐπικατάρατος
        • Jesus becomes the curse (Gal 3:10-13)
        • NOT the “cheat”
• The third argument - Mal 2:10-16
  • Vss 10-12
    • Vs 10: Imageo Dei - we are all created in the image of God
      • Created - בָּרָא (baw-raw') see Gen 1:1, 27
      • Betray - בָּגַד (baw-gad') - to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously
        • This word runs through the whole section
          • “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?”
          • Consider Cain and Able - Gen 4
    • The Prophet wants the reader to re-immerse in the primal stories of Genesis
  • Vss 13-16
    • Men of Israel have married women of other people groups who worship idols.
    • Oneness of marriage - v 15
      • See Gen 2:24
      • See Gen 1:29
      • See Eph 5:31-33
    • Marriage and divorce
      • Jesus’ words - Deut 24:1-4; Mt 19:3-12
      • 1 Corinthians 7
    • Divorce (putting away) (see Gen 3:23) is to cover with violence ( חָמָס - ḥāmās) 
• The fourth argument - Mal 2:17 - 3:5
  • Calling evil good and good evil
    • Imagine calling divorce a good thing and saying it is perfectly acceptable for any reason.
    • Think of other things our world says that are contrary to God’s word. This is the temptation from Gen 3
  • God’s messenger and the Day of the Lord
    • 3:1 describes the coming of both John the Baptist and Jesus.
      • Refining - Handle’s Messiah (But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming)
      • Worship song “Mighty Breath of God” - “Burning everything”

References: 

• Historical setting
  • Where this book fits in the Old Testament
  • What was going on with the people of Israel
    • The Past
      • Babylonian captivity - Prophetic hopes
      • Return to Jerusalem - see Ezra & Nehemiah
    • 100 years after the return
      • Rather than the New Jerusalem
      • We see poverty, injustice and corruption
• The “burden” of Malachi (a name which means messenger)
  • The first argument between God and God’s people - Chapter 1 vss 2-5
    • LOVE vs hate

• • • • אָהַב (aw-hav') - Septuagint ἀγαπάω (ag-ap-ah'-o)
      • שָׂנֵא (saw-nay') -  Septuagint μισέω (mis-eh'-o) 

• • • Jacob vs Esau
      • Love = God’s covenant faithfulness
      • Hate = God’s disdain for prideful self reliance
        • See Genesis 25 & 27
        • See Obadiah (MIHAWWY Ep 38)  
        • Consider the words in 1:3
          • Desert - wilderness
          • Jackels - (KJV- dragons)
  • The second argument - 1:6 through 2:9
    • Honor vs contempt

• • • • כָּבַד (kaw-vad') - to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured
      • בָּזָה (baw-zaw') - to despise, hold in contempt, disdain, to consider worthless

• • • Actions in worship that reveal an attitude of carelessness 
      • The “cheat” נָכַל (naw-kal') - to be deceitful, be crafty, be knavish - Septuagint ἐπικατάρατος
      • Galatians 3:10-13 - Jesus became the “cheat” (the accursed) in our place.
• Application to our lives of these arguments
  • Love vs hate and the cost of discipleship 
    • Luke 14:25-27
    • How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways.
  •   Honor vs contempt
    • Apply Jesus’ words in Luke 14 to your worship
      • In what ways do you offer God your "leftovers" (time, energy, finances) instead of your best?
      • If you offered your current level of devotion to God to your spouse or your boss, how would they respond?
  • Grace vs works

References:

• This podcast has been about words, specifically God’s words.
  • As another season and year gets going I’d like to direct us to the connections between
    • Old and New
    • The past, present and future
    • The Timeless
  • Malachi to John the Baptist
    • The burden (מַשָּׂא - mas-saw’) of the message
    • The timeless vision Mal 1:11 (Holy ambiguity)
      • Is or
      • Shall be
    • Can we be grateful for 400 years of silence?
    • What good are words in the silence?
      • My favorite American author - William Faulkner
      • “As I Lay Dying”
        • “Words never fit even what they are trying to say at
        • Invented by those who need them to fill up their lack”

My words set to music by AI. Yikes! (Title: Gratitude Waves)

[Verse 1]

Tender footed first class,

Never seeing star light

Or the life of eagles

But the life of the master

Float across the stage of

Make believe romances

Baroness who dances in

The set builder’s eyes

[Pre-chorus]

Words never fit even what they are trying to say at

Invented by those who need them to fill up their lack

[Verse 2]

Simple strength of quiet fortitude

Crowning servitude

Ethic born of a Navy blue collar

Never asked permission

Of the man whose mission

Is to hold tradition up more loosely than love

[Pre-chorus]

[Chorus]

Gratitude waves crashing on the shoreline of sorrow

Levying back all the tears

All the todays make me hungry for more tomorrow

Adding to hope not to fears

[Verse 3]

Build a house or maybe

Build a home for baby

And a baby’s siblings

Home is wherever the heart is

Generations progress

Joyful heart reflection

The giver’s given shines in the giving back

[Bridge]

Wings of the Dawn glowing red warning 

Mercy’s kairotic passage to come

[Verse 4]

Half a cent to sixty

Rushing’s not your forte

Height and depth and length and breadth

The breath of a lifetime

Waiting for your room to be prepared

No need to be scared

Simply fall into His arms.

• Next Series - Malachi, in four or five parts

Recorded remotely while traveling

References: 

• My “One Word” for 2026 - Health
  • 3 John 1:2 - “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2 ESV
  • What constitutes “good health?”
  • Health - healthy:  ὑγιαίνω (hoog-ee-ah'-ee-no)
    • to be sound, to be well, to be in good health
    • Metaphorically:
      • of Christians whose opinions are free from any mixture of error
      • of one who keeps the graces and is strong
  • Healthy vs sick people - Luke 5:29-32
• Health through Healing  
  • Jeremiah 30:12-17 - אֲרוּכָה (ar-oo-kaw')  
    • Isaiah 58 especially vs 8
    • Jer 33 especially vs 6
  • 2 Chronicles 24:13 - Healing the House of the Lord (the Temple)
    • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - your body is the Temple…
    • “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”  Prov 17:22 NLT