Of Joel - Book Report/Review Example

01 December 2008 An Analytical Paper of the Book of Joel The Book of Joel is a part of the Tanakh1 andthe Old Testament of Christian Bible. In the latter, this book is a component of The Twelve which refers to the twelve prophetic books or Minor Prophets. The book is comprised of three chapters and could be divided into two sections namely "an account of a plague of locusts and a drought that ravaged Judah as symbolic of a divine judgment"2 and the "promise of the gift of the spirit of the Lord for the entire population which declares the final judgment on all nations."3 The prophecy is given to the southern nation of Judah in order to warn the people of the coming Day of the Lord which is the judgment for Israel and other nations in the world and thus, urges the people to repent of their sins. In the end, it proclaims the complete restoration that the Lord will give to the people. In the first verse of the book, the author is identified as the Prophet Joel whose name literally translates to "Yahweh is God."4 The name Joel is a common name among Hebrews and what is known about the author is based on his personal account written in the book. Joel is the prophet of Pethuel who is also an unknown Bible character. It is widely accepted that Joel is a resident of Judah because his commission was to the people in the place.5 The examination of the book is restrained by the absence of a definite date when it is written. As opposed to other prophets who indicated the ruling the nation when the prophecy is given, the Book of Joel did not convey a definite date6. Some scholars support that the prophecy is given during the pre-exilic period (9th century or 835 BC) because of its early placement in the Hebrew canon, the reference to the enemies of Judah including Tyre, Sidon, Philistia, Egypt, and Edom, and the type of government where the elders rule and that is supportive of the time when Joash was king at age seven7. Postexilic proponents however, maintain that the Book of Joel was written in the 6th to 4th century because of the references to temple in Joel 1:9; 13 and 2:17 which is seen to represent the second temple before the destruction of Jerusalem.8 This is in addition to the fact that Joel quotes from other prophets like Ezekiel and the reference to the Greek slave trade.9 However, all the postexilic arguments could also be attributed to the late preexilic period in 7th to 6th century. Furthermore, Joel 3:2 speaks of the division and scattering of Judah which can reference the deportation in 597 BC that is described in 2 Kings 4:10-16 together with the anticipation of the final destruction of Judah (Day of the Lord). Thus, most scholars support that late pre-exilic period. Chisholm argues that Joel 2:18-19 "seems to record God's mercy to Joel's generation, implying they truly repented .... If so, such a sequence of events is difficult to harmonize with the historical record of Judah's final days."10 With its vivid description and imagery, the Book of Joel utilizes the elements of poetry in order to convey his message and God's message to the people. The author has utilized technique of apostrophe by directly addressing literally absent entities as though they can communicate. The entire book is in the form of poetry which showcases the adeptness of the writer to describe images. The prophecy in the Book of Joel demonstrates three distinct themes namely, punishment, repentance, and redemption. The text establishes that God punishes the people of Judah because of their sins. Joel 1:4 until 2:11 describes the impending calamity that will befall the nation because of their sins. The prophet described the coming thorough devastation by giving four different names to the locusts which will ultimately destroy Judah. The locusts are directly compared with soldiers in the sense that they will be as methodological as armies and will seek to convey ultimate destruction. This day is called the "Day of the Lord"11 where an army from God will rise up and destroy Judah if the people failed to repent. The second theme of the book is repentance and is urged by the prophet Joel in 2:12-17. He has called for his countrymen to repent and show their contrite spirit to God through mourning and fasting. The repentance which is sought by Joel from the countrymen is through godly sorrow where they forsake their sins and should endeavor to be right in the eyes of God. The call for repentance should be corporate meaning all of Judah should come to God in one accord but repentance should begin through the internal action from each individual's heart.12 The necessity of repentance from everyone is shown when the prophet mentions that even the infants, brides, and bridegrooms should repent13. It should be noted that these members of the society are typically not sad or mournful but God requires even these people to mourn in order to show corporate repentance. The motivation for repentance is positive as emphasized by the prophet in 2:18-27. The Lord's response to the repentance of Judah will be redemption and restoration. Within the middle and concluding verses of chapter 2, Joel emphasizes that the Lord will have look upon Judah and will have pity in His people. He will restore the crops which have been eaten by locusts and will cause the shame on the people to cease with His great mercy and grace. This is even furthered by God's promise of more and future deliverance. The third chapter is a prophecy which is still considered unfulfilled. This talks of the judgments for nations that mistreated Israel. This prophecy is seen to be in the utopia when the Lord will reign for a millennium on earth. The book of Joel did not quote from any of the books in the Old Testament. However, we see that in the New Testaments the verses from this book are emphasized in Acts 2:17-21 and Romans 10:13 which talks of the dispensation of grace even to the Gentiles. This is also inclusive of God's promise of pouring out his Holy Spirit in the latter days. The study of Joel strengthens the fact that God's prophecies will be fulfilled one hundred percent. During the time when the Book of Joel is written, there has been no idea that God will pour out His salvation without regard to any man's nationality. He would pour out His blessings on every one which believes in God and will call upon His name. This prophecy also shows that even though the definite date of the text cannot be ascertained, the fulfillment is ensured as it goes in parallel with the whole Bible. The millennial reign which is described in the Book of Joel is echoed latter in John's Book of Revelation. References Chisholm, Robetr Jr., "Joel," The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament, 1410. Chisholm, R. Jr., Interpreting the Minor Prophets, 53-54. Coats, George. "Joel." N.d. Mb-soft.com. 01 December 2008 http://mb-soft.com/believe/txs/joel.htm Keathley, Hampton. "Joel." N.d. Bible. Org. 01 December 2008 Read More