EMMAUS SCHOOL OF BIBLICAL STUDIES

“Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a girl” (Proverbs 30.19).

Songs of Songs vividly shows God’s enjoyment of lovers doing what they do best: loving each other. Whether it’s verbally or physically, its pages are filled with beautiful scenes of a man and woman consumed with their love and desire for one another. One of the main things that struck me was how concerned the man was with his lover’s self-image. Each time she would downplay her beauty (1.5,6; 2.1) or speak more highly of another (3.6-11?), he would reply without hesitation with words of affirmation. He tells her of her physical beauty: “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you” (4.7), of her effect upon his life: “You have ravished my heart, my bride” (4.9) and of his commitment to her: “There are 60 queens and 80 concubines, and maidens without number. My dove, my perfect one, is the only one” (6.8,9). Each time he spoke tenderly of his love, she replied with words of appreciation and acts of physical love. Essentially, through continually reaffirming her of her beauty and his love and commitment, he was able to quiet her insecurities and win her love, which she gave to him freely.

Application comes easy on this one. Men, we must continually (daily) affirm our “beloved” of her beauty, worth and of our love. More than ever, they are bombarded with images of what beauty is and how they don’t quite measure up. It is our God-given responsibility to quiet her insecurities through a continual outpouring of words of affirmation and affection. Women, feed off of your “beloved’s” words and reward him for the love he shows you. Allow him to enjoy your beauty.

It is so clear from this book that God has created man and woman (in an exclusive relationship, ie. marriage) to feed off of their desires and longings (emotional and sexual) for each other and seek fulfillment in one another (emotionally and sexually). Embrace and cherish this gift.

In studying SOS, some timeless truths that I was able to take away were as follows:

~Let love be rooted and guided by the Lord, who
is LOVE and loves us first so that we may love one another(throughout book)

~Authentic love is a well of living water that is
everlasting, refreshing, and fulfilling(4:15)

~Love between a husband and wife should stem from
a solid friendship and be rooted in the love of Christ(5:16)

~Loving one another through good words and
honesty is endearing and important(throughout book)

~Do not stir up or awaken love until it is
ready!(2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

Song of Songs or Song
of Solomon displays a relationship and between a man and a woman that is
God-fearing, God-pleasing, endearing, and life-giving.  The authentic love they share is merely a
glimpse of the Father’s love.  This
poetic book is an encouragement to not only married couples but also to
individuals who have been given the gift of singleness during this time.  SOS spurs on authentic love, honesty, and
encouragement in any type of relationship.
It is wise to be patient in waiting for God’s timing in meeting your
significant other so that the relationship that will happen will be completely
centered on the Lord and will glorify Him Alone.  Let us not awaken love until it is ready as
we are reminded throughout SOS.   It is
important to be mindful of how the love that is displayed throughout SOS is
clearly rooted in God’s love.  God is our
motivation to love because he loved us first.
This brings to mind 1 John 3:16, which says We know love by this, that
he laid down his life for us-and we ought to lay down our lives for one another
and 1 John 4:7, which says Beloved, let us love one another, because love is
from God.

I had a love/hate/love relationship with the book of Zechariah, which is what happens when you do multiple readings of the same book in a week. First read, I loved it because it reminded me a lot of Revelation, as well as other prophets like Ezekiel that I really enjoyed studying. I spaced out and forgot that our teachers had already told us that Zechariah had the same message as Haggai, so my mind started swirling with interpretations of final judgment and final restoration and what these visions could mean. Then when we started class and I realized that most of these visions were regarding rebuilding the temple around 520 BC, I decided I didn’t like this book anymore because it was too boring, and it made me kind of sad that such weird visions were wasted on something as seemingly mundane as rebuilding the temple, which never had the glory of God return to it and was overshadowed by the return of Jesus, the true dwelling place of God. But as I continued to study the book and understand how each vision was to be interpreted, I have concluded that I do love the book of Zechariah. His visions would have been so comforting to God’s people at a very confusing time in their lives (and when is life not confusing?) The message over and over is that God is with them. He is not going to punish them into exile the way he did before. He is with them as they rebuild, and even in this “day of small things”, the rebuilding of a temple that is nowhere near as glorious as Solomon’s, they are doing his work. This encourages me that the things I do to follow the Lord will have opposition, and they may not even look great and glorious or even significant, but he is with me. The message to Zerubbabel, “not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit”, is the same message that came to Paul, “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. This is the message that I live by as a weak, fearful human being who is protected by a powerful and loving God.

But the message of the book is also something more. God tells them that he will “not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days” (8:11). Instead, he will respond to them by his own grace and mercy, fulfilling and annulling the covenant with them at the same time as he makes a whole new covenant, a better covenant. He will send his servant the Branch to cleanse them of their sins on one day. He will be humble, not like the kings of this world, riding on a donkey. He will be a priest and a king. His name will be Joshua– Yeshua– Jesus. Something better is coming for the people of Jerusalem, God’s people. It’s not found in the tabernacle, but it is God tabernacle-ing with us. The new temple needed to be rebuilt, in part as a sign that something was missing, and something was still to come. He has come, and now the message we take from Zechariah can be that he will be faithful to come again, and the scene of final restoration that we see in the end of the book will one day be where we live and dwell with God, forever!

The story of Esther is just as applicable to readers today, although in a different way than it would have been for the original or early readers. Much like the story of Ruth, it is a case study of many biblical principles—God’s goodness, sovereignty, his redemptive plan—at work in a messy real-life situation. We can find comfort in the fact that in all the mess and sin in our lives, whether they are caused by our own bad decisions or someone else’s, God will be faithful to use everything for his good, which is ultimately our good. Even when circumstances look terrible and bleak, we have no idea what God is up to, but we can trust that he is doing something for someone someday through the situation, and that we can use the opportunity to get closer to him and become more like him. And if we make our ultimate goal of life following God and loving his people, rather than loving and protecting ourselves at all costs, we will be more likely to see how our sufferings can be redeemed for God’s purposes. Esther’s story foreshadows many New Testament principles about perseverance and suffering. Here are two specific New Testament passages that I think relate to our understanding of Esther: “We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-4) and “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family” (Romans 8:28-29).

In the book of Esther, we see that God Sovereignly delivers and rescues his people. Although the book does does not name God directly/explicitly, the the author nonetheless expects his intended readers to see God at work at every turn in the story. The book of Esther strongly supports and illustrates the doctrine of divine providence, as it is operated at a particular time of danger to the Jewish people who lived in a bleak moment under the Persian empire. Like the test of scripture, God is preserving them for the future gift of the Jesus; their Messiah. At first the events can seem coincidental, but as the story progresses it becomes clearly that only by with ordinance and provision of God could things work out as they do.

The Story starts with the deposal of Queen Vashti and the replacement of Esther as queen(2.17-18). Esther is a Jew but by the advice from Mordecai, keeps her origin quiet. Their actions in this matter are not without their ethical flaws, but God uses the circumstance; Esther’s beauty, her keeping her origins quiet, and her questionable ethics as a means to save Gods people from extermination preserving them for the coming Messiah.

The story continues to where Mordecai uses Esther’s position as his way of warning the king about an assassination (2.19-23) Not only is Mordecai’s being in the right place at the right time save the king, but later in the story saves Mordecai himself from murder by the prideful, Jew hating Haman. The very night Haman is going to murder Mordecai, the king can not sleep and has the book of the kings read to him, in which the story of Mordecai saving the king is read. (6.1.10-11) He is therefore elevated above Haman and saved from  him.

Furthermore, Esther’s position of favor to the  to the king is also another example of Gods Providence and Sovereignty. Mordecai’s question, ‘And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?’(4:14), posed at the moment of crisis, leads the original reader (and us) to expect Esther outcome to be successful, because we have already seen the providence of God at work in her selection as queen, at work in Mordecai’s protection and it is confirmed when the king extended his scepter to Esther and receives her request. King Xerxes was a selfish, harsh man with a bad temper. Even as queen, her request could have likely got her killed (4.11).  But God finishes what he starts and is sovereign even over wicked, pagan kings. He grants her favor with the King and the Edict is reversed, thus saving not only Esther and the Jews, but the true and better King; King Jesus.

The book of Esther is an amazing picture of the God in which we serve. He is a big God who has sovereignty over all people, in all places all times. In his nature and character he is able to Save. The Rescue mission that he started in Genesis 3.15, he continue to faithfully fulfill through all history and accomplishes on the cross of Christ.

I think the thing that sticks out to me the most in Esther’s character, is that obedience is something learned, it’s practiced throughout the story until the climax. Esther didn’t just wake up one day and decide that she was going to be brave. She didn’t hit her head and choose to believe that there were people around her who knew best and were trustworthy. And she didn’t just think it might be interesting to obey what others told her to do, or to obey God’s calling on her life. She learned to trust, to believe, and to obey in that trust.
From the very beginning we see Esther obeying. She could have done whatever she wanted once she got into the harem, but it says that she pleased Hegai. Why? I think because she obeyed and respected him. And the result? He treated her well and respected her back. Esther also could have disobeyed Mordecai and told them that she was a Jew. If she had done this she might not have been required to stay, to be given beauty treatments, or to go in and sleep with a man she didn’t know and didn’t love. She might have been allowed to go home. But she didn’t do this. She set aside any and every preference she might have had and chose to obey the man who had adopted her. She kept her mouth shut and didn’t tell anyone that she was a Jew. Why? I think there are a couple reasons. One big one would be that Mordecai had proven himself to be wise and trustworthy throughout the years. He had earned, bit by bit, both her respect and her obedience. I don’t think he saw her as less in any way. I think he saw her as dependent. Another huge reason is that Esther chose to obey him as he earned her respect and trust. There’s no other way to explain this other than to say that it was a heart issue. She chose to believe that Mordecai knew and was doing what was best for her in this situation.
I think because her foundation was so firm, because she had come to understand who to trust and which authorities to obey, I think that this is why Hegai liked her. Esther was no weakling. She was no coward. And she was no dummy. Her story proves this in many ways. I think she was a fireball with lots of character. But she was gentle and she was humble. So she obeyed the one who was in charge of her. Perhaps she had also realized how much better it would be for her and probably those around her if she was agreeable and pleasant, pleasing the people who were trying to make her successful, to make her comfortable.
The climax comes, of course, when Esther doesn’t only agree to speak up and try to help her people, but actually does go to help her people (4:9 – 5:8). She doesn’t want to. She’s afraid to. But she does it anyway. She obeys her uncle (cousin?), but underneath that she obeys God. She fasts and prays, asking God to be with her, to guide her, and giving her life up to Him. Her obedience stems both from a trust in Mordecai knowing best, and the ability to follow God’s lead. She’s the queen. She doesn’t have to go anywhere. She could forget about her people and Mordecai, trusting in her position and wealth to save her from death. But she doesn’t forget them because she doesn’t forget who she is: a follower of God. And as such, she knows she’s been called to obedience. I love this part of the story because I see her struggle. I see her knowledge of what’s right, and her fear of doing it because of what might happen to her. And yet she chooses what is right. She chooses to obey. And because of this her people are saved from death.
Obedience is not something that is demanded of Esther in this story. It’s advised, it’s asked, but never demanded. God’s sovereignty is there, and I believe He is the one and the only one who gave her the strength and the desire to obey in the end, but Esther’s choice to obey is also there. Her ability to say “no” is apparent. I guess you might say that she did, at least to some extent, have the ability to “deny her destiny”…but she didn’t. She could not deny her people. She could not deny her family. She could not deny who she was, her very identity. She could not deny her God, but chose to obey Him instead.
So I guess one of my points in all of this talking is that obedience is learned and it’s also a choice. It’s a decision made each and every day in each and every life. I think the original reader would have seen this in Esther, seen how obedience had begun from a young age and how it fit in with the plan God had for her life. And I think today we can also see this and learn from it just as much as back then. Whether woman or man, we can look at our lives, the people around us and over us, and the situations we’re in, and we can choose how to respond and how to live. God is sovereign, He doesn’t need us to obey so that His plan for humanity doesn’t fall apart. But He does desire our obedience. Why? Because His plan for us is so much greater than anything we could have possibly imagined. When Esther was ten I don’t think she thought she would one day be queen of Persia. I don’t think when she became queen that she ever thought she would be the key to saving Israel from a massacre. But God knew, and she obeyed Him.
Now maybe none of us will ever be king, queen, president, or anything humanly important. But you never know why God might want you to speak with someone you don’t know. Maybe they’re going to be the next world leader and your words might just bring them into relationship with Jesus? Maybe they’re not, but will get saved and reach out to a hundred other strangers that they meet. Maybe God’s calling you to be a youth pastor in a mega-church that has five hundred young people, or maybe God’s calling you to disciple and befriend that one quiet kid who sits in the back. Either way it’s what God’s calling you to do. You don’t know why, you don’t know how it could effect them, but you can start moving towards understanding by obeying God’s calling on your life. It’s a struggle, sometimes it’s even a war, but God likes to war with us. It’s a part of sanctification, and it builds up our relationship with Him.

The first word used to describe Daniel is “resolved” (1.8). From looking at the snapshots of his life given in his book, it seems like this was a prevailing characteristic throughout his entire life. He is resolved not to completely abandon his godly heritage by defiling himself with unclean food. He is resolved to speak truth, regardless of what it may cost him (4.19-27). He is resolved to be obedient to God, not wealth and power (5.17). He is resolved to live a righteous life (6.4). Finally, we see him resolved to pray openly to his God, even though he knows it means certain death. From his early adolescence to his 70’s or 80’s, Daniel lived a life determined to serve God and God alone. Through his unwillingness to waiver in his faith, he was plotted against and betrayed, but he was also richly blessed (1.17; 2.48; 5.29; 6.28), “greatly beloved” by God (9.25; 10.18), and two pagan kings proclaimed the sovereignty of the God over the entire world (4.34,35; 6.26,27).

Merriam-Webster defines resolved as reaching “a firm decision about something.” It is a concept seen in the lives of NT figures as well. Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 14.19,20; 21.13,14), Jesus (John 5.16,17; Luke 9.57-62) and all of his disciples (John 6.66-69) demonstrate a resolute (“marked by firm determination”) faith lived out in the midst of persecution. Application for us is far-reaching. So often we approach our faith based on circumstance and emotion. Our personal convictions waiver depending on the moment, and our passion for Christ is as fickle as the South Dakota weather or Big Island surf. According to the examples listed above, this is not to be the case. Our devotion to God and his law is to be our priority (singular), regardless of how we feel or what our circumstances entail (Eph. 6.14; Gal 5.1; 1 Cor 15.58). How does this play out in everyday life?

Have your “quiet time” with God every day, regardless of how you feel, what is happening at home, or what was on TV the night before. Stand up for Jesus at work when your coworkers bash Christianity for the umpteenth time. Limit yourself based on the conviction of the Holy Spirit (alcohol, TV, Pinterest, Facebook, swearing, etc.) even if you don’t want to. Show love to everyone. Living a resolute life is played out in the decisions that seem small in the moment, the ones that we are required to make countless times in a day. It is a life based on utter devotion to God, not because we understand everything that he asks of us, but because we know that he is good and ultimate truth is found only in his ways (Psalm 16.2,11).

For me, there were 2 real big ideas for me to process as a result of studying Daniel.  (1) God is Sovereign over my life, and (2) God is sovereign over earthly kingdoms.  However, it is the first of these truths that posed the greatest challenge to me as through Daniel I saw that God is sovereign over my situation, over my skills, over my successes, and over my suffering. (those all started with S so it’s got to be good! Haha).  Somehow within the span of my life, I entered this year with an underlying worldview that I was much more in control than I really am, and God was much less in control than He really is.  I need to change the way I view my life, I need to let God continue to reshape my worldview, as He gets BIGGER and BIGGER on the screen of my worldview, and I get smaller and smaller.

Ezekiel’s one of those books that I’ve gotten to the end of and wondered: what do I write about?

The book is long, it’s weird, and it’s fascinating. The structure is simple, and day after day, sign after sign, Ezekiel (the person) begins to grow on you.

I see a God who is constantly seeking after a nation that cannot help itself. It’s given control over to other gods and other people, trusted in them and in its own strength, and now it cannot stand or fight back. It’s helpless to help itself. It’s stuck in its own sin and degradation and it cannot get out. The people cry out, complaining that since they can’t help themselves God should do everything for them and save them from the punishment that’s coming. They call His justice harsh, and complain about the very One who created them and longs for them to turn back to Himself. The sad thing is, they’re still missing the point, they’re still listening but not hearing what God’s saying, they still haven’t understood who God is.

So God acts. He acts for the good of His people, but most of all He acts for the good of His own name, the name that has come to be scorned among the nations because of how those who worship it treat it.
God also speaks. He speaks through Ezekiel over the period of about 20 years (593-573 B.C.). He tells the people more than once that He doesn’t delight in the death of the wicked, but rather longs for them to turn back to Him and repent. But because they haven’t but instead have refused His discipline, and because He is a holy God,  He will punish them. The horrible things that are about to happen, and do happen during the time of the book itself, are all a result of the people, not because God wanted them to happen or because He takes some great delight in watching people die.

I think one of the coolest things about this whole scenario is that God is doing what He knows is best. He longs for the people to turn back to Him, and He knows that the best way for that to happen is to punish them. The best way to get them to “wake up” is to let them have their own way, to pull back and give them the freedom they think they want, the freedom they think will benefit them, and the freedom that they think will be fun. So God pulls Himself out of the picture in order that they might know that He is God. And that’s when people start to complain.

Wait, what?! Weren’t they just tugging at the reigns to get away from God? Didn’t they want to worship all the idols and engage in all the ceremonial ways of worshipping false gods? Didn’t they want to be like the other nations? Didn’t they scorn, despise, reject and ignore not only Ezekiel but all the prophets (Isaiah, Daniel, Joel, etc…) that God had sent throughout the years? Yes! So why are they upset? Because they don’t like the consequences of their actions.

I’ve seen this over and over again in the books of the Bible throughout the year, and I see it in my every day life. The truth is, we want the benefit and blessing of having God by our side, but we don’t want to do what He commands us to. We don’t want to live holy lives, or obey when He tells us to do something uncomfortable or “unfun”. It’s like the people who get in a relationship or even get married and desire the fun and exciting parts of the relationship, but not the responsibility of the relationship. And that’s when God’s illustrations of whoredom hit home (Ez. 16:1-63; 23:1-49).

And in the midst of this all we have Ezekiel. I try to sit and imagine what I would say if someone came up to me and said or did even half the things he did. And I know that, honestly, I would laugh and call him crazy. He played with toy soldiers, lay on his right side for over a year and his left side for a month, cooked his food over a fire of animal dung, and talked about crazy visions he’d had. And yet in reading about his life, I long to peak into his brain and sit in his seat for just a minute. What would it have been like to be Ezekiel? Ezekiel is a perfect example of faith and selflessness (in my book anyway). When God seemed cruel by taking away his wife (the “delight of his eyes”) and not allowing him to grieve for her, Ezekiel chose to believe that God knew best and had everyones best interest in mind, and I think he lived firmly in that belief. I think Ezekiel understood God in a deep way, and I think he looked beyond his own wants, needs and comforts and chose God’s and that of others instead. He chose to rely on the good God he knew. He didn’t question God’s goodness, but instead chose to rely on God’s sovereign wisdom.

His faith, his humility, and his obedience astound me. Why? Because he had understood the gospel, the need to die to self and live for God, and he lived out his understanding. He had understood what Christ, hundreds of years later, would do. He’d understood that God’s call on our lives can be uncomfortable, weird, humbling, and even painful. But it’s still God’s call, and our response should be that of Ezekiel, and most importantly that of Christ. Where would I be had Christ chosen to run from the cross? I have no idea, but I certainly would not be here.

The phrase “and they shall know that I am the Lord” is repeated in Ezekiel more times than I cared to count.  Each time, it is associated with a major event such as the destruction of Jerusalem or the restoration of the nation of Israel.  Essentially, God states that they will no longer be able to deny him and his power after they see what he can do.

This made me think about what Jesus says in John 5.36 – “The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father sent me.”  It was through his power, authority and love for the ragamuffins that Jesus demonstrated his divine nature.  Connect this to what he says to his disciples in John 13.35, and we have application for our own lives – “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We have the ability to point people to Jesus who will point them to God.  In the way we choose to live (think, speak, act), we can make God known to the world around us.  Not only is this a reality too profound to fully understand, it is also a responsibility that we need to take very seriously.  God has placed each of us in a specific place for a specific amount of time so that those around us “shall know that He is the Lord.”  Gandi once said “My life is my message,” and as believers, the message we have to share is of utter importance.  Live your life like others’ depend upon it.

Joel is unique to the rest of the prophets in examining the restoration and judgment passages.  Judgment is being poured out upon Judgment, but simultaneously God’s mercy and restoration and dwelling is with His people.  Joel urges the people of Judah to repent and turn towards the Lord in the midst of their wickedness in the first half of Joel.  In the second half, it is clear that the people’s hearts have changed because there is a response and promise from the Lord.  All judgment in the first half is turned into restoration in the second half.  However, there is still judgment in the second half on God’s enemies who shall not overcome the strength of the Lord.  I love how the Lord reminds his people in Joel 2:27 “You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.  And my people shall never again be put to shame.”  This is assurance of God’s constant presence and protection for His people.  Judgment is coming for the wicked, but the righteous, who are in Christ, shall live by their faith and relationship with the Lord.  What great comfort and hope it is for us as believers as we wait for the Day of the Lord.  It should also stir our hearts in such a way to spread the name of Jesus wherever we go to those who do not know the Lord.  God promises that He “will pour out his spirit on all flesh and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (2:28,32).  We should be mindful of the Holy Spirit in our life in such a way that we would respond to the Lord in obedience when we feel the Holy Spirit moving us to say or do something even in a situation that may not feel comfortable to us.  I was encouraged by Joel to ask the Lord to give me ears to hear His voice and eyes to see things the way He desires me to see them so that I would respond in obedience and faithfulness.  We are called to the love the things the Lord loves and hate the things the Lord hates.

The book of Joel comes with a lot of ambiguity.

No certainty of its dating.

No background to its author.

No clarity to all of its content.

However in spite of all this when you look deep into the book of Joel you begin to see, the timelessness of its message, the heart of author and of God in the writing of the book, and the beautiful inner-workings of a scripture that can be difficult to understand at first.

One of the mysteries of prophetic writing is what scholars call telescoping, when the prophet receives a vision that he cant distinguish between what is now and what is later, but must describe only what he sees in his picture. Thus Joel speaks of a great plague of locust which as we continue through ch1-2 and seems to really be had to deem whether or not he speaks of a plague of an invasion from a surrounding nation or whether he speaks in symbolism of the great day of the Lord to come at final judgment. I think when we get caught looking for the certainties of fulfillment in the passage of scripture one can really miss the heartbeat of Joel’s message: Judgment is God’s and he will bring it upon wicked. Whether a plague of locust or an nation from the north, God is in control, and where there is no repentance of sin, from a sincere heart, there is judgment of sin.

The problem is worse than we could imagine(2:10-11)

But there is a hope that is better than we can imagine. (2:12-13)

Joel moves into a final call for repentance, urging that even though Judgment comes with certainty and none will withstand it(2:11), God is merciful slow to anger abounding in steadfast love and relenting over disaster. There is hope that when we return to God in the fullness of our hearts to seek his mercy we find restoration and relationship again with our creator(2:14). And when the people have repented and returned crying out to God….

HE ANSWERED THEM (2:19) he restored the desolation of the locusts he removes the northerner from their lands, and he brings hope for something greater than they could Imagine. Salvation on the day of the lord when all others will fall at his judgment those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. God promises his rains as the vindication of his people, rain the promise of life to a dry and thirsty land barren from plague. And like he will pour out the rain God will one day and has already poured out his Spirit upon all flesh upon all people who call on his Name. To prophesy and dream and see visions and stand in refuge on the day of the Lord. just stop for a second with me and see the fullness and the beauty of God’s restoration through his spirit.

What brought this? How did we even get to a point where when judgment moments before seemed to be crushing down on us? Repentance the people humble themselves and called to God and he was merciful, to both bring rain and to bring his spirit. Romans 10 speaks of these verse as the hope of any who call on the Lord for salvation. Romans 8 speaks of the law of the Spirit freeing us from the law of sin and death that God’s spirit brings us the freedom and righteousness through Christ when it is sealed in us as the guarantee of our inheritance of life with Christ(eph1:14). Romans 8 continues to speak of our belonging to Christ as seen by our living in the Spirit and the promise of life made sure when our lives are walked out in the Spirit.

Back to Joel, back to the depth of sin and certain judgment, to the mercies of God and the hope of redemption and vindication made sure by the Spirit brought on by our: Repentance. Life in the spirit helps us live in repentance constantly sealed with the hope of restoration. Joel saw that Spirit of God was necessary for us to live in full relationship with him, for us to have the strength to hold fast to him in obedience and to live in certainty that our trust stands true in God alone. Life in the Spirit is good, but its not a cake walk. There is still a need to be earnest in our lives repenting and seeking God.

Romans 8 continues with the hope and the yearning that the Spirit of God in us has for the day when all things are made new and connects us to God from our inner being making intercession through the groaning of our soul when words will not do. Finally the Spirit confirms those who have been called according to God’s good purpose that they were predestined to be one day conformed to Christ  and they called and justified and glorified as we one day shall be. Paul finishes with a statement on the inseparable love of God which I think stands true for us by the Spirit which he has given us.

Joel has encouraged me in just how great it is to have to have God’s spirit within me within us as Believers. I think we should be encouraged by Joel to be thankful to God for the spirit and to be intentional about heeding to the Spirit in our lives, listening to him when he calls us to repent and following him when he leads us to obey.

There are those moments when I’m studying and certain things fall into place. The things can be simple, and sometimes I think they’re complex. But either way, it’s nice!

Amid the confusion of when Joel was written, what exactly he’s predicting, and whether or not he’s talking about a literal army of locusts, or a figurative army of locusts (I’ve gone back and forth in my mind the past two days), there are the truths about God that stand out no matter what you choose to believe about Joel’s prophecy and when it was or will be fulfilled.

God is a hiding place for those who know Him. He’s the stronghold for His people in times of trouble, sorrow, and even joy. The world can tremble and crumble, but He will always be firm. I see this in Joel. When we’re in Christ there is nothing that can shake us. We will not fall at final destruction, and we will not be judged by Him. The voice that causes the earth to crumble, and the nations to fall in terror at His feet is a voice of sweet deliverance and security. The presence that eclipses the light of the sun with His glory is terror and death for those who do not know Him, but life for those who do.

And how does this all happen? Because He is not only the God of relationship, but the God who restores relationship. Why? Because we’re the people who destroy relationship. We’re the ones who reject who God is and all He’s done for us. But in His love, and in His heart, God does not want to judge us. He doesn’t want to destroy the people He’s chosen. So what does He do? He sends others to warn the sinners that they’re about to be destroyed. He sends prophets to call people to repentance. And when those people repent God responds. He responds in pity, mercy, and with grace. He forgives, and He restores. He breaks down the barriers that we’ve placed between Himself and us and brings back communion with Him. He lets us hide ourselves in Him, to dwell with Him in safety and security.

And when the people don’t repent? That’s when the part comes that some don’t like to talk about. That’s when judgment comes. That’s when people die. That’s when communion with God is absolutely cut off and refused. And it’s a dark day, because the glory of God comes and you can’t see it, you’re still blinded by sin.

There’s so much someone could say about Joel…the promise of the Holy Spirit is probably one of the most well-known passages in this book, and with good reason! And it fits in with what I’m saying, so hopefully this all makes sense when I’m done and you don’t just end feeling confused…

The Holy Spirit has renewed our communion with God. He gives us the ability to know God, to see Him, and to be in daily constant relationship with the Lord. He marks us as God’s children. And with that He hides our emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical stability/safety in God. This isn’t me saying that when we know God bad things will never physically happen to us. But it is me saying that God’s the one holding us, and He’s taking care of us, knows what’s best for us, and will keep our spirits free from oppression, our emotions healthy, and our minds free from lies.

There is a catch though…we have to let Him. We have to surrender it all back to Him. And this leads back to being honest with God, to the relationship part of knowing Him. It comes back to humbling ourselves before Him, repenting when we’re in the wrong, and allowing Him to restore and hide us in Himself. This is what the prophet Joel was calling the people to do, and I think it’s as much a message for the people of God today as it was for the people of God back then.

There are few places in scripture that state the character of God towards his people like Joel 2.19: “In response to his people the Lord said.” It is in this short statement that we see the nature of our relationship with God. We have been given a choice of whether or not to follow God’s instructions (Adam and Eve; Gen 2.16,17). Our decision determines how God will react to us. If we obey him, blessings; if we don’t; curses (Deut 28). Fortunately, the complexity of our relationship deepens beyond the A=B. A third piece of the equation must be a taken into account: God’s mercy. As is clearly seen in Joel, God’s people repent, and he restores their land and fortunes.

This complicates things in such a beautiful way. Each day we are given the initial option to follow God’s commands for our lives (love him, love others, etc.). When we choose to disobey, natural consequences usually occur. Immediately following that first choice, we are given another: repent. This second choice will extend for as long as a person will allow; in fact, many people live their entire life in this place. For me, this speaks to the importance and power of repentance. Since we all continually mess up the first choice, the second choice is the one that matter the most. Humbly cry out to God; he will respond.

One thing that I was really struck by is the exhortation from 1:3 to tell future generations about what God is doing.  I have always thought to do this when it is God’s strength demonstrated through His blessing.  However, I have never really thought of using suffering and discipline experiences as opportunities to testify to my children about the strength, power and faithfulness of God.  I need to involve my children more in my journey with God, not just in the high moments but also regarding the low moments and how God uses them to sanctify me and to shape/guide our family.  I was also challenged with the idea of fearing the great and powerful God.  Joel really challenged me to stop and stand in awe of God, to live life with a healthy fear of the Lord, and to hate what He hates (sin).

In terms of telling my children of God, I am planning to have one dinner a week where Latoya and I share an honest (age-appropriate) version of God’s workings in our family/personal lives over the past week.  I also want Lily to begin to share in those times about what God has taught her, done in her, etc. over that week.  I think if we can build a regular routine on reflecting upon God being in charge of our lives, it will help me to pass on to my children the “whole council” of how God works in and around our lives, not just the “fun, giddy, blessing” times, but the “ouch that hurt, but it was for my joy and for His glory” times.  In terms of the fear of the Lord, I am going to take a short time of meditation daily for the next week and just meditate on the vastness, the greatness, the power of God, and the tininess (not a word I don’t think J) of me.