The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary by Gary M. Burge

Author:Gary M. Burge [Burge, Gary M. and Andrew E. Hill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bible—Commentaries, REL006050
ISBN: 9781441223449
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

Locusts, such as the one pictured in this Egyptian tomb painting, will swarm when environmental conditions are right, leaving devastation in their wake (Joel 1:4).

The allusive nature of Joel’s prophecies becomes apparent in light of a generous number of shared literary links with eschatological or apocalyptic themes in other prophetic books, including several allusions to Isaiah (Joel 1:15 [Isa. 13:6]; 2:3 [Isa. 51:3]; 2:27 [Isa. 45:5–6, 18]; 3:2 [Isa. 66:18]), Jeremiah (Joel 3:1 [Jer. 33:15; 50:4, 20]), Ezekiel (Joel 1:15 [Ezek. 30:2–3]; 2:3 [Ezek. 36:35]; 2:28 [Ezek. 39:29]), and the Psalter (Joel 2:17 [Ps. 79:10]; 2:21 [Ps. 126:3]). These affinities reaffirm the continued theological struggle Israel experiences as she seeks to harmonize the merciful and compassionate disposition of God with the demands of his divine holiness, which punishes sin and requires restitution. In addition, Joel demonstrates a broad familiarity with other authoritative texts, interweaving motifs such as the exodus, the divine attributary formula (Exod. 34:6–7), and themes of judgment and restoration from Deuteronomy 32, along with mythological concepts, such as the sacred mountain or divine warrior imagery. In the process of drawing from authoritative, well-established texts recognized by the contemporary audience, Joel underscores the divine origin of his prophecies, validating his message as a continuation of previous revelation.

Theological Themes

The book of Joel has been recognized for its emphasis on eschatological themes, describing God’s role and relationship to Israel. The Lord preserves a remnant of his people, pouring out his Spirit on all of them without class distinction. Supernatural visible signs, such as the eclipse of the sun (3:15; cf. Amos 5:18–20; 8:9; Zeph. 1:15) and the hail of blood and fire, attend the day of the Lord. God regathers and rescues Israel and leads her in triumphal procession back to the land, engaging and defeating the enemy nations in a great final battle.

Structure

The clever structure of the book reflects Joel’s skillful use of repetition, in particular through the forty-seven instances of twice-repeated terms and phrases in the book. The two halves of the book correspond to one another, as reflected in the outline below.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.