Joel 3
Reason for gathering in Valley of Jehoshaphat verse 1- 3
For – BEHOLD – in those days
and in that time when I shall bring again the captivity of
Judah and Jerusalem
I will also gather all nations
and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat
and will plead with them there for MY people
and for MY heritage Israel
whom they have scattered among the nations
and parted MY land
And they have cast lots for MY people
and have given a boy for an harlot – and sold a girl for wine
that they might drink
People who will be judged in Valley of Jehoshaphat verse 4- 6
YEA – and what have you to do with ME – O Tyre – and Sidon
and all the coasts of Palestine?
Will you render ME a recompense?
and if you recompense ME
swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense
upon your own head
BECAUSE you have taken MY silver and MY gold
and have carried into your temples MY goodly pleasant things
the children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem
have you sold unto the Grecians
that you might remove them far from their border
LORD will reciprocate actions of Gentiles verse 7- 8
BEHOLD – I will raise them out of the place whither you have sold them
and will return your recompense upon your own head
and I will sell your sons and your daughters into
the hand of the children of Judah
and they shall sell them to the Sabeans
to a people far off
for the LORD hath spoken it
LORD invites all nations to come to the battle verse 9- 11
Proclaim you this among the Gentiles
prepare war – wake up the mighty men
let all the men of war draw near
let them come up
beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruninghooks into spears
let the weak say – I am strong
Assembly yourselves – and come – all the heathen
and gather yourselves together round about
thither cause YOUR mighty ones to come down – O LORD
Judgment if nations in Valley of Jehoshaphat verse 12- 13
Let the heathen be wakened – and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat
for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about
Put ye in the sickle – for the harvest is ripe
come – get you down – for the press is full – the fats overflow
for their wickedness is great
Day of the LORD is decision time verse 14- 16
Multitudes – multitudes in the valley of decision
for the DAY OF THE LORD is near in the valley of decision
the sun and the moon shall be darkened
and the stars shall withdraw their shining
The LORD also shall roar out of Zion – and utter HIS voice from Jerusalem
and the heavens and the earth shall shake
BUT the LORD will be the hope of HIS people
and the strength of the children of Israel
Restoration of Israel stated verse 17- 18
SO shall you know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion
MY holy mountain – THEN shall Jerusalem be holy
AND there shall no strangers pass through her any more
And it shall come to pass in that day
that the mountains shall drop down new wine
and the hills shall flow with milk
and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters
and a fountain shall come forth out of the
house of the LORD
and shall water the valley of Shittim
Other nations will be wasted verse 19
Egypt shall be a desolation – and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness
for the violence against the children of Judah
BECAUSE they have shed innocent blood in their land
Cleansing for Jerusalem verse 20- 21
BUT Judah shall dwell forever – and Jerusalem from generation to generation
FOR I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed
FOR the LORD dwells in Zion
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for MY people and for MY heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted MY land. (8199 “plead” [shaphat] means judge, rule, pass judgment, administer justice, to enter into a legal proceeding with another, or to enter into controversy.)
DEVOTION: The LORD considers all of HIS children special. HE knows that they are all sinners. HE knows they fail more than they succeed. HE knows that they will take HIS blessings and worship false gods. HE knows that HE has to judge HIS people by chastening them with other nations.
God is omniscient. HE knows everything. Nothing is hidden from HIM. Yet HE still loves HIS people and doesn’t want anyone else to hurt them and if they do HE will judge them.
We need to remember that the LORD is the one who will avenge anyone who hurts us. We need to leave judgment to HIM. We need to stop worrying about people who seem to get away with great sins and nothing happens.
The ones getting away with great sins really are not. Their day is coming. Yes, we would like it to be sooner rather than later but the LORD knows what is best. HE uses people to test our faith. Are you passing the test?
CHALLENGE: Those who are followers of the LORD are HIS people. HE cares for HIS people. If we have made a commitment to Jesus Christ we are HIS people. Remember this FACT!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. (
DEVOTION: Wrong thinking can get us into trouble. Many of us have not corrected our thinking since we have become believers. We are still ignorant of many of the instructions the LORD has give us regarding life. Many of us have not grown in the LORD for a while. So many claim Christ but don’t really understand the difference between those who are believers and those who are rejecting Christ.
The Bible states that those who are believers can do “all things through Christ who gives us strength.” This is a Biblical statement which makes it a true statement. Yet we can say it without believing it is true of us. Our strength comes from the LORD. HE is omnipotent which means that HE is all powerful. HE offers this strength to us. It is available. Most of us don’t use it because we don’t believe the Word of God.
Now we come to those who are outside of Christ or have rejected Christ which is most of those in our world. They think they are strong. They think they are stronger thinkers than believers. They think that they are more in tune with the world then Christians. Many even teach that Christians are just looking for a way to escape reality. Included in their thinking is the thought that they are even stronger than our God.
God tells the heathen to come to battle with HIM and tells them that they can even make a statement that they are “strong.”
Strength is relative. Some people have large muscles all over their bodies while others don’t. Here we have a human comparing his strength to the strength of God. He even thinks he can win against God because he doesn’t believe there really is a God.
CHALLENGE: God invites these individuals to come into the valley of decision to face HIM. Guess who wins!!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter HIS voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: BUT the LORD will be the hope of HIS people, and the strength of the children of Israel. (4268 “hope” [mahseh] means refuge, shelter, or trust.)
DEVOTION: The book of Joel is about the future. The children of Israel are in the future plans of God. At this present time they are on the sidelines while the church is the primary tool the LORD is using today.
However, when the church is taken there will be 144,000 Jewish virgin witnesses let loose on the earth. They are going to win a great multitude to the LORD. During their witness most will be martyred.
When the Tribulation ends there will be a battle between Satan’s forces led by the Antichrist and the returning Christ from heaven. There is a valley of decision talked about in this chapter. The decision was made before the foundation of the earth. Satan and his minions are defeated. The LORD Jesus Christ wins with the word of HIS mouth.
Joel is telling Israel that the LORD is not done with them yet. They are still in the future. They have a refuge they can trust in. They have strength to face whatever comes their way in the present.
All those who are followers of Christ will go through a cleansing time but in the end they will dwell with the LORD in Jerusalem.
At present, we need to witness to everyone we meet. Many Jewish individuals are coming to a saving knowledge of Christ today. There are many mission organizations reaching out to those in Israel and all over the world. They will become part of the church.
We cannot leave anyone without a witness that is present in our world. Some are afraid to witness but they can leave bulletins in doors with tracts in them. They can smile and tell others about what the LORD is doing in their lives. People know those who are genuine followers of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Be a genuine follower of the LORD!!! We have SOMEONE who can be a REFUGE in times of trouble. Our world needs HIS strength NOW!!!! We need shelter in a time of storm.
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: 21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwells in Zion. (5352 “cleanse” [naqah] means leave unpunished, guiltless, clear, free, acquit, to hold innocent, forgive or to pardon.)
DEVOTION: Here we have the blood of the children of Israel declared innocent. The LORD is willing to give them a pardon for their sins. It has not happened as of the time of the writing of this prophetic message. It is something that will happen in the future.
How can God declare someone clean when they are sinners? How can the LORD give sinners hope? It seems impossible at times that the LORD can forgive people who have continually sinned. Yet HE promises to do this in the future.
HE is promising to dwell in Zion or Jerusalem in the future. We have learned that the LORD Jesus Christ is going to return as the Messiah at the end of the Tribulation to redeem HIS people. This is the time period that HE is talking about. HE is going to establish HIS kingdom with those who have been redeemed through HIS blood on the cross.
All the dirt of sin is cleaned up. The individual has his sins forgiven and given a clean slate. This is only possible through the work of the LORD. We can’t do it ourselves. Many people have tried to clean up their act but fail. We just don’t truly understand what the LORD has offered us through Christ.
The Psalmist asks the LORD to “create me a clean heart.” That is what is going to happen to those in the house of Israel who follow the LORD in the future. HE is doing it now in those who are HIS followers.
CHALLENGE: Those who have repented of their sins can understand that this happens at the point of salvation. We are clean!! We are forgiven!! We have hope!!!
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
House of the LORD verse 18
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
LORD has spoken it verse 8
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God’s people verse 2, 3, 16
God’s heritage verse 2
God’s silver and gold verse 5
I will raise MY people out of places where
they are sold verse 7
I will return your recompence upon your own
head (those who sold children) verse 7
I will sell your sons and your daughters into
The hands of children of Judah verse 8
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 8, 11, 14, 16- 18, 21
Judge – I will sit to judge all the heathen verse 12
Day of the LORD verse 14
LORD shall roar out of Zion verse 16
HE will utter HIS voice from Jerusalem verse 16
heavens and the earth shall shake
LORD will be hope of HIS people verse 16
HE is strength of the children of Israel verse 16
LORD your God verse 17
House of the LORD verse 18
LORD dwells in Zion verse 21
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 17
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
All the nations verse 2, 2
Valley of Jehoshaphat verse 2
Cast lots for MY people verse 3
Tyre verse 4
Zidon verse 4
Coasts of Palestine verse 4
Taken Israel’s silver and gold verse 5
Grecians verse 6
Sold children of Judah and children of
Jerusalem to Grecians verse 6
Sabeans verse 8
Gentiles verse 9
Prepare war – wake up mighty men
Let the men of war draw near
Heathen verse 11, 12
assemble yourselves and come
cause the mighty ones to come down
let the heathen be wakened
come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat
Valley of Jehoshaphat verse 12
Valley of decision verse 14
Strangers verse 17
Egypt shall be a desolation verse 19
Edom shall be a desolate wilderness verse 19
Reason: for the violence against the
children of Israel
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Given a boy for an harlot verse 3, 6
Sold a girl for wine verse 3, 6
False worship verse 5
Heathen verse 11, 12
Wickedness is great verse 13
Shed innocent blood verse 19
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Hope verse 16
Strength verse 16
Know the LORD verse 17
Holy verse 17
Cleanse verse 21
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Judah verse 1, 6, 8, 18- 20
Shall dwell for ever
Jerusalem verse 1, 6, 16, 17, 20
Will be holy
No strangers pass through her anymore
From generation to generation
Israel verse 2, 16
Scattered among the nations verse 2
MY people verse 3
Proclaim among the Gentiles verse 9
Let the weak say “I am strong” verse 10
Zion verse 16, 17, 21
Children of Israel verse 16
Know that I am the LORD your God
dwelling in Zion verse 17
Valley of Shittim verse 18
Children of Judah verse 19
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Valley of decision verse 14
Day of the LORD verse 14
Sun and moon will be darkened verse 15
Stars withdraw their shining verse 15
In that day verse 18
Mountains shall drop down new wine
Hills shall flow with milk
Rivers of Judah shall flow with waters
Fountains shall come forth of the house
of the LORD and shall water the
valley of Shittim
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QUOTES regarding passage
3:2 [4:2] The Old Testament several times speaks of “gathering” the nations for judgment. Especially similar to this text is Zeph 3:8—“I have decided [lit., “my decision/judgment is”] to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them.” The Zephaniah prophecy, like the others, comes in a context of restoration after an exile at the hands of a foreign enemy, and it would be strange to suppose that Joel has broken the pattern by jumping directly from an account of a locust plague to the destruction of all nations.6
Joel probably spoke of the final judgment taking place in a valley because he was using the metaphor of a battle between Yahweh and the nations. Battles are generally fought in valleys, not on mountaintops. The word “Jehoshaphat” means “Yahweh judges” and is most often identified with the famous valley of Jezreel extending from Mount Carmel past Megiddo and on to Bet Shean and the Jordan River. This valley has seen many historical battles and is often identified as the site of the Battle of Armageddon in Rev 16:16. Joel does not provide a geographical marker, however, and indeed as a symbol for the final judgment, it hardly needs specific identification. Wolff has stated it best: “The prophet knows the geographical location as little as he knows an exact date for the final conflict of Yahweh with the nations.”
Judgment begins with the house of God, but ultimately those of the faith are vindicated as judgment turns to vindication and God shows himself to be the guardian of his own people. God guards his people as a man guards the apple (i.e., pupil) of his eye (Deut 32:10). The two specific offenses mentioned at the end of this verse (scattering the Israelites and taking their land) both refer to foreign invasion and exile. (Garrett, D. A. (1997). Hosea, Joel (Vol. 19A, pp. 379–380). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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3:1–3. In the future day of the Lord Judah and her enemies will be carefully distinguished. The Lord will restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, in fulfillment of Moses’ promise (cf. Deut. 30:3). At the same time God will gather the nations for judgment.
The site of the judgment will be the Valley of Jehoshaphat, mentioned only in Joel 3:2, 12. Whether such a geographical site was known by this name in ancient Israel is not certain. Some scholars suggest it is a yet-future valley, to be formed by the splitting of the Mount of Olives at the Messiah’s return (Zech. 14:4). At any rate, the importance of the name is not in its geographical location, but in its meaning, “the Lord judges.”
The reason for God’s judgment is the nations’ treatment of His covenant people (My inheritance; cf. comments on Joel 2:17), My people. The nations had scattered the Lord’s people, sold them as slaves to distant lands, and divided up His land.“Scattered” (from pāzar, “to disperse”) seems to refer to the Babylonian Exile (cf. Jer. 50:17). Even though the Lord Himself assigned the land to Israel’s enemies (cf. Lam. 5:2; Micah 2:4), He still held these nations guilty for their failure to recognize His sovereignty and for their cruel treatment of His people. (Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Joel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1421). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The phrase “bring again the captivity” (3:1) means “reverse the fortunes” or “restore the fortunes” (niv). Because of the judgments set during the “Day of the Lord,” Israel’s situation in the world will be dramatically changed, and God will deal justly with the nations of the world for the way they have treated His people Israel. Joel gives three important announcements.
“Nations, prepare for judgment!” (Joel 3:1–8) This great battle will take place in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (vv. 2, 12), a site mentioned nowhere else in Scripture. In verse 14, it’s called “the valley of decision,” referring to God’s decision (decree) to punish the nations. Since the name “Jehoshaphat” means “the Lord judges,” the name “Valley of Jehoshaphat” might well be symbolic, but some students believe it refers to the Plain of Esdraelon where the “battle of Armageddon” will be fought (Rev. 16:16).
Joel lists some of the sins that the Gentiles have committed against the Jews: scattering them among the nations; selling them into slavery; treating them like cheap merchandise for which people cast lots; plundering the land of its wealth; and taking what belonged to the Lord and using it for their own gods. Of course, many of the tragic experiences that came to the Jewish people were disciplines from God because they had violated His covenant, but the Gentile nations went beyond discipline to exploitation. Jeremiah said to the Babylonians, “[Y]ou rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance, because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain and neigh like stallions” (Jer. 50:11, niv).
It’s worth noting that God refers to the Jews as “My people” and to the land as “My land.” The wealth is “My silver and My gold.” Even though the Jews have not obeyed the covenant or sought to please the Lord, He has not abandoned them. Even when they rejected their Messiah, God was merciful to them. He has preserved them as a nation and will one day come to their aid and defeat their enemies. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (pp. 61–62). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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3:2 gather all the nations. The nations of the world will be gathered to Jerusalem to the battle of Armageddon (Zec 12:3; 14:2; Rev 16:16; 19:11–21). valley of Jehoshaphat. The name means “Yahweh judges” (cf. 3:12, 14) and although the exact location is unknown, other prophets spoke of this judgment as occurring near Jerusalem (Eze 38, 39; Da 11:45; Zec 9:14ff.; 12:1ff.). This judgment of the nations includes the event of Mt 25:31–46. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Joe 3:2). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
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STILL having before his soul the events that are to transpire in the day of the Lord, the prophet goes on to set forth more detailed information as to that long-waited-for season of Jehovah’s power.
It should not be overlooked that the expression “the day,” or, “that day,” so often used in connection with the ushering in of the kingdom, does not refer to any one day of twenty-four hours. On the contrary, according to the passage in 2 Peter 3:10, already referred to, the day of the Lord covers the entire period from the great tribulation to the passing away of the heavens and earth, thus ushering in the day of God, or the day of eternity.
Four dispensational days are brought before us in Scripture. The present is called “man’s day” (1 Cor. 4:3, margin). The manifestation at the judgment-seat of Christ is in “the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:6, 10).* Then follows “the day of the Lord,” which is the entire period during which the once-rejected Lord asserts and makes good His title to the earth. “The day of God” is the eternal state, and is only mentioned in 2 Peter 3:12.
It is therefore to this third great “day” that the present chapter refers, and of which the opening verses treat.
“For, behold in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My land” (vers. 1, 2). The scene depicted by our Lord Himself in Matt. 25:31–46 would seem to coalesce with this. He vividly describes the coming of the Son of Man in His glory to sit upon the throne of His glory, there to judge the living nations. It has long since been pointed out by others that this judgment-scene is something very different and distinct from the final judgment of the Great White Throne, as set forth in Rev. 20. There the wicked dead are judged and cast into the lake of fire, the righteous having been raised in glory a thousand years before. On the other hand, the judgment of the sheep and goats, as it may be called, is a tribunal before which appear the nations living on the earth when Christ descends to take the kingdom. It is pre-millennial. The Great White Throne is post-millennial. In Matt. 25 the sheep are rewarded because of their treatment of Christ’s brethren, that is, the Jewish remnant. The goats are condemned for their indifference, and even cruelty, to them. The same discriminative judgment is brought to our attention here by Joel.
The Son of Man will place His throne in the valley of Jehoshaphat. To positively locate this valley is an impossibility, as this is the only mention of it in Scripture. It is well known that there is a deep ravine now bearing this name just outside Jerusalem, separating the holy city from the mount of Olives. But it is likely that the name was given it only in view of this prophecy—not that it was so called when Joel spoke, nor yet for centuries afterward, as we have to come down to the fourth century of the Christian era before it is thus designated. If Jehoshaphat be understood as only an untranslated Hebrew expression, all is clear. Then it would read, “The valley of Jehovah’s judgment.”
There the Lord will sit to judge the nations who have oppressed and scattered His people, selling them into slavery and rejoicing in their degradation. No doubt it is God Himself who has permitted them thus to persecute Israel for their discipline; but that in no wise lessens the guilt of their oppressors. Therefore Tyre and Zidon, with all who have had a share in humiliating the Jew, will be recompensed according to their works (vers. 3–8). (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (pp. 132–134). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 2. I will also gather all nations, &c.] Or cause or suffer them to be gathered together against his people; not the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites, in the times of Jehoshaphat, as Aben Ezra; but either the Turks, prophesied of under the name of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel, ch. 38 and 39 and a multitude of other nations with them, who shall be gathered together against the Jews, to regain the land of Judea from them, they will upon their conversion inhabit; or else all the antichristian kings and nations, which shall be gathered to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, Rev. 16:14: and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; Kimchi thinks this was some valley near to Jerusalem, in which Jehoshaphat built or wrought some works, and so was called by his name: Joseph Ben Gorion speaks of a valley, called the valley of Jehoshaphat, which was near Jerusalem, to the further end of which one Zachariah, a good man, in the times of the Jewish wars, was rolled and died, being cast down from the top of a tower upon the wall east of Jerusalem; and which is confirmed by R Abraham, as quoted by Lively; and the true Josephus saysy, that the valley into which this man was cast lay directly under Jerusalem; and Benjamin of Tudela makes mention of a valley of this name, which he says lies between Jerusalem and the mount of Olives; where Jeroma places it by the name of Cælas; with whom Mr. Maundrell agrees, who says that this valley lies between Mount Moriah and Mount Olivet, and has its name from the sepulchre of Jehoshaphat: and, according to Lyra on the place, who is followed by Adrichomiusc, it is the same with the valley of Cedron, which was so situated; but, why that should be called the valley of Jehoshaphat, no reason is given. Aben Ezra and others are of opinion that this is the same with the valley of Berachah, where Jehoshaphat obtained a very great victory over many nations, 2 Chron. 20:1, 26. but it does not appear to have been called by his name, and, besides, seems to be at a great distance from Jerusalem; though there may be an allusion to it, that as many nations were there collected together and destroyed, so shall it be in the latter day; and I am of opinion that no proper name of a place is here meant, as going by it in common, but is so called from the judgment of God here executed upon his and his people’s enemies. So Jarchi calls it the valley of judgments; Jehoshaphat signifying the judgment of the Lord: Kimchi says it may be so called because of judgment, the Lord there pleading with the nations, and judging them: and in the Targum it is rendered, “the valley of the division of judgment:” and to me it designs no other than Armageddon, the seat of the battle of Almighty God, Rev. 16:16 and which may signify the destruction of their troops; see the note there. And will plead with them there for my people, and for my heritage Israel; the people of the Jews, who will now be converted, who will have the lo-ammi taken off of them, and will be called the people of the living God again, and be reckoned by him as his portion and inheritance; though not them only, but all the saints; all that have separated from antichrist, his doctrine and worship, and have suffered by him: whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land; Kimchi refers this to the scattering of the Jews by Titus and his army, and the partition of Judea among them, which is not amiss; in consequence of which they are still a scattered people, and their land has been parted between Turks and Papists; sometimes inhabited by the one, and sometimes by the other, and now by both, on whom God will take vengeance; he’ll plead the cause of his people, by the severe judgments he’ll inflict on his and their enemies. This may respect the persecuting of the Christians from place to place, and seizing on their lands and estates, and parting them, as well as the dispersion of the Jews, and the partition of the land of Canaan. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 471). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
Esther 3
Haman deceives the king into signing an edict that would kill all the Jews.
INSIGHT
Man’s inhumanity to man over the ages has been astounding. Some of the acts of violence and degradation have defied comprehension. In this vein, Haman hatches a savage and inhumane plot against the Jews to have them annihilated—men, women, and children. King Ahasuerus also has a monstrous mind, willing to sanction such savagery without question. When sin progresses to such extremes, we see just how repulsive it is.
(Quiet Walk)
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POWER
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20
The apostle Paul tells us that whatever the kingdom of God may be, it is a power. Let us be clear about this. The Christian message is the proclamation of, and a history of, the greatest power that has ever entered into this world. There has been nothing that has so changed and affected the course of history and the lives of individuals as much as this message.
That is why we must always be careful to emphasize the fact that we are not concerned here primarily with a philosophy, but with a history. Jesus Christ dominates history; even the numbering of our years is acknowledged by His birth. He is, indeed, the biggest factor and the biggest power that history has ever known. The cross of Christ “towers o’er the wrecks of time.”
There is no doubt but that Christianity is the most powerful influence that has ever entered into the life of the whole world. It has changed communities as well as changing men and women. How easy it would be to recount the story of some of the great revivals that have taken place in the history of the Christian church. The great historian Lecky did not hesitate to say that what saved Britain from what was experienced by France at the time of the French Revolution was the evangelical or the so-called Methodist Revival of the eighteenth century. The effect of that revival is incalculable. It not only changed individuals but also whole communities. It gave people an interest in education, and schools came into being. It produced Sunday schools; it gave a stimulus to hospitals and medical care; it led to the reform of the “poor law.” All these things came out of that mighty visitation of the Spirit of God. Christianity is a power.
A Thought to Ponder: Whatever the kingdom of God may be, it is a power. (From The Kingdom of God, pp. 109-111, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The True Charisma
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)
One of the words that has come into wide use (actually misuse) is the word “charisma,” along with its derivative “charismatic.” We speak of a politician as having charisma, or a charismatic personality, for example. Another common use of “charismatic” refers to those who practice speaking in tongues. But these are not the true meanings of these words, at least not in terms of their original usage.
This latter usage, in particular, comes from the inclusion of tongues as one of the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1, 28). The Greek word is charisma. It does not mean “tongues,” and neither does it mean an outgoing and articulate manner. It simply means “gift,” or better, “free gift,” a classic example being Romans 6:23: “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Charisma, in turn, comes from charis, which means “grace,” and is usually so translated. For example, in the words of our text, if the “word of Christ dwell[s] in us richly,” we shall be “singing with grace in [our] hearts.” Furthermore, just a few verses further on, we are admonished to “let your speech be always with grace” (Colossians 4:6). Then Paul concludes the Colossian epistle with: “Grace be with you. Amen” (v. 18).
Thus, true grace in our hearts will produce grace in our speech, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ will always be with us! This is the true charisma! A truly charismatic person is a gracious person—one to whom “God is able to make all grace abound” so that he or she, “always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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By Scott M. Gibson, adapted from Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry.
Charles Gore, formerly bishop of Worcester, Birmingham, and finally Oxford, wrote more than a century ago, “The disease of modern preaching is its search after popularity.”
There is a certain disease that seems to bite, infect, and overtake us in ministry. We like to be liked. We like to be looked at. We like to be adored. It’s a problem if we get ourselves ahead of Christ. I think Bishop Gore was right in saying that the disease of modern preaching is its search after popularity. In a consumeristic culture we’re faced with a lot of people after star-power. Star preachers appear on television, on the Internet, at conferences, and in the publication world through books, tours, speaking circuits, magazine features, and polls. These preachers are raised to pedestals and platforms, adored and almost worshiped in a twenty-first-century marketed way. We live in a culture of self-importance. We’re aware of these challenges that we face as preachers.
What often happens is that we believe our own press. Someone might approach us at the end of the service and tell us how wonderful we are, what a tremendous sermon we just preached, and right there the germ of popularity starts to take root in our souls.
The cult of personality has been emphasized in our twenty-first century. The tendency of people to be attracted to star-power is not new to the human race. Throughout the ages, men and women have been hailed by their contemporaries and adulated by them. Even the Bible charts the cry of Israel for a king and they got one, even though their king took attention away from God, the ultimate king. Saul, the first king, was compared in the popular culture of the day to the up-and-coming, eventual candidate for king—David. Following David’s defeat of the threatening Philistine, Goliath, the heart of the crowd went toward the young, handsome victor: “Saul has slain his thousands,” the people chanted, “and David his tens of thousands.” The cult of personality is begun.
The popularity factor has become part of what it means to be a preacher in popular culture. No doubt, there has been a Luther, a Calvin, a Whitefield, a Wesley, an Edwards, a Spurgeon, and thousands of others. In his 1893 lectures on preaching, Robert F. Horton laments, “And before I go any further, let me utter my protest against the danger of popularity. Popular preacher—it is a term that fills one with misgiving. What has a preacher to do with popularity? Is it not enough that the disciple should be as his Lord?”
Horton gives us a great question to consider. It pushes us to think about our motives. Why do we preach? Why do we serve? Why do we do what we do? I trust it is not for popularity because that in and of itself is like a mist and it will evaporate before we know it. That is what happened to Saul. He thought he had the world by the tail, but it didn’t happen. The same has happened to all kinds of preachers in these centuries. They have arisen in their popularity and they have been pulled down by their own deceit. Our call is to be not greater than our master but to follow our master. Our call is to recognize that we are utterly and totally dependent on Him because He is the one who receives all glory, praise, and honor, not ourselves.
These words by Bishop Gore are chilling words, but they are a good reminder to us. We, as preachers of God’s Word, aren’t to get ahead of God. Our task is to announce who God is to this generation. The disease of modern preaching is its search after popularity.
This post is adapted from “The disease of modern preaching is its search after popularity,” by Scott M. Gibson in Preaching Points: 55 Tips for Improving Your Pulpit Ministry, edited by Scott M. Gibson (Lexham Press, 2016).
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Derald Smith writes: Not every productive employee is appreciated. But every appreciated employee is productive.
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David Turner writes (MI): Paul understood his thorn-induced weakness as an embodiment of his message of a crucified Messiah. His foolish boasting in 2 Cor 12 is based on his foolish gospel in 1 Cor 1. God’s grace is sufficient for any weakness we may encounter. When we are weak we are strong.
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Higher heights of joy and deeper depths of sorrow – that’s the landscape of Christian ministry. But the servants don’t complain because they do it out of love for the Master. (p. 44)
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Tough love knows that there’s a difference between hurting people and harming people. (p. 45)
(10 Power Principles for Christian Service by Warren W. &David W. Wiersbe)
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