Feb 2018 Reflections

Summary:

  • God pronounces judgment on His people, but their repentance, prayer, and fasting moves His heart, and He relents.  Instead, the judgment ends up only pouring out on enemy nations.

Insights:

  • 1:1 – Pethuel = “God’s Opening”
  • 1:3 – Significant messages travel four generations (cf. 2 Tim 2:2)
  • 1:4 – shows the clearly relative language of the Bible (if absolute, the swarming locust should have consumed everything, so that no other locusts need eat)
  • 1:13-14, 19; 2:12-17 – response God desires when devastation occurs in an area: God’s leaders initiating mourning, praying, fasting
  • 1:15; 2:1-2, 11 – “Day of the Lord” is not seen as pleasant thing for those estranged from God
  • 1:20 – devastation naturally provokes people–even beasts, in a sense!–to cry out to God
  • 2 – resembles 70 AD destruction (compare Matt. 24; Acts 2)
  • 2:3 – Garden of Eden mentioned outside Genesis
  • 1:6; 2:11, 25 – notice it is God’s army destroying God’s land; reminiscent of Matt. 22:7; 24
  • 2:12-13 – God responds to our sincerity and acknowledgment of our dependence before Him the most
  • 2:17 – impactful prayer appeals to God’s reputation
  • 2:18-19 – God is moved by our prayers (cf. v. 17)
  • 2:26 – eating plenty and being satisfied can be God-honoring and part of His blessing
  • 2:27 – only one God
  • 2:28 – “all flesh” goes from: “your sons,” to, “female servants”.
  • 2:31 – in context, it seems “the day of the Lord” (God’s judgment) has been delayed (compare beginning of chapter)…change happened when leaders initiated sincere prayer and fasting
  • 2:32 – day of Lord seems to happen in Jerusalem where a remnant is spared…very well could speak of 70 AD destruction (other language alludes similarly, see above)
  • 2:32 – notice: “everyone who calls on the name of the LORD…whom the LORD calls” – shows the dual reality of human responsibility and God’s sovereignty
  • 3:2 – Jehoshaphat means, “God has judged.” Could also have dual meaning that alludes to 2 Chron 20, where nations unite against Judah and King Jehoshaphat, but are killed by God in a valley (which happens to be in the vicinity of the garden of gethsemane)
  • 3:2-3 – when you sin against God’s people, you sin against God (cf. Acts 9:4-5)
  • 3:12, 14 – by context, it seems valley of decision = valley of Jehoshaphat/judgement.  In other words, God will make a decision/judgment about you there.

For Brian to obey:

  • 2:12-13, 17 – pray in sincerity and dependence; appeal to God’s reputation