Introduction to John

Our pastor has begun, for the summer, a study of the book of John. The plan is to read through the entire book of John as a church and for him to preach on one aspect of the book every week. It is my plan to make comments on the various sections of John as we traverse the book; hopefully supplementing and enhancing your personal study of this gospel.

About the Author and His Book

John, the son of Zebedee was one of Jesus' first disciples; called from his fishing business with Peter in Galilee (Luke 5:10), he remained in Jesus' inner circle with his brother James and throughout Jesus' ministry. John's writing is unique among the New Testament authors in that he wrote a biography of Jesus (The Gospel of John), three epistles (1 John, 2 John and 3 John) and the book of Revelation. Irving Jensen notes the following relationship between all the writings of the New Testament:

1. Luke wrote a gospel, supportive of the other three; and Luke wrote Acts.
2. Paul's credentials are established in Acts.
3. Paul wrote the Pauline epistles, supportive of the general epistles.
4. John wrote three epistles, supportive of the other general epistles.
5. John wrote Revelation.

John's gospel, like that of Matthew, Mark and Luke, is interested in telling the good news of Jesus; however, John's approach is different. John's presentation of Jesus is of Jesus as the Messiah (Hebrew for "anointed one;" the Greek word is Christos, or Christ) and as the Son of God. Much of the gospel relates to Jesus' Jerusalem ministry in what is referred to as the "Book of Signs" wherein Jesus performs signs and wonders to demonstrate His deity and discourses to explain the signs. This is followed by His instructions to the disciples in preparation for life without Him. An examination of the chart below comparing the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke; the word synoptic meaning "to see together") to John shows the clear distinction between John and the other gospel writers. John was writing for the mature church in that he wrote more on the deity of Christ, the meaning of His ministry and recorded the long discourses of Christ given primarily to His disciples. He also records how, some 50 or more years after these events occurred, he could so clearly state the explicit truth:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

In John 20:31 John states that his purpose in writing is "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name." It has been said of John that one may find the gospel on every page of the book.

Another Bible Reading Plan?

If you have been reading some of my posts here, you know that I am a proponent of people reading and studying their bibles on a regular basis. I have posted my own Daily Bible Reading Plan (which also appears in the sidebar), 40-Day New Testament readings, 60-Day Old Testament readings, a 90-Day Old Testament plan and regularly have links to the passages I cite on this blog. Additionally, there are links to internet-based bible study resources in the sidebar and it seems that everywhere you turn you can find another on-line bible reading plan which you can use while sitting at your computer. Just now, I "googled" the phrase "daily bible reading plan" and got about 6900 hits.

The problem with most of these is a lack of accountability. Yes, you can do the readings in just a little while as you sit at your computer, but it is easy to become distracted and procrastinate. I have found that any accountability – whether a checklist or answering to someone about my progress – will help me stay on track. That said, I'd like to introduce you to one other online bible reading plan sponsored by the people at Logos Bible Software. The Global Bible Reader is more than simply a bible reading plan. It connects you with a world-wide bible reading community on the same reading plan as you. In the words of Logos.com, "Global Bible Reader helps you stay on track with your daily Bible readings by connecting you to a community of people all following the same reading schedule.


Global Bible Reader presents you with today’s reading, keeps track of your progress, and lets you communicate with everyone else who’s reading with you." Not bad for a free service. To learn more click on the link above or here. You'll have to create a logos.com account and download some free software.

It's that simple.

P.S. Thanks to the folks over at the ESV Bible Blog, I am now aware of two podcasts available for daily listening. The ESV: Every Day in the Word and ESV: Chronological Reading Guide are also available as audio podcasts in iTunes.

Happy New Year!!!

Today is the first day of 2009. This is a day when we all tend to make those so-called "new year's resolutions" which most of us get bored with long before we make a habit of that which we resolved. I'm certain that many of mine will go the way of the Dodo soon enough. Including a resolution to keep up better with this blog than I did last year; we'll see how long that lasts. But there are a couple of resolutions that I think will benefit us all.

First is a resolution to read something from the Scriptures daily. On the right side of this page, you'll find two different colored sidebars. The top one with a maroon background is a little background on the blog, my preferred bible (the English Standard Version, ESV), and a little something on me. Below that is a white sidebar that contains useful links for helping us get into God's word. The first section is the Bible Verse of the Day" powered by BibleGateway.com . Below that, there is a section which links to the ESV Bible Online for a daily reading. I'll try to keep this list up to date with some of the links to past readings in case you miss a day. For periods other than what is shown, I have provided a "click here" link which will take you to a new page showing each month of the year.

Finally, I have found several on-line e-subscriptions that you may find enjoyable. There are many of these services available on the internet, some I subscribe to and others I don't. They come in a variety of formats – devotional, daily scripture readings, interesting quotations, etc. Some will make you stop and think. Others will cause you to remember the good things God has done for you. Still others will teach you something of the Word. I'll try to keep a list of these services current in the sidebar as well under a heading of "e-Devotionals" for lack of a better description. If you have others that you find useful, please comment to this post and leave a link.

I leave you now with the words of Aaron the priest:

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Introduction to Joel

The subject of Joel's prophecy is the "great and awesome" day of the Lord. In this, many of his prophecies take us to the future tribulation period. Throughout the book, Joel introduces his prophecy with "the word of the Lord," "the Lord has spoken," "I am the Lord your God," or a similar phrase that is clearly a reference to the specific and direct word of Yahweh. Joel is often quoted by other biblical writers; the most famous being Peter's quote in Acts 2:16-21 of Joel 2:

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls." (Joel 2:28-32)

Joel concludes with great hope for the restoration of Israel:

But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the LORD dwells in Zion. (Joel 3:20-21)

Author

The book of Joel was written by a prophet of the same name. He begins the book with the phrase, "the word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel." Some have speculated that he lived in, or near Jerusalem because of his references to that community (cf. Joel 2:32; Joel 3:1, Joel 3:6, Joel 3:8, Joel 3:16-20) but this cannot be substantiated. There is nothing else known about Joel.

Date

The prophecy of Joel has been dated everywhere from the 9th Century BC to the 4th Century BC, with portions dated as late as 200 BC. John Calvin in his commentary wrote:

The time in which he prophesied is uncertain. Some of the Jews imagine that he exercised his office in the time of Joram, king of Israel, because a dreadful famine then prevailed through the whole land, as it appears evident from sacred history; and as the Prophet record a famine, they suppose that his ministry must be referred to that time. Some think, that he taught under Manasseh, but they bring no reason for this opinion; it is, therefore, a mere conjecture. Others think that he performed his office as a teacher not only under one king, but that he taught, at the same time with Isaiah, under several kings.

But as there is no certainty, it is better to leave the time in which he taught undecided; and, as we shall see, this is of no great importance. Not to know the time of Hosea would be to readers a great loss for there are many parts which could not be explained without a knowledge of history; but as to Joel there is . . . less need of this; for the import of his doctrine is evident, though his time be obscure and uncertain. But we may conclude that he taught at Jerusalem, or at least in the kingdom of Judah.

The internal evidence, however, points to the reign of Joash while the high priest Jehoida ruled. Gleason Archer notes the following:

1. The type of government implied by these prophetic utterances best accords with a regency. According to 2 Kings 11:4, the facts fit the context of the book.
2. There is distinct evidence of borrowing, as between Amos and Joel. Phrases such as "the mountains will drip with sweet wine" occur in both Joel 3:18 and Amos 9:13.
3. The list of Judah's enemies focuses on the Phonecians, Philistines, Egyptians and Edomites, not the Babylonians or the Assyrians.

Thus, Joel should be dated to near the end of the 9th Century BC, perhaps in the period of 825 – 811 BC.

Language Style

Joel was a highly literate author, employing a variety of techniques to make his point. He uses figures of speech including metaphors and similes, poetry, repetition and contrast with effect. Joel often changes the persons of pronouns and verbs in order to better make his point and to keep the attention of his readers.

Place in the Canon

Joel, like all the "minor prophets" of the Christian canon, has been retained as Scripture through the Church age. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Joel is located in the "Book of the Twelve" as a single scroll which includes all twelve of these, the final books of the Old Testament. Within the Hebrew canon, the Book of the Twelve is located in the second division known as "The Prophets" and follows immediately behind Ezekiel. The Christian canon maintained the minor prophets in the same order as found in the Hebrew Bible; namely Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

Theme

The theme of Joel is the "great and awesome" day of the Lord. Beginning with a destruction of locusts in his day, he extrapolates that as a symbolic event warning of the day of judgment on the nations. The main purposes of Joel are:

1. to foretell the coming judgments on Judah for their sin;
2. to exhort Judah to turn their hearts toward God; and
3. to impress upon all people that this world's history will culminate in the events of the Day of the Lord, when the scales of justice will finally rest.

The phrase "Day of the Lord" appears five times in the book; always referring to the time of the end and never the advent of the Messiah. In the New Testament, the authors always use the same term as a future event and in all cases, it is seen as a purging of evil before the reign of righteousness.

An Outline of Joel

A. A Preview to Tribulation – Joel 1:1 – 1:20
1. An Invasion of Locusts – Joel 1:1 – 1:12
2. A Call to Repentance – Joel 1:13 – 1:20

B. Future Tribulation – Joel 2:1 – 2:32
1. The Locusts Are a Warning – Joel 2:1 – 2:11
2. Repent! – Joel 2:12 – 2:17
3. God's Blessings – Joel 2:18 – 2:27
4. The Day of the Lord – Joel 2:28 – 2:32

C. The Millennium – Joel 3:1 – 3:21
1. The Judgment of the Nations – Joel 3:1 – 3:15
2. Blessings for Israel – Joel 3:16 – 3:21

Why Five Stones?

Most of us are familiar with the Old Testament account of the young man David versus the Philistine giant Goliath. For those who are not, the story is told in 1 Samuel 17. As the account is most often taught, it is a matter of young David having faith in his God to defeat the enemies of Israel. David chose to meet Goliath in battle and as he went, the story reads as follows:

And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:32-40)

So why did David place five stones in his bag? Was he afraid he'd miss? Would it take more than one stone to do the job? Would he even have time to reload and get off another shot before Goliath caught David with his spear - the one that was like a weaver's beam and weighed 15 pounds or more?

I don't think any of these questions can be answered affirmatively. There is another account in the Bible that tells of a group of infantry (or would slingers be the artillery of 1000 BC?) who were excellent shots:

And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. (Judges 20:15-16, italics mine)

Although this passage doesn't tell us the range at which they would "not miss" it is clear that the ancient warriors were quite proficient at slinging stones at the bad guys. David, too, was proficient as is noted in 1 Samuel 17:34-35.

So why five stones? If we look further into the Scriptures, we find later that there were four other giants of the Philistines: Ishbi-benob (2 Samuel 21:16); Saph (2 Samuel 21:18); Lahmi the brother of Goliath (1 Chronicles 20:5); and a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot (2 Samuel 20:20); "these four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants" (2 Samuel 21:22). The complete account is found in 2 Samuel 21:15-22 and 1 Chronicles 20:4-8.

So, I think that David knew that there were five giants in the Philistine army although he only met Goliath that day in the Valley of Elah. The five stones were not a lack of faith, but an admission that there may be additional enemies to slay and David's preparation for what may have been in store.

What's in a Name?

In this morning's reading, I was reminded of how important names are to all of us, and particularly as they are used in the Scriptures. We all get tired of being simply a number; being identified by a computer generated social security number, a driver's license number, your preferred customer number, etc.

In the Bible, no one had yet determined that you could place everyone in a computerized database with a unique identifying sequence of digits. Instead, we read of "Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh" (Numbers 14:38) or "Eleazar the priest" (Numbers 26:3) or even "Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite" (2 Samuel 11:3). But if we study the names a little more carefully, we find that the names and places are more than filler. They can tell us much about the interaction of the people and possibly the motives behind their actions.
And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

Take for instance, Ahithophel. We find in 2 Samuel 15:12 that Ahithophel was a counselor to David. And not only was he a counselor to the king (1 Chronicles 27:33), but that his advice was highly regarded by both David and his son Absalom. 2 Samuel 16:23 reads, "the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom."

So, why then would a trusted counselor to King David participate in Absalom's rebellion? Although the Scriptures are not explicit in this regard, a study of Ahithophel will provide us with some clues. When we do a search for every occurrence of "Ahithophel" in the Old Testament, we find his name 20 times in 17 verses. These are:

2 Samuel 15:12
2 Samuel 15:31
2 Samuel 15:34
2 Samuel 16:15
2 Samuel 16:20
2 Samuel 16:21
2 Samuel 16:23
2 Samuel 17:1
2 Samuel 17:6
2 Samuel 17:7
2 Samuel 17:14
2 Samuel 17:15
2 Samuel 17:21
2 Samuel 17:23
2 Samuel 23:34
1 Chronicles 27:33
1 Chronicles 27:34

All of these references seem rather nondescript, particularly the list of David's mighty men found in 2 Samuel 23:8-39. But, not the reference to Ahithophel in verse 34. He was the father of one of David's mighty men, Eliam. As it turns out, Eliam is only listed here in this passage and in 2 Samuel 11:3 where, as noted above, we find that he is the father of Bathsheba.

So is it a coincidence that Ahithophel turned against the king who had an adulterous relationship with his granddaughter or that this connection may be made only with two brief references to Eliam? You decide. As for me, this only reinforces that God has placed in His Word, exactly what He wants us to know.