Book of Joel Chapter 2 Vs. 22

 

Joel 2:21-24

The Lord Had Pity

Each of the three elements in Joel 2:20-21 is repeated and/or expanded in these verses. The repeated affirmation that the Lord has done great things is followed by the expanded charges, be not afraid (Joel 2:22) and be glad and rejoice (Joel 2:23).

Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Joel 2:22

Be not afraid... The first charge was directed to the wild animals, which had been affected so adversely by the locust invasion and accompanying drought (cf. Joel 1:20). The effects of that judgment would be completely reversed. The open pastures (cf. Joel 1:19) would again bring forth grass and vegetation. The trees and vines would again yield their fruit (cf. Joel 1:7, 1:12, 1:19).

יָרֵא

yârê'

yaw-ray'

A primitive root; to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten: - affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing). (be had in) reverence (-end), X see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

ye beasts...

בְּהֵמָה

b^ehêmâh

be-hay-maw'

From an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collectively): - beast, cattle.

for the pastures... The 3rd section of the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2:12-32, unfulfilled; will be fulfilled in the restoration). Next, Joel 3:1.

Predictions—Unfulfilled:

1.Then (when Israel repents as commanded in Joel 2:12-17) the Lord will be jealous for His land, and pity His people (Joel 2:18). Grass in abundance springs up in them, and covers them, so that there was plenty of food for the beasts of the field.

the pastures...

נָאָה

nâ'âh

naw-aw'

From H4998; a home; figuratively a pasture: - habitation, house, pasture, pleasant place.

for the tree... Brings forth and bears fruit suitable to it, agreeable to its nature.

עֵץ

‛êts

ates

From H6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence wood (plural sticks): - + carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.

the fig tree... Send forth their branches, put forth their buds, their leaves and fruit.

תְּאֵנָה תְּאֵן

t^e'ên t^e'ênâh

teh-ane', teh-ay-naw'

The second form being singular and feminine; perhaps of foreign derivation; the fig (tree or fruit): - fig (tree).

the vine...

גֶּפֶן

gephen

gheh'-fen

From an unused root meaning to bend; a vine (as twining), especially the grape: - vine, tree.

do yield...

נָתַן

nâthan

naw-than'

A primitive root; to give, used with great latitude of application (put, make, etc.): - add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ([healed]), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up). + sing, + slander, strike, [sub-] mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, X willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.

their strength...

חֵל חֵיל

chêyl chêl

khale, khale

A collateral form of H2428; an army; also (by analogy) an entrenchment: - army, bulwark, host, + poor, rampart, trench, wall.

This and the preceding clause cannot be understood as a reason why the beasts of the field should not be afraid, for they relate not to them, but to men.

And may serve to confirm the mystic sense of the words, as they may refer to the great fruitfulness produced in the wilderness of the Gentile world, through the preaching of the Gospel in the times of the Messiah.

Which are more clearly pointed at (in Joel 2:23); and which were introduced with great outward peace and plenty. And the Jews by the tree bearing her fruit, in the preceding clause, understand barren trees bearing fruit.

All-natural vegetation springs forth to feed the beasts of the field. The fruit trees will abundantly produce fruit, and the vines will bring forth in strength.

The first charge was directed to the wild animals, which had been affected so adversely by the locust invasion and accompanying drought (cf. Joel 1:20). The effects of that judgment would be completely reversed. The open pastures (cf. Joel 1:19) would again bring forth grass and vegetation. The trees and vines would again yield their fruit (cf. Joel 1:7, 1:12, 1:19).

Book of 1 John Chapter 3 Vs. 3

 Father hath Bestowed.

I John 3:3 "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

every man that... The hope of the rapture is an incentive to purify one’s self even as Christ is pure (1Jhn. 3:3; 1:7, 1:9; 2:6; 3:5-10; 5:1-4, 5:18). At Christ’s coming His followers will be transformed, but in the meantime, they need to be diligent in growth in holiness – He is pure, and it is the pure in heart who shall see God (Mat. 5:8).

every man that hath (πᾶς ὁ ἔχων)

A characteristic form of expression with John, containing a reference to some who had questioned the application of a general principle in particular cases. Here to some persons who had denied the practical obligation to moral purity involved in their hope. See 1Jhn. 3:4, 3:6, 3:9, 3:10, 3:15, 3:23, 3:24; 4:7; 5:1, 5:4, 5:18; 2Jhn. 1:9.

hope...

John's only reference to Christian hope. The phrase used here, to have the hope upon one, is unique in the New Testament. Compare ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν on Him shall the Gentiles hope (Rom. 15:12): ἠλπίκαμεν ἐπὶ Θεῷ ζῶντι we have hoped on the living God (1Tim. 4:10). On the force of ἔχων, see on John 16:22.

him purifieth himself... This is the key verse to 2:28-3:3 and introduces the fifth feature of the believer’s hope in this section. Living in the reality of Christ’s return makes a difference in a Christians’ behavior.

in Him (ἐπ' αὐτῷ)

Ambiguous. Better, as Rev., set on Him.

purifieth himself (ἁγνίζει ἑαυτόν)

On the verb, see on 1Pet. 1:22; see on Jas. 4:8. In the Septuagint used only of ceremonial purification, and so four out of the seven instances in which it occurs in the New Testament (John 11:55; Acts 21:24, 21:26; 24:18). In the remaining cases, of purifying the heart and the soul (Jas. 4:8; 1Pet. 1:22). The kindred adjective ἁγνός pure, has a moral signification in every case, as has the noun ἁγότης pureness (only 2Cor. 6:6). Ἁγνισμός purification (only Acts 21:26), ceremonial.

even as he...

Twenty Proofs Purity Is Now Possible

1. He shall save ... from ... sins (Mat. 1:21).

2. For the remission of sins (Mat. 26:28)

3. Dead to sin (Rom. 6:2)

4. Body of sin might be destroyed, that we should not serve sin (Rom. 6:6).

5. Reckon selves dead to sin (Rom. 6:11).

6. Let not sin reign in your body (Rom. 6:1-23).

7. Sin shall not have dominion over you (Rom. 6:14-23).

8. Being made free from sin (Rom. 6:18)

9. Made me free from sin (Rom. 8:1-4)

10. They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Gal. 5:16, 5:24).

11. That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love (Eph. 1:4).

12. Live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Tit. 2:12).

13. Purged our sins (Heb. 1:3; 9:14)

14. Be ye holy; for I am holy (1Pet. 1:16).

15. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin (1Jhn. 1:7, 1:9).

16. Ought to walk even as He walked (1Jhn. 2:6).

17. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not . . . is righteous, even as He is (1Jhn. 3:6-7).

18. He that committeth sin is of the devil (1Jhn. 3:8-10; John 8:44).

19. Whoever is born of God sinneth not (1Jhn. 4:17; 5:4-5, 5:18).

20. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:1-29:15:4-15).

He (ἐκεῖνος)

Christ, as always in the Epistle.

pure (ἁγνός)

See above. Though marking moral and spiritual purity, and that of a very high grade, since it is applied to Christ here, yet it admits the thought of possible temptation or pollution, thus differing from ἅγιος, which means absolutely holy. Hence ἁγνός cannot properly be applied to God, who is ἅγιος; but both may be used of Christ, the latter in virtue of His human perfection.

Since Christians someday will be like Him, a desire should grow within the Christian to become like Him now. This was Paul’s passion expressed in Phil. 3:12-14. That calls for a purifying of sin, in which we play a part.

The hope, spoken of here, is the hope of the resurrection. The Christian should not put too much value on this world, but on the world to come. Christians should endeavor to be more Christ-like every day. Notice, it is in the will of man to purify himself. If our Leader Jesus is pure, then we must attempt to be pure, also.

But pending that event it is already true that everyone who has this hope in Him the pronoun probably refers to Christ, the Object of this hope purifies himself, just as He is pure. Here the writer probably continued to refer to the new birth. One who sets his hope by faith on the Son of God experiences an inward purification that is as complete as Christ’s own purity just as He is pure. John thus prepared the ground for the assertions he would soon make (1Jhn. 3:6, 3:9). New birth involves a perfect purification from sin.

Book of Joel Chapter 2 Vs. 21

 The Lord Had Pity

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Joel 2:21

Fear not, O... O land of Israel, as the Targum, and the inhabitants of it; neither of the locusts, who had so terrified them, and had done so much mischief, and threatened more. Or of their enemies; the Assyrians or Chaldeans and their powerful armies, or any other.

יָרֵא

yârê'

yaw-ray'

A primitive root; to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten: - affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing). (be had in) reverence (-end), X see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

אַל

'al

al

A negative particle (akin to H3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing: - nay, neither + never, no, nor, not, nothing [worth], rather than.

אֲדָמָה

'ădâmâh

ad-aw-maw'

From H119; soil (from its general redness): - country, earth, ground, husband [-man] (-ry), land.

be glad, and... At the removal of the locusts, and at the destruction of their enemies.

גּוּל גִּיל

gı̂yl gûl

gheel, gool

A primitive root; properly to spin around (under the influence of any violent emotion), that is, usually rejoice, or (as cringing) fear: - be glad, joy, be joyful, rejoice.

שָׂמַח

śâmach

saw-makh'

A primitive root; probably to brighten up, that is, (figuratively) be (causatively make) blithe or gleesome: - cheer up, be (make) glad, (have make) joy (-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, X very.

for the Lord... Good things, in opposition to the evil things done by the locusts, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe.

for...

כִּי

kı̂y

kee

A primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjugation or adverb; often largely modified by other particles annexed: - and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured [-ly], + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, who, yea, yet,

the Lord...

יְהֹוָה

y^ehôvâh

yeh-ho-vaw'

From H1961; (the) self-Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: - Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050, H3069.

will do...

עָשָׂה

‛âśâh

aw-saw'

A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application: - accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress (-ed), (put in) execute (-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, [fight-] ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfil, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ([a feast]), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, practise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be [warr-] ior, work (-man), yield, use.

great things...

גָּדַל

gâdal

gaw-dal'

A primitive root; properly to twist (compare H1434), that is, to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride): - advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be (-come, do, give, make, wax), great (-er, come to... estate, + things), grow (up), increase, lift up, magnify (-ifical), be many sets by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly [spoken], tower.

And in the times of the Maccabees, and especially in the times of Christ, which are quickly prophesied of in this chapter; and which prophecies some interpreters begin here, it not being unusual for the prophets to pass directly from things temporal to things spiritual.

And especially to the great deliverance and salvation by Christ, and also by temporal blessings to design spiritual ones.

With the blessings of God upon the land, it will bloom again. The crops will be abundant. It will rain at the needed time, and they will prosper.

The NIV understands the last line of Joel 2:20 as a statement about the Lord (cf. Joel 2:21; in this case kı̂ in Joel 2:20 is taken as an emphatic assertion: Surely). Other translations (KJV, NASB, RSV) join the words to the preceding context, making the army the subject (cf. NASB, “For it has done great things”). The insolent pride of the invader would then be in view (cf. Isa. 10:5-19 for a similar view). However, the NIV reading has much to commend it, especially the structural correspondence it produces (cf. See Joel 2:18-27).

In the first two lines of Joel 2:21 the personified land, which had been stripped of its produce (cf. Joel 1:10), is encouraged to fear no longer but to be glad and rejoice.

Book of 1 John Chapter 3 Vs. 2

 Father Hath Bestowed.

I John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

Beloved

The correct reading is ἀγαπηοί beloved. The first occurrence of this title, which is suggested by the previous words concerning the relation of love. See 1Jhn. 2:7.

now are we... John here addresses the adopted sons who work righteousness (1Jhn. 2:29). Everyone who exercises genuine saving faith becomes a child of God at the moment of belief (John 1:12; Rom. 8:16; 2Pet. 1:4), through the truly heavenly, divine life in that person (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) will not be revealed until Jesus appears. In the meantime, the Holy Spirit is working into us the image of Christ.

Now are we and, etc.

The two thoughts of the present and the future condition of God's children are placed side by side with the simple copula, and, as parts of one thought. Christian condition, now and eternally, centers in the fact of being children of God. In that fact lies the germ of all the possibilities of eternal life.

it doth not yet appear (οὔπω ἐφανερώθη)

Rev., more correctly, it is not yet made manifest. See on John 21:1. The force of the aorist tense is, was never manifested on any occasion.

what we shall be (τί ἐσόμεθα)

This what suggests something unspeakable, contained in the likeness of God (Bengel).

But we know

Omit but.

when He shall appear (ἐὰν φανερωθῇ)

Rev., correctly, if He (or it) shall be manifested. We may render either if it shall be manifested, that is what we shall be; or, if He, etc. The preceding ἐφανερώθη it is (not yet) made manifest, must, I think, decide us in favor of the rendering it. We are now children of God. It has not been revealed what we shall be, and therefore we do not know. In the absence of such revelation, we know through our consciousness of childship, through His promise that we shall behold His glory, that if what we shall be were manifested, the essential fact of the glorified condition thus revealed will be likeness to the Lord. This fact we know now as a promise, as a general truth of our future state. The condition of realizing the fact is the manifestation of that glorified state, the revealing of the τί ἐσόμεθα what we shall be; for that manifestation will bring with it the open vision of the Lord. When the what we shall be shall be manifest, it will bring us face to face with Him, and we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.

we shall be... The 4th New Testament prophecy in 1 John (1Jhn. 3:2, unfulfilled). Next, 1Jhn. 4:17. It is not yet manifest what we shall be like except that we shall have bodies like His glorified human body. This will be at the rapture (Phlp. 3:20-21; 1Cor. 15:51-54; Col. 3:4). Every person will have his own body, color, features, and characteristics, as on earth (1Cor. 15:35-54). This phrase introduces the fourth feature of the believer’s hope in 2:28-3:3. When Christ returns, He shall conform every believer to His image, i.e., His nature. A tension exists between the first part of the verse (now we are the sons) and the latter part (we shall be like Him).

Such tension finds resolution in the solid hope that at Christ’s return the believer will experience ultimate conformity to His likeness. The glorious nature of that conformity defies description, but as much as glorified humanity can be like incarnate deity believers will be, without becoming deity.

At Jesus’ coming (2:28) we shall be somehow transformed into His likeness. This process has already begun in the believer’s life (2Cor. 3:18).

This is speaking of the beloved of God. In the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, it speaks of our spiritual body that comes forth from this physical body. We know that God is a Spirit. We, also, know that Jesus is the Quickening Spirit. We will be like Him, in the fact that we will no longer be flesh and blood but will have a spiritual body.

as He is (καθώς ἐστιν)

Strictly, just as. Rev., even as.

“As long as the festivity

Of Paradise shall be, so long our love

Shall radiate round about us such a vesture.

Its brightness is proportioned to the ardor,

The ardor to the vision; and the vision

Equals what grace it has above its worth.

Dante, “Paradiso,” iv., 37-42.

This, also, speaks of a great knowledge of God that will come upon us when we leave this physical body and go to heaven in our spiritual body. Jesus is the Son of God, and we will be sons of God. These are things of God that we do know. There are many things that will not be revealed unto us, until we are in heaven with Him.

The eyes of our understanding will no longer be darkened. We shall have our eyes of understanding opened, and know, and understand Him.

1Cor. 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

But even for Christians, this perception is a spiritual one. Though now we are children of God, there is no physical evidence of this that an eye can see. The physical changes in Christians await the coming of Christ. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him (cf. 1Cor. 15:52-54; Phlp. 3:21). Such a transformation will result from seeing Him as He is.