Book of Joel Chapter 2 Vs. 25

 The Lord Had Pity

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. Joel 2:25

And I will... Or I will recompense to you the years; give you fruitful ones, as a full compensation for those in which the locust ate up the fruits of the earth for some years running, the last 3 and ½ years of the tribulation.

שָׁלַם

shâlam

shaw-lam'

A primitive root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively to be (causatively make) completed; by implication to be friendly; by extension to reciprocate (in various applications): - make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace (-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper (-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, X surely.

the locust hath... The canker worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer worm" (see Joel 1:4).

אַרְבֶּה

'arbeh

ar-beh'

From H7235; a locust (from its rapid increase): - grasshopper, locust.

my great army... My great army which I sent among you (see Joel 2:11). The plague of locusts of Joel 1:4, which was symbolic of the armies of the nations that will make Israel desolate in the day of the Lord. Nicely summarizes the overriding theme of Joel 2:19-24. The effects of the locusts would be completely reversed. Speaking as though compelled by legal obligation; the Lord promised to repay (šillēm; cf. its use in Exo. 22:1; 2Kgs. 4:7) the nation for the crops which His great army of locusts (cf. Joel 1:4) had devoured.

And I will recompense unto you good years, instead of the years in which the people, nations, and tongues, the governors and kingdoms of vengeance, spoiled you, my great army which I sent among you.

my great...

גָּדֹל גָּדוֹל

gâdôl gâdôl

gaw-dole', gaw-dole'

From H1431; great (in any sense); hence older; also insolent: - + aloud, elder (-est), + exceeding (-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing, -er, -ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, X sore, (´) very.

This is speaking of all that the locusts destroyed, being restored. God miraculously does it.

Again, Joel 2:25 nicely summarizes the overriding theme of Joel 2:19-24. The effects of the locusts would be completely reversed. Speaking as though compelled by legal obligation; the Lord promised to repay šillēm; cf. its use in Exo. 22:1; 2Kgs. 4:7) the nation for the crops which His great army of locusts (cf. Joel 1:4) had devoured.

Book of 1 John Chapter 3 Vs. 6

 Father hath Bestowed

I John 3:6 "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."

Whosoever abideth in… True descriptions of saints and sinners. Like the phrase practices sins of verse 4, the sense conveyed here is the idea of habitual, constant sinning.

Abideth means to continually live. If we are hidden in Christ, we do not sin. The desire to sin is taken away from us, if we are in Him and Him in us.

Abideth

Compare John 15:4-10. To abide in Christ is more than to be in Him, since it represents a condition maintained by communion with God and by the habitual doing of His will. See on 1Jhn. 2:6.

whosoever sinneth hath... If no check against habitual sin exists in someone who professes to be a Christian, John’s pronouncement is absolutely clear – salvation never took place.

Sinneth not

John does not teach that believers do not sin, but is speaking of a character, a habit. Throughout the Epistle he deals with the ideal reality of life in God, in which the love of God and sin exclude each other as light and darkness.

To abide in Christ is to be dead to sin (Romans 6). The one who habitually lives in sin has never been transformed by Christ’s life-changing power and purity.

The following Scripture shows us how it is possible for us to live this life.

Gal. 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Seen - known

The vision of Christ and the appropriation of what is seen. Rev., correctly, knoweth.

Christ would no longer live in me, if I walk back into a sinful way of life. We are not in Him and Him in us, if we desire to live in sin.

This is the inescapable logic of the text. But a different point is suggested by the NIV’s rendering: No one who lives menōn, abides in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. A widely held explanation of this verse is that a believer does not sin habitually, that is, sin is not his way of life. However, the Greek text has no words to represent phrases such as keeps on or continues to or habitually. These phrases are based on an understanding of the Greek present tense which is now widely in dispute among New Testament scholars (see, e.g., S. Kubo, 1 John 3, 9: Absolute or Habitual? Andrews University Seminary Studies 7. 1969:47-56; C.H. Dodd, The Johannine Epistles, pp. 78-81; I. Howard Marshall, The Epistles of John, p. 180). It cannot be shown anywhere in the New Testament that the present tense can bear this kind of meaning without the assistance of other words. Such a view is invalid for this verse and also for 1Jhn. 3:9. Nor is John saying that sinless perfection must be achieved, and that those who fail to do so lose their salvation. Such a notion is foreign to John’s argument and to all of Scripture.

John’s point is simple and straightforward. Sin is a product of ignorance and blindness toward God. “No one who sins has seen Him or known Him” (1Jhn. 3:6).

Sin can never come out of seeing and knowing God. It can never be a part of the experience of abiding in Christ. “No one who abides in Him sins” (1Jhn. 3:6). But though the meaning of this is not really open to question, there has seemed to be an inconsistency between such assertions and John’s earlier insistence that a believer can never claim to be without sin (1Jhn. 1:8). The solution to this problem has been suggested by the statement in 1Jhn. 3:3 in which the purification of the one “who has this hope in Him” is comparable in its nature to the purity of Christ just as He is pure. From this it follows that the regenerate life is, in one sense, an essentially and fundamentally sinless life. For the believer sin is abnormal and unnatural; his whole bent of life is away from sin.

The fact remains, however, that Christians do not experience the sinless life perfectly on this earth; hence 1Jhn. 1:8, 1:10 remain true. The two ideas are not really incompatible. The Christian still experiences a genuine struggle with the flesh and overcomes its impulses only by the help of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:16-26). Amen.

Paul’s thinking also conforms with this view. In his struggle with sin he was able to conclude, “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Rom. 7:20). In this way Paul could perceive sin as not a real part of what he was at the most inward level of his being (cf. Rom. 7:25). When he wrote, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20), he implied the same thing. If Christ alone really lives, sin can be no part of that experience. Insofar as God is experienced by a believer, that experience is sinless. (Cf. see 1Jhn. 3:9.)

Book of Joel Chapter 2 Vs. 24

 The Lord Had Pity

And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. Joel 2:24

The abundance of the harvest will be evidenced by the threshing floors and wine and oil vats being filled to capacity (Joel 2:24).

And the floors... The churches of Christ, which will now be in Judea, and in the Gentile world, which are his floors (Mat. 3:12). And which will be set up everywhere through the preaching of the Gospel.

The descent of the former and latter rain; these will be full of precious souls gathered in. Compared to wheat, and of the choice and excellent, doctrines of the Gospel, and of all spiritual provisions (Mat. 13:30).

גֹּרֶן

gôren

go'-ren

From an unused root meaning to smooth, a threshing floor (as made even); by analogy any open area: - (barn, corn, threshing-) floor, (threshing-, void) place.

shall be full...

מָלָא מָלֵא

mâlê' mâlâ'

maw-lay', maw-law'

A primitive root, to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively): - accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X draw, give in, go) fully (-ly, -ly set, tale), [over-] flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a [hand-] full, + have wholly.

of wheat...

בַּר בָּר

bâr bar

bawr, bar

From H1305 (in the sense of winnowing); grain of any kind (even while standing in the field); by extension the open country: - corn, wheat.

and the fats... With the wine of Gospel doctrine, and the oil of true grace; there shall be a flow, an overflow, a redundancy of these. Both in the ministers of the word and private Christians, in whom the grace of God shall abound (see Rom. 5:20).

יֶקֶב

yeqeb

yeh'-keb

From unused root meaning to excavate; a trough (as dug out); specifically, a wine vat (whether the lower one, into which the juice drains; or the upper, in which the grapes are crushed): - fats, presses, press-fat, wine (-press).

In this, we see the results of the abundant rain on the crops. This is also speaking of the abundance of the Spirit bringing many into the kingdom of God. Wheat symbolizes the Christians. Wine and oil symbolize the Holy Spirit of God.

The abundance of the harvest by Christians through the Holy Spirit will be evidenced by the threshing floors (True Churches) and wine and oil vats being filled to capacity by God and the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:24).

Book of 1 John Chapter 3 Vs. 5

 Father hath Bestowed.

I John 3:5 "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."

Ye know

John's characteristic appeal to Christian knowledge. Compare 1Jhn. 2:20, 2:21; 4:2, 4:14, 4:16; 5:15, 5:18; 3Jhn. 1:12.

he (ἐκεῖνος)

Christ, as always in this Epistle. Strongly emphatic, and pointing to the eternal Son. This pronoun is used by John more frequently than by any other writer. It occurs seventy-two times, and not only as denoting the more distant subject, but as denoting and laying special stress on the person or thing immediately at hand, or possessing pre-eminently the quality which is immediately in question. Thus Jesus applies it to Himself as the person for whom the healed blind man is inquiring: It is He ἐκεῖνος that talketh with thee (John 9:37). So here, the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father - He hath declared Him. John 1:18.

Was manifested

See on John 21:1. Including Christ's whole life on earth and its consequences. The idea of manifestation here assumes the fact of a previous being. John various terms to describe the incarnation. He conceives it with reference to the Father, as a sending, a mission. Hence ὁ πέμψας με He that sent me (John 4:34; 6:38; 9:4; 12:44, etc.): ὁ πέμψας με πατήρ the Father that sent me (John 5:37; 8:18; 12:49, etc.): with the verb ἀποστέλλω to send as an envoy, with a commission; God sent ἀπέστειλεν His Son (John 3:17; 10:36; 1Jhn. 4:10; compare John 6:57; 7:29; 7:18). With reference to the Son, as a coming, regarded as a historic fact and as an abiding fact. As a historic event, He came ἧλθεν, John 1:11); this is He that came ὁ ἐλθὼν, 1Jhn. 5:6. Came forth ἐξῆλθον; John 8:42; 16:27, 16:28; 17:8. As something abiding in its effects, am come, hath come, is come, marked by the perfect tense: Light is come ἐλήλυθεν, John 3:19). Jesus Christ is come ἐληλυθότα, 1Jhn. 4:2). Compare John 5:43; 12:46; 18:37). In two instances with ἥκω I am come, John 8:42; 1Jhn. 5:20. Or with the present tense, as describing a coming realized at the moment: whence I come ἔρχομαι, John 8:14); compare John 14:3, 14:18, 14:28; also Jesus Christ coming ἐρχόμενον, 2Jhn. 1:7). With reference to the form: in flesh σάρξ. See John 1:14; 1Jhn. 4:2; 2Jhn. 1:7. With reference to men, Christ was manifested (1Jhn. 1:2; 3:5, 3:8; John 1:31; 21:1, 21:14).

to take away... He was manifested made visible, appeared to take away our sins: Christ came to take away our sins; if we still have them, it is proof we have not truly repented of them. A second reason why Christians cannot practice sin is because it is incompatible with the work of Christ. Christ died to sanctify (make holy) the believer (2Cor. 5:21; Eph. 5:25-27). To sin is contrary to Christ’s work of breaking the dominion of sin in the believer’s life (Rom. 6:1-15).

To take away (ἵνα ἄρῃ)

Either takes away or takes upon himself, in order to bear: either removal or expiation of sin. The one idea, however, is included in the other. The taking away of the sin is through His bearing it. In Isa. 53:1-12 (Sept.), φέρω, to bear, and its compound ἀναφέρω (see on 1Pet. 2:5) are used, and αἴρω, to take up and carry away, occurs only in the phrase his life is taken from the earth, A.V., he was cut off out of the land of the living, in accordance with the universal usage of the Septuagint, which never employs αἴρειν to express the bearing of sin. If the Baptist had meant bearing, he would probably have used φέρω. Compare 1Jhn. 3:5: “He was manifested to take away ἵνα ἄρῃ our sins,” and 1Jhn. 1:7, cleanseth us from all sin. In the use of the present tense, taketh, the Baptist views the future consummation of Christ's atoning work as potentially present. See on John 1:29.

our sins (τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν)

Omit ἡυῶν our. Compare John 1:29, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, the sin. The plural here regards all that is contained in the inclusive term the sin: all manifestations or realizations of sin.

Jesus was completely without sin. He had never sinned. His body had no broken bones. He was the Lamb without blemish. He took our sin upon His sinless body. Our sin died on the cross. Our sins are not covered; (as they were with the sacrifices of animals in the O.T., they are done away with by the blood of Jesus. Then He gave us His righteousness.

in Him is no sin (ἁμαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν)

Lit., in Him sin is not. He is essentially and forever without sin. Compare John 7:18.

The seriousness of sin is further underscored by the consideration that Christ appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. The Incarnation brought into the world the One who is totally sinless and who had as an objective the removal of sin from the lives of His own (cf. John 1:29; Heb. 9:28). It follows logically from this that a person who is abides in a sinless Person must himself be sinless, for he has a sinless, regenerate nature.

Book of Joel Chapter 2 Vs. 23

 The Lord Had Pity

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. Joel 2:23

Be glad then... The people of the Jews, and especially the spiritual and believing part of them. Such as were born again, that were born of Zion, and born in Zion, and brought up by her, and in her. The children of that Zion or Jerusalem that is the mother of us all. And who were looking for the Messiah, and to whom it would be good news and glad tidings to hear of his coming (Zec. 9:9).

Be glad...

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.

then, ye children...

בֵּן

bên

bane

From H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like H1, H251, etc.): - + afflicted, age, [Ahoh-] [Ammon-] [Hachmon-] [Lev-]ite, [anoint-]ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, [Assyr-] [Babylon-] [Egypt-] [Grec-]ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant[-est], whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

of Zion...

צִיּוֹן

tsı̂yôn

tsee-yone'

The same (regular) as H6725; Tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of Jerusalem: - Zion.

and rejoice in... Not in any creature or creature enjoyment, but in the Lord. In the Word of the Lord your God, In Christ the essential Word (see Phil. 3:3). Though rather Jehovah the Father, the giver and sender of Christ, is here meant, because of what follows. And who is to be rejoiced in by his people, not as an absolute God, but as in Christ, and as their covenant God and Father in him.

and 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.

in your God...

אֱלֹהִים

'ĕlôhı̂ym

el-o-heem'

Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.

Who has chosen them for himself, and is their portion and inheritance, which are reasons sufficient why they should rejoice in him, and others follow:

for he hath... Or rather, for he hath given you the teacher of righteousness; to which agrees the Targum. For he hath returned to you your teacher in righteousness. And so Jarchi paraphrases the words and interprets them of the prophets in general. Your prophets that teach you to return unto me, that I may justify you.

he hath given...

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.

and he will... Alluding to the two seasons of the year in which rain was given to the Jews. The former rain fell in Marchesvan, which answers to our September and October, part of each, at their seed time.

and he will cause to come down...

יָרַד

yârad

yaw-rad'

A primitive root; to descend (literally to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively to fall); causatively to bring down (in all the above applications): - X abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come (-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go (-ing) down (-ward), hang down, X indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.

גֶּשֶׁם

geshem

gheh'-shem

From H1652; a shower: - rain, shower.

And the latter in Nisan, the first month of their ecclesiastical year, and answers to part of March and April, and fell some time before their harvest. And these former and latter rains now fall about the same time.

There is a double meaning here. In the natural, there will be two rains to make the crops grow. This, however, is also speaking to the Christians. The former rain was the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. The latter rain happens at the end of the age. This is a mightier outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh.

the former rain...

מוֹרֶה

môreh

mo-reh'

From H3384; an archer; also, teacher or teaching; also, the early rain (see H3138): - (early) rain.

The second charge (Joel 2:23) was directed to the inhabitants of Zion (i.e., Jerusalem; cf. Joel 2:1) who were earlier instructed to grieve over the destruction wrought by the locusts (cf. Joel 1:5, 1:8, 1:11, 1:13). They could now rejoice because the Lord was prepared to restore fertility to their fields. As promised in Deut. 11:14, the autumn and spring rains would come on schedule (in September-October and March-April), producing a bountiful harvest.

and the latter rain...

מַלְקוֹשׁ

malqôsh

mal-koshe'

From H3953, the spring rain (compare H3954); figuratively eloquence: - latter rain.

in the first month...

רִאשֹׁן רִאשׁוֹן

ri'shôn ri'shôn

ree-shone', ree-shone'

From H7221; first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun): - ancestor, (that were) before (-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore [-father] (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.

The phrase translated a teacher for righteousness (Joel 2:23) is better rendered, in righteousness the autumn rains (cf. NIV marg., NASB, KJV; see Allen, The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah, pp. 92-3, n. 26; and Kapelrud, Joel Studies, p. 115). Teacher môreh is translated autumn later in the verse (cf. also Psm. 84:6). For righteousness would then probably mean, according to justice (i.e., in harmony with the covenantal principle that obedience is justly rewarded with agricultural blessing; see Kapelrud, Joel Studies, p. 116).