Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Inl'i-oJutlion, JOEL. Inlroductiftn.
shadow (but who shall have been forced to leave itl, shall return, i. e., be restored (Ezekiel :i5. 9). Others take "Ifii shadow" to moan Jehovah's (cf. Psalm 17. 8; 91. 1; Isaiah 4.
He does not ask costly sacrifices, but words of heartfelt penitence, receive us graclonsly—Hi. (for) jootZ. calves of our lips—T. c, instead of sacrifices of calves, wliich we wnnot ofl'er to Thee in exile, we present the praises of our
6), which r. 1, 2, "return unto the ^rd," Ac, favours. Hut the " his" in v. 6 refers to Israel, and therefore must refer to the same here, revive as . . . com—as the corn long buried in the earth springs up, witli an abundant produce, so shall they revive from their calamities, with a great Increase of ofl>ipring (cf. John 12. 24). scent thereof—t. e., lips. Thus the exile, wherein the temple service ceased, prepared the way for the gospel time, wlien the types of Uie animal sacrifices of the Old Testament being realized
In Christ's perfect ssicriflce once for all, "the sacrifice of praise to God continually that, is the fruit of our lips" (Hebrews IS. 14) takes their place in the New Testament.
Isi-jLeVs fame, Cf. v. 6, "His smell as Lebanon;" Song of Solomon 1.3: "Thyname is as ointment poured forth." LXX. favour Margin, " memorial." as the wine of Lebanon—which was most celebrated for its aroma, flavour, and medicinal restorative properties. 8. Ephraiin nhall say—being brought to penitence by God's goodness, and confessing and al)horriiig his past madness. I have heard . . . and observed him— I .lehovah have answered and rci/arded him with favour ; the opposite of God's " hiding his face from" one (Deuteronomy 31. 17). It is the experience of God's favour, in contrast to God's wrath heretofore, that leads Ephraim toabhor his past idolatry. Jehovah heard and answered : whereas the idols, as Ephraim now sees, could not fteftr, much less answer. Iain
3. Three Ijesetting sins of Israel are here renounced, trust
In Assyria, application to Egypt for its cavalry (forbidden, Deuteronomy 17. Ifl ; of. ch. 7. 11 ; 11. 5 ; 12. 1 ; 2 Kings 17. i ; Psalm X",. 17; Isaiah 30. 2, 16; 31. I), and idolatry, fatherless—(ifscriptive of the destitute state of Israel, when severed from God, their true Father. We shall henceforth trust in none hut thee, the only Father of the fatherless, and Helper of the destitute (Psalm 10.14; 68.5); our nation has experienced Thee .such in our helpless state in Egj-pt, and now in a like state again our only hope is Thy goodness. 4. God's gracious reply to their self-condemning prayer. backalii Ung apostasy; not merely occasional backslidings. God can heal the most desperate sinfulness. [CaIjVik.] freely—with a gratuitous, unmerited, and abundant love (Ezekiel 16. 60-()3). So as to the spiritual Israel (.lohn 15. 16; Romans 3.2-1; 5. 8; 1 John 4. 10). 5. ag (I>e <leiv—wliich falls copiously in the East, supplying the place of the more frequent rains in other regions. God will not be " as the early dew that goeth away," L)ut constant (ch. 6. 3, 4; Job 20. 19; Proverbs 19. 12). the lUy —no plant is more productive than the lily, one root often producing fifty bulbs [Pliny, H. N. 21. 5]. The common lily is white, consisting of six leaves opening like liells. The ro.yal lily grows to the height of three or four feet; Matthew 6.29 alludes to the beauty of its flowers, roots as Lebanon i. e., as the trees of Lebanon (especially the cedars), which cast down their roots as deeply as is their height upwards; so that they are Immovable [Jerome], (Isaiah 10. 34). Spiritual growth consists most in the growth of the root which is out of sight. 6. branches—shoots, or suckers, beauty . . . •8 the olive—which never loses its verdure. One plant. . . a green fir—or cypress; ever gree'n, winter and summer alike; the leaves not falling of Tin winter. From me
Is thy fruit found— "From me," as the root. Thou needest go no lartlier than me for the supply of all thy wants; not merely the protection implied by the sfiadow of the cypress, but that wliich the cypress has not, viz., fruit, all spiritual and temporal blessings. It maybe also implied, that whatever spiritual graces Ephraim seeks for or may have, are not of themselves, but of God (Psalm
1. 3; John 15. 4, 5. 8; James 1. 17). God's promises to us are more our security for mortifyingsin than our promises to God (Isaiah 27. 9). 9. Epil,OGUE, summing up the whole previous teaching. Here alone Hosea uses the term " righteous," so rare were such characters in liis day. There is enough of saving truth clear in God's word to guide those humbly seeking salvation, and enough of difficulties to confound those who curiously seek them out, rather than practically seek salvation, fall—stumble and are oS'ended at difficulties opposed to their prejudices and lusts, or above their self-wise understanding (ct Proverbs 10.29; Micah 2.7; Alatthew 11.19; Luke 2.34; John 7. 17; 1 Peter 2. 7,8). To him who sincerely seeks the agenda, God will make plain the credenda. Christ is the foundation-stone to some: a stone of stumbling and rook of offence to others. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. But their fall is the most fatal who fall in the waysof God, split on the Bock of ages, and suck poisou out of the Balm of Gilead.
Is not enough to express the graces of God's elect people. The iiV.!/ depicts its lovely growth ; but as it wants duration and firmness, the deeply-rooted cedars of Lebanon are added ; these, however, are fruitless, therefore the fiuitful, pea'ce-bearing, fragrant, ever-green olive is added, sntell as I>banon—which exhaled from it the fragrance of odoriferous trees and flowers. So Israel's name shall be in goolsavour with all (Genesis 27. 27; Song of Solomon 4. 11). 7. They that used to dwell under Israel's
JOEL. INTRODUCTION.
Joel (meaning " one to whom Jehovah is God," i. e., worshipper of Jehovah) seems to have belonged to Jixdah, as no reference occurs to Israel ; whereas he speaks of Jerusalem, the temple, the priests, and the ceremonies, as if he were Intimately familiar with them (of. ch. 1. 14; 2. 1, 15, 32; 3. 1, 2, 6, 16, 17, 20, 21). His predictions were probably delivered
In the early days of Joash, B. c. 870-865. For no reference is made in them to the Babylonian, Assyrian, or even the Syrian invasion ; and the only enemies mentioned are the Philistines, Phoenicians, Edomites, and Egyptians (ch. 3. 4,
19). Had he lived after Joash, he would doubtless have mentioned the Syrians among the enemies whom he enumerates, since they took Jerusalem, and carried ofl immense spoil to Damascus (2 Chronicles 24. '£\ 24). No idolatry is mentioned; and the temple services, the priesthood, and other institutions of the theocracy, are represented as flourishing. This all answers to the state of things under the high priesthood of Jehoiada, through whom Joash had been placed on tlie throne, and who lived in the early years of Joash (2 Kings H. 17, 18; 12. 2-16; 2 Chronicles 24. 4-14). H« was son of Petliuel.
The first chapter describes the desolation caused by an inroad of locusts—one of the instrumentsof Divine judgment mentioned by Moses (Deuteronomy 28. 38, 39) and by Solomon (1 Kings 8. 37). The second chapter («. 1-11), the appearance of them, under images of a hostile army suggesting that the locusts were symbols and forerunners of a mora terribia scourge, viz., foreign enemies who would consume all before them. (Tlie absence of mention of personal In-
Jnry to the inhabitants is not a just objection to the figurative interpretationfor the figure is cousi.-^U'nt tluoughoiit
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