Joel 3:1-2, 9-17

3:1 For then, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there, on account of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations. They have divided my land, (Joel 3:1-2, NRSV)

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Cf. Isa 2.4; Mic 4.3)

9 Proclaim this among the nations:

Prepare war,

stir up the warriors.

Let all the soldiers draw near,

let them come up.

10 Beat your plowshares into swords,

and your pruning hooks into spears;

let the weakling say, "I am a warrior."

11 Come quickly,

all you nations all around,

gather yourselves there.

Bring down your warriors, O LORD.

12 Let the nations rouse themselves,

and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat;

for there I will sit to judge

all the neighboring nations.

13 Put in the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Go in, tread,

for the wine press is full.

The vats overflow,

for their wickedness is great.

14 Multitudes, multitudes,

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the LORD is near

in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

16 The LORD roars from Zion,

and utters his voice from Jerusalem,

and the heavens and the earth shake.

But the LORD is a refuge for his people,

a stronghold for the people of Israel. The Glorious Future of Judah

17 So you shall know that I, the LORD your God,

dwell in Zion, my holy mountain.

And Jerusalem shall be holy,

and strangers shall never again pass through it. (Joel 3:9-17, NRSV)

The following comments are based on comments from November 21, 2005 (Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One) and on relevant portions of comments on Joel 2:28-3:8 from November 17, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 9, Year Two), which were based on comments from November 12, 2004, two years earlier (Friday of the week of the Sunday closest to November 9, Year Two), and on relevant comments on Joel 3:9-17 from November 18, 2006 (in the week of the Sunday closest to November 9, Year Two), which were based on comments from November 12, 2004, two years earlier (Friday of the week of the Sunday closest to November 9, Year Two).

Scholars vary considerably in their dating of the Book of Joel, who is simply known as the “son of Pethuel” (Joel 1:1). There were many times throughout the history of Israel when one would hope for the LORD to “restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem” (Joel 3:1), but the phrase suggests some time in the exilic or post-exilic period. Gregory Mobley suggests a rather late date as implied by Joel’s interest in “the Temple at Jerusalem . . . [and] its priesthood and services, his lack of reference to the Assyrians or Babylonians, and “the heavy borrowing from other prophets” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., Introduction to Joel). However, the plague of locusts in which “the prophet discerns the transcendent significance of an ecological catastrophe” (Mobley on 1:2-2:27) could have occurred at any time in Israel’s history, early or late.

Joel’s continuation announces a turning of the tables on Israel’s enemies. “The nations who were cruel toward Israel will be judged” (Richard A. Henshaw, revised by Marvin A. Sweeny, HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Joel 3:1-8). “For then, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations . . . to the valley of Jehoshaphat” (vv. 1-2a). The name “Jehoshaphat” combines the divine name Yahweh and the verb “judge” (shaphat) to mean “Yahweh judges.” Gregory Mobley notes that “it is called ‘the valley of decision [‘ēmeq hechārûts]’ in v. 14 [and] is probably symbolic, though some traditions locate it is the Kidron valley” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Joel 3:2). The nations will be so gathered and judged “on account of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations. They have divided my land, and cast lots for my people, and traded boys for prostitutes, and sold girls for wine, and drunk it down” (v. 2b, 3). The LORD denounces Tyre, Sidon, “and all the regions of Philistia” (v. 4), “For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples” (v. 5). They have trafficked in human beings, that is, “sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, removing them far from their own border” (v. 6). “But now,” says the LORD, “I will turn your deeds back upon your own heads. I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the LORD has spoken” (vv. 7-8). The “Sabeans” were “an important trading and caravan people whose homeland was . . . part of today’s Yemen” (Henshaw and Sweeny, on v. 8).

Joel seems to present a reversal of the vision of the Peaceable Kingdom (Isa. 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-4). “Beat your plowshares into swords, / and your pruning hooks into spears; / let the weakling say, ‘I am a warrior’” (Joel 3:10). He pictures a time when the nations that have oppressed Israel–God’s instruments of judgment upon Israel–will in turn be punished. The LORD challenges the nations to “come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat,” not so much for battle as for judgment, “for there I will sit to judge / all the neighboring nations” (v. 12). As noted above, the name Jehoshaphat means, “the LORD [YHWH] judges.” We can see a glimpse here of what developed into the view of the final judgment of the “nations” (Mt. 25:32). The “sickle” and the “wine press,” instruments of “harvest” (v. 13), represent the bloody violence of war. The picture is of “the holy war between the LORD’s warriors and all the nations round about (compare Ezek. chs. 38-39)” ( R. Lansing Hicks and Walter Brueggemann, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Joel 3:9-12). There are “multitudes” in “the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14), which suggests that the outcome is not yet fully determined. The “valley of decision” (v. 14) is not a call for repentance in a gospel invitation; it’s a “decision” in the sense of a “verdict” in court (cf. John A. Thompson, The Interpreter’s Bible, on Joel 3:14). The images are images of judgment, for “the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining” (v. 15; cf. the noonday darkness when Jesus was crucified, Mt. 27:45; Mk. 15:33; Lk. 23:44-45).

Although “the LORD roars from Zion, / and utters his voice from Jerusalem,” causing “the heavens and the earth [to] shake” (v. 16a, b, c), the focus here is on the enemies and oppressors of Israel . “But the LORD is a refuge for his people, / a stronghold for the people of Israel” (v. 16d, 3). The outcome is God dwelling in Zion, “I, the LORD your God, / dwell in Zion, my holy mountain” and “Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it” (v. 17).. The book of Joel concludes with contrasts between the glorious future of Judah (vv. 17-18, 20) and judgment on her former oppressors, including Egypt and Edom (vv. 19-21).

1 Peter 1:1-12

1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith-being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11 inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things into which angels long to look! (1 Peter 1:1-12, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here with editing and supplement from November 21, 2005 (Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One), and some comparison with the comments of April 24, 2006 (Monday in the week of the Second Sunday of Easter, Year Two):

The salutation in First Peter mentions five Roman Provinces in northern and central Asia Minor. Peter addresses his First Epistle “To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,” an area that covers most of the northern and western parts of Asia Minor (now Turkey). It’s a large area, and it’s not likely that Peter had visited much of it. Paul was prevented from preaching in Asia (Acts 16:6), though he later spent more than two years in Ephesus (Acts 19:10), the leading city of the Roman province of Asia. Paul was also prevented from preaching in Bithynia (Acts 16:7), but directed instead to Macedonia (Acts 16:9).

The term “dispersion” (diaspora) refers in the first place to the Jews who, living outside of the land of Israel proper, were scattered (dispersed) across much of the Roman Empire, but here, and probably in James 1:1 as well, it refers by analogy to scattered Christians. James, who writes “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (Jas. 1:1), likely has Jewish Christians in mind as is indicated by, among other things, his question, “Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?” (Jas. 2:21). But Peter addresses Gentile Christians whom he advises,”do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance” (1 Pet. 1:14), and refers to their being “ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors” (v. 18; cf. also v. 21; 2:1, 9-11 , 25; 4:3, references given by M. Eugene Boring, NOAB, 3^rd ed., Introduction to 1 Peter; cf. David L. Balch, revised by Paul J. Achtemeier, HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on 1 Pet. 1:14, 18).

After the typical salutation, which identifies Peter as the writer and these dispersed believers as the recipients (1 Pet. 1:1), characterizes them as “chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood” (v. 2a), the greeting, “May grace and peace be yours in abundance” (v. 2b), in a way similar to Paul’s greetings, gives a theological turn to the standard Greek greeting, “Greetings” (chairein) as “grace” (charis) and “peace” (eirēnē = shālōm), the Hebrew greeting. Peter follows with a blessing, similar to Paul’s in 2 Corinthians (2 Cor. 1:3-7), often used in place of the “thanksgiving” (cf. 1 Cor. 1:4-9). This portion of the letter establishes rapport with the recipients and indicates the major themes, issues and concerns to be addressed in the letter. Peter describes salvation as he blesses God for the fact that “by his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3, cf. “the subsequent glory,” v. 11). He refers to the believers’ “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (v. 4, cf. 4:13; 5:10). This, he says, is being kept for you “ who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (v. 5). According to Boring, “the present experience has a future consumation” (on v. 5).

Peter mentions their suffering “various trials” (v. 6), which try their faith, but assures them that the testing may “result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (v. 7). “Although you have not seen him [i.e. Jesus Christ], you love him,” says Peter; “and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (vv. 8-9). He suggests that the Hebrew prophets “made careful search and inquiry” about this salvation, that is, “the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours” (v. 10). They were inquiring “about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory” (v. 11). However, “It was revealed to them,” says Peter, “that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things into which angels long to look!” (v. 12). According to Balch and Achtemeier, “Christians understood Israel’s prophets to have been inspired by the Spirit of Christ and to have foretold events in the life of Jesus and in the history of the early church; see Lk. 24:25-27. Such continuity between Israel and the Christian community justified the author’s appropriation of the language of Israel to describe that Christian community” (op. cit., on vv. 10-11).

Matthew 19:1-12

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." 7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?" 8 He said to them, "It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery."

10 His disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." (Matthew 19:1-12, NRSV)

On June 24, 2006 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two), comments were combined with minor revision from June 19, 2004 (Saturday of the week of the Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year Two) in an email sent June 14, 2004, for June 14-20, and from November 21, 2005 (Monday of the week of the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year One). The combined comments are repeated here with editing and supplement. For recent comments on Mark 10:1-16, see the Archive for August 14, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 10, Year One). For recent comments on Luke 9:51-62, see the Archive for May 21, 2007 (Monday in the week of the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year One). Parallel passages for today’s reading are presented in the separate file, Departure for Judea; On Divorce and Celibacy.

The brief account of Jesus’ departure to Judea marks a significant turning point in the story of his ministry. According to the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus’ early ministry took place in Galilee. Although John reports several occasions when Jesus was present in Jerusalem and/or Judea, his primary interest was not in exact chronology. In his later years, John “the beloved disciple” probably reflected more and more on the closing events of Jesus earthly ministry, and spoke mainly about them within what we call the Johannine community. At any rate, Mark tells us that Jesus “left that place [i.e., Capernaum, Mk. 9:33] and went into the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan” (Mk. 10:1a). In Matthew’s account, with Jesus also at Capernaum (Mt. 9:24), Jesus’ fourth major discourse teaches about true greatness and about matters of relationship and order within the church (chap. 10), and the concluding formula, “When Jesus had finished saying these things” (11:1a), leads to the same report of departure: “he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan” (v. 1b). Luke, who tells us at this point that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51), begins his report of an extensive “travel narrative” (9:51-18:27 [30?]), in which he includes much of the teaching of Jesus that Matthew groups topically into major discourses, and most of the parables that are found only in Luke’s Gospel. We may also note that in John’s Gospel, Jesus goes to Jerusalem from Galilee in chapter 7, and is not found in Galilee again until chapter 21 after the resurrection.

In all of the Gospels, Jesus continues to teach the disciples at this time. According to Matthew and Mark, he is presented with a test question by some Pharisees. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” they ask (Mt. 19:3). Mark reports the same question, but omits the words “for any cause,” which anticipates the categorical prohibition of Jesus as reported by Mark (Mk. 10:9, 11, 12; cf. Lk. 16:18). As the discussion continues, Jesus cites Genesis 1:27, but the Pharisees cite Deut. 24:1. Matthew’s version of this teaching (cf. Mk. 10:1-12) is notable for the “exception clause,” “except for unchastity” (Mt. 19:9). When one remembers that Mark and Luke give accounts of this teaching of Jesus which make no exceptions for the prohibition of divorce (see above), the exception stated here, “except for unchastity” (Mt. 19:9) raises a question. William Barclay, who says, “We think there is little doubt that the version of Mark and Luke is right,” is quick to add:

There is little doubt that here we have Jesus laying down the principle—mark again, not, the law—that the ideal of marriage is a union which cannot be broken. There is much more to be said—but here the ideal, as God meant it, is laid down, and Matthew’s saving clause is a later interpretation inserted in the light of the practice of the Church when he wrote. (The Gospel of Matthew, The Daily Study Bible, vol. II, rev. ed., 1978, p. 202 on Mt. 19:1-9)

In a later comparison with the law of the Sabbath (p. 208), Barclay explains what he means by “principle” and “law.”

A principle can never be quoted as a final law; a principle must always be applied to the individual situation. We cannot therefore settle the question of divorce simply by quoting the words of Jesus. That would be legalism; we must take the words of Jesus as a principle to apply to the individual cases as they meet us. (Ibid., pp. 208-209)

Barclay goes on to describe imperfect marriage relationships in which one person dominates or two persons compete “in a kind of armed neutrality,” but he adds that “The ideal is that in the marriage state two people find the completing of their personalities” (p. 203). He has more to add, but sums it up as follows:

The true basis of marriage is not complicated and recondite—it is simply the love which thinks more of the happiness of others than it thinks of its own, the love which is proud to serve, which is able to understand, and therefore always able to forgive. That is to say, it is the Christlike love, which knows that in forgetting self it will find self, and that in losing itself it will complete itself” (p. 203).

Barclay’s full treatment of this passage (Mt. 19:1-12) runs to fifteen pages; I have only quoted a few pointers for those who may be interested. Sincere Christians differ on how to apply this teaching. We would do well to consider the best interests of the persons involved.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net