The Book of the Twelve for Lent - Joel (1)
The Book of the Twelve for Lent 2016 Divine Parenting - Joel (1) Lent 6 In the construction of the Book of the Twelve Joel sits between Hosea and Amos, serving as a kind of bridge from the one to the other and introducing a major note, “the Day of the Lord,” not present in Hosea. Rendtorff calls Joel “a sort of collection of texts about the ‘Day of the Lord’” ( The Canonical Hebrew Bible, 277). It also includes an account of the national repentance of the people that is now used in many Ash Wednesday services to kick off Lent (1:12; 2:15-17). The end of Hosea (14:8-9) counsels wisdom so the people can clearly understand why their relationship with their God has been so rocky. In Hosea the answer is unambiguous: spiritual adultery/I-dolatry. Apparently such wisdom has not been heeded. Joel begins with the people under assault from a massive army of locusts....