I call upon You, Lord, God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob and Israel, You who are the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God who, through the abundance of your mercy, was well-pleased towards us so that we may know You, who made heaven and earth, who rules over all, You who are the one and the true God, above whom there is no other God; You who, by our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, give to every one who reads this writing to know You, that You alone are God, to be strengthened in You, and to avoid every heretical and godless and impious teaching.

St Irenaeus of Lyons, Against the Heresies 3:6:4


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Reading Joel...and the Rest of Scripture



I’ve recently been thinking about the universal judgment in Joel, which is promised from YHWH, and is to take place at "The valley of Jehoshaphat" ('the LORD is judge,' 3:12) or the "valley of decision" (3:14).

If one accepts the traditional idea that this is the Kidron valley (or “holler,” here in the South :), then one's mind is immediately carried backwards to David's journey across the valley, up the Mt. of Olives, to his Gesthemane-crisis-decision with his band of three closest followers (2 Sam. 15:23-33); and, it takes one forward to Jesus' journey through the same route, with his three closest followers, wherein YHWH did in fact execute judgment on his people from all nations (Jn. 18:1; Lk 22:39—46; cf. Mt 26:36—46; Mk 14:32f,), and where they both committed themselves to the will of God.

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