Day Six – January 3, 2020

Read: Joel 2:28-29 God’s Spirit Poured Out

Biblical scholars typically talk about the Major and the Minor Prophets.  The Major Prophets were Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel.  They are called “major” because of their longer length.  The Minor Prophets were Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.  The Minor Prophets were recorded on one, single scroll.

 

Want to know more about the Prophets?  Check out this video The Bible Project – Prophets

 

Very little is known about the prophet Joel.  The book of Joel is dated sometime between 800-300 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era). 

 

Joel tells of a powerful religious revival in which men and women shall prophesy.  There were some women prophets mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures: Deborah in Judges 4:4, Hulda in 2 Kings 22:14, Noadiah in Nehemiah 6:14, and the unnamed prophetess in Isaiah 8:3 who was probably Isaiah’s wife.  Were there more women prophets whose stories are not recorded in Scripture?  Probably.

 

Joel talks about prophets who were slaves, which would have been even more rare.  In that culture the office of prophet had social and religious authority. 

 

There is a powerful picture of inclusion here: men and women, young and old, slave and free.  This is a new world in which differences no longer divide.    All of this is because of an outpouring of God’s Spirit.

 

Questions for reflection and prayer:

Music:

Hymn: For All the Faithful Women

Prayer Focus:

Pray for modern day prophets.

 

 

Grace and peace,
Pastor Karen Bruins