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Joel & Obadiah: Disaster And Deliverance
Disaster and Deliverance , these two words sum up something of the message of both Joel and Obadiah. In Joel, the prophet begins by announcing a disaster in terms of a locust invasion, which has affected Judah. This, however, is but the pretext for warning of an even greater disaster on the horizon for Judah. Nevertheless, the prophet holds out the prospect of deliverance. In the case of Obadiah, the focus is on Edom. Edom's pride and longstanding hostility against the people of God has led her to be party to an attack upon them, and as a result, she is threatened with disaster. The people of God, meanwhile, are assured of better things at the hand of the LORD.
These two prophets and their message of disaster and deliverance will both challenge and reassure all who have ears to hear.
These two prophets and their message of disaster and deliverance will both challenge and reassure all who have ears to hear.
128 pages, Paperback
Published November 20, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 25, 2022
Not many good commentaries on Joel & Obadiah. This was helpful in getting to the meaning, but a bit more limited in application.
January 12, 2016
When was the last time you read either Joel or Obadiah? Admittedly in my own Bible reading, these two books have largely been ignored outside perhaps of times when Joel was referred to when studying matters of eschatology. These two small yet important books found in the Minor Prophets section of the Old Testament are rich in imagery of God’s judgment on His people and the wicked for disobedience as well as providing a note of redemption should both parties return to their Creator. In his commentary on these two prophetic books called Joel & Obadiah: Disaster and Deliverance, Iwan Rhys Jones provides valuable insight into how to best understand the message God declared through these prophets.
Most commentaries are not meant to be read like a traditional book. After all, commentaries are traditionally more of a resource one refers to when needed in order to understand a portion of Scripture. There is nothing wrong with that given this is the norm for such a tool. With that said, Jones’ commentary is much different than what one experiences with the larger commentary series. His focus is not on expounding on every nuance of history, language, or theology although all those areas are addressed. Instead, his approach is on providing the reader with a readable and highly understandable walk through these books with the focus being on noting the overarching message, what it meant to the original hearers, and a short yet impactful series of questions at the end of each section to drive home in a personal way the truth of each prophetic book in our lives today.
To be quite honest, I sat down and read this commentary cover to cover in a matter of a couple of hours. This is due not solely to it being a somewhat short book but also due to the fact I found the commentary and insight provided by Jones’ to be salient, well stated, highly informative, and as mentioned before very readable while maintaining a necessary element of a scholarly approach.
Joel and Obadiah are two very fascinating books that should not be overlooked. If you are in the market for a commentary on either book, I highly recommend Jones’ effort for its simplistic profundity. It is a resource I know I will find useful in years to come and it will serve both the seasoned theologian and the layman well in their personal Bible study endeavors.
I received this book for free from Christian Focus Publications and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Most commentaries are not meant to be read like a traditional book. After all, commentaries are traditionally more of a resource one refers to when needed in order to understand a portion of Scripture. There is nothing wrong with that given this is the norm for such a tool. With that said, Jones’ commentary is much different than what one experiences with the larger commentary series. His focus is not on expounding on every nuance of history, language, or theology although all those areas are addressed. Instead, his approach is on providing the reader with a readable and highly understandable walk through these books with the focus being on noting the overarching message, what it meant to the original hearers, and a short yet impactful series of questions at the end of each section to drive home in a personal way the truth of each prophetic book in our lives today.
To be quite honest, I sat down and read this commentary cover to cover in a matter of a couple of hours. This is due not solely to it being a somewhat short book but also due to the fact I found the commentary and insight provided by Jones’ to be salient, well stated, highly informative, and as mentioned before very readable while maintaining a necessary element of a scholarly approach.
Joel and Obadiah are two very fascinating books that should not be overlooked. If you are in the market for a commentary on either book, I highly recommend Jones’ effort for its simplistic profundity. It is a resource I know I will find useful in years to come and it will serve both the seasoned theologian and the layman well in their personal Bible study endeavors.
I received this book for free from Christian Focus Publications and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews