What is the meaning of Joel 3:6? You sold - God confronts the nations around Judah (cf. Joel 3:4) for treating His people as merchandise, a grave violation of His covenant promise: “They cast lots for My people” (Joel 3:3). - Selling a human being as property is condemned throughout Scripture; compare Amos 2:6, where Israel’s own leaders are rebuked for having “sold the righteous for silver.” - The Lord underscores His ownership of His people (Isaiah 43:1), so any attempt to traffic them is a direct affront to Him. the people of Judah and Jerusalem - This phrase identifies the covenant community—those living in the southern kingdom, anchored by the holy city, Jerusalem (cf. Zechariah 2:8). - Their unique status: • Chosen by God (Deuteronomy 7:6) • Custodians of the Temple (1 Kings 9:3) • Recipients of messianic promises (Micah 5:2) - Harming Judah is equated with touching “the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8), ensuring divine response. to the Greeks - The offenders (Tyre, Sidon, Philistia; Joel 3:4) ship captives westward, likely through established Mediterranean trade routes (Ezekiel 27:13). - “Greeks” (literally, “Yavan”) points to coastal Ionia and the wider Hellenic world, foreshadowing later interactions (Daniel 8:21). - The transaction highlights: • Profiteering over people (Obadiah 11) • Alliance with pagan powers against God’s plan (Psalm 83:5–8) to send them far from their homeland - Distance compounds the cruelty—removal from the Promised Land severed worship at the Temple (Psalm 137:1–4). - Exile fulfilled covenant warnings: “The LORD will drive you to a nation unknown to you” (Deuteronomy 28:36, 64). - God, however, pledges reversal: “I will bring Judah and Jerusalem back from captivity” (Joel 3:1), echoing earlier rescues (Jeremiah 30:10). summary Joel 3:6 records a historical injustice—Judah’s neighbors selling God’s people to distant Greeks. The verse underscores the sanctity of God’s covenant community, exposes the sin of human trafficking for profit, and anticipates divine restitution. What men meant for oppression, the Lord promises to judge and ultimately overturn, vindicating His people and His name. |
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