Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: December 19 (Joel 1–3; Psalm 139; 1 John 1–2)
Date: December 19, 2025

Main Theme

This episode presents readings from Joel 1–3, Psalm 139, and 1 John 1–2, weaving together prophecies of judgment and hope from the Old Testament, a moving meditation on God’s intimate knowledge and care for individuals in the Psalms, and fundamental New Testament truths about light, fellowship, and abiding in Christ. Each segment draws listeners into deeper reflection on God’s character, His justice, mercy, and the call for faithfulness.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Joel 1–3: Judgment, Repentance, and Restoration

[00:01 – 09:50]

• Locust Plague & National Crisis

  • Joel begins with a vivid description of a devastating plague of locusts as an image for severe judgment.
  • Repeated phrases reinforce the completeness of the destruction:
    • “What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten…” (00:09–00:17)
  • The destruction affects all—crops, livestock, priests, and everyday people. Lament and mourning are called for.

• Day of the Lord

  • The locust plague foreshadows “the day of the Lord”: a future, terrifying event of divine judgment and reckoning.
  • Vivid imagery of armies, darkness, fire, and cosmic trembling:
    • “The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble, the sun and the moon are darkened…” (02:40–02:52)

• Call to Repentance and Promise of Restoration

  • Despite the coming judgment, God’s mercy remains accessible:
    • “Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping... rend your hearts and not your garments.” (02:54–03:04)
  • Assurance of restoration and blessings for those who return to God:
    • “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” (03:42–03:46)

• Promise of the Spirit

  • Forward-looking promise that God will “pour out my spirit on all flesh”; all can receive God’s presence and power:
    • “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions…” (04:08–04:15)
    • "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (04:29)

• Judgment of Nations and Hope for Israel

  • God promises He will judge nations for their treatment of Israel and redeem His people, culminating in ultimate restoration:
    • “But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.” (08:34–08:37)
  • Vivid visions of future blessing:
    • “In that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk…” (09:21–09:25)
  • “For the Lord dwells in Zion.” (09:46)

2. Psalm 139: God’s Intimate Knowledge and Presence

[09:50 – 11:50]

• God’s Omniscience & Omnipresence

  • The psalmist marvels at God’s detailed knowledge:
    • “O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” (09:50–09:58)
  • God’s presence is inescapable—whether in heaven, Sheol, or the farthest sea.
    • “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (10:14–10:17)

• Wonderful Creation

  • The beauty of God’s creative handiwork in each life:
    • “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (10:42–10:52)

• God’s Sovereign Plan

  • Every day is written in God’s book:
    • “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written… the days that were formed for me…” (11:01–11:06)
  • The psalmist invites God to examine his heart and lead him:
    • “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! … Lead me in the way everlasting!” (11:43–11:50)

3. 1 John 1–2: Walking in the Light and Abiding in Christ

[11:50 – End]

• Testimony to Jesus Christ—the Word of Life

  • Emphasis on the eyewitness reality of Jesus:
    • “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life…” (11:53–12:01)

• God is Light: The Call to Walk in the Light

  • God’s nature and human response:
    • “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (12:09)
  • The demand for integrity:
    • “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth…” (12:10–12:14)
  • Importance of confession:
    • “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (12:33–12:41)

• Jesus as Advocate and Propitiation

  • For those who sin, hope and advocacy:
    • “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins…” (13:10–13:16)

• Knowing God, Keeping His Commandments

  • “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (13:20–13:26)
  • The necessity of loving others:
    • “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light…” (13:45–13:50)

• Warnings Against Worldliness

  • Distinction between love for God and love for the world:
    • “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (14:40–14:46)

• Warning Regarding Antichrists and Abiding in Truth

  • “Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.” (15:35–15:41)
  • The call to abide:
    • “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you… And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.” (15:53–16:00)
  • Encouragement to stand firm in righteousness and confidence at Christ’s coming.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Compassion in Joel:
  • “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…” (03:05–03:09)
• On God’s Restorative Power:
  • “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” (03:42–03:44)
• On the Universality of Salvation:
  • “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (04:29)
• On God’s Intimacy:
  • “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me…” (10:06–10:12)
• On Identity and Purpose:
  • “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (10:52)
• On Confession:
  • “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us… and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (12:33–12:41)
• On the Nature of Authentic Faith:
  • “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (13:28–13:32)
• On Love and Light:
  • “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.” (13:50–13:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Joel 1–3 (Prophecy & Restoration): 00:01–09:50
• Psalm 139 (God’s Intimate Knowledge): 09:50–11:50
• 1 John 1–2 (Light & Fellowship): 11:50–end

Tone and Style

The readings are reverent, vivid, and emotionally powerful, with direct appeals for repentance and faithfulness. There’s a persistent theme of God’s both holy severity and deep, persistent mercy. The tone is urgent yet hopeful—calling listeners to view their own lives in the light of eternity and the character of God.

For Listeners

This episode is an immersive encounter with God’s Word—moving from the devastation of sin and judgment in Joel to the wonder of personal creation and knowledge in the Psalm, and finally, the assurance of forgiveness, new life, and light in Christ from 1 John. It’s an invitation to awe, repentance, and transformation anchored in God’s love, knowledge, and faithfulness.