joel 2:12-14. but, what is true repentance? rend your hearts many have the idea that true...

Joel 2:12-14

But, what is true repentance?

Rend Your HeartsRend Your Hearts

Many have the idea that true repentance is being sorry for one’s sin.



One must be sorry for his sins.



One must be sorry for his sins.› “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads

to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor 7:10, ESV).



One must be sorry for his sins.› “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads

to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor 7:10, ESV).

› Godly sorrow is sorrow that God’s will has been violated, not that one has been caught.



One must be sorry for his sins. True repentance begins with godly sorrow

& ends with a change of behavior.




& ends with a change of behavior.› “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Mt

3:8, ESV).




& ends with a change of behavior.› “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Mt

3:8, ESV).› The fruit of repentance is a changed life, a life

which no longer lives in sin.

Joel 2:12-14

vv 12-13a


“‘Yet even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’”


Joel depicts a horrible plague of locusts that has come upon the Israelites.


Joel depicts a horrible plague of locusts that has come upon the Israelites.› “What the cutting locust left, the swarming

locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten” (1:4, ESV).




› “It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white” (1:7, ESV).




› “It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white” (1:7, ESV).

The call to repent here comes from a great catastrophe.


The Lord encourages the Israelites to return to him “now.”


The Lord encourages the Israelites to return to him “now.”› The Israelites couldn’t wait for repentance.



God’s punishment was on them & they needed to act quickly.




› We, too, cannot wait to repent.




› We, too, cannot wait to repent. Joshua: “Choose this day whom you will serve”

(Josh 24:15, ESV).




› We, too, cannot wait to repent. Joshua: “Choose this day whom you will serve”

(Josh 24:15, ESV). “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your

hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness” (Heb 3:7-8, ESV).


The Lord wants the Israelites to turn to him with all their heart.


The Lord wants the Israelites to turn to him with all their heart.› God will not accept half-hearted repentance.


The Lord wants the Israelites to turn to him with all their heart.› God will not accept half-hearted repentance.› God wants our entire lives to be under his

control.


The Israelites were to turn to God with fasting, weeping, & mourning.


The Israelites were to turn to God with fasting, weeping, & mourning.› Fasting, weeping, & mourning were common

ways to show contrition in Joel’s day.



ways to show contrition in Joel’s day.› In times of crisis, the Israelites fasted.




When Saul & Jonathan were killed, Israel fasted (2 Sm 1:12).




When Saul & Jonathan were killed, Israel fasted (2 Sm 1:12).

When the son born to David & Bathsheba became ill, David fasted & prayed (2 Sm 12:16).



ways to show contrition in Joel’s day.› In times of crisis, the Israelites fasted.› The people were also to weep.



ways to show contrition in Joel’s day.› In times of crisis, the Israelites fasted.› The people were also to weep; sin often brings

about weeping.




about weeping. Because Moab had sinned against God, God was

going to judge them & everyone wailed & melted in tears (Is 15:3).




about weeping. Because Moab had sinned against God, God was

going to judge them & everyone wailed & melted in tears (Is 15:3).

Because Israel had forgotten God, weeping & weeping could be heard in the heights (Jer 3:21).




about weeping.› The people were to mourn.





The Heb term used here means to wail.





The Heb term used here means to wail. This term commonly referred to the type of

activity at a funeral.


The Israelites needed to rend their hearts, not their garments.


The Israelites needed to rend their hearts, not their garments.› One common feature of ancient mourning was

the tearing of garments.



the tearing of garments.› But, the people needed to tear their hearts,

not their clothing.




not their clothing. The rending of the heart symbolizes true

contrition & remorse.




not their clothing. The rending of the heart symbolizes true

contrition & remorse. God does not despise a broken & contrite heart

(Ps 51:17).


The people needed to return to the Lord their God.


The people needed to return to the Lord their God.› The fact that they are told to return to the Lord

demonstrates that they had a previous relationship with God.



demonstrates that they had a previous relationship with God. BUT, THEY HAD LEFT GOD.




› We, too, can leave God.




› We, too, can leave God. “You are severed from Christ, you who would be

justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (Gal 5:4, ESV).




› We, too, can leave God. Gal 5:4.




› We, too, can leave God. Gal 5:4. “My righteous one shall live by faith, and if he

shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:38, ESV).




› We, too, can leave God. Gal 5:4. Heb 10:38. The Ephesian church had left their first love (Rv

2:4).


God calls people to repentance.


God calls people to repentance.› “Repent . . . and turn again, that your sins may

be blotted out” (Acts 3:19, ESV).


God calls people to repentance.› “Repent . . . and turn again, that your sins may

be blotted out” (Acts 3:19, ESV).› “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but

now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30, ESV).


“Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster” (v 13b, ESV).


God is gracious & merciful.


God is gracious & merciful.› God shows great grace to those who are his.



“The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withholdfrom those who walk uprightly” (Ps 84:11, ESV).




“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rm 5:20, ESV).




“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rm 5:20, ESV).

“The grace of our Lord overflowed for [Paul] with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Tm 1:14, ESV).


God is gracious & merciful.› God shows great grace to those who are his.› God also demonstrates great mercy to his

children.



children. The Hebrew root behind “merciful” is related to

the word for “womb.”




the word for “womb.” The idea seems to be motherly love.





“For you, O LORD, are good and forgiving,abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you” (Ps 86:5, ESV).





“For you, O LORD, are good and forgiving,abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you” (Ps 86:5, ESV).

“Your steadfast love is great above the heavens;your faithfulness reaches to the clouds” (Ps 108:4, ESV).


God is slow to anger.


God is slow to anger. God shows great kindness.



› In Hebrew, “great kindness” refers to God’s love.




› Our God is a God of love.




› Our God is a God of love. “So we have come to know and to believe the

love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn 4:16, ESV).




› Our God is a God of love. “So we have come to know and to believe the

love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn 4:16, ESV).

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 Jn 3:1, ESV).


The Lord relents from doing harm.


The Lord relents from doing harm.› When the Israelites made the golden calf, God

planned on destroying them, but he relented after Moses’ intercession (Ex 32).


The Lord relents from doing harm.› When the Israelites made the golden calf, God

planned on destroying them, but he relented after Moses’ intercession (Ex 32).

› When Nineveh repented, the Lord relented of the disaster he planned on bringing upon them.


“Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him,a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?” (v 14, ESV).


“Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him,a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?” (v 14, ESV).› The locusts had so destroyed the fields in

Palestine that there wasn’t anything left to offer God (1:9).


“Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him,a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?” (v 14, ESV).› The locusts had so destroyed the fields in

Palestine that there wasn’t anything left to offer God (1:9).

› The leaving behind of a grain & drink offering would demonstrate that the plague was over.


Just as God would bless the Israelites if they returned to him, he will bless us if we return to him.

Why not turn to him now?

joel 2:12-14. but, what is true repentance? rend your hearts many have the idea that true...

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