Joel 2:12
Verse
Context
Return with All Your Heart
11The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it? 12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
Sermons
Mark Greening
Richard Owen Roberts
Compilations
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Wesley DuewelCompilationsMichael HowardSummary
Commentary
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
But there is still time to avert the completion of the judgment by sincere repentance and mourning; for God is merciful, and ready to forgive the penitent. Joe 2:12. "Yet even now, is the saying of Jehovah, turn ye to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Joe 2:13. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn back to Jehovah your God; for He is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and great in kindness, and suffers Himself to repent of the evil. Joe 2:14. Who knoweth He turns and repents, and leaves behind Him blessing, meat-offering and drink-offering for Jehovah your God?" As the plague of locusts was intended to bring the people to reflect upon their conduct towards the Lord, so was the announcement of the great day of judgment and all its terrors made with no other object than to produce repentance and conversion, and thereby promote the good of the people of God. Joel therefore appends to the threatening of judgment a summons to sincere conversion to the Lord; and this he does by first of all addressing the summons to the people as a saying of Jehovah (v. 12), and then explaining this word of God in the most emphatic manner (vv. 13, 14). The Lord God requires conversion to Himself with all the heart (cf. Sa1 7:3, and Deu 6:5; and for שׂוּב עד, Hos 14:2), associated with deep-rooted penitence on account of sin, which is to be outwardly manifested in fasting and mourning. But lest the people should content themselves with the outward signs of mourning, he proceeds in Joe 2:13 with the warning admonition, "Rend your heart, and not your garments." Rending the heart signifies contrition of heart (cf. Psa 51:19; Eze 36:26). He then assigns the motive for this demand, by pointing to the mercy and grace of God, in the words of Exo 34:6, with which the Lord made known to Moses His inmost nature, except that in the place of ואמת, which we find in this passage, he adds, on the ground of the facts recorded in Eze 32:14 and Sa2 24:16, ונחם על הרעה. On the strength of these facts he hopes, even in the present instance, for forgiveness on the part of God, and the removal of the judgment. "Who knoweth?" equivalent to "perhaps;" not because "too confident a hope would have had in it something offensive to Jehovah" (Hitzig), but "lest perchance they might either despair on account of the magnitude of their crimes, or the greatness of the divine clemency might make them careless" (Jerome). (Note: "He speaks after the manner of a terrified conscience, which is lifted up again with difficulty after a season of affliction, and begins to aspire after hope and the mercy of God. Moreover, the expression 'who knoweth' is a Hebrew phrase, which does not indicate doubt, but rather affirmation, coupled with desire, as if we were to say, 'And yet surely God will turn again.'" - Luther, Enarrat. in Joelem, Opp., Jena 1703, p. iii.) ישׁוּב, to turn, sc. from coming to judgment. נהם as in Joe 2:13. השׁאיר אחריו, to leave behind Him, sc. when He returns to His throne in heaven (Hos 5:15). Berâkhâh, a blessing, viz., harvest-produce for a meat-offering and drink-offering, which had been destroyed by the locusts (Joe 1:9, Joe 1:13).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
With such judgments impending over the Jews, Jehovah Himself urges them to repentance. also now--Even now, what none could have hoped or believed possible, God still invites you to the hope of salvation. fasting . . . weeping . . . mourning--Their sin being most heinous needs extraordinary humiliation. The outward marks of repentance are to signify the depth of their sorrow for sin.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Therefore also now, saith the Lord,.... Before this terrible and intolerable day, which is near at hand, comes; before these judgments and calamities threatened take place, though just at hand; serious repentance is never too late, now is the accepted time; see Luk 19:42; turn ye even to me with all your heart; against whom they had sinned, and who had prepared his army against them, and was at the head of it, just ready to give the orders, and play his artillery upon them; and yet suggests, that even now, that if they turned to the Lord by true repentance, not, feignedly and hypocritically, but cordially and sincerely, with true hearts, and with their whole hearts, he was ready to receive and forgive them. The Targum is, "turn ye to my worship with all your heart:'' and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; external signs of inward grief and sorrow, testifying their hearty return to the Lord; which, though, without the heart, signify nothing, yet should be shown where hearty repentance is, for the honour and glory of God.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
We have here an earnest exhortation to repentance, inferred from that desolating judgment described and threatened in the foregoing verses: Therefore now turn you to the Lord. 1. "Thus you must answer the end and intention of the judgment; for it was sent for this end, to convince you of your sins, to humble you for them, to reduce you to your right minds and to your allegiance." God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to repentance and so bring us to himself. 2. "Thus you may stay the progress of the judgment. Things are bad with you, but thus you may prevent their growing worse; nay, if you take this course, they will soon grow better." Here is a gracious invitation, I. To a personal repentance, exercised in the soul, every family apart, and their wives apart, Zac 12:12. When the judgments of God are abroad, each person is concerned to contribute his quota to the common supplications, having contributed to the common guilt. Every one must mend one and mourn for one, and then we should all be mended and all found among God's mourners. Observe, 1. What we are here called to, which will teach us what it is to repent, for it is the same that the Lord our God still requires of us, we having all made work for repentance. (1.) We must be truly humbled for our sins, must be sorry we have by sin offended God, and ashamed we have by sin wronged ourselves, both wronged our judgments and wronged our interests. There must be outward expressions of sorrow and shame, fasting, and weeping, and mourning; tears for the sin that procured it. But what will the outward expressions of sorrow avail if the inward impressions be not agreeable, and not only accompany them, but be the root and spring of them, and give rise to them? And therefore it follows, Rend your heart, and not your garments; not but that, according to the custom of that age, it was proper for them to rend their garments, in token of great grief for their sins and a holy indignation against themselves for their folly; but, "Rest not in the doing of that, as if that were sufficient, but be more in care to accommodate your spirits than to accommodate your dress to a day of fasting and humiliation; nay, rend not your garments at all, unless withal you rend your hearts, for the sign without the thing signified is but a jest and a mockery, and an affront to God." Rending the heart is that which God looks for and requires; that is the broken and contrite heart which he will not despise, Psa 51:17. When we are greatly grieved in soul for sin, so that it even cuts us to the heart to think how we have dishonoured God and disparaged ourselves by it, when we conceive an aversion to sin, and earnestly desire and endeavor to get clear of the principles of it and never to return to the practice of it, then we rend our hearts for it, and then will God rend the heavens and come down to us with mercy. (2.) We must be thoroughly converted to our God, and come home to him when we fall out with sin. Turn you even to me, said the Lord (Joe 2:12), and again (Joe 2:13), Turn unto the Lord your God. Our fasting and weeping are worth nothing if we do not with them turn to God as our God. When we are fully convinced that it is our duty and interest to keep in with him, and are heartily sorry we have ever turned the back upon him, and thereupon, by a firm and fixed resolution, make his glory our end, his will our rule, and his favour our felicity, then we return to the Lord our God, and this we are all commanded and invited to do, and to do it quickly. 2. What arguments are here used to persuade this people thus to turn to the Lord, and to turn to him with all their hearts. When the heart is rent for sin, and rent from it, then it is prepared to turn entirely to God, and to be devoted entirely to him, and he will have it all or none. Now, to bring ourselves to this, let us consider, (1.) We are sure that he is, in general, a good God. We must turn to the Lord our God, not only because he has been just and righteous in punishing us for our sins, the fear of which should drive us to him, but because he is gracious and merciful, in receiving upon us our repentance, the hope of which should draw us to him. He is gracious and merciful, delights not in the death of sinners, but desires that they may turn and live. He is slow to anger against those that offend him, but of great kindness towards those that desire to please him. These very expressions are used in God's proclamation of his name when he caused his goodness, and with it all his glory, to pass before Moses, Exo 34:6, Exo 34:7. He repents him of the evil, not that he changes his mind, but, when the sinner's mind is changed, God's way towards him is changed; the sentence is reversed, and the curse of the law is taken off. Note, That is genuine, ingenuous, and evangelical repentance, which arises from a firm belief of the mercy of God, which we have sinned against, and yet are not in despair. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The goodness of God, if it be rightly understood, instead of emboldening us to go on in sin, will be the most powerful inducement to repentance, Psa 130:4. The act of indemnity brings those to God whom the act of attainder frightened from him. (2.) We have reason to hope that he will, upon our repentance, give us that good which by sin we have forfeited and deprived ourselves of (Joe 2:14), that he will return and repent, that he will not proceed against us as he has done, but will act in favour of us. Therefore let us repent of our sins against him, and return to him in a way of duty, because then we may hope that he will repent of his judgments against us and return to us in a way of mercy. Now observe, [1.] The manner of expectation is very humble and modest: Who knows if he will? Some think it is expressed thus doubtfully to check the presumption and security of the people, and to quicken them to a holy carefulness and liveliness in their repentance, as Jos 24:19. Or, rather, it is expressed doubtfully because it is the removal of a temporal judgment that they here promise themselves, of which we cannot be so confident as we can that, in general, God is gracious and merciful. There is no question at all to be made but that if we truly repent of our sins God will forgive them, and be reconciled to us; but whether he will remove this or the other affliction which we are under may well be questioned, and yet the probability of it should encourage us to repent. Promises of temporal good things are often made with a peradventure. It may be, you shall be hid, Zep 2:3. David's sin is pardoned, and yet the child shall die, and, when David prayed for its life, he said, as here, Who can tell whether God will begracious to me in this matter likewise? Sa2 12:22. The Ninevites repented and reformed upon such a consideration as this, Jon 3:9. [2.] The matter of expectation is very pious. They hope God will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, not as if he were about to go from them, and they could be content with any blessing in lieu of his presence, but behind him, that is, "After he has ceased his controversy with us, he will bestow a blessing upon us;" and what is it? It is a meat-offering and a drink-offering to the Lord our God. The fruits of the earth are called a blessing (Isa 45:8) because they depend upon God's blessing and are necessary blessings to us. They had been deprived of these, and that which grieved them most while they were so was that God's altar was deprived of its offerings and God's priests of their maintenance; that therefore which they comfort themselves with the prospect of in their return of plenty is that then there shall be meat-offerings and drink-offerings in abundance brought to God's altar, which they more desired than to see the wonted abundance of meat and drink brought to their own tables. Thus when Hezekiah was in hopes that he should recover of his sickness he asked, What is the sign that I shall go up, not to the thrones of judgment, or to the councilboard, but to the house of the Lord? Isa 38:22. Note, The plentiful enjoyment of God's ordinances in their power and purity is the most valuable instance of a nation's prosperity and the greatest blessing that can be desired. If God give the blessing of meat-offering and the drink-offering, that will bring along with it other blessings, will sanctify them, sweeten them, and secure them. II. They are here called to a public national repentance, to be exercised in the solemn assembly, as a national act, for the glory of God and the excitement of one another, and that the neighbouring nations might know and observe what it was that qualified them for God's gracious returns in mercy to them, which they would be the admiring witnesses of. Let us see here, 1. How the congregation must be called together, Joe 2:15, Joe 2:16. The trumpet was blown (Joe 2:1), to sound an alarm of war; but now it must be blown in order to a treaty of peace. God is willing to show mercy to his people if he do but find them in a frame fit for it; and therefore, Call them together; sanctify a fast. By the law many annual feasts were appointed, but only one day in the year was to be observed as a fast, the day of atonement, a day to afflict the soul; and, if they had kept close to God and their duty, there would have been no occasion to observe any more; but now that they had by sin brought the judgments of God upon them they are often called to fasting. What was said Joe 1:14 is here repeated: "Call a solemn assembly; gather the people (press them to come together upon this errand); sanctify the congregation; appoint a time for solemn preparation beforehand and put them in mind to prepare themselves. Let not the greatest be excused, but assemble the elders, the judges and magistrates. Let not the meanest be passed by, but gather the children, and those that suck the breasts." It is good to bring little children, as soon as they are capable of understanding any thing, to religious assemblies, that they may be trained up betimes in the way wherein they should go; but these were brought even when they were at the breast and were kept fasting, that by their cries for the breast the hearts of the parents might be moved to repent of sin, which God might justly so visit upon their children that the tongue of the sucking child might cleave to the roof of his mouth (Lam 4:4), and that on them God might have compassion, as he had on the infants of Nineveh, Jon 4:11. New-married people must not be exempted: Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet; let them not take state upon them as usual, not put on their ornaments, nor indulge themselves in mirth, but address themselves to the duties of the public fast with as much gravity and sadness as any of their neighbours. Note, Private joys must always give way to public sorrows, both those for affliction and those for sin. 2. How the work of the day must be carried on, Joe 2:17. (1.) The priests, the Lord's ministers, must preside in the congregation, and be God's mouth to the people, and theirs to God; who should stand in the gap to turn away the wrath of God but those whose business it was to make intercession upon ordinary occasions? (2.) They must officiate between the porch and the altar. There they used to attend about the sacrifices, and therefore now that they have no sacrifices to offer, or next to none, there they must offer up spiritual sacrifices. There the people must see them weeping and wrestling, like their father Jacob, and be helped into the same devout frame. Ministers must themselves be affected with those things wherewith they desire to affect others. It was between the porch and the altar that Zechariah the son of Jehoiada was put to death for his faithfulness; that precious blood God would require at their hands, and therefore, to turn away the judgment threatened for it, there they must weep. (3.) They must pray. Words here are put into their mouths, which they might in their prayers enlarge upon. Their petition must be, Spare thy people, O Lord! God's people, when they are in distress, can expect no relief against God's justice but what comes from his mercy. They cannot say, Lord, right us, but, Lord, spare us. We deserve the correction; we need it; but, Lord, mitigate it. The sinner's supplication is, Spare us, good Lord. Their plea must be taken from the relation wherein they stand to God ("They are thy people, and thy heritage, therefore have compassion on them"), but especially from the concern of God's glory in their trouble - "Lord, give not thy heritage to reproach, to the reproach of famine; let not the land of Canaan, that has so long been celebrated as the glory of all lands, now be made the scorn of all lands; let not the heathen rule over them, as they will easily do when thy heritage is thus impoverished and disabled to subsist. Let not the heathen make them a proverb, or a by-word" (so some read it); "let it never be said, As poor and beggarly as an Israelite." Note, The maintaining of the credit of the nation among its neighbours is a blessing to be desired and prayed for by all that wish well to it. But that reproach of the church is especially to be dreaded and deprecated which reflects upon God: "Let them not say among the people, Where is their God - that God who has promised to help them, whom they have boasted so much of and put such a confidence in?" If God's heritage be destroyed, the neighbours will say, "God was either weak and could not relieve them or unkind and would not." Deu 32:37, Where are now their gods in whom they trusted? And Sennacherib thus triumphs over them. Where are they gods of Hamath and Arpad? But it must by no means be suffered that they should say of Israel, Where is their God? For we are sure that our God is in the heavens (Psa 115:2, Psa 115:3), is in his temple, Psa 11:4.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:12-17 Joel calls on the people to repent and throw themselves on the mercy of their compassionate God. 2:12 This verse begins with the words the Lord says, a phrase that frequently accompanies divine speeches in the prophets. This is the only time that it occurs in Joel (“says the Lord” in 3:1 is supplied by the translators), and it indicates that this gracious invitation came directly from God. • Turn to me now, while there is time: The Lord implored his people to repent because the day of judgment was near. There was still opportunity to avoid the coming destruction if they returned to the Lord their God with true repentance. • Unlike other prophets, Joel never catalogs the sins committed by the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Perhaps they were so obvious that he did not feel the need to list them.
Joel 2:12
Return with All Your Heart
11The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. Indeed, His camp is very large, for mighty are those who obey His command. For the Day of the LORD is great and very dreadful. Who can endure it? 12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Revival Now
By Mark Greening3.6K1:12:42Coming RevivalPSA 103:8JOL 2:12MIC 7:18MAT 6:33In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the need for Christians to constantly be revived and restored to God, even after being saved. He shares his personal experience of realizing the root of sin and the importance of honesty with God. The speaker also recounts a powerful moment of witnessing to a woman named Nellie, who initially rejected the gospel but later broke down in tears and accepted Christ. The sermon highlights the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and the impact of prayer in leading others to salvation.
Corporate Confession and Repentance - Part 1
By Richard Owen Roberts2.8K57:07JOB 1:1JOB 3:14JOL 1:1JOL 2:2JOL 2:12JOL 2:28JOL 3:17In this sermon, the preacher begins by describing a scenario of a young girl getting married to an older man, emphasizing the importance of finding the right partner in God's eyes. He then transitions to discussing the significance of passing down the stories of God's mighty acts to future generations. The preacher highlights the lack of personal experiences with God's miracles among many Christians and the need for the Bible to guide and reveal the true nature of miracles. He concludes by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and understanding God's laws of nature and the role of divine intervention in our lives.
All Your Heart (Compilation)
By Compilations2.4K04:41CompilationDEU 6:5PSA 119:2PRO 3:5JER 29:13JOL 2:12MAT 22:37MRK 12:30In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of giving our whole heart to God, rather than settling for 99.9%. The speaker uses examples from everyday life, such as defective tires, flat soft drinks, and incorrect prescriptions, to illustrate the consequences of accepting less than perfection. The speaker also references Denny's restaurant, which strives for 100% customer satisfaction, and argues that if a restaurant can aim for perfection, then we should strive to give our all to God. The sermon concludes by posing the question of whether it is important to give God our whole heart, emphasizing the need for complete surrender to Him.
Call for the Wailing Women - Part 3
By Nancy Leigh DeMoss2.2K09:07PSA 51:17JER 9:1HOS 7:14JOL 2:12LUK 19:41
This sermon emphasizes the connection between sinful choices and the inevitable consequences we face, urging listeners to recognize the judgment of God that is both present in the form of remedial judgment and forthcoming as a final cataclysmic judgment. The urgency to repent and awaken to the impending judgment is highlighted, along with the call to deeply mourn and wail over the sin and rebellion in our lives, families, churches, and society, acknowledging our need for genuine repentance and surrender to God's mercy and authority.
The Ministry of Fasting
By Wesley Duewel1.8K1:00:40FastingEZK 33:8JOL 2:12JOL 2:14MAT 6:33ACT 20:31In this sermon, the speaker discusses the impact of one lone monk named Savonarola who preached against the sins of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church. Despite facing opposition and eventually being martyred, Savonarola's preaching drew thousands of people who were hungry to hear the word of God. The speaker emphasizes the power of fasting and prayer in turning the tide of sin and encourages believers to be all out for God and against sin. He shares personal experiences and testimonies of how fasting can bring joy and blessings in one's life. The sermon concludes with a challenge to set examples for future generations through our actions and devotion to God.
Seek Me (Compilation)
By Compilations1.6K03:36CompilationPSA 27:8ISA 55:6JER 29:13JOL 2:12HAG 2:6MAT 7:7HEB 12:26In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the urgency for believers to seek God wholeheartedly. He questions why people are distracted by worldly entertainment instead of focusing on the imminent return of Jesus. The preacher highlights the need for brokenness and a genuine desire to seek God's heart. He warns that a time will come when God will hide Himself, and people will struggle to find Him because they have not cultivated a habit of seeking Him. The preacher emphasizes the importance of seeking God now and allowing Him to shake and get the attention of His people.
A Call for Revival
By Michael Howard1.4K17:29JER 4:3HOS 10:12JOL 2:12
This sermon emphasizes the need for spiritual revival, urging believers to seek the Lord fervently, break up the hardened areas in their lives, and repent of sins. It highlights the importance of genuine, heartfelt prayers, specificity in confession, and a deep hunger for God's presence. The speaker calls for a revival that cleanses the church, renews passion for God, and leads to a missionary awakening, sending believers out to share the Gospel.
The Power of Fasting
By Shane Idleman96259:42JOL 2:12
This sermon emphasizes the importance of fasting as a spiritual discipline to draw closer to God. It highlights the need to break the stronghold of the flesh, seek God with all our hearts, and experience the power of the Holy Spirit through fasting. The message calls for repentance, turning back to God, and embracing spiritual disciplines to experience transformation and renewal.
Revival Before Revival
By Bill McLeod89857:48RevivalISA 30:21JOL 2:12ROM 8:14In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story about a moment of surrender to God. He describes how he witnessed a stroke of lightning after struggling to surrender, which gave him the confidence to fully surrender. The speaker then talks about a man who bargained with God, saying he would only go into full-time service if called by the age of 30. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not being ashamed to talk about Jesus and encourages listeners to stir up the gift of God within them. He also shares a story about a man who experienced a transformation after repeatedly coming forward during a crusade and committing to daily evangelism. The speaker concludes by highlighting the importance of obeying God and taking action in order to see God's power at work.
A Cry for Repentance and Revival
By Edgar Reich8111:09:492CH 7:14ISA 48:11EZK 14:13JOL 2:12ZEC 4:6MAL 3:8MAT 5:21MAT 15:8MAT 23:23ROM 3:23ROM 10:9
This sermon by Edgar Reich is a powerful cry for repentance and revival, emphasizing the need for humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God's face, and turning from wicked ways. The message highlights the conditional promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 and urges listeners to fully surrender to Jesus for a renewed and empowered life. The sermon addresses various sins and challenges Christians to seek personal and collective revival through prayer, repentance, and obedience to God's Word.
Fasting: A Hunger Strike Against Hell
By Shane Idleman74754:51JOL 2:12
This sermon emphasizes the importance of fasting as a spiritual discipline to create fertile soil for God to work in our lives. It discusses the need to discern God's will, break bondages, and silence the voice of the flesh through fasting. The speaker shares personal experiences and insights on how fasting can lead to spiritual discernment, humility, and strength in God.
Habakkuk - Part 3
By Roy Hession7061:02:27HabakkukEXO 34:61CH 16:34JOL 2:12MIC 7:18HAB 3:2MAT 6:33LUK 15:20In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of the book "Daily Light" in understanding and handling scripture. The book is praised for its simple juxtaposition of Bible verses without any commentary. The preacher highlights the recurring theme of God's mercy and grace throughout the Old Testament, particularly in the story of Israel's journey from Egypt. Moses' desire to know God's glory leads to a revelation of God's forgiving nature. The sermon concludes with the realization that God's mercy and grace are essential for the redemption and forgiveness of sin.
Great Words of the Gospel - Part 4
By Roy Hession6841:01:21GospelNUM 21:7JOL 2:12MAT 4:17MAT 21:28MAT 21:31ACT 17:31In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of repentance in the context of grace and judgment. He emphasizes that the call to repentance is often accompanied by the impending judgment or discipline that God has declared. The speaker references Acts 17:31, where it is stated that God has appointed a day of judgment and therefore commands all people to repent. He also highlights the story of Jonah and Nineveh as an example of how the message of judgment can be an offer of mercy, as God gave the people of Nineveh an opportunity to repent and be spared from destruction.
Crutches
By Jim Cymbala50727:20Christian LifePRO 18:24JER 6:16JOL 2:12JAS 4:8In this sermon, the speaker expresses gratitude for the people in his life who have helped him grow in his faith. He shares a personal story of a minister who took the time to mentor him when he was a college student. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being kind to those who have shown kindness to us, rather than being mean in return. He also encourages the audience to draw near to God, make positive changes in their lives, and actively participate in the church community.
A Funeral Needs to Take Place
By Shane Idleman49941:342CH 7:14PRO 27:8ISA 30:9JER 29:13JOL 2:12MAT 7:7JHN 4:24ROM 8:28JAS 4:61PE 5:6This sermon emphasizes the importance of humility, prayer, seeking God's face, and repentance. It addresses the need for men to lead biblically in their homes, highlighting the destructive nature of pride and the call to die to self. The speaker urges a return to a fervent prayer life and seeking God with a passionate pursuit, acknowledging the critical role of humility in restoring marriages and families. The message challenges individuals to prioritize God above all else and to seek His face with a sense of urgency and desperation.
Call to Wholehearted Love
By Mike Bickle311:03:03Spiritual WarfareWholehearted LoveLoveJOL 1:5JOL 2:12Mike Bickle emphasizes the call to wholehearted love in his sermon 'Call to Wholehearted Love,' drawing from the book of Joel. He highlights the dire circumstances faced by Israel during a locust plague, drought, and impending military invasion, urging the people to turn to God with all their hearts in repentance and love. Bickle explains that this call to love is not just about turning away from sin but engaging in a deep relationship with God, which is essential for overcoming crises. He connects the historical context of Joel's message to the end times, asserting that a culture of solemn assembly and love will be crucial for the church as it faces future challenges. Ultimately, he encourages believers to embrace a lifestyle of worship and love as a powerful weapon against darkness.
3 Characteristics of a Sacred Assembly
By Shane Idleman3024:13RepentanceSacred Assembly2CH 7:14PSA 51:17ISA 58:6JOL 1:14JOL 2:12ZEC 7:5MAT 5:4ROM 12:2JAS 4:81PE 5:6Shane Idleman emphasizes the significance of a Sacred Assembly, highlighting three key characteristics: the necessity of fasting to prepare the heart, the importance of gathering in a holy place to seek God, and the need for genuine repentance and brokenness before the Lord. He draws from the book of Joel, urging believers to turn to God with all their hearts, recognizing the urgency of the spiritual condition of society and the need for heartfelt prayer and worship. Idleman calls for a collective response to the moral decline around us, encouraging a deep, sincere connection with God that transcends mere ritualistic practices.
Introducing the Book of Joel
By Mike Bickle2656:27The Day of the LordRepentance and RevivalJOL 2:12Mike Bickle introduces the Book of Joel, emphasizing its theme of the 'Day of the Lord' and the necessity for believers to respond appropriately to impending crises. He encourages attendees to read Joel multiple times and engage in discussions to deepen their understanding of its messages, particularly the call to repentance and the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit. Bickle highlights the dual nature of the Day of the Lord, which encompasses both revival and judgment, urging listeners to rend their hearts and seek God's favor through prayer and fasting. He asserts that the Book of Joel serves as a prophetic guide for the end times, equipping believers to navigate the challenges ahead with clarity and faith.
Crisis in America: The Supreme Court and Gay Marriage
By Mike Bickle191:07:21Crisis in AmericaPrayer and Repentance2CH 7:14JOL 2:12Mike Bickle addresses the critical issue of the Supreme Court's impending decision on redefining marriage, emphasizing the constitutional implications and the potential societal consequences of such a ruling. He warns that a negative outcome could lead to an increase in darkness and a significant attack on the authority of the Word of God, labeling the church as a hate group. Bickle calls for collective prayer and repentance among believers, urging them to turn from their wicked ways to seek God's intervention for healing in the nation. He highlights the importance of standing firm in biblical truth while loving those who struggle with sin, asserting that true love involves contending for the greatness of others. Ultimately, he encourages believers to actively participate in prayer and seek God's mercy for both personal and national restoration.
What the Lord Is Saying About the Crisis in Our Nation
By Mike Bickle171:18:42Crisis and ResponseRevival and AwakeningJOL 2:12Mike Bickle emphasizes the urgent need for the church to respond to the escalating crisis in our nation, drawing parallels from the book of Joel. He highlights the 'Psalms 2 crisis' where societal leaders reject God's influence, necessitating a 'Joel 2 response' of repentance and prayer for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Bickle believes we are in the early days of a significant generation leading to the Lord's return, where both darkness and light will intensify. He calls for believers to gather in prayer and fasting, seeking God's mercy and intervention in the face of moral decline. The sermon encourages a proactive stance in faith, believing for a third great awakening in America and globally.
How Then Shall We Live? (Omega)
By Mike Bickle151:03:08Intercessory PrayerRighteous LivingJOL 2:12Mike Bickle emphasizes the urgency of living righteously in anticipation of Jesus' return, highlighting the significance of our choices and their eternal impact. He stresses the power of corporate intercessory worship as a means through which God governs and releases His blessings, urging believers to gather in solemn assemblies to seek God's mercy and intervention in times of crisis. Bickle reminds us that our choices matter, and through prayer and worship, we can influence the spiritual realm and the quality of life we experience. He calls for a radical turning of our hearts towards God, emphasizing the need for humility and repentance in our approach to Him.
The Gathering - Call a Sacred Assembly
By Shane Idleman1346:58RepentanceSacred AssemblyJOL 1:14JOL 2:12Shane Idleman emphasizes the urgent need for a sacred assembly among God's people to pray, fast, and mourn for the state of the church and the nation. He reflects on the historical practice of calling the community together to seek God's face during times of moral decay and spiritual apathy. Idleman shares his personal journey and the burden he feels as a preacher, distinguishing between the roles of pastor and preacher, and calling for genuine repentance and humility. He warns against the dangers of complacency and the necessity of afflicting the soul to experience true revival. Ultimately, he urges the congregation to return to God, promising that He will pour out His Spirit upon those who seek Him earnestly.
The Cure for Judgment - Call a Sacred Assembly
By Shane Idleman1251:34RepentancePrayer and FastingHumility2CH 7:14JOL 1:14JOL 2:12Shane Idleman emphasizes the urgent need for repentance and humility in the face of God's judgment, urging believers to call a sacred assembly to seek God's mercy. He explains that judgment is God's response to sin, and that both individuals and nations must acknowledge their wrongdoings and turn back to God to avert impending judgment. Idleman highlights the importance of lamenting over sin and the necessity of fasting and prayer as means to reconnect with God. He calls on the church to awaken from spiritual slumber and actively engage in seeking God's presence and restoration. Ultimately, he reassures that God is willing to restore what has been lost if His people genuinely return to Him.
The Message of Joel
By G. Campbell Morgan0Divine GovernmentGrace and JudgmentJOL 2:12G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes the profound messages found in the book of Joel, illustrating the principles of Divine government and grace through the prophet's visions of locust plagues, imminent judgment, and the future outpouring of the Spirit. He highlights that the 'Day of the Lord' is both a present reality and a future promise, urging repentance and recognition of God's active governance in all circumstances. Morgan calls for believers to proclaim the fullness of the Spirit and to encourage others to call on the name of the Lord for salvation, reminding them of God's grace amidst judgment.
"God Ignites the Embers of Cleansing"
By Mark D. Partin0LEV 23:34NUM 29:35DEU 16:8PRO 28:13JOL 1:14JOL 2:12Mark D. Partin emphasizes the importance of spiritual preparedness for revival, highlighting the necessity of a pure heart and a cleansed spirit in order for God to hear our prayers and for us to hear from God. Through the concept of Solemn Assemblies, the Body of Christ is urged to come together to seek God's face, deal with corporate sins, and repent wholeheartedly. The passages from Joel vividly illustrate the urgency and significance of such gatherings, calling for fasting, weeping, and mourning as a means to return to God's grace and compassion.
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
But there is still time to avert the completion of the judgment by sincere repentance and mourning; for God is merciful, and ready to forgive the penitent. Joe 2:12. "Yet even now, is the saying of Jehovah, turn ye to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Joe 2:13. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn back to Jehovah your God; for He is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and great in kindness, and suffers Himself to repent of the evil. Joe 2:14. Who knoweth He turns and repents, and leaves behind Him blessing, meat-offering and drink-offering for Jehovah your God?" As the plague of locusts was intended to bring the people to reflect upon their conduct towards the Lord, so was the announcement of the great day of judgment and all its terrors made with no other object than to produce repentance and conversion, and thereby promote the good of the people of God. Joel therefore appends to the threatening of judgment a summons to sincere conversion to the Lord; and this he does by first of all addressing the summons to the people as a saying of Jehovah (v. 12), and then explaining this word of God in the most emphatic manner (vv. 13, 14). The Lord God requires conversion to Himself with all the heart (cf. Sa1 7:3, and Deu 6:5; and for שׂוּב עד, Hos 14:2), associated with deep-rooted penitence on account of sin, which is to be outwardly manifested in fasting and mourning. But lest the people should content themselves with the outward signs of mourning, he proceeds in Joe 2:13 with the warning admonition, "Rend your heart, and not your garments." Rending the heart signifies contrition of heart (cf. Psa 51:19; Eze 36:26). He then assigns the motive for this demand, by pointing to the mercy and grace of God, in the words of Exo 34:6, with which the Lord made known to Moses His inmost nature, except that in the place of ואמת, which we find in this passage, he adds, on the ground of the facts recorded in Eze 32:14 and Sa2 24:16, ונחם על הרעה. On the strength of these facts he hopes, even in the present instance, for forgiveness on the part of God, and the removal of the judgment. "Who knoweth?" equivalent to "perhaps;" not because "too confident a hope would have had in it something offensive to Jehovah" (Hitzig), but "lest perchance they might either despair on account of the magnitude of their crimes, or the greatness of the divine clemency might make them careless" (Jerome). (Note: "He speaks after the manner of a terrified conscience, which is lifted up again with difficulty after a season of affliction, and begins to aspire after hope and the mercy of God. Moreover, the expression 'who knoweth' is a Hebrew phrase, which does not indicate doubt, but rather affirmation, coupled with desire, as if we were to say, 'And yet surely God will turn again.'" - Luther, Enarrat. in Joelem, Opp., Jena 1703, p. iii.) ישׁוּב, to turn, sc. from coming to judgment. נהם as in Joe 2:13. השׁאיר אחריו, to leave behind Him, sc. when He returns to His throne in heaven (Hos 5:15). Berâkhâh, a blessing, viz., harvest-produce for a meat-offering and drink-offering, which had been destroyed by the locusts (Joe 1:9, Joe 1:13).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
With such judgments impending over the Jews, Jehovah Himself urges them to repentance. also now--Even now, what none could have hoped or believed possible, God still invites you to the hope of salvation. fasting . . . weeping . . . mourning--Their sin being most heinous needs extraordinary humiliation. The outward marks of repentance are to signify the depth of their sorrow for sin.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Therefore also now, saith the Lord,.... Before this terrible and intolerable day, which is near at hand, comes; before these judgments and calamities threatened take place, though just at hand; serious repentance is never too late, now is the accepted time; see Luk 19:42; turn ye even to me with all your heart; against whom they had sinned, and who had prepared his army against them, and was at the head of it, just ready to give the orders, and play his artillery upon them; and yet suggests, that even now, that if they turned to the Lord by true repentance, not, feignedly and hypocritically, but cordially and sincerely, with true hearts, and with their whole hearts, he was ready to receive and forgive them. The Targum is, "turn ye to my worship with all your heart:'' and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; external signs of inward grief and sorrow, testifying their hearty return to the Lord; which, though, without the heart, signify nothing, yet should be shown where hearty repentance is, for the honour and glory of God.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
We have here an earnest exhortation to repentance, inferred from that desolating judgment described and threatened in the foregoing verses: Therefore now turn you to the Lord. 1. "Thus you must answer the end and intention of the judgment; for it was sent for this end, to convince you of your sins, to humble you for them, to reduce you to your right minds and to your allegiance." God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to repentance and so bring us to himself. 2. "Thus you may stay the progress of the judgment. Things are bad with you, but thus you may prevent their growing worse; nay, if you take this course, they will soon grow better." Here is a gracious invitation, I. To a personal repentance, exercised in the soul, every family apart, and their wives apart, Zac 12:12. When the judgments of God are abroad, each person is concerned to contribute his quota to the common supplications, having contributed to the common guilt. Every one must mend one and mourn for one, and then we should all be mended and all found among God's mourners. Observe, 1. What we are here called to, which will teach us what it is to repent, for it is the same that the Lord our God still requires of us, we having all made work for repentance. (1.) We must be truly humbled for our sins, must be sorry we have by sin offended God, and ashamed we have by sin wronged ourselves, both wronged our judgments and wronged our interests. There must be outward expressions of sorrow and shame, fasting, and weeping, and mourning; tears for the sin that procured it. But what will the outward expressions of sorrow avail if the inward impressions be not agreeable, and not only accompany them, but be the root and spring of them, and give rise to them? And therefore it follows, Rend your heart, and not your garments; not but that, according to the custom of that age, it was proper for them to rend their garments, in token of great grief for their sins and a holy indignation against themselves for their folly; but, "Rest not in the doing of that, as if that were sufficient, but be more in care to accommodate your spirits than to accommodate your dress to a day of fasting and humiliation; nay, rend not your garments at all, unless withal you rend your hearts, for the sign without the thing signified is but a jest and a mockery, and an affront to God." Rending the heart is that which God looks for and requires; that is the broken and contrite heart which he will not despise, Psa 51:17. When we are greatly grieved in soul for sin, so that it even cuts us to the heart to think how we have dishonoured God and disparaged ourselves by it, when we conceive an aversion to sin, and earnestly desire and endeavor to get clear of the principles of it and never to return to the practice of it, then we rend our hearts for it, and then will God rend the heavens and come down to us with mercy. (2.) We must be thoroughly converted to our God, and come home to him when we fall out with sin. Turn you even to me, said the Lord (Joe 2:12), and again (Joe 2:13), Turn unto the Lord your God. Our fasting and weeping are worth nothing if we do not with them turn to God as our God. When we are fully convinced that it is our duty and interest to keep in with him, and are heartily sorry we have ever turned the back upon him, and thereupon, by a firm and fixed resolution, make his glory our end, his will our rule, and his favour our felicity, then we return to the Lord our God, and this we are all commanded and invited to do, and to do it quickly. 2. What arguments are here used to persuade this people thus to turn to the Lord, and to turn to him with all their hearts. When the heart is rent for sin, and rent from it, then it is prepared to turn entirely to God, and to be devoted entirely to him, and he will have it all or none. Now, to bring ourselves to this, let us consider, (1.) We are sure that he is, in general, a good God. We must turn to the Lord our God, not only because he has been just and righteous in punishing us for our sins, the fear of which should drive us to him, but because he is gracious and merciful, in receiving upon us our repentance, the hope of which should draw us to him. He is gracious and merciful, delights not in the death of sinners, but desires that they may turn and live. He is slow to anger against those that offend him, but of great kindness towards those that desire to please him. These very expressions are used in God's proclamation of his name when he caused his goodness, and with it all his glory, to pass before Moses, Exo 34:6, Exo 34:7. He repents him of the evil, not that he changes his mind, but, when the sinner's mind is changed, God's way towards him is changed; the sentence is reversed, and the curse of the law is taken off. Note, That is genuine, ingenuous, and evangelical repentance, which arises from a firm belief of the mercy of God, which we have sinned against, and yet are not in despair. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The goodness of God, if it be rightly understood, instead of emboldening us to go on in sin, will be the most powerful inducement to repentance, Psa 130:4. The act of indemnity brings those to God whom the act of attainder frightened from him. (2.) We have reason to hope that he will, upon our repentance, give us that good which by sin we have forfeited and deprived ourselves of (Joe 2:14), that he will return and repent, that he will not proceed against us as he has done, but will act in favour of us. Therefore let us repent of our sins against him, and return to him in a way of duty, because then we may hope that he will repent of his judgments against us and return to us in a way of mercy. Now observe, [1.] The manner of expectation is very humble and modest: Who knows if he will? Some think it is expressed thus doubtfully to check the presumption and security of the people, and to quicken them to a holy carefulness and liveliness in their repentance, as Jos 24:19. Or, rather, it is expressed doubtfully because it is the removal of a temporal judgment that they here promise themselves, of which we cannot be so confident as we can that, in general, God is gracious and merciful. There is no question at all to be made but that if we truly repent of our sins God will forgive them, and be reconciled to us; but whether he will remove this or the other affliction which we are under may well be questioned, and yet the probability of it should encourage us to repent. Promises of temporal good things are often made with a peradventure. It may be, you shall be hid, Zep 2:3. David's sin is pardoned, and yet the child shall die, and, when David prayed for its life, he said, as here, Who can tell whether God will begracious to me in this matter likewise? Sa2 12:22. The Ninevites repented and reformed upon such a consideration as this, Jon 3:9. [2.] The matter of expectation is very pious. They hope God will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, not as if he were about to go from them, and they could be content with any blessing in lieu of his presence, but behind him, that is, "After he has ceased his controversy with us, he will bestow a blessing upon us;" and what is it? It is a meat-offering and a drink-offering to the Lord our God. The fruits of the earth are called a blessing (Isa 45:8) because they depend upon God's blessing and are necessary blessings to us. They had been deprived of these, and that which grieved them most while they were so was that God's altar was deprived of its offerings and God's priests of their maintenance; that therefore which they comfort themselves with the prospect of in their return of plenty is that then there shall be meat-offerings and drink-offerings in abundance brought to God's altar, which they more desired than to see the wonted abundance of meat and drink brought to their own tables. Thus when Hezekiah was in hopes that he should recover of his sickness he asked, What is the sign that I shall go up, not to the thrones of judgment, or to the councilboard, but to the house of the Lord? Isa 38:22. Note, The plentiful enjoyment of God's ordinances in their power and purity is the most valuable instance of a nation's prosperity and the greatest blessing that can be desired. If God give the blessing of meat-offering and the drink-offering, that will bring along with it other blessings, will sanctify them, sweeten them, and secure them. II. They are here called to a public national repentance, to be exercised in the solemn assembly, as a national act, for the glory of God and the excitement of one another, and that the neighbouring nations might know and observe what it was that qualified them for God's gracious returns in mercy to them, which they would be the admiring witnesses of. Let us see here, 1. How the congregation must be called together, Joe 2:15, Joe 2:16. The trumpet was blown (Joe 2:1), to sound an alarm of war; but now it must be blown in order to a treaty of peace. God is willing to show mercy to his people if he do but find them in a frame fit for it; and therefore, Call them together; sanctify a fast. By the law many annual feasts were appointed, but only one day in the year was to be observed as a fast, the day of atonement, a day to afflict the soul; and, if they had kept close to God and their duty, there would have been no occasion to observe any more; but now that they had by sin brought the judgments of God upon them they are often called to fasting. What was said Joe 1:14 is here repeated: "Call a solemn assembly; gather the people (press them to come together upon this errand); sanctify the congregation; appoint a time for solemn preparation beforehand and put them in mind to prepare themselves. Let not the greatest be excused, but assemble the elders, the judges and magistrates. Let not the meanest be passed by, but gather the children, and those that suck the breasts." It is good to bring little children, as soon as they are capable of understanding any thing, to religious assemblies, that they may be trained up betimes in the way wherein they should go; but these were brought even when they were at the breast and were kept fasting, that by their cries for the breast the hearts of the parents might be moved to repent of sin, which God might justly so visit upon their children that the tongue of the sucking child might cleave to the roof of his mouth (Lam 4:4), and that on them God might have compassion, as he had on the infants of Nineveh, Jon 4:11. New-married people must not be exempted: Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber and the bride out of her closet; let them not take state upon them as usual, not put on their ornaments, nor indulge themselves in mirth, but address themselves to the duties of the public fast with as much gravity and sadness as any of their neighbours. Note, Private joys must always give way to public sorrows, both those for affliction and those for sin. 2. How the work of the day must be carried on, Joe 2:17. (1.) The priests, the Lord's ministers, must preside in the congregation, and be God's mouth to the people, and theirs to God; who should stand in the gap to turn away the wrath of God but those whose business it was to make intercession upon ordinary occasions? (2.) They must officiate between the porch and the altar. There they used to attend about the sacrifices, and therefore now that they have no sacrifices to offer, or next to none, there they must offer up spiritual sacrifices. There the people must see them weeping and wrestling, like their father Jacob, and be helped into the same devout frame. Ministers must themselves be affected with those things wherewith they desire to affect others. It was between the porch and the altar that Zechariah the son of Jehoiada was put to death for his faithfulness; that precious blood God would require at their hands, and therefore, to turn away the judgment threatened for it, there they must weep. (3.) They must pray. Words here are put into their mouths, which they might in their prayers enlarge upon. Their petition must be, Spare thy people, O Lord! God's people, when they are in distress, can expect no relief against God's justice but what comes from his mercy. They cannot say, Lord, right us, but, Lord, spare us. We deserve the correction; we need it; but, Lord, mitigate it. The sinner's supplication is, Spare us, good Lord. Their plea must be taken from the relation wherein they stand to God ("They are thy people, and thy heritage, therefore have compassion on them"), but especially from the concern of God's glory in their trouble - "Lord, give not thy heritage to reproach, to the reproach of famine; let not the land of Canaan, that has so long been celebrated as the glory of all lands, now be made the scorn of all lands; let not the heathen rule over them, as they will easily do when thy heritage is thus impoverished and disabled to subsist. Let not the heathen make them a proverb, or a by-word" (so some read it); "let it never be said, As poor and beggarly as an Israelite." Note, The maintaining of the credit of the nation among its neighbours is a blessing to be desired and prayed for by all that wish well to it. But that reproach of the church is especially to be dreaded and deprecated which reflects upon God: "Let them not say among the people, Where is their God - that God who has promised to help them, whom they have boasted so much of and put such a confidence in?" If God's heritage be destroyed, the neighbours will say, "God was either weak and could not relieve them or unkind and would not." Deu 32:37, Where are now their gods in whom they trusted? And Sennacherib thus triumphs over them. Where are they gods of Hamath and Arpad? But it must by no means be suffered that they should say of Israel, Where is their God? For we are sure that our God is in the heavens (Psa 115:2, Psa 115:3), is in his temple, Psa 11:4.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
2:12-17 Joel calls on the people to repent and throw themselves on the mercy of their compassionate God. 2:12 This verse begins with the words the Lord says, a phrase that frequently accompanies divine speeches in the prophets. This is the only time that it occurs in Joel (“says the Lord” in 3:1 is supplied by the translators), and it indicates that this gracious invitation came directly from God. • Turn to me now, while there is time: The Lord implored his people to repent because the day of judgment was near. There was still opportunity to avoid the coming destruction if they returned to the Lord their God with true repentance. • Unlike other prophets, Joel never catalogs the sins committed by the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Perhaps they were so obvious that he did not feel the need to list them.