Joel Field Notes: The Turning Point
Photo by Allen Taylor on Unsplash
In the middle of Joel, there is a call to return to God in repentance. This is the turning point of the book. In the beginning of the book, the prophet describes the desperate state of God’s people who are keenly feeling God’s judgment through a locust plague. Then Joel warns about both a present and a future judgment day of the Lord. Then, Joel changes his tone, and calls them to action.
In the ESV, Joel 2:12-14 says:
“‘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.’ 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.”
Comparing translations is one of the tools we use when we want to get a deeper understanding of God’s Word. As I’ve been digging deeper into the book of Joel in preparation for our spring conference, “Yet Even Now,” I’ve used this tool to understand one of the main passages: Joel 2:12-14.The AMP (Amplified Bible) always gets my attention:
When I look at this verse, I am reminded of three things: God always cares about the state of our hearts, our relationship with God is our highest priority, and genuine repentance leads to worship.
“‘Even now,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance], With fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]; Rip your heart to pieces [in sorrow and contrition] and not your garments.’ Now return [in repentance] to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness [faithful to His covenant with His people]; And He relents [His sentence of] evil [when His people genuinely repent].”
When I look at this verse, I am reminded of three things: God always cares about the state of our hearts, our relationship with God is our highest priority, and genuine repentance leads to worship.
First, God addresses the heart. The Lord always cares about our genuine heart state. He doesn’t want lip service. He doesn’t tolerate hypocrisy. He wants authentic, humble repentance. Then what is going on within us will ultimately show on the outside of us. In order for change to be genuine, it can only go one direction. It cannot start on the outside and work its way in. This is not a “fake it til you make it” situation. Repentance has to start with a full on change within our hearts, and it involves our whole hearts.
When we see the true state of our hearts as being so opposite of our God, we will see the grievous nature of it, and the need for God to do a great work in our hearts.
Secondly, God cares about our relationship to Him. The outward signs of repentance have a purpose in restoring relationship and removing barriers to that relationship. This relationship demands highest prioritization from our lives, and fasting, weeping, and mourning will cause us to once again position us to humbly depend on our Abba Father in everything. When we see the true state of our hearts as being so opposite of our God, we will see the grievous nature of it, and the need for God to do a great work in our hearts. We will no longer depend on other things, other people, or other identities to give us what only God can.
Lastly, God will restore our hearts and our relationship because it is who He is, and because it gives Him glory. When we genuinely repent, God can show off in and through our lives. Only God can be perfectly loving, patient, faithful, forgiving, and the list goes on and on! God uses our repentant hearts to show us Himself and the reality of the true gift of who He is! When we repent, we sometimes believe that continually looking at our own sin with shame is the right next step, but truly, worshipping God is the outcome of true repentance. We grieve in conviction, yes, but we do not stay there. We weep, we mourn, we fast, and then we look to Jesus.
The end of this passage states that God relents over disaster when His people repent. Yet, verse 14 introduces a question:
“Who knows whether He will relent [and revoke your sentence], and leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering [from the bounty He provides you] For the Lord your God?”
So, does God relent or not? The answer is both! This question is answered in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God, in His perfect justice, did not relent His sentence. For sin separates us from God, and the only way to be right with Him again is for that price to be paid. Jesus paid that price, and so our own sentence has been pardoned. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, our fasting and mourning turns to blessing and feasting in the right relationship with God the Father. All barriers have been removed between us and the Father, and the Holy Spirit continues to convict us when we live now out of our old sinful identity, instead of our new creation, new identity that Christ has achieved in our lives.
So, where is your heart, really? And has something come between the sweet fellowship you have with the Father? And does your repentance cause you to worship? Do you see the reality of your sin, and the gift of God’s relenting through Jesus paying the price? Take some time to assess the state of your heart, mourn your sin and the separation this sin creates, and genuinely repent. Take the steps to allow the change in your heart to interrupt and alter the outward life you live. But don’t miss the last part. Worship God! For this process will undoubtedly reveal to you the beauty of who He is and you won’t be able to keep that to yourself.
Jillian Vincent loves Jesus. She's a wife, a mother of boys, and a Dayton enthusiast. Jillian currently is a stay at home mama and spends nap times writing and discipling other women. She would (almost) die for an avocado, a cup of coffee made by her husband, a novel that makes her cry, and a bouquet of sunflowers.