As we have been reading in the past weeks, when Joel was written, there had been a locust invasion leading to total devastation of the land (Joel 1:4). Thus, the agricultural economy ahas been destroyed and the worship of God has stopped. This is a national calamity
At the start of chapter 2, we read about an alarm being sounded (Joel 2:1). There is a loud warning of the coming day of the LORD: a day of devastation and darkness. An unstoppable, destructive army of the LORD is coming as judgment against sin and no one can endure it (Joel 2:11). It is to God’s people that this warning is given.
This backdrop of a national calamity is not too foreign for us today. Singapore’s economy is set to shrink by between 4-7%, and the government is predicting more job losses. Our ability to gather in our churches have been compromised. What does God call his people to do in the face of national calamity?
(A) The Grounds of Repentance: The LORD’s Character (Joel 2:12-14)
God calls them to return to him with all their heart (Joel 2:12-13a). To return must mean that the people of God had turned away from him. They have stopped recognising the LORD as their God. (c.f. Rom 3:10-12, 18) Sin is not seeking God, it is to turn aside. It is to say “there is no God”. On our own, that is our condition, we have no desire nor fear of God. Here, the people of God have sinned against him, they have been cold towards him
God calls his people to repent, to turn away from their idols, back to himself with all their heart. Notice how he specks specifically of the heart. The heart is the place where we love, desire, where we are motivated. God calls for “all” our hearts, he calls them to undivided devotion. Their hearts, love, and devotion have been placed elsewhere, apart from God, and God is calling them to repent.
This returning is accompanied with fasting, weeping and mourning and a rending of hearts, not garments (Joel 2:12b). This is a picture of anguish, of mourning. But instead of tearing their garments, which is commonly mentioned in the Bible to express sorrow or mourning, God calls them to rend their hearts. This tells us that beyond the external action of fasting, crying, mourning, and the tearing of clothing even, God is calling his people to examine their hearts. Instead of just doing the external things, they had to tear their hearts open to expose their idols. God calls them to tear their hearts open, to expose their idols, and to return with a whole heart to himself. It isn’t just about external actions, but about their love for God.
In Ps 51:16-17, we know God is not delighting in sacrifice or burnt offerings, but a broken spirit and a contrite heart God will not despise. When we rend our hearts, we offer to God our whole heart as we repent of our sins and return to him. This is what God is calling his people to do in light of a national calamity and a stern warning of judgement.
Are we examining our hearts today? Are we tearing it open to expose the idols of our lives that we may return to the LORD? How often have we considered our sins against God? If we have sinned, God calls us beyond the external things. In our modern day, this could be getting your church attendance up, to attend your care group more regularly, to read your bible more regularly, to kick an addiction, to be nicer to others and less mean etc. But repentance is more than that.
God calls for hearts that love Him, for hearts that will turn back to Him wholly.
The reason given by Joel is the character of the LORD (Joel 2:13b). There is something in God’s character that gives them room for repentance. Joel cites Ex 34:6-7 where God made all of his goodness pass before Moses and declared to Moses his name the LORD, Yahweh. This confession becomes Israel’s confession of who the LORD is: he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and he relents over disaster. God’s kindness is meant to lead his people to repentance (Rom 2:4). The reason and grounds for the people of God to return to him is his character as he has revealed to his people. We don’t have a God who is far off or hides Himself. He has shown Himself to us too. Who knows? God might leave a blessing behind him and enable worship once again
Joel teaches us that the reason we repent is because we know who God is, and what he stands for. We don’t have a God who is far off and who has hidden himself. We have the LORD, the merciful and gracious God, who is slow to anger and abounding/overflowing with steadfast love. May we gaze upon his character and know there is hope to repent even for sinners like us.
(B) The Marks of True Repentance (2 Cor 7:5-11, Ps 51)
To help us understand repentance, we will look at some other passages in the Bible. The first passage we’ll look at is 2 Cor 7. In this letter from Paul to the Corinthian church, we read of Paul’s previous painful visit to Corinth (2 Cor 2:1), likely in the face of some opponents who drew the church away from Paul’s teaching and hence, from the gospel he preached. Following this painful visit, Paul followed up with a severe or stern letter (2 Cor 2:3-4) from Paul, which he wrote “out of much affliction and anguish of heart with many tears”. This letter was not a cushy letter meant to make them feel good but it was a letter that could cause them pain. Yet, it was written out of the abundant love that Paul had for the Corinthians.
2 Cor 7:5-8 then tells us that Paul was comforted by the coming of Titus, who brought the good news of the Corinthians’ repentance. Hence, it is likely that the severe letter written by Paul was meant to lead them to repent, and to turn back to the gospel which Paul preached.
Paul gives a reason for his rejoicing (2 Cor 7:9-10). Paul rejoices because the letter he wrote with such anguish and even regret at times caused the Corinthians to not just grieve, but grieved them into repenting. Godly grief is worth rejoicing over, it is a good thing. He rejoiced not just because they showed “sadness”. Paul’s heart for the people is evident from the way he wrote. He loved them and was ultimately concerned not for their comfort but for their righteousness (c.f. 2 Cor 7:8).
Some might say that grief or guilt is a bad thing. We need to avoid it at all cost because it makes us uncomfortable, or our world doesn’t know how to deal with it. In fact, some churches intentionally avoid “making people feel bad”. The Bible tells us that godly grief is to be rejoiced over, and not to be avoided at all costs as the world could convince us today. Paul mentions a godly grief which is no loss. There are two types: godly vs worldly grief. Godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret. Worldly grief produces death. The opposite of godly grief mentioned is not the absence of grief, but a worldly grief.
The table below draws up the comparison between worldly and godly grief:
Therefore, we have to ask ourselves, do we have a godly grief over our sins today? Is our focus on dishonouring and displeasing God? Do we change as we grieve and repent of our sins? How often do you think about your sins? Our grieving is important because based on how we grieve, there are two very different results.
Another thing that we can observe in 2 Corinthians is Paul’s willingness to risk his relationship with the church by writing that letter, and it troubled him. Paul wrote it out of anguish. He wrote it with no regrets but also some regrets because he knew it was important that they repented of their sins. Do we find these relationships in our communities? Are we open to risking our relationships if it means we help one another to repent and turn back to God? This even applies to our witness of the gospel, are we willing to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15). This can be particularly difficult to do, but may we be humble towards correction from others, and loving when we call each other to turn back to God. Godly grief is not just sadness or feeling bad, but fruits into repentance and a change of heart that seek God.
(C) The Assurance of Repentance: God’s own Name and Glory (Joel 2:15-17)
We go back to our passage in Joel as we wrap up our study. The people are to blow a trumpet for a second time in this chapter to consecrate a fast, to call a solemn assembly (Joel 2:15-16). All are to be gathered: the elders, the children, even the nursing infants. Even those about to be married are to gather. There is a sense that all activities are going to stop for this important gathering.
The priests and the ministers are to stand between vestibule (the area just inside the tent) and the altar to plead on behalf of the congregation (Joel 2:17). They are to call upon the LORD to spare his people.
The priests and ministers plead on the basis of God’s covenant relationship with his people. They are his heritage and inheritance; they are God’s own possession. They plead on the basis of God’s name and glory among the nations: why should God’s people be made a byword/a fool of, an object of mockery? Why should the nations say: “where is their God?” Is he not present?
This is the assurance that we have, that God will forgive us as we confess our sins before him for his name’s sake. Notice that they are not pleading based on how good they are nor on the basis of how many offerings they have made. They’re going to God with His promises and His word and trusting that because of who He is, He will act to forgive them.
1 John 1:9 tells us that God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteous if we confess our sins. God achieves this by sending Jesus Christ, our greater advocate and intercessor than the priests and ministers to be the propitiation for our sins (to turn God’s wrath and judgment away from us) (1 John 2:1-2). This is why we can repent, because of who God is, merciful and gracious, and because he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us in Jesus Christ. In doing so, God is worthy of all glory and honour