Return To Me Series

Joel 2:12–17. 12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 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. 14 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? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. 17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ” (ESV)

In a noisy environment, it can often be very difficult to hear. Although the modern battlefield has digital communication, historically when commanders sought to communicate with their troops on the battlefield, they used musical instruments which could often be heard over the great noise. For the people of God in the Old Covenant, a ram’s horn or shofar would be used to alert the people of God. In Joel 2, the command to sound the shofar, is intended to sound a call to action…to convene a solemn assembly (Jones, I. R. (2015). Joel and Obadiah: Disaster and Deliverance (pp. 48–49). Christian Focus.)

In essence this assembly call involves the Prophet Joel calling people to return unto the lord. In chapter one, Joel follows the description of the calamitous conditions brought about by the unprecedented locust plague (1:4–12) with a call to personal humiliation and mourning (1:8, 11, 13) and then a public fast and solemn assembly (1:14). The pattern is similar in chapter two. Having graphically depicted the locust hordes in terms of a military invasion (2:4–11), Joel once again summons the people to personal repentance (2:12–14) and then reiterates his plea for a corporate display of fasting and weeping (2:15–17).

The motive for sincere repentance, like every other good effect in our hearts and lives, is the grace and mercy of a loving God, displayed in the sacrifice of his Son for (our sins). It is true that our sins deserve damnation, and in fact they did bring the pains of hellfire on Jesus. But once we have recognized that, God’s Word immediately draws our whole attention away from our sins to our Savior’s grace, compassion, patience, and love. (Eickmann, P. E. (1989). Hosea, Joel, Amos (2nd ed., pp. 151–152). Northwestern Pub. House.).

In Joel 2:12-16, the prophet renews his impassioned plea to return unto the Lord through a call for repentance. This call has two facets in first a 1) Personal (Joel 2:12–14) then a 2) Corporate response (Joel 2:15–17) to God.

God desires people to Return unto Him first through a call for:

1) Personal Repentance (Joel 2:12–14)

Joel 2:12–14. 12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 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. 14 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? (ESV)

The prophet begins proclaiming the word of the LORD in the first person, with the adversative conjunction yet, connecting the urgent summons with that which preceded. On the basis of the preceding—terrible devastation and destruction—the conjunction must be seen as adversative, urging the people to make amends and to repent. As such, the conjunction marks a turning point in the message of the seer. Up to this point, the prophet’s message has been one of darkness and gloom; but now there appears a ray of hope, a glimmer of light shining on the black clouds of calamity. Stating the call: “Yet even now”, means that in spite of all that has gone before, there is hope of divine mercy and blessing. The adverb now injects an element of urgency, designating the immediate attention which this divine oracle requires. Although the hour is advanced and time to stay further devastation is expiring, it is not too late for total disaster to be averted. The offer of pardon is initiated by God Himself. The invitation is something He alone can offer. Declares is used only of divine speaking, calling special attention to the origin and authority of the gracious offer. Not only is He the commander of the locust army, but He is also the One to whom they must turn for mercy and rescue. One of the great truths affirmed by Joel is that it is not too late to appeal to God until it is too late. Joel appeals to his people, as we appeal today. Judgment is coming. But “even now” turn to the Lord. (Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader’s companion (electronic ed., p. 534). Victor Books.)