Return To Me Series

Illustration: SPIRITUAL BLESSING, CONCEPT OF

Blessings from God is not an offer of cotton candy happiness. Cotton candy is plenty sweet but it doesn’t last. When you put it in your mouth, it melts soon after. Its longevity is short-lived. The kingdoms of this world offer cotton candy. It’s real sweet, but don’t expect it to last long. Blessings from God has to do with resources deposited on the inside that rise above circumstances on the outside. (Evans, T. (2009). Tony Evans’ book of illustrations: stories, quotes, and anecdotes from more than 30 years of preaching and public speaking (p. 298). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)

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

2) Corporate Repentance (Joel 2:15–17)

Joel 2:15–17. 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)

The prophet, now turning his attention toward Israel as a covenant people, as a group belonging to God, summons them once again (cf. 1:14) to engage in corporate, uninhibited fasting and prayer. The trumpet was to be sounded to gather the people together to fast, pray, and lament. The invitation to genuine repentance had opened the door to the possibility of restored blessing, and therefore the priests and leaders were to gather the people for a national demonstration of contrition and repentance. All three verbs are imperatives, highlighting the passion with which the prophet’s message is expounded and reinforcing the need to act urgently. The people were to be brought together to hear God’s message so that they might have the opportunity to turn to God. (McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Prophets (Hosea/Joel) (electronic ed., Vol. 27, p. 156). Thomas Nelson.)

In verse 16, mourning is to be universal. From the oldest to the very youngest, all were to gather for this solemn assembly. Having gathered, they were commanded to consecrate/sanctify the congregation. Solemn occasions called for a full ritual purification. The devastation of the locusts and famine was unparalleled; God’s army had invaded. Therefore, preparations for the solemn gathering and time of fasting and praying were to be carefully and fully carried out. Generally, purification rites included bathing, washing clothing, dressing with clean apparel, and abstaining from conjugal activity (Gen 35:2; Exo 19:14–15; 1 Sam 21:4–5 [5–6]). From the oldest to the youngest Joel described that they were to come. Because of the comparison drawn with infants, the elders probably makes reference to the aged and not to the office of elder, as specified in 1:2, 14. With the mention of children and nursing infants, corporate prayer and mourning are for the entirety of the congregation. The situation in Joel 2 is so grave that even the bride and groom are exhorted to assemble—consummation of the marriage will have to wait. Under normal circumstances, Israelite law exempted the newly married from public duties for a period of one year (Deut 20:7; 24:5). The command to gather is to just leave where they are. It carries the force of a command. Joel excused no one from prayer at this time of spiritual emergency (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1043). T. Nelson Publishers.).