June 5 - Joel 2:12-17

June 5 - Joel 2:12-17

Return to me with all your heart. (Joel 2:12) What a beautiful plea from the Lord God Almighty! To the ancient, the heart was not only the seat of all emotions, but the personality, intellect, sensibility and will of a man. The Lord called His people to bring everything within them before Him in repentance.

Periods of great mourning were marked by the rending of garments and wearing of sackcloth. The Lord asked for the mourning of the sins of Israel and Judah to be marked by the rending of the people's hearts.

Look at the words of love He uses in Joel 2:13. "Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."

Our repentance ... His abundant love. Joel 2:14 tells us that this repentance will bring a blessing. But, look at what an amazing blessing it is. We will receive a blessing that should be turned around and poured into an offering to the Lord our God. This is what is missing from so many of us. We believe that if we repent and call on the name of the Lord, He will bless us so that our lives will be better.

No ... God calls us to a greater blessing so that we can offer it to Him!

For the second time in this chapter, Joel declares that a trumpet be blown in Zion. While the trumpet in Joel 2:1 was the watchman calling for attentive listening, this blast calls the people to the assembly. A gathering of the repentant.

Joel 2:16 tells us that everyone should come. The very oldest (the elders) to the very youngest (those nursing at the breast), even the bride and groom should leave their passions behind to join this assembly.

The priests are the mediators between God and His people. In Joel 2:17 we see that they are called to weep between the temple porch, where the people will gather and the altar, which is the Holy of Holies and only the priests are allowed to approach that point.

They are the ones responsible for bringing the offerings and the prayers of repentance before the Lord.

The words they are given to speak before the Lord plead for mercy. These are the people of the Covenant, the people that have received the inheritance of the Lord, the Creator of all and their provider.