Return to Me

Joel 2:12-17. "Return to Me" Ajax Alliance Church. Sunday August 13th, 2023. 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.) The invitation of God, return to me, is expressed in terms of an imperative. It is a call to repentance: a change of direction, a turning from evil, a renouncing of evil, and a turning to God (Ezk 14:6; Hos 14:2). The terminology is strong and clear; yet here the specific sin from which they are to turn is not stated. This absence is unusual when compared with other texts using the same terms (cf. Isa 30:15; Jer 4:1; Ezk 33:9, 15; Amos 4:6ff). The prepositional phrase to me is specific, denoting the idea of 'as far as.' It speaks of going all the way, not just part way. Only a complete return could usher in a day of mercy and blessing. When the judgment of God is ready to break, the only escape lies with God Himself (Ogilvie, L. J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1990). Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Vol. 22, p. 241). Thomas Nelson Inc.) * Why do we continue to fall into the same difficulties over and over? At times we just seek to forsake a sin and not replace it with holiness. Unless complete submission to God and His will is embraced, the result is falling back into that sin or another sin in its place. This 'return' is to be characterized in two ways: inwardly and outwardly. Inwardly, they were to return with all your heart. The heart is viewed in the Old Testament as the seat of the intellect and will, not the organ of affections. It depicts 'the organ of moral purpose and resolve.' If they would return to God with the entire force of their moral purpose, with a genuine, unreservedly repentant heart, then He would hear and forgive (Deut 4:29-30; 30:2; 1 Sam 7:3; 1 Kgs 8:48ff; Ps 51:17 [51:19]; cf. Jer 3:10 where God chides Israel because she 'did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception'). Outwardly, they were to return with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. These are the outward signs of repentance. While a genuine change of heart must always be thoroughly and profoundly inward (and thus it is mentioned first), it will have outward expressions (Cf. Mt 3:8.). Joel is calling his people to mourn because they have abandoned the Lord their God. ( Eickmann, P. E. (1989). Hosea, Joel, Amos (2nd ed., p. 149). Northwestern Pub. House.) * Lasting change is never achieved when starting with outward action. When our convictions, moral compass and resolve direct towards that which is eternally meaningful, then our outward actions will naturally follow. In verse 13, we see how God's unchanging character, described throughout Scripture, is the grounds for his people's repentance (cf. Ex. 34:6-7). Lest the public expressions of fasting, weeping, and mourning be motivated from selfishness (cf. Zech 7:5ff; Mt 6:16-18) and predominate the essence of their repentance, the prophet reminds them of the pre-eminent need for a repentance of the heart-to rend your hearts and not your garments. The urgency of God's call for a change of heart is evident from the continued use of imperatives. The command is to rend the heart, an obvious allusion to the practice of tearing apart one's clothing in demonstration of great sorrow and grief. It is similar to instructions elsewhere to circumcise the heart (Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4) or to break or crush the heart (Ps 51:17 [51:19]). Tearing one's garment was a common expression of sorrow and grief (e.g. Gen 37:29, 34; Josh 7:6), a ritual generally performed prior to the donning of sackcloth (2 Sam 3:31). The tearing of garments is not here proscribed. But the idea is that such is not to be done without the resolve of the heart leading the way. Formal mourning was easy. True conversion to a godly life was not. Here, "heart" means essentially "mind" or "will," which needs to be reshaped to faithful obedience (Stuart, D. (1987). Hosea-Jonah (Vol. 31, p. 252). Word, Incorporated.). * Unfortunately, we Christians are often not all that different from the "religious" people in Joel's time: we recite our confession of sins, sing our hymns ("Alas, my God, my sins are great, My conscience doth upbraid me"-The Lutheran Hymnal [TLH] 317:1), sit through a sermon, put our offering in the basket, and think that God must be satisfied with us. Our worship can become a mere "going-through-the-religious-motions," a defense against the Lord's call to repentance, without faith in our hearts or the fruits of faith in our lives (Eickmann, P. E. (1989). Hosea, Joel, Amos (2nd ed., pp. 149-150). Northwestern Pub. House.). Please turn to Psalm 51 We often hear the advice to follow your heart. But if our hearts are not directed in honouring God, then that advice will lead to destructive selfishness. When the heart is right with God, right actions will follow. Psalm 51:16-19 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar . (ESV) * The animal sacrifices look to the worshiper offering himself to God (cf. notes on vv. 1-2 and v. 7) as "a living sacrifice" (Rom. 12:1). The psalm closes by enabling worshipers to see the relationship between their own spiritual health and the well-being of the whole body of God's people (Zion). That is, each member is linked to all the others in a web of relationships, and together they share in the life of God as it pulses through the whole body. Thus each member contributes to (or else detracts from) the health of the whole (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1001). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.) The following directive to: "Return to the LORD your God" is generally thought to be the point at which Joel takes up the task of explaining the inviting words of God given in 2:12-13a. The hope for returning to the Lord is explained by the reason why the prophet can confidently proclaim the possibility of mercy. God is a God of mercy, One who responds to human contrition (Jon 4:2; et. al). The essence of the repentance urged on the people is summarized in the one word used twice in these verses: 'return'. 'Change the direction in which your life has been going. Come back to the Lord.' This changing of life's direction must of necessity involve a mournful rending of the heart, as Joel indicates (Robertson, O. P. (1995). Prophet of the Coming Day of the Lord: The Message of Joel (p. 51). Evangelical Press.) Four of the five following characteristics of God mentioned here are taken from Exodus 34:6, where God reveals His nature to Moses on Mount Sinai (e.g. Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8), First, the adjective gracious is used only as an attribute of God and describes His gracious acts and goodwill toward humanity. He is gracious and merciful, which denotes care, tenderness, and speaks of the intense love and compassion of a parent for a child (cf. Ps 103:13; Mic 7:17). Slow to anger is literally 'long of nostrils' or 'long of anger,' picturing one who takes long, deep breaths to keep from getting angry. Proverbs 25:15 describes a patient man as one who is long of breath. God is slow to anger, in that He provides ample warning and seeks to turn His people from the folly of their ways. His will not blast them with a short-fused temper as people so often do. (Ogilvie, L. J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1990). Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Vol. 22, p. 243). Thomas Nelson Inc.) * As the people of God we should be peaceable and peacemakers. We should never be categorized as having a short fuse and contentious. To be godly is to be patient and peaceable. That He is abounding in steadfast love/Lovingkindness 'refers to an attitude as well as to actions. This attitude is parallel to love, goodness, etc. It is a kind of love, including mercy, when the object is in a pitiful state.' God is never vindictive, never malicious. He has no pleasure in the death of one who dies in his or her own sin (Ezekiel 18:32). He cannot forgive a sinner who scorns his mercy and goes on stubbornly in willful sin, but he is eager to forgive one who truly repents. (Pechawer, L. (2008). Poetry and prophecy (Vol. 3, p. 246). Standard Publishing.) * One of the greatest misconceptions about God is the assumption that He waits for people to improve themselves and then comes to them. The opposite is true. He shows people how far they fall short of His goodness and their need for Him. The final characteristic is that God relents over disaster. It would appear that such a description of God's character is contradictory to other statements regarding His immutability (e.g. 1 Sam 15:29; Ps 110:4). However, when used of God, 'relent' (or 'repent' as it is often translated) is to be viewed as an anthropopathic expression, eliminating any sense of contradiction. From man's finite perspective, it only appears that God has changed His mind and purpose. It must be understood that God's stern warnings of judgment are not inflexible; rather they are subordinate to the higher purpose of his people's welfare. This divine relenting is not to be regarded as fickleness or an irresolute retraction of a formerly absolute decree, as if God dillydallies or cannot make up his mind. The emphasis here is on the personal relationship of God with his people and his varying attitude toward them according to their sensitivity to his will. The disaster noted here is not a specific reference to the locust plague or any military invasion (past or future). Rather, the phrase is a general statement regarding any circumstance or calamity which God brings about for the purpose of judging sin. When it states that He is One who relents over disaster, it is merely describing His character. Since the promise of judgment is conditioned on humanity's failure to meet God's standards, for people to repent and meet God in his gracious provision is to avert the just judgment of God. From humanity's point of view, God would seem to have 'changed his mind' or 'feelings'. He is One who relents over disaster when the response of the people is right and when He deems it is appropriate and in concert with His plan and will. Sometimes God has to chastise his people as part of his fatherly role (cf. Heb. 12:5-11), but his ultimate purpose is to renew fellowship. ( D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 786). Inter-Varsity Press.). The opening words in verse 14: "who knows" is not an expression of doubt or unbelief concerning God's character. That He is a God who, when the people repent, chooses not to bring judgment upon them has been definitively established in verse 13-it is part of His character. Verse 14, however, is no longer a description of His character; rather, it is a statement of uncertainty, from humanity's point of view. God's character is beyond doubt, but whether He will choose to withhold judgment in the present circumstance is not so certain. The phrase, carrying the idea of 'perhaps' (cf. 2 Sam 12:22; Jon 3:9), underscores the freedom and sovereignty of God. Human repentance does not control God. People cannot force God to show them his forgiveness. They can only appeal to him for mercy in not meting out against them what they very well deserve. They may hope for his compassion, but they cannot command it (Zeph 2:3; Lam 3:29). (Stuart, D. (1987). Hosea-Jonah (Vol. 31, p. 252). Word, Incorporated.). * People will often ask why repent of sin now, and not live a full life as they please then repent on their deathbed. Besides not knowing when death might occur for any of us, we may face God's temporal judgement for sin or collectively as a community, region, nation or planet, the mass effects of sin. Perhaps, if the people demonstrate a genuine change of heart, God may withhold further judgment and leave a blessing behind. The blessing, though often thought of in the abstract, here denotes a physical blessing, something concrete left behind (i.e. food, grain, fruit), as the mention of grain offering and drink offering. The picture is one of harvest time in Israel. The Mosaic Law had instructed them to leave sheaves of grain in the fields, to not cut the corners, and to leave behind olives and grapes, so that the poor, the widow and the orphan might have food (Lev 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut 24:19-21). God's army of locusts has 'harvested' the grains, pastures, fruit trees, and vines. The prophet expresses the hope that, upon repentance, He might command his reapers to leave some grain and fruit behind. The "behind Him" would be better translated 'after it,' referring to a blessing left after the locust invasion. God does not delight in sacrifices and burnt offerings in and of themselves, but delights in righteous sacrifices when performed from a pure heart (cf. Ps 51:17-19 [51:19-21]). And thus the prophet hopes that some grain and wine will be left for a grain offering and libation, all the while cognizant of the realization that they can give back only what He has first given them (cf. 1 Chr 29:14). As the Lord has called the people to 'return' to him, so He shows a readiness to 'return' in blessing to them. What is this 'blessing' that God may leave behind? According to the Lord's word to Joel, the repentant sinner's best hope is that after chastenings God in His mercy will leave behind something that may be offered back to the Lord. (Robertson, O. P. (1995). Prophet of the Coming Day of the Lord: The Message of Joel (p. 54). Evangelical Press.) 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.). * The biblical injunctive to: "not forsake the assembling of ourselves" (Heb. 10:25) is no less applicable in summer. With travel and other events, it may mean associating in different locations but just like it makes no sense to abstain from physical food during the summer, it makes no sense to abstain from spiritual food during summer. Finally in verse 17, the Hebrew text places emphasis on the location of the weeping and praying, commencing with the phrase Between the vestibule/porch and the altar of Solomon's temple. Thirty feet wide and fifteen feet deep, the space provided an entry way to the Holy Place from the east. The location, also known as the 'inner court' or 'court of the priests' (1 Kgs 6:3, 36; 7:19). In their approach to God and the physical residence of the Shekinah Glory above the Mercy Seat, the priests would have moved-empty-handed-past the altar of burnt offering, the locust plague and drought having prevented them from offering anything. It is here, with their backs toward the altar, they were to weep and to make supplication. With nothing to offer God by way of sacrifice and libation, their only recourse was to entreat their God with contrition of heart and beg for mercy. The intercessors of God's people must be ready to present their case clearly before the Lord. To do so, it must be evident that they represent a people who have trusted in the sacrifice that has been provided and stand repentant for their sins. In these circumstances, the priestly petitioner can plead for his people with confidence before the God of all the earth (Robertson, O. P. (1995). Prophet of the Coming Day of the Lord: The Message of Joel (p. 57). Evangelical Press.) * In reality this is the basis for all our service. There is nothing we can give God that He needs. The ability for us to serve and have any effect whatsoever is because of His grace and His forgiveness of our sin which impedes our service. Please turn to Daniel 9 The seer's instructions were two-fold: they were to weep and say/pray. The weeping is a weeping of repentance, a bitter sense of sorrow over having offended God (e.g. 2 Kgs 22:19; Neh 8:9).As Moses had done on various occasions (Exo 32:11-12; Num 14:17) and as Daniel would do (Dan 9:4-19), they also were to do. Daniel 9:3-9: 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him. (ESV) * True repentance acknowledges that the obligations were clear but transgressed. God deserves righteous obedience but in admitted fault, Daniel leads his people in confessing sin. He sees the chastisement from God being deserving, repents of sin and asks His forgiveness. Definitive forgiveness comes only in Christ (Rom. 4:6-8; Col. 1:14).(Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1605). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.) In reflecting true sorrow in repentance in Joel 2:17, the people were first of all, they were to say/pray for deliverance, that God would spare them. With the idea of spare, the term includes the concept of feeling pity toward another or looking on with compassion (e.g. Deut 19:12, 13, 21; Ezk 16:5). Second, they were to pray that He would not make His inheritance a reproach. Israel is frequently described as God's inheritance (Deut 4:20; 9:26, 29) or His special treasure (Exo 19:5; Deut 7:6; Ps 135:4; cf. Tit 2:14). They were to appeal on the basis of that special bond, that special relationship forged as His adopted children (cf. Ezk 16). For the judgement of the people to remain would be a reproach upon the name of God. Reproach means 'to say sharp things against, to taunt.' The negative particle not suggests the idea of stopping something that was already occurring-that scorn was already being directed toward them. As with Moses before (Deut 9:29), the basis of the appeal is that they belonged to God. When our lives are preserved and transformed, God's power and mercy are magnified before the world. When we are saved by the undeserved love of God, that salvation resounds to God's glory (cf. Ps. 98; Isa. 52:13-53:12)... Therefore, this petition in the priest's prayer is not an appeal to God's selfish concern but an acknowledgment that God is to be honored and praised for his work in his people Israel. The priests here confess that, yes, they are concerned that God be glorified throughout the world, much as Christians also pray, "Hallowed be thy name." (Achtemeier, E. (2012). Minor Prophets I (W. W. Gasque, R. L. Hubbard Jr., & R. K. Johnston, Eds.; p. 143). Baker Books.) * Asking for provision and strength is never selfish if we truly desire it in order to fulfill God's commission to us. Do your prayers have this as primary importance? Or do we come first with a laundry list of wants. Once we want God first and seek first His honor, all we need will be added to us. God will honor us as we first honor Him. This honor is in mind that His people would be sustained so as not to be: "a byword among the nations. If the locust plague and famine were to continue unabated, then the nation would be impoverished and unable to defend itself, making it an easy mark for subjugation by other nations. Certainly, there are numerous texts that talk about Israel's life and freedom from foreign domination being a witness to the power and special care of God. But when this position is taken to extreme without other balancing perspectives, it gives rise to the dangerous presumption that being the chosen people of God makes them immune from His judgment. They were tempted to think that since they were the Lord's people and fulfilled the ritual demands of devotion to the Lord, the character of their lives did not matter. This was the presumption against which Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah prophesied (e.g., Jer. 7:9-10; Amos 5:21-24). The presumption is not just of historical interest but continues to be a danger among God's chosen people in the church to this day (Ogilvie, L. J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1990). Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Vol. 22, pp. 244-245). Thomas Nelson Inc.). Joel's message here in Joel 2 is not presumptuous: he does not dictate to the Lord what the answer to Israel's prayer should be. Yet because of the Lord's promises, he is very bold, and he encourages the priests and people to appeal boldly to the honor of God and to His covenant promises in their prayer for deliverance. Can the prophet teach us such boldness in prayer? When the church prays-whether it is for workers in the Lord's harvest, for protection against persecutors, or for strength to confess Christ in a hostile world-we (declare unto) God that we are his people. We pray as children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. We bear our Father's name on earth, and His honor is at stake as we represent him. When we as individual Christians pray for healing in sickness, for help in all our other troubles, for strength to bear hard burdens, or for joyful hearts in depressing times, we (return unto God when we cry), "Dear Father, through Jesus I am your child. Forgive me, help me, deliver me from trouble. Then I will thank and honor you. Let the deliverance you send me glorify your name before (others), so that others will join me in praising you." (Eickmann, P. E. (1989). Hosea, Joel, Amos (2nd ed., pp. 153-154). Northwestern Pub. House.) (Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from Busenitz, I. A. (2003). Commentary on Joel and Obadiah (pp. 113-160). Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.)