5 - Return: With a Broken Heart

Return: With a Broken Heart

Joel 2:12-17

Joel 2:12–17 ESV

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?’ ”

1. Introduction – Last week’s passage had a little bit of doom and gloom in it.

a. But we finished on a positive note.

i. The question rang out – the day of the Lord is great and awesome…who can survive?

1. And the question implies that there is something that can be done in order to survive it.

a. I said at the close last week that if we read 2:1-11 in isolation then it is a passage of fear and terror.

2. But, if we remember what those verses are bracketed by on either side, it can be a passage of hope…of at least doom and gloom don’t have to be end of the story.

a. On the front side it is bracketed by 1:15-20 – a passage about lamenting and fasting and praying.

i. And today we’ll look at the closing bracket.

ii. Who can survive the day of the Lord? Those who heed the words we are about to read.

1. Hear God’s Word – Joel 2:12-17.

b. If these words sound familiar to those who regularly attend DISBC, it’s because they are.

i. In the summer of 2016, we did a series through these verses…well vv.12-14.

1. It was a series on repentance, and we took each phrase and related it to a different aspect of repentance.

a. We looked at the sight of sin, our sorrow over sin, our heartfelt confession of our sin, and a turning away from sin and towards God.

ii. Today we’re looking at these verses again, only this time we have a clearer understand of their context.

1. We see that these words about repentance and returning to God and tearing hearts is in reaction to a national crisis.

a. And during that national crisis – repentance and returning to God with contrite hearts is the appropriate response.

c. Keep this in mind all morning – we are trying to answer the question, “Who can survive the day of the Lord?”

i. And in these verses Joel works through who will survive that day in vv.12-13a

1. In the second half of verse 13 and all of verse 14 we’ll explore how reconciliation with God is even possible.

a. And Joel tells us what must be done in the meantime in vv.15-17.

2. Repent – We’ve been building to these verses for quite some time. And in a way these verses are the turning point and maybe even the pinnacle of Joel’s prophecy.

a. Who can survive the day of the Lord? Look at what Joel writes.

i. Yet even now…what an impactful statement. Think about it.

1. Yet even now…despite the locusts that wiped out all the vegetation…yet even now.

a. Despite the impending danger posed either by another locust army or an army army…yet even know.

i. In spite of all that you are going through…right in the middle of hard and difficult times…yet even know.

ii. What the phrase implies is this…while there is still time.

1. Remember the day of the Lord is near. It was near in Joel’s day…it is near in our day. It is always near and coming closer…

a. It is near…it is not here…yet. So while there is still time…even now, Israel is commanded to return to God.

b. And once again, I want you to notice who these words belong to.

i. These aren’t Joel’s words…sure Joel spoke them and recorded them…but he is not the originator of these words.

1. Last week God gave the command to sound the alarm…he warned his people of what was coming…but he also led the charge against them

a. And this week – God is the one who is calling his wayward children home.

i. The one who was sinned against is the initiator of the reunion. What an incredible thought…and how consistent that is with what God did for us in Jesus – while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

ii. God says…hear it again…God says, “Return to me…”

1. When we hear the word ‘return’…to us it has the connotation of ‘returning from a trip.”

a. But here in Joel 2:12 the word really means ‘repent.’

i. And repenting, after all, is returning to God.

iii. It is often said that repentance means a change in direction…and while that is true…we have to be clear and about where that change in direction is taking us.

1. It does us no good to go in the direction of one sin…only to turn in the direction of another one…

a. Repentance is a turning from since…and turning or returning to God.

i. We have to take note of the place of the return…where are the wayward to return to??? Return to me…Return to God…with all your heart.

c. But along with a change in direction…a turning from sin and returning to God…

i. The change in direction is to be accompanied by outward physical signs of repentance.

1. The physical signs are representative of the inward turning.

a. But the outward signs must be done with the right heart – otherwise they are all for show.

ii. We have previously looked at fasting and weeping and mourning. Repentance must be accompanied by sorrow…and the right kind of sorrow.

1. So often our sorrow over our sin is being sorry we got caught in sin.

a. But here God – through the prophet Joel – tells us that we are to have a godly sorrow.

i. Not sorrow for getting caught in sin, but sorrow for ever committing that sin in the first place.

1. A sorrow for disobeying God and going against his holy commands.

2. That’s the kind of sorrow we are to come to God with – fasting, weeping and mourning.

iii. But as I previously said, show can also be a show. I remember one time when Veronica was trying to get out of a punishment…

1. There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth…but her sorrow was all for show.

a. She was presenting remorse…but really, she was trying to manipulate us into relenting our punishment…

i. That’s why this caveat is added…alongside fasting and weeping and mourning…God says this, “Rend your hearts, not your garments.”

2. The tearing of clothes was a sign of mourning – it was an outward physical symbol of the emotional turmoil someone was going through.

a. But God doesn’t want meaningless outward signs if they aren’t also accompanied by a change of heart.

i. Because at the end of the day…repentance isn’t a physical issue…it’s a heart issue.

d. The heart, in ancient Israelite thinking – was the seat of emotions and the will…it was also the place of decision making. They thought of the heart the way we think of the mind.

i. But this returning to God – the accompanying actions of weeping and mourning must be symbols of a broken and contrite heart…a heart that is fully yielded to God.

1. Fasting, weeping and mourning aren’t performed as a show, but as a sign of contrition…

a. Repentance is a heart issue – changing attitudes and actions to bring them in line with God’s name.

i. Who can endure the day of the Lord??? That’s the question. Only those who return to God.

1. Those who pray, fast, weep, and mourn…specifically those who do so with a broken and contrite heart.

3. How is this possible? – But this brings up a serious question – how is this even possible?

a. How is it that sinners…covenant breakers…those who are chronically unfaithful to God…how are they…how are we able to return to God?

i. How this even possible? The second half of v.13 and all of v.14 answer that question.

1. In these verses we’ll find that repentance…and forgiveness granted is made possible because of who God is.

b. Israel was able to return to God…we are able to return to God, because of who God is…because of the essential characteristics of his nature.

i. God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger – abounding is steadfast love.

1. This is a familiar refrain of God’s character. I repeat it often because it is THAT important for us to understand.

ii. Really quickly this morning I want us to look at this list of characteristics – then we’ll look at a fascinating phrase that closes this verse.

c. This is a familiar refrain – quoted often throughout the OT.

i. It was originally said by God himself in Ex.34… the great divine self-revelation.

1. It was pronounced to Moses after God gave Moses a second copy of the 10 Commandments.

a. Remember as Moses was coming down the mountain with the first tablets of stone…

i. As he was on his way to give the people of Israel the laws of God…

1. The people had already made a golden calf and were worshipping it…breaking most of the commandments in one act.

b. In his anger, Moses smashed the original tablets and God was ready to do away with the people and start a new nation through Moses…but God relented.

ii. So Moses went back up the mountain with God and God gave Moses new tablets with his laws on it…

1. But God also told Moses his name…The Lord the Lord gracious and merciful, slow to anger about in steadfast love and faithfulness… God gave Moses…God gave the people a second chance.

a. A great divine self-revelation – God himself telling us his name.

i. And when Joel quotes that verse here in this passage – Joel is reminding the people that God is a God of second chances…and third chances…and fourth chances…

d. And how is the God of second chances described? He is gracious.

i. This means he shows favour on whom he chooses. There is no compulsion or coercion here. God doesn’t grant favour because we’re good people or because we ask him to…

1. God does it out of his own nature and character…he is gracious…he grants favour as a free act of kindness.

a. God is also merciful. This word in Hebrew is actually related to the word ‘womb.’

i. So the word merciful is often described as a motherly type of love.

1. It can also the describe the act of helping the needy and having compassion on the helpless.

b. In his mercy God provides for needs, he forgives and he delivers.

ii. Slow to anger – I did a presentation on this attribute of God in my Biblical Theology class in seminary.

1. Being slow to anger describes God’s forbearance…his ability to delay judgment.

a. In Hebrew, that phrase that we translate ‘slow to anger’ actually means that God is long in the nostrils.

i. The image is of smoke of steam coming out of the nose as a sign of anger…a red nose.

2. But God – it takes a long time for his nose to turn red…it takes a while for the smoke to build up because he is slow to anger.

a. He doesn’t mean is void of anger…the Israelites knew full well that God’s anger burned white hot. They knew that God got angry over sin, but they also knew God provided ample opportunity to repent and sought to lead them out of their folly.

i. It really is one of God’s greatest attributes.

iii. And finally, God is abounding…I love that word…abounding in steadfast love.

1. It’s my favourite Hebrew word…hesed…he will always be faithful…full of love towards his people.

e. That’s who God is…isn’t it an incredible picture?

i. And after listing off God’s character…we come to v.14…a fascinating verse.

1. Who knows…the verse starts out. What a great way to start it.

a. The verse means this…by posing it this way…Who knows whether he will not turn and relent…

i. It reminds us that forgiveness is only something God can grant.

2. Who knows…it’s another way of saying…Perhaps God will turn and relent.

a. It’s almost as if there is this divine pause of some divine hesitancy here.

ii. But we shouldn’t understand it really as God waffling or God dilly-dallying or being fickle is changing his mind. That’s not how we should understand this phrase.

1. But here’s how we should take this incredible phrase “who knows.”

a. It is here so that we are the repentant – as the ones in need of forgiveness…never take God’s forgiveness for granted…

i. It’s there to remind us that forgiveness is always an act of grace.

f. You see, God isn’t obligated to forgive you simply because you asked. God is obligated to give you anything because you ask.

i. That turns God into a vending machine or a genie in a bottle.

1. Where we do the right thing and say the right words and out pops forgiveness.

a. Will God forgive us when we repent and return to him with a contrite and broken heart?

i. His past actions tell us yes. God has a history of forgiving his people when they genuinlely come to him in repentance…

1. But that doesn’t mean God is obligated to do so.

a. If God was obligated to give us whatever we asked whenever we asked him…we would actually be reversing roles.

ii. When we treat God this way we are turning God – who is the Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth…when we treat God like a vending machine we are putting God a little lower that the creatures he created.

g. And while God isn’t under compulsion to do what we say…

i. God does forgive – not because we asked him to, but because he is a forgiving God…because it is consistent with his nature and character…because he is gracious and merciful…slow to anger – abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

1. Doesn’t this change your view of forgiveness? It’s not something God is obligated to do,

a. But every act of forgiveness…for Israel, for you and for me…has been motivated by God’s grace and mercy and love.

h. So we are to see this divine “who knows” in v.14 as a reminder that God’s forgiveness is an act of grace.

i. It is not to be presumed upon. But it is unexpected – give not because we’ve asked – but it is given out of God’s gracious character.

4. What to do – And the passage closes with some instructions for the people.

a. They are instructed to blow the trumpet once again…This time not as an alarm…but as a summons to prayer.

i. These are some repeated instructions here. To gather, to hold a solemn assembly…to fast.

b. It’s actually quite reminiscent of chapter 1 - where Joel called different segments of society to recognize how they were affected by the locust plague.

i. Here, Joel is calling all people – young, old, and those in the middle to gather in order to call out to God.

1. No one was exempt from this…not even newlyweds – who were exempt from military duty – they were charged to leave their home and join the assembly.

a. So urgent was this need and anyone and everyone was to come.

c. But notice that this solemn assembly is different. Yes, there are similar actions, but there is the potential for deliverance here…now there’s hope for restoration.

i. There’s a change, perhaps, maybe, who knows – God may turn back to them and leave a blessing behind him.

1. He may restore their fields.

d. There’s hope, there’s a possibility it could happened.

i. But the people must do their part, they must repent, mourn, weep and come before God with broken and contrite hearts.

1. They must gather – young and old and urgently cry out before God while there is still time.

5. Conclusion – And with that the first half of Joel’s prophecy has come to close.

a. The crisis is over…the tension has been built…these verses were the turning point of the book.

i. From here on out we are going to see the resolution to the problem

1. What happens when God’s people repent and return?

a. What happens to those who choose not to repent?

b. We’ll start answering those questions next week as we continue our journey through this book.