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The Lord's Invitation
12The Lord said:
It isn't too late.
You can still return to me
with all your heart.
Start crying and mourning!
Go without eating.
13Don't rip your clothes
to show your sorrow.
Instead, turn back to me
with broken hearts.
I am merciful, kind, and caring.
I don't easily lose my temper,
and I don't like to punish.
14I am the Lord your God.
Perhaps I will change my mind
and treat you with mercy.
Then you will be blessed
with enough grain and wine
for offering sacrifices to me.
15Sound the trumpet on Zion!
Call the people together.
Show your sorrow
by going without food.
16 Make sure that everyone
is fit to worship me.
Bring adults, children, babies,
and even bring newlyweds
from their festivities.
17 Tell my servants, the priests,
to cry inside the temple
and to offer this prayer
near the altar:
“Save your people, Lord God!
Don't let foreign nations
make jokes about us.
Don't let them laugh and ask,
‘Where is your God?’ ”
The Lord Will Bless
18The Lord was deeply concerned
about his land
and had pity on his people.
19In answer to their prayers
he said,
“I will give you enough grain,
wine, and olive oil
to satisfy your needs.
No longer will I let you
be insulted by the nations.
20An army attacked from the north,
but I will chase it
into a scorching desert.
There it will rot and stink
from the Dead Sea
to the Mediterranean.”
The Lord works wonders
21and does great things.
So tell the soil to celebrate
22and wild animals
to stop being afraid.
Grasslands are green again;
fruit trees and fig trees
are loaded with fruit.
Grapevines are covered
with grapes.
23People of Zion,
celebrate in honor
of the Lord your God!
He is generous and has sent
the autumn and spring rains
in the proper seasons.
24Grain will cover
your threshing places;
jars will overflow
with wine and olive oil.
The Lord Will Rescue
25I, the Lord your God,
will make up for the losses
caused by those swarms
and swarms of locusts
I sent to attack you.
26My people, you will eat
until you are satisfied.
Then you will praise me
for the wonderful things
I have done.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
27Israel, you will know
that I stand at your side.
I am the Lord your God—
there are no other gods.
Never again will you
be put to shame.
Reflect
No, you’re not experiencing déjà vu. This is the same title as a previous reflection in Joel and is done purposely to emphasize that the prophet has two calls to repentance – the first in 1:13-20 and the second in 2:12-17.
The call to repentance opens with an invitation to return to God (vv 12-14). In order to come back to God there needs to be an inward change rather than outward actions (v 13a). We have to be broken and feel sorrow (v 12, and see Psalm 51:17) and to show sincere and genuine penitence that’s demonstrated when we no longer do the things that displease God.
Martin Luther said, “To repent means to feel the wrath of God in earnest because of one’s sin, so that the sinner experiences anguish of heart and is filled with a painful longing for the salvation and mercy of God … Repentance is begun when we acknowledge our sins and are sincerely sorry for them: it is completed when trust in the mercy of God comes to this sorrow and hearts are converted to God, and long for the forgiveness of sins.”
When hearts are restored to God there should be visible evidence of change. The Israelites demonstrated their repentance by fasting (v 15), assembling and worshiping together (v 16) and prayer (v 17).
Providentially, repentance isn’t a one-sided affair. It’s linked to the hope of God’s grace. It’s because God is “merciful, kind and caring” (v 13) that those who are cut off from him can be encouraged to come back to him.
The good news is that God promises penitent people his pity (v 18), provision (v 19) protection (v 20), prosperity (vv 22-26), and most importantly, his presence (v 27). Blessing, not condemnation, is the ultimate outcome when we repent. Remarkably, when we turn to God “with broken hearts” (v 13) he will make up for the losses caused by those swarms of locusts.
Respond
Lord, thank you for the promise of better times when we repent. And thank you for treating us with mercy. You are good. Your love endures forever. Amen.
Lawson Murray
Lawson is the President of Scripture Union Canada and the Managing Editor of theStory™. Lawson takes every opportunity to enthusiastically invite people of all ages to connect with Jesus and His Story. He says, “We have been given the greatest story ever - God's Story! Should we not, with all our might and energy immerse ourselves in it? I believe we should. For without the Story we really have nothing to offer the millions who hunger and thirst for something more. But, with God’s Story we have what everyone needs!” Publications: jumpintotheword - Bible Engagement Blog; iConnect: Life words for growth, for story, for community; Bible Engagement Basics; Seize the Day: Meditations for the Year.