Prophecy – Joel 1-3

Upon finding out more about the book of Joel, a well-known Bible verse comes to mind.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! (Deut 6:4)

This is because the name Joel means ‘Yah is God’. Although the name may seem simple and straightforward, it is deeply religious and more importantly, carries the message that only Yahweh is God.

What should be our response to this declaration then? Deuteronomy 6 continues to instruct us.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. (Deut 6:5-6)

It does seem, in this case, that our hearts are important factors in our relationships with God. Joel, in exhorting the people to repent like the other prophets, also talked about this.

Let us read our passage for today to find out more.

Bible Passage:  Joel 1-3

Turn to Me with All Your Heart

Why is it that the heart is so important? Another well-known Bible verse, Proverbs 4:23, tells us simply.

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (Prov 4:23)

Our hearts are crucial because they determine our actions and subsequently our end. If we manage to guard and control our hearts well, our outcome will be one of eternal life but if we do not, the opposite holds true.

Thus, in order to ensure our hearts do not stray and cause us to end up in eternal suffering, we have to turn it to God completely. However, there is a difficulty in doing so.

The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? (Jer 17:9)

In this case, how can we be sure that our hearts have not deceived us into thinking that we have turned to God totally when we have not?

This awareness is the first step to seeing clearly and not allowing our hearts to deceive us. By being aware and using God’s word as a standard, we take precautions so that it is less likely for our hearts to deceive us. However, we cannot do this by ourselves thus like David, we must tell God

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps 139:23-24)

So Rend Your Heart, And Not Your Garments

Nevertheless, asking God to search our hearts will not benefit us in anyway if we do not follow up with the appropriate actions.

When we ask God to search our hearts, we must attune ourselves to Him so that we can hear what He wants to tell us after searching our hearts. As hymn 396 I Would Be True puts it, we must say

I would be prayerful thro’ each busy moment

I would be constantly in touch with God

I would be tuned to hear the slightest whisper

When we are constantly in touch with God, examining ourselves and asking Him to examine us, we will see our faults clearly. This is when we have to rend our hearts. One of the definitions the dictionary gives us for the word rend is ‘to tear or split apart or into pieces violently’ and another is ‘to cause pain or distress to’.

These are the actions we should have when faced with our imperfections and sins so that we can remove them and gradually draw closer to being blameless. How can God forgive us if we don’t acknowledge our sins or feel sorrowful about them? And if He does not forgive us our sins, how can they be removed so that we will be blameless?

And it Shall Come to Pass

Asking God to remove our sins is the first step but let us remember what Jesus said to the woman whom He forgave of adultery.

[...] Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more. (Jn 8:11)

This is something easier said than done but God, knowing our limitations, has already arranged a helper for us – Himself.

This is why He says

And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh [...] (Joel 2:28)

Remember I mentioned the modal will when talking about the book of Hosea? It appears again here with another modal shall. Belovedofthelord mentioned that modals are kindly and loving which is exactly what we see here.

Are there any other gods that you know of who actively desires and go out to dwell with their people instead of waiting for their worshippers to come and worship them?

Our God is such a god thus let us depend on Him to return to Him with all our hearts so that the day of the Lord is one of rejoicing and not one of terror for us.