Rend Your Heart
Passage: Joel 2:12-17
Locusts had devastated the land (chapter 1).
Overview
'Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting... rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful.'
Going deeper
Repentance is inward, not just outward show. The call is to everyone, from elders to infants.
Key verses (KJV)
- Joel 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
- Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
From the commentaries
12. With such judgments impending over the Jews, Jehovah Himself urges them to repentance. also now—Even now, what none could have hoped or believed possible, God still invites you to the hope of salvation. fasting … weeping … mourning—Their sin being most heinous needs extraordinary humiliation. The outward marks of repentance are to signify the depth of their sorrow for sin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
Verse 12 Turn ye even to me - Three means of turning are recommended: Fasting, weeping, mourning, i.e., continued sorrow.
Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke's Commentary (1810-1826)
The Prophet, having proclaimed the dreadful judgment which we have noticed, now shows that he did not intend to terrify the people without reason, but, on the contrary, to encourage them to repentance; which he could not do without offering to them the hope of pardon; for as we have said before, and as it may be collected from the whole of Scripture, men cannot be restored to the right ways except they entertain a hope of God’s mercy inasmuch as he who has been ungodly, when he despairs, wholly disregards himself, observing no restraint. Hence the Prophet now represents God as propitious and merciful, that he might thus kindly allure the people to repentance. He says first, And even now the
John Calvin, John Calvin's Commentaries (16th century, Calvin Translation Society, 1840s-1850s)
Application
- What is the difference between rending heart and garments?
- What does Exodus 34:6 tell you about God?
- What needs turning in your heart?