Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Joel 2:12-14
"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 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. 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?

The prophet Joel in his book speaks of the great destruction of the locusts on the kingdom of Judah and relates what God will do to an unfaithful and wicked generation.

However, God offers grace to the people of Judah if they will only humble themselves. Thus, I continue on the road to humility by looking at this passage today

It can be seen here that the people of Judah had set themselves up for disaster through their unbelief and disobedience. Yet, when they found out that they were going to be judged they apparently tore their clothes, but did not tear their heart. Theirs was an empty formalism or ritualism. They knew that the kings of old would rip their clothes when something awful was about to happen to them, and then God would maybe relent from the disaster. Yet, here it is plain to see that they believed that tearing of the garments was the "coin" to put in the "slot" as it were so that if they did this, then God would relent from His wrath, because, after all, the kings of old did it and it worked for them.

This is an empty formalism. They thought that their relationship with God consisted of performing deeds for Him that He required in order to "get in good" with Him. This empty formalism is not true religion, and is that which God despises.

God here in this passage relates the way that the people are to turn to Him and repent. It is not in empty formalism or shows, but rather, it is with a certain attitude of heart and mind, that works itself out in the physical as well. God requires full orbed humility. He requires the absolute abandoning of self, and the pride that goes along with it, and the turning completely to Him.

What is this then that God requires of man in order to have mercy on Him (of course I know that this cannot come without the mercy of God pushing me to do this)?

1. Turning of the heart. The heart was once turned toward self and toward increasing the glory of self. Now the heart needs to be turned directly to God. Not only that, but the manner of it needs to be complete. The heart needs to fully be set on God.
2. Fasting. The body then should recognize the sin and wickedness, by seeking God first above all else, even food. Also, giving the provisions of the food that is fasted from to the poor, thus fulfilling God's requirement of giving mercy and not sacrifice, because God is a God of great mercy. Also, should He be merciful if we are not.
3. Weeping. Then the affections are turned toward God. The affections here realize that they have done something utterly awful, and now are in agony and suffering because of it. So the eyes stream forth tears from the well of the soul, because a God which it dearly loves was offended and wronged.
4. Mourning. Then the life goes into a complete saddened state because it has realized what awful things it has done. There is no happy countenance, but rather sadness, because the inside of the man is now crushed from his sin.

So what does all this relate to, that outward penance is not what God requires. God requires the heart to be ripped and not the clothes. God requires the heart, that is bare before Him anyway, to truly recognize His greatness and my weakness. So this then is a requirement of humility. If it walk like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. Thus, I can see that this verse is requiring humility out of man.

God wants me to live in a way that my life is constantly being given to Him. My life is an offering of praise and worship to God. I must turn from my sin, truly sorry, rend my heart before Him and change my ways to glorify Him.

What is the promise then, well, this returning to God, this recognizing God for who He is and giving the heart back to Him may cause God's anger to relent. It may cause Him to be gracious and merciful, for He is slow to anger, and willing to relent from the planned punishment.

God is a God of steadfast love. God is a God of great mercy. Though God is a God who's wrath is fierce and whose judgments are just and swift, God is a God who shows mercy to those who recognize Him as the great and awesome God that He is and bow their lives in submission to Him.

Oh God, today, I stand here, wondering why my heart is so proud. Why is my heart so full of myself and so worried about my own glory. You are the king eternal, you are the king immortal, you are the king invisible, the only wise God. Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to you. May you be praised. You are the one who is able to keep me from stumbling and to present me faultless before the throne through Jesus Christ. I recognize your greatness and consequently my smallness. Forgive me God for my arrogance. Help me to be an empty vessel for you today. Help me to expend my energy trying to praise and glorify you and not bring honor to myself. In Christ, amen.