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: THEREFORE. With such judgments impending over the Jews, Yahweh Himself urges them to repentance. ALSO NOW, SAITH THE LORD - even now, what none could have hoped or believed possible, God still invites you to the hope of salvation. What pathetic tenderness marks this sudden turn from threatening to loving invitation! TURN YE EVEN TO ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH FASTING, AND WITH WEEPING, AND WITH MOURNING. Their sin being most heinous, needs extraordinary humiliation. The outward marks of repentance are to signify the depth of their sorrow for sin. MOURNING - literally, with beating on the breast; as the publican smote on his breast, crying, "God be merciful to me a sinner" [ bªmicpeed...

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 Lord says, Turn ye to me. _The Prophet exhorts the people, not in his own name, but speaks in the person of God himself. He might indeed have borne witness to the favor which he proclaimed; but the d...

1-14 The priests were to alarm the people with the near approach of the Divine judgments. It is the work of ministers to warn of the fatal consequences of sin, and to reveal the wrath from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. The striking description which follows, shows what would attend the devastations of locusts, but may also describe the effects from the ravaging of the land by the Chaldeans. If the alarm of temporal judgments is given to offending nations, how much more should sinners be warned to seek deliverance from the wrath to come! Our business therefore on earth must especially be, to secure an interest in our Lord Jesus Christ; and we should seek to be weaned from objects which will soon be torn from all who now make idols of them. There must be outward expressions of sorrow and shame, fasting, weeping, and mourning; tears for trouble must be turned i...

Verse 12. _TURN YE_ EVEN _TO ME_] _Three means_ of turning are recommended: _Fasting, weeping, mourning_, i.e., _continued sorrow_....

THEREFORE - (And) now also All this being so, one way of escape there is, true repentance. As if God said , “All this I have therefore spoken, in order to terrify you by My threats. Wherefore “turn unto Me with all your hearts,” and show the penitence of your minds “by fasting and weeping and mourning,” that, fasting now, ye may “be filled” hereafter “weeping now,” ye may laugh hereafter; mourning now, ye may hereafter “be comforted” Luke 6:21; Matthew 5:4. And since it is your custom “to rend your garments” in sorrow, I command you to rend, not them but your hearts which are full of sin, which, like bladders, unless they be opened, will burst of themselves. And when ye have done this, return unto the Lord your God, whom your former sins aleinated from you; and despair not of pardon for t

EXPOSITION JOEL 2:1 These verses contain a further description of the calamity occasioned by the locusts and the appearance presented by them; the calling of a congregational meeting for penitence and prayer; the reason assigned in the coming of the day of the Lord. JOEL 2:1 BLOW YE THE TRUMPET (margin, cornet) in Zion, AND SOUND AN ALARM (or, cause it to sound) IN MY HOLY MOUNTAIN. The _shophar_, or far-sounding horn, and probably the _chatsoterah_,_ _the _hazar_ or silver trumpet, were called into requisition. The priests are urged with great vehemence, as _tiqu shophar _and _hariu _imply, to apprise the people that the day of Jehovah's terrible judgment was near

THEREFORE ALSO NOW, SAITH THE LORD,.... Before this terrible and intolerable day, which is near at hand, comes; before these judgments and calamities threatened take place, though just at hand; serious repentance is never too late, now is the accepted time; see Luke 19:42; TURN YE [EVEN] TO ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART; against whom they had sinned, and who had prepared his army against them, and was at the head of it, just ready to give the orders, and play his artillery upon them; and yet suggests, that even now, that if they turned to the Lord by true repentance, not, feignedly and hypocritically, but cordially and sincerely, with true hearts, and with their whole hearts, he was ready to receive and forgive them. The Targum is, "turn ye to my worship with all your heart:'' AND WITH FASTING, AND WITH WEEPING, AND WITH MOURNING; extern

II. THE COMING DAY OF THE LORD: THE REPENTANCE AND RESTORATION OF ISRAEL CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The alarm sounded and the day at hand (Joel 2:1) _ 2. The invading army from the north (Joel 2:3) 3. The repentance of the people and cry for help (Joel 2:12) 4. “Then.” The great change (Joel 2:18) 5. Promises of restoration, and the early and latter rain (Joel 2:19) 6. The outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28) 7. Deliverance in Mount Zion

EVEN YET HUMILIATION AND REPENTANCE MAY AVERT THE WORST. But even now, though the calamity is so serious that it seems to be the precursor of the Day of Dread, Yahweh bids the people turn to Him with sincere repentance, for which a ritual of humiliation is the symbol, not the substitute. So gracious and full of forgiveness is He, reluctant to inflict even the evil which is but deserved chastisement, that He may at this late hour change His purpose (relent rather than repent), and remove the locusts, so that once more the land may yield corn and wine for the sacrifices of the Temple, its greatest felicity. Once again then Joel rings out the command that the solemn horns should sound the summons, and the whole community join in the service of intercession. None is so old or so young as to be excused from participating. Even the bridegroom whom the law of Deuteronomy 24:5 exempted from li

THEREFORE, &c. Another call ("F", Joel 2:12, corresponding with "F", Joel 2:1). See the Structure, p. 1226. SAITH THE LORD. [is] Jehovah's oracle. TURN YE. turn ye back, or return. TO. quite up to, as in Hosea 14:1. WITH ALL YOUR HEART. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 6:5). and. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Syriac, and Vulgate, unlit this "and"....