COME ON, CHURCH

GOD IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER!!!

Elder James R, Winfree, Sr, God's Anointed, Chosen, Appointed Churches & Believing Nations Biblical Truth Transformation Apostle:

JOEL 2:12-14. TURN TO GOD, IN JESUS CHRIST, WITH ALL YOUR HEART:

( 12 ) “Yet even now,” says GOD, “turn ( Hebrew: sub) to ME with all your heart,

and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

( 13 ) Tear your heart and not your garments,

and turn to LORD, your GOD;

for HE is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness ( Hebrew: Hesed ),

and relents from sending calamity.

(14 ) Who knows? HE may turn ( Hebrew: ) and relent,

and leave a blessing behind HIM,

even a meal-offering and a drink offering to LORD, your GOD.

“Yet even now, says GOD, turn to Me with all your heart“ ( verse. 12 ). The tone changes dramatically with this verse. The Prophet, conveying GOD'S summons, invites these people to return to HIM with all their hearts, no half-hearted measures will suffice.

The word implies repentance. To return to GOD will require these people to change their minds and the direction of their lives. It will require them to let go of the things that have separated them from GOD and to embrace wholeheartedly LORD and GOD'S commandments.

“And with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning” ( verse. 12 ). GOD'S prescribes three actions to demonstrate the people’s repentance, fasting, weeping, and mourning. Fasting involves abstinence from food and can be used to express grief or to prepare a person for worship. In this verse, GOD'S is requiring fasting as an act of contrition.

Weeping and mourning express grief. GOD'S is requiring that these people mourn their sinful ways.

“Tear your heart, and not your garments” ( verse. 13 ). The rending of garments, like weeping and mourning, is an expression of grief an outward sign of inward pain. However, GOD will not be satisfied with outward signs. GOD wants broken hearts full of grief at the remembrance of their sins.

“And turns to LORD, your GOD; for HE is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness ( Hesed ), and relents from sending calamity“ ( verse. 13 ). The Prophet holds out hope, not that the people can convince GOD that they are worthy, but that LORD character inclines him toward mercy, not punishment.

The word Hesed is has a rich variety of meanings, kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, or love. Like the Greek word, Agape, in the New Testament, Hesed is an action word. It isn’t enough to have warm and loving feelings. Hesed requires loving acts such as withholding punishment.

“Who knows? GOD, may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind HIM” ( verse. 14 ). In verses 12-13, the Prophet relayed GOD'S call to repentance. Now, in this verse, he begins to speak in his own voice. Verses 12-13 sounded positive that GOD would respond to repentance with mercy. Now the prophet sounds less certain. He holds out hope, but hardly a guarantee.

The hope that the prophet holds out is that GOD'S will respond to the people’s turning with his own turning that GOD “may turn and relent, and leave a blessing.”

“Even a meal-offering and a drink offering to LORD, your GOD” ( verse. 14 ). As things stand at present, the people cannot make the sacrifices prescribed by Jewish law, because the locusts have devastated everything. The people have no grain to use for cereal offerings. However, the Prophet holds out the hope that, if they repent and return to Yahweh, GOD will restore them so that they can once again give HIM offerings out of their prosperity and thanksgiving.

We Must As Churches And, It's Membership Must Do The Same!!!

(15 ) Blow the trumpet in Zion!

Sanctify ( Hebrew: Gadash ) a fast.

Call a solemn assembly.

( 16 ) Gather mY people.

Sanctify the assembly.

Assemble the Elders.

Gather the children and those who nurse from breasts.

Let the bridegroom go forth from his room,

and the bride out of her room.

( 17 ) Let the Priests, the Ministers of GOD, weep between the porch and the altar,

and let them say, “Spare your people, GOD,

and don’t give your heritage to reproach ( Mashal a proverb or parable ),

that the nations ( Hebrew: Goyim Gentiles ) should rule over them.

Why should they say among the peoples,

‘Where is their GOD?'”

“Blow the trumpet in Zion!” ( verse. 15 ). In verse 1, blowing the shofar was to warn of danger, but as noted in the comments on that verse, the shofar can also be used to call people to worship. That is the intent here.

“Sanctify ( Qadash ) a fast. Call a solemn assembly” ( verse. 15 ). The people are to observe a sacred fast and a solemn assembly, religious observances both to demonstrate their faith and to strengthen it.

Qadash involves making something clean or holy. In this verse, the people are to observe a holy fast. In the next verse, they are to make the congregation holy.

“Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly” ( verse. 16 ). In verse 15, GOD called them to sanctify the fast. Now he calls them to sanctify the people, to make them holy.

“Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who nurse from breasts” (verse. 16 ). This defines the scope of the observance. Everyone is to participate, from the suckling child to the oldest graybeard.

“Let the Bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her room” ( verse. 16 ). Jewish law exempts bridegrooms from military service during the period of betrothal ( Deuteronomy 20:7 ) and for one year after the wedding ( Deuteronomy 24:5 ). However, bridegrooms should not expect to be exempt from this call to fasting and solemn assembly.

“Let the Priests, the Ministers of GOD, weep between the porch and the altar” ( verse. 17 ). From my personal online studies research, The vestibule is a large room 20 cubits wide x 10 cubits deep x 120 cubits high) located on the east side of the temple. It spans the width of the temple and serves as the entrance to the temple. The altar of burnt sacrifices is located in the inner courtyard of the temple and is the place where priests offer burnt offerings to Yahweh to atone for the sins of the people. This verse, then, calls for the priests to enter the temple weeping and to continue this expression of their grief until they reach the altar. Their tears are to express their contrition for the sins of the people and their grief at the punishment that the people have experienced.

“And let them say, “Spare your people, GOD, and don’t give your heritage to reproach ( Mashal, a proverb or parable ), that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples ( Goyim—Gentiles ), ‘Where is their GOD“ ( verse. 17 ). Once the Priests have made their way to the altar, they are to plead with GOD to spare the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

The Prophet tells the Priests how to make their plea effective. He doesn’t tell them to emphasize the character of the people, to make the case that they have not sinned or that their sins were insignificant. He tells them instead to tell GOD that his reputation is tied inextricably to the fate of his people, his covenant people.

“The nations” ( Goyim) are Gentiles, those who are not GOD'S chosen people. If GOD allows his covenant people to be destroyed, the goyim will say, “Where is their GOD?” They will assume that GOD was unable to protect HIS people. “Their shame ( will become ) GOD'S shame” ( Hubbard ).

Let us all take warning by the falls of others, and not be high minded but fear, and let us who thinks we stand to take heed lest we fall. Let us watch and pray that we enter not into temptation, remembering that the flesh is weak. And our adversary the devil walks about seeking whom he may devour. And let none of us hate our brothers and sisters in our hearts, but in any wise rebuke our neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him, and confirm us unto the end, so that we may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you, O Father, and your Holy Spirit, be the kingdom, and power, and glory forever. Amen.

Written and Shared By, Apostle James R, Winfree, Sr.

Stay Righteous In The Lord Jesus Christ Grace, His sons, and His Daughters!!! ( And all those that don't have Jesus and know His, He loving arms are wide open, just come to Jesus, right Now!!!

apostlejrwinfree@gmail.com.

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