Rend Our Hearts, O God!
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TEXT: Joel 2:12-17
TOPIC: Rend Our Hearts, O God
Bobby Earls, FBI, 3/29/98 and April 25, 1999
Our hearts were torn once again this past week as the unbelievable news came from the community of Littleton, Colorado, that 15 students and a teacher were senselessly murdered at their high school, the Columbine High School. But did you know that just over one year ago a similar tragedy occurred in Jonesboro, Arkansas where four school-age children and one teacher were gunned down on the school grounds.
Little sense, if any, is rather made of such tragic events. In the wake of yet another public school massacre, people across our country were left to ask questions. How could such a thing happen? Why did it happen? Most important, what can we do about it?
Some of you may have heard the response of U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. She said, “There’s no one answer,” referring to the school shootings. I believe God has an answer! In the year 835 B.C., the prophet Joel, had a word from God for the people of his day, for the nation of Israel.
(Read Joel 2:12-17)
James Dobson, a man who has his finger on the moral pulse of America better than any other man I know, said just this past year, “America is in a moral free fall. Every fiber of morality and Judeo-Christian ethic is being questioned and attacked from society, Satan’s kingdom and even within the church. The result is social confusion, spiritual disillusionment and moral decay and imminent collapse.”
As we will see from the book of Joel, God has an answer for such a time as this, if we will be careful to receive it and courageous to carry it out.
I. THE BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK OF JOEL
1. Joel prophesied during the reign of King Uzziah.
2. Israel had experienced tremendous prosperity and military prowess under Uzziah.
3. Response of the people and the priesthood of Uzziah’s reign was one of careless ease.
4. In chapter 1, God rebukes
· the drunkards,
· the farmers
· the priesthood
5. The parallel for our day would be:
· those who live frivolous, carefree, selfish, worldly lifestyles
· The commerce and business leaders of the day
· The church
6. As a result, there was a three-fold curse placed on Israel.
· The King had leprosy (leprosy was a sign of divine punishment)
The leprosy of our day can be found from the White House to the school house to the church house. Dan Qualye was recently reported as saying that our present governmental leadership is the worse morally than any in the history of the U.S.
You don’t need to be told the condition of our schools.
I was told just this past week of two churches that were scandalized by their pastors’ marital infidelity.
· The crops were being eaten by locusts
Joel 1:6 A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a fierce lion.
AIDS, the National Debt, violence, broken homes, divorce, promiscuity, perversion, drugs, alcoholism, abuse, crime……where do I stop?
· The blessing of God had departed from His house
Joel 1:16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, [yea], joy and gladness from the house of our God? (KJV)
The church in general is lacking a true manifestation of God’s presence and blessing. In many of our churches every thing that goes on happens apart from the anointing and blessing of God.
II. GOD’S ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEM, 12-13
1. God’s remedy for Israel’s sin, recorded in Joel 2:12 is the only remedy for America today.
2. God’s answer is for us to return. To return with all our heart. To return with prayer and fasting. To return with weeping and mourning.
3. If the circumstances of our day aren’t enough to make us return to God with weeping and mourning, I don’t know what will.
4. Notice several things about how we are to return to God:
· Return requires an intense inwardness, “rend your heart” With a torn and broken heart, return. With a heart that has been bruised, and battered and crushed, return. This phrase indicates more than just the physical organ of life. The biblical heart refers to the entire force of our moral purpose. It is your heart of affection, of intellect, of will, and moral purpose.
· Return requires an inward reality, and not just an outward ceremony, “rend your heart, and not your garments.” In the biblical world to tear one’s garments expressed exceptional emotion on the occasion of overwhelming misfortune.
Jacob tore his garments when he thought his son Joseph had been slain.
Joshua and Caleb tore their garments at the lost opportunity to enter the promised land.
David and his army tore their clothes when they heard of the death of Saul and Jonathan.
To rip one’s garments is an impressive act of intensity, but the prophet calls for more intensity than that. We must rend our hard hearts and crack them open so God can penetrate them. God returns to a broken and crushed heart. Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
· Return does indeed involve an outwardness in behavior. Return to God with “fasting, and weeping and mourning.” v. 12.
In the midst of all the bad, I’ve got good news today. When man repents, God relents. The promise of God is that if we return to Him, He will return to us. Your first step back to God must begin with a broken heart. Rend our hearts, O God.