John Calvin Commentary Joel 2:12-13

"Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil." — Joel 2:12-13 (ASV)

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. He could not do this without offering them the hope of pardon, for as we have said before, and as may be gathered from the whole of Scripture, people cannot be restored to the right ways unless they entertain a hope of God’s mercy. This is because the one who has been ungodly, when he despairs, wholly disregards himself, observing no restraint. Hence, the Prophet now represents God as propitious and merciful, so 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 testified to the favor that he proclaimed, but the discourse becomes more striking by introducing God as the speaker.

And there is great importance in the words “even now.” For when one considers what we have noticed at the beginning of the chapter, a prospect of relief could hardly have been deemed possible. God had, indeed, in various ways, tried to restore the people to the right way. But, as we have seen, the greater part had become so devoid of feeling that the scourges of God were wholly ineffectual. Then nothing remained but the utter destruction with which the Prophet threatened them at the beginning of the second chapter.

Yet, in this state of despair, he still sets forth some hope of mercy, provided they turn to Him; even now, he says. The particles וגם ugam are full of emphasis, meaning “even now.” That is, “Though you have too long abused God’s forbearance, and as for you, the opportunity is past, for you have closed the door against yourselves; yet even now—which no one could have expected, and indeed what ought to be thought incredible by you—even now God waits for you and invites you to entertain hope of salvation.”

But it was necessary that these two particles, even now, should be added, for people do not have the power to determine for themselves, as they please, the season for mercy. God here shows the acceptable time, as Isaiah says (Isaiah 49:8), to be when He has not yet rejected people, but when He offers to be propitious.

We must then remember that the Prophet does not here give people liberty to delay, as the profane and scorners are accustomed to do, who trifle with God day after day. Instead, the Prophet here shows that we must obey the voice of God when He invites us, as Isaiah also says, Behold now the time accepted, behold the day of salvation: seek God now, for He is near; call on Him while He may be found.

So then, as I have reminded you, these two particles, even now, are added so that people may be made attentive to the voice of God when He invites them, so that they may not delay until tomorrow, for the Lord may then close the door, and repentance may be too late. At the same time, we see how indulgently God bears with people, since He left a hope of pardon to a people so obstinate and almost past recovery.

Even now, He says, turn ye to me with your whole heart. The Prophet here reminds us that we must not act deceitfully with God, for people are always disposed to trifle with Him. We indeed see what almost the whole world is accustomed to do. God graciously meets us and is ready to receive us into favor, though we have a hundred times alienated ourselves from Him. But we bring nothing but hypocrisy and disguise. Hence, the Prophet declares here distinctly that this pretense does not please God, and that those who only feign some sort of repentance by external signs can hide nothing, and that what is required is the serious and sincere feeling of the heart.

This is what he means by the whole heart; not that perfect repentance can be formed in people, but the whole or complete heart is contrasted with a divided heart. For people well understand that God is not ignorant; yet they divide their heart, and when they give some portion to God, they think that He is satisfied. In the meantime, an inner and hidden perverseness remains that separates them far from God.

This vice the Prophet now condemns when he says, Turn with the whole heart. He then shows that it is a hypocrisy abominable to God when people keep the greater part of their heart closed up, as it were, and think it enough if they only bring, so to speak, some fleeting feeling.

He afterwards adds, fasting, and weeping, and mourning; and by these words he shows how grievously they had sinned. It is as if he said that they deserved not only one kind of destruction but were worthy of a hundred deaths, and that God therefore would not now be content with any common repentance, unless they came suppliantly and deeply felt their own guilt.

It is indeed true that we ought daily and even constantly to sigh, because we continue almost every hour to provoke God’s wrath against us. But the Prophet here speaks of solemn fasting, because the people had so grievously offended God that some extraordinary confession was required, such as he here describes.

Come then to me with fasting, and weeping, and wailing” that is, “Show at length that you are guilty and submissively deprecate the vengeance that you have through your wickedness deserved.” He speaks like a judge when he tells the criminal not to act deceitfully, but simply to confess his fault.

The guilty are indeed accustomed to weave many excuses to avoid punishment. But when the judge deems a person guilty, and he is abundantly proven to be so, he says, “What good can you do? For your shuffling and subterfuges make your case worse. Now I hold you bound, and you cannot escape by these evasions, and will only provoke my displeasure all the more.

If then you wish me to show you favor, admit how grievously you have offended, and without any embellishment. Confess now that you are worthy of death, and that nothing else remains for you, unless I mercifully pardon you. For if you try to lessen your crime, if you attempt by some excuse to seek reprieve, you will gain nothing.”

So now the Lord deals with this people: Turn to Me, He says; first, sincerely; then with fasting, with weeping, and with wailing. That is, “Let it appear that you suppliantly deprecate the destruction that you have deserved, for moderate repentance will not do, since you are guilty before Me of so many crimes.” We now understand the Prophet’s meaning.

He then adds, Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Jehovah your God. The Prophet again repeats that we ought to deal sincerely with God, for all those ceremonies by which people imagine that they fulfill their duties are mere mockeries when they are not preceded by a pure and sincere heart.

But as they were accustomed in mournful circumstances to rend their garments, he therefore says, “God has now become insensible to these customs. For with regard to people, you are ceremonious enough, and more than enough. You indeed rend your garments and thus draw pity from people, and yet your heart remains whole; there is no rending, no opening. Rend then your heart,” That is, “Stop mocking God in this way, as you have been accustomed to do, and begin with your heart.” It is indeed certain that Eastern peoples were given to many ceremonies, but the vice the Prophet here condemns in the Jews is natural, as it were, to all people, so that every one of us is inclined to hypocrisy and needs to have his attention drawn to the sincerity of the heart.

We must then remember that this truth is to be set forth at all times and to all nations. Let anyone search himself, and he will find that he labors under this evil—that he would rather rend his garment than his heart. And since the Jews usually observed this custom, the Prophet does not without reason deride it and say that it was of no account with God unless they rent their hearts.

But when He commands them to rend their hearts and not their garments, though He seems to reject that external practice, He does not yet distinctly condemn it but suggests that it was a lawful thing, provided the heart was rent. Now this expression, Rend the heart, ought not to be considered harsh, for it refers to the external practice: when they rent their garments, they made themselves bare before God and put off all ornaments. But He wished them to be displeased with themselves and, instead, to lay bare the heart itself.

The heart of hypocrites, we know, is wrapped up, and they always resort to hiding places so that they may avoid the presence of God. Thus, the simile is most suitable when the Prophet commands them to rend the heart. Besides, the passage is clear enough and does not need many remarks; it means that God regards the real feeling of the heart, as it is said in Jeremiah 4:14. He is not content with outward obedience, such as people exhibit, but He would have us deal with Him in sincerity and truth.

Hence he repeats again, Turn to Jehovah your God. Here the Prophet shows, from God’s nature, that people foolishly and grossly deceive themselves when they try to please God with their ceremonies. “What!” he says, “have you to do with a child?”

For the meaning of the words is this—“When an offense against a person is to be removed, you anxiously come to him. Now when you perceive that God is angry with you, you think that He will be propitious to you if you only trifle with Him. Can God bear such a reproach?”

Thus we see what the Prophet means when he says, Turn to Jehovah your God; that is, “Remember that you do not have to do with a block of wood or with a stone, but with your God, who searches hearts, and whom mortals cannot deceive with any craftiness.”

The same is said by Jeremiah, Israel, if thou turnest, turn to me, (Jeremiah 4:1); that is, “Do not pretend to turn by roundabout courses and windings, but come in a direct way, and with a real feeling of heart, for I am He who calls you.” So also now the Prophet says, Turn to Jehovah your God.

Then follows the promise of pardon: For He is propitious and merciful. We have already said that repentance is preached in vain unless people entertain a hope of salvation. For they can never be brought to fear God truly unless they trust in Him as their Father, as it is stated in Psalm 130:4: With Thee is propitiation that Thou mayest be feared.

Hence, whenever the Prophets were anxious to achieve anything by their doctrine, while exhorting the people to repentance, they joined to the invitation “Come,” the second part, “You shall not come in vain.” This “Come” comprehends all exhortations to repentance; “You shall not come in vain” includes this testimony respecting God’s grace, that He will never reject miserable sinners, provided they return to Him with the heart.

The Prophet then is now engaged on this second point: God, he says, is propitious and merciful. We are to observe this connection, for as Satan fills us with insensibility when God invites us, so also he draws us away into despair when God pronounces judgment, when He shows that it is not time for sleep. “What good will you gain?” Thus Satan by his craftiness disheartens us, so that we labor in vain when we seek to be reconciled to God. Hence, whenever Scripture exhorts us to repentance, let us learn to join this second part: “God invites us not in vain.” If then we return to Him, He will be instantly inclined to grant forgiveness, for He does not will that miserable people should labor in vain or be tormented. This is the benefit of which the Prophet speaks when he says that God is propitious and merciful.

He afterwards adds that He is slow to wraths and abundant in goodness. These testimonies about God occur often in other places; and all the Prophets, as well as David, have borrowed these declarations from Exodus 34:6; where the nature of God is described. And He is said there to be propitious and merciful, slow to wrath, and abundant in goodness.

Though there is no need to dwell longer on these words, since we perceive the Prophet’s design, yet more extensive remarks will not be superfluous, as the Prophet so extensively recommends the mercy of God.

Though people too much indulge themselves in security, yet when God calls them to Himself, they are not able to receive His favor. Though He may testify two or three times that He will be propitious to them, yet He cannot persuade them except with great difficulty.

This is the reason why the Prophet, after having said that God is propitious and merciful, adds that He is slow to wrath, and abundant in goodness; it was so that the Jews might overcome their distrust, and that however much despair might keep them back, they might still not hesitate to come to God, seeing that He declares Himself to be so merciful.

He at last adds, He will repent of the evil. The Prophet here not only describes the nature of God but goes further and says that God, who is by nature forgiving, will not remain fixed in His purpose when He sees people returning to Him in sincerity. Instead, He allows Himself to be turned to show favor, so as to remit the punishment that He had previously denounced.

And it is a way of speaking that often occurs in Scripture, that God repents of evil; not that He really changes His purpose, but this is said according to human understanding. For God is in Himself immutable and is said to turn from His purpose when He remits to a person the punishment He has previously threatened.

Whatever proceeds from God’s mouth ought to be regarded as an inviolable decree. Yet God often threatens us conditionally, and though the condition is not expressed, it is nevertheless to be understood. But when He is pacified toward us and lessens the punishment, which was, in a way, already decreed according to the external word, He is then said to repent. And we know that, as we do not understand God as He is, He is therefore described to us in such a way as we can comprehend, according to the measure of our weakness. Hence, God often takes on the characteristics of human beings, as though He were like them. And since this way of speaking is common, and we have spoken of it elsewhere, I will now pass over it more briefly.