WORSHIP REFLECTIONS
The sermon from Joel 2 was both wonderful and difficult to prepare. It was wonderful because I immersed myself in this little, 3-chapter book, and learned so much. It was difficult because I had SO MUCH I wanted to share with everyone that it was hard to focus. I wanted to put the story in the context of all the horrible events the people had experienced. I wanted to talk about the power of fasting and mourning. I wanted to unpack the character of God described in verse 13. I wanted to talk about the Holy Spirit and how the image of Acts 2 was a reconnecting with the purpose of the Temple and God’s covenant with the people. Whew!! So much. I’m not sure if I got to a focused message or not.
Today I want to reflect on the heart of the passage that most resonated with me. Joel 2:13 is a quotation from Exodus 34:6-7. This is a beautiful, four-line Hebrew poem. It is the most quoted verse in the entire Bible, so it must carry some significance.
Hebrew poetry is usually structured in couplets. In this case, the couplets contrast each other. Notice in the graphic how the first and third lines are underlined in green and the second and fourth line are underlined in purple.
The Holy Spirit had been prepping me for this text in the weeks leading up to it. A few weeks ago I starting catching up on back episodes of The Bible Project Podcast. They did a long series on Exodus 34:6-7 called The Character of God. I absolutely loved this series. They dove deeply into each of the five key characteristics of God and brought the Hebrew words to life. I commend this series to you. Find it at https://bibleproject.com/explore/character-of-god-series/
To summarize, God is not a cruel tyrant who wants oppressed servants to obey his every whim.
God is a loving parent (father and mother) who longs to be in relationship with the children, and longs to see the children thrive in God’s beautiful garden.
This is the heart of God.
To “return to the LORD” is to attune our hearts to God’s heart.
When we turn to the grace, mercy, and loyal love of God, and our hearts resonate with God’s heart, then the love starts to flow…
When we align our hearts with God’s heart, then the Spirit of the LORD flows freely through our lives.
It flows through EVERYBODY, not just the elite or chosen. Anyone who is resonating with the heart of God, the heart of LOVE, can flow in the Spirit of God.
This is what Peter proclaimed in Acts 2:13-36. Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus was the picture of what it looks like when humanity is fully resonating with the heart of God. Jesus spoke truth to power, called out the corruption and abuse of the weak, touched the poor, sick, and exiled, and reconciled all things with his own self-sacrifice and forgiveness.
The readers of Joel longed for the day when the Messiah would come to restore the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in the Heavens.
We, on this side of the Advent, know that Jesus is that Messiah.
We, too, are called to return to the LORD. When our hearts resonate with the life and teachings of Jesus–the one who showed us the heart of God–then the Spirit will flow through us. Then we will participate in being the vineyard so that the whole world will taste and see the love and justice and peace of God.
Let us Return to the LORD with a whole heart.