Who Knows
Scripture Reading: Joel 2:12-14
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?
While the sword of God’s judgment hung over the nation, those who could see it were wondering if they had crossed the point of no return. Had they gone too far into iniquity? Was their fate sealed? Was there any possibility of a reversal of God’s intent to judge the nation?
To those who ask such questions, Joel comes with a word of hope that also prevents presumption. He simply asks, “Who knows?”
Joel is saying there is hope. God may relent and return the sword of His judgment to its sheath. Joel isn’t basing this belief on wishful thinking. The attributes of God’s nature lead him to this conclusion. God, after all, is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Joel words about God are from the book of Exodus. He isn’t making it up. He is reading from God’s word and what it reveals about God’s nature and applying it to their problems.
Joel gives us hope and reminds us to avoid the kind of presumptuousness that would lead to arrogance and delay. Those who presume on God’s mercy are usually those who delay their repentance. They believe they always have time to come home.
So, who knows?
Joel is calling for faith. He is not proposing wishful thinking. He is asking for us to believe what the Bible teaches us about God’s grace and to respond in faith and repentance to that. When I read this text it reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son, who when he came to his senses, said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish
here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father…” The Prodigal was saying in different words, “Who knows?”
Are you in a spiritual wasteland, fearful of God’s hand of justice, knowing you have sinned against Him, and wondering if you have gone so far that there is no going back? God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Go to Him. For who knows?