Torn Heart
Posted on by Barbara Lynn Seibel

SINCERITY

How would you describe sincerity?

How would you describe insincerity?

Seth Pecksniff, a character with a holier-than-thou attitude in Charles Dickens’s 1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit, was no angel, though he certainly tried to pass himself off as one. Pecksniff liked to preach morality and brag about his own virtue, but in reality he was a deceptive rascal who would use any means to advance his own selfish interests. It didn’t take long for Pecksniff’s reputation for canting sanctimoniousness to leave its mark on English; “Pecksniffian” has been used as a synonym of “hypocritical” since 1849.

What does any of this have to do with a picture of a torn heart shaped leaf and our study of Joel?

Read Joel 2:13-14

ESV  Joel 2:13 rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

Prior to these verses above we have learned the following main points in Joel 1 – 2:12:

  • The Lord sent a message through Joel to the people of Judah.
  • The Lord sent locusts to cause a famine, drought, and fires to get the attention of the people of Judah.
  • The Lord compares the damage done by the locusts to be miniscule compared to a future judgment day by His own army.
  • The Lord states that it is not too late for the people of Judah,  but they must first return to Him with all their heart.

Now in verse 13 the Lord tells the people of Judah to rend their hearts and not their garments.

The definition of rend in this context means to tear hair or clothing as a sign of grief.

Few cultures today practice the concept of tearing one’s garments as an outward display of sorrow, grief, or despair. But in Joel’s day this was a common action that had cultural and ceremonial significance.

But the Lord is telling them to tear their hearts instead of their garments.

What is the implication of this phrase?

Could it be that the sleepy Judeans had been behaving as Pecksniffians?

In other words, the Judeans had not been demonstrating sincerity in their relationship with the Lord.

Instead they had, at best, only been going through the motions of ceremony and cultural practice while their hearts where far from Him.

Could this be why the Lord sent the locusts attempting to wake them up?

Could this be why the Lord sounded the trumpet warning to lead His heavenly army to come in judgement?

What might happen if the Judeans return to the Lord their God with all their heart?

Read Joel 2:13-14 again:

ESV  Joel 2:13 rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

Did you notice the shift to third person indicating that the prophet Joel is now speaking after the instruction to rend your hearts and not your garments?

What reasons does Joel give to encourage the Judeans to return to the Lord their God?

Joel describes the Lord as one who is:

  • Gracious
  • Merciful
  • Slow to Anger
  • Abounding in steadfast love
  • And relents over disaster

Based on these character traits of the Lord Joel poses a theory that there is a possibility that if they truly rend their heart over having neglected their relationship with the Lord they will receive a blessing so that they in turn may praise the Lord with proper sacrifices once again.

Also note though that Joel’s theory rightly leaves the choice entirely in the Lord’s sovereign hands by the way he poses the theory as a “perhaps” question by starting it with the question, “who knows?”.

Do you understand now why I chose the photo of a torn heart shaped leaf and talked about sincerity at the start of this post?

How is your relationship with the Lord today?

  • Are you going through the motions?
  • Are you a Pecksniffian?
  • Or are you rending your heart instead of your garments before your creator?

Hold on to the encouragement found in these verses today.

The Lord wants a relationship with you.

The Lord will do everything possible to show you that.

The Lord is sincere. Are you?

Blessings,

Barbara Lynn

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