Joel 2: 12-13

The LORD says: "Come back to me with all your heart. Come back to the LORD your God who is tender and compassionate, and rich in faithful love."

It appears that this prophet lived in Jerusalem during the time Persia was the dominant power of the region (539-331 BCE). To make any sense of the prophet's name, which means "the Lord is God," we need to recall that in Old Testament translations "God" stands for the Hebrew word "El" and "LORD" translates into Hebrew the four-letter name "YHWH" that was not spoken in biblical times. This name, however, was written with vowels centuries later by Jewish scholars and became Yahweh (in German) or Jehovah (in English). The use of LORD and God together in the Old Testament most likely reflects a combining of faith traditions that originally concerned different deities.

The prophet promises that God is merciful to those who repent. The New Testament proclaims this gospel truth. The good news is that all those who repent of their sins and have faith will come to know the steadfast and forgiving love of God.

Grace and peace...Bob