Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering to Yahweh, your God.Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God?
3 sermons cite this verse
… the lord calls us to return to god we're even provided with the manner in which to return with fasting with weeping and with mourning given the directive we can perform the acts to demonstrate that we are repenting we are denying ourselves of certain food or drinks we are abstaining from television or social media. In many ways, Lent is a way we can restart the resolutions to live a healthier life that we made back on New Year's Day, only this time with religious motivation. What will you give up for Lent? Sweets? Meats? Alcohol? Netflix? TikTok? then we can share what we're giving up and complain about it with others who are doing similarly. I mean, there are good benefits that come from fasting from such things. At dinner last night, I asked my kids to consider what they might fast from in Lent. And they gave me the, oh, you're so annoying, Dad, look. but I pressed on saying we think we can't live without a wide variety of things but it is God that we can't live without when we fast the pain of that loss reminds us to pray and think of God to remove the prayer from the fast is to simply torture ourselves That would be the equivalent of simply rending our clothing, but not our hearts. …
Yea, that blessings are to be obtained in the use of this means, which are no otherwise attainable, our Lord expressly declares in his answer to his disciples, asking, “Why could not we cast him out? Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit, this kind” of devils “goeth not out but by prayer and fasting:” (Matt. 17:19.) — These being the appointed means of attaining that faith whereby the very devils are subject unto you. 11. These were the appointed means: For it was not merely by the light of reason, or of natural conscience, as it is called, that the people of God have been, in all ages, directed to use fasting as a means to these ends; but they have been, from time to time, taught it of God himself, by clear and open revelations of his will. Such is that remarkable one by the Prophet Joel: “Therefore saith the Lord, Turn you to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: — Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: — Then will the Lord be jealous over his land, and will pity his people. Yea, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil: — I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen.” (Joel 2.12.) …
“O consider this, ye that forget God, lest he pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you!” (Ps. 50:22.) That iniquity may not be your ruin, repent! This is the Second advice I would offer you; or, rather, the First enforced upon you farther, and explained. Fear God, and depart from evil; repent, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance; break off our sins this moment. “Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well,” saith the Lord. (Isa. :16, 17.) “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3.) “Therefore now, saith the Lord,” who is not willing any should perish, “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 the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him?” (Joel 2:12–14.) “Who knoweth?” A question which should make you tremble. God is weighing you in the balance, and, as it were, considering whether to save or to destroy! “Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee; therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.” (Exod. 33:5.) …