It is possible to settle a lawsuit without admitting guilt. Sometimes the cost of the legal proceedings is so high that an accused person may just settle the case with a fine, while never actually admitting they are guilty. While our legal system allows this procedure, it would be hard to say the person who paid the fine actually repented.

A survey of Israel’s history could lead one to believe that the nation had been paying fines, but never really admitting they did anything wrong. They seemed to commit the same sins over and over again. Idolatry, abusing the poor, and taking advantage of foreigners all appeared on their rap sheet since the book of Exodus. Even though God had called them to repent more times than we can count, they had not done so with their whole hearts.

The prophet Joel describes what true repentance looks like. He uses an ancient image for expressing distress: tearing a garment a person is wearing. Generally tearing a garment will ruin it, so this act was reserved for expressing the deepest of distress. But tearing a garment could also be done for show. Here the prophet invites his audience to an even greater level of commitment: rending or tearing their hearts (v. 13).

This expression signifies a genuine decision to turn from violating God’s covenant. It is an act that, while it cannot be seen externally, is transformative spiritually. Joel calls his readers to this because, unlike a torn garment, a torn heart will be accepted by God. Joel knew God’s character. Since the days of Mt. Sinai God had consistently reminded Israel that He was unlike any god they had ever encountered (Ex. 34:6). Joel invokes that self-declaration of God here, using it to entice the Israelites to repent.

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