Hardcore Joy

You must be wondering why so many blogs on just two words - “happiness” and “joy.” They must be a couple of such wonderful things we just can’t get enough of them. Happiness is exciting, brings us to a high that is, alas, short-lived, and joy is supposed to be nothing but an intense version of that. Well, that is what our secular dictionaries say as we covered in my previous blog, “Joy and Gladness.”

But today I will go deeper on joy, the kind of “joy” Bible-believers have been made to believe - “the inner peace that comes from knowing you are doing the will of God, despite the basic  requirements of happiness not being met.” So far, we (if you agree with me) have come to the conclusion that, “Happiness happens when the level of pleasure we are experiencing is high enough to relegate to the subconscious whatever pain we are having, plus, having excitement or a sense of wonder.” Based on that statement we can say that, “Pure happiness is the absence of pain, plus excitement or a sense of wonder.” So, why am I so keen on finding this “joy” that Bible-believers have been made to believe? I actually believe I have that joy, I have found it, but I am just curious where that “concept of joy” came from, because it is very different from the secular definition of joy that we know - “intense happiness.”

Thus, I made a survey and found that “joy” in the Bible is something that is quite beyond our comprehension, just like “love” and “peace” in the Bible. I wrote about that in my previous blog, " 'Joy' in the Bible."  However, just as Paul had exhorted us to pray to have a revelation of the greatness of God’s love, I believe it would bless or do us good, too, to pray for a revelation of the greatness of God’s joy (and peace). Since three of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit are “love, joy, peace,” this is part of our pursuit as believers of the God of the Bible - to obtain and grow in these fruits of the Spirit. I read my Bible a lot and I observe that the more I pray for the Holy Spirit to teach me, as He is really our Teacher, the more I get out of my Bible reading. I believe that prayerfully reading and studying the Bible, even relating the passages we read to our everyday experiences, would help us in understanding the Bible concept of “joy.” Besides, remaining in a teachable attitude towards the Holy Spirit is really how we grow in depth in our relationship with God.

Hence, I went into the original words in Hebrew and Greek, words that get translated into “joy,” “happy” or “joyful,” “rejoice,” etc., in our English Bibles, in the hopes that we will unravel more on the mystery of how Bible-believing Christians came up with their definition of joy as, “having an inner peace knowing that you are doing, or living in, the will of God.”

First, I looked in the Old Testament which was originally written in Hebrew. The most common word for the noun “joy” in the Old Testament is  the noun “simchah” (Strong’s 8057). It means “joy,” “gladness,” “mirth.” Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “exceedingly, gladness, joyfulness, mirth, pleasure, rejoicing.” It occurs 93 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It gets translated into English as “exceedingly, gladness, joyfulness, delight, mirth, pleasure, rejoicing;” also, “festival.” This is the word used in verses that talk of the joy and rejoicing that come with the set times of festivals and celebrations the Israelites had in the Old Testament, their times of sacrifices and offerings  before the Lord, and their times of thanksgiving to God due to successes and blessings from Him. “Simchah” comes from the primitive root word “samach” (Strong’s 8055), a verb which means “to rejoice, be glad.” There are 150 occurrences of “samach.” The Strong’s exhaustive concordance also defines “samach” as “to cheer up, be make glad, have, make joyful, be make merry, cause to, make to rejoice, very.” It’s a primary root word which means “to brighten up, be blithe or gleesome.”

Here are some examples on the usage of “simchah.”

After the epic victory of the lad David when he killed the giant Goliath:

1 Samuel 18:6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King saul with singing and dancing, with joyful (literally, “with joy” - “simchah”) songs and with tambourines and lutes.

To describe the joy the Israelites had when they all rallied together to turn Saul’s kingdom over to David:

1 Chronicles 12:38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David King over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king.

39 The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them.

40 Also their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy (“simchah”) in Israel.

At the celebration of bringing the ark of the covenant to the tabernacle of David:

2 Samuel 6:12 Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing (literally, “gladness” - “simchah”).

1 Chronicles 15:1 After  David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it...

v16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs (literally, “to raise the voice of joy” - “simchah”), accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing (literally, “with joy” - “simchah”).

Temple worship at the time when Hezekiah purified the temple and spearheaded a revival of turning his and the whole nation of Israel’s hearts back to the Lord (after a long period of apostasy), at the offering of sacrifices and the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was characterized by joy (“simchah”):

2 Chron 29:30 King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness (“simchah”) and bowed their heads and worshiped.

2 Chron 30:21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing (literally, “with great gladness / joy” - “gadol simchah”; “gadol” is an adjective which means “great”), while the Levites and priests sang to the LORD every day, accompanied by the LORD’s instruments of praise.

v.23 The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully (literally, “with gladness” - “simchah”).

At the rebuilding of the temple after the exiles came back to  repair the walls of the city of Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple in the time of Ezra, the joy of the people to see the foundations of the rebuilt temple being laid down was described as “simchah”:

Ezra 3:11-13

11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD:

“He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy (“simchah”) .

13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy (“simchah”) from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

The “joy” found in the presence of the Lord is “simchah”:

Psalm 16:11 In His presence is fullness of joy (“simchah”).

For the word “joyful” I found “sameach” (Strong’s 8056), a verbal adjective which translates into English as “glad, joyful, merry.”It occurs 27 times. Both “simchah” and “sameach” come from the same root word “samach” (Strong’s 8055), a verb which means “to rejoice, be glad.” (There are 150 occurrences of “samach.” ) “Sameach”  is also used mostly in verses pertaining to celebrations and and occasions of triumph or victory, usually, together with “simchah”:

Deut 16:15 For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy (“sameach”) will be complete (literally, “you shall surely rejoice”).

On the occasion of Solomon being anointed as king of Israel:

1 Kings 1:40 And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly (literally, “rejoice with great joy” - “sameach gadol simcha”; where “gadol” means “great”), so that the ground shook with the sound.

Right after the occasion of the dedication of the temple of Solomon:

1 Kings 8:66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful (“sameach”) and glad  (literally, “cheerful, beautiful, good” -“towb,” (Strong’s 2896) adjective, verb noun) in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

(“Towb” is not very often used for this meaning of being “cheerful” or “glad,” as it means many other things like “beautiful, best, better, bountiful, at ease, fair word, be in favor, fine, good, graciously, kindly, etc.” It occurs 562 times  and is the word for “good” in Genesis 1:4,10,18, passages that say  ”...and God saw that it was good.”)

When Joash was proclaimed as king in the temple:

2 Kings 11:14 She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing (“sameach”)  and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”

Here “sameach” is translated as “gloat”:

Psalm 35:26 May all who gloat (“sameach”) over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

It is interesting that the word “happy” in the following verses are actually “sameach” (“joyful”) in the original Hebrew:

1 Kings 4:20

[ Solomon’s Daily Provisions ] The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy (“sameach”).

Esther 5:14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy (“sameach”).” This suggestion delighted (literally, “pleased” - “panim” or “paneh” Strong’s 6440) Haman and he had the gallows built.

Psalm 113:9 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy (“sameach”) mother of children. Praise the Lord.

Proverbs 15:13 A happy (“sameach”) heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Jonah 4:6

Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy (“sameach”) about the plant.

It seems that so much impact was lost from those verses above just because the shallow word “happy” was used instead of “joyful” or “merry,” which are the more accurate translations of “sameach.”

Finally, “sameach” is the “joyful” (heart) that is good for your health!

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful  (‘sameach”) heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (One New Man Bible) A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

According to the Glossary in the One New Man Bible the word for “broken spirit” here is “na-ke-ah” (Strong’s 5218) and it means “depressed.” Depression is bad for our health. “Sameach” (“joyful”) is the opposite of a depressed heart. The Glossary notes also say that “Depression is caused by a number of things, one of which is drawing away from the Lord.” I totally agree! If we want to be “joyful” we must draw near to the one who is “joy”! Remember, in my last blog, “‘Joy’ in the Bible,” we found out that ”God is love,” “God is peace,” and “God is joy”!

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As for the verb “to rejoice,” there are so many Hebrew words used, I think it is a shame that the English language does not have a direct equivalent for each one of them! Foremost would be the word “samach” (Strong’s 8055), which gets translated into our English Bibles as, “rejoice,” “be glad.” It is a primitive root which means “to brighten up,” “be blithe” or “be gleesome,” “be glad,” “be joyful,” “be merry,” “rejoice.” It occurs 150 times and is the verb used when God commanded the Hebrews to rejoice (“thou shalt rejoice...” in the King James Version) before Him in the festivals and celebrations He instituted for them; the rejoicing in His presence, in His city of choice - Jerusalem. (Lev 23:40, Deut 12:7, 12, 18; Deut 14:26, 16:11,14; Deut 26:11, Deut 27:7) As I stated earlier above, the noun “simchah” and adjective “sameach” both come from the root word “samach,” “to rejoice.” That means that for the Hebrew language and culture, it is quite apt to say that “joy” and “to be joyful” always have connotations of  “to rejoice” or “rejoicing”! For the Hebrew mind, the word “joy” always pertains to an outward manifestation of great delight and pleasure. It is not just a feeling that can be contained without physical manifestation; “joy” is always associated with an act of rejoicing.

Leviticus 23:40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice (“samach”) before the LORD your God for seven days.

Deuteronomy 12:7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice (“samach”)  in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Samach is similarly used in those verses mentioned above: Deuteronomy 12:12,18; Deut 14:26, 16:11,14; Deut 26:11, Deut 27:7. Now let’s look at other passage where “samach” is found.

In the following verse it says the instructions and commands of our LORD are a source of  “joy”!

Psalm 19:8 - The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy (literally, “giving rejoicing” - “samach”) to the heart...

It is also the “joy”of a father / parent over a righteous son:

Proverbs 29:3 A man of wisdom brings joy to his father (literally, “makes his father rejoice” - “samach”) but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

It has the same usage in Proverbs 15:20, Prov 23:15.

Man rejoicing over the fruits of his labors:

Eccle 5:19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy (literally, “rejoice” - “samach”)  them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God.

After the repairs on the breaches in the wall of Jerusalem was finished in the time of Nehemiah, the Israelites offered great sacrifices with rejoicing and the words used are “samach” and “simchah.”

Nehemiah 12:43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing (“samach”) because God had given them great joy (literally, rejoicing with great joy - “samach gadol simchah”). The women and children also rejoiced (“samach”). The sound of rejoicing (“simchah”)  in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

The corporate joy  was so great over everyone’s willingness to contribute their wealth when King David announced to the people his intention to build the temple of the Lord, and his own generous contributions to this great cause, that the words “samach” and “simchah” were used together:

1 Chronicles 29:9 The people rejoiced (“samach”) at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly (lit. “rejoiced with great joy” -  “gadol samach simchah”, where “gadol” is an adjective which means “great,”  “samach”, a verb meaning “rejoice” and “simchah,” a noun meaning “joy”).

Another verse where “samach” and “simchah” are used together:

Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad (“samach”) . Then joy (“simchah”) will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

Also, on the occasion of Solomon being anointed as king of Israel, “sameach” and “simcha” are used together.:

1 Kings 1:40 And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly (literally, “rejoice with great joy” - “sameach gadol simcha”), so that the ground shook with the sound.

So, we have looked at the noun “simchah,” the verb “samach” and the verbal adjective “sameach” which are all related, since “simchah” and “sameach” both come from the same root word, “samach.” Are you confused yet? Well, there’s more. I have discovered 3 other Hebrew words for the noun “joy” and they are “sason,” “masos” and “chedva.” Indeed, the Hebrew language has so many words for “joy” and alas, the English language has only one!

As for the verb “rejoice” I found five more! They are “gil” and its feminine form “gilah,” “alats” and “alaz” which have essentially the same meaning,  “sus or sis” and “chadah.” Then there is the adjective “alliz,” the root word of which is the verb “alaz.”

The noun “sason” (Strong’s 8342) occurs 22 times and its root word is the verb “sus or sis” (Strong’s 7797) which means “to rejoice, exult.” “Sason” means “exultation,” “rejoicing.” It gets translated into our English Bible as “gaiety, gladness, joy, joyously, rejoicing.” The Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “gladness, joy, mirth, rejoicing.” “Sason” is the kind of joy used in the passages that talk of the “oil of joy”:

Psalm 45:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy (“sason”).

 8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

Psalm 45 is a royal wedding song, so this refers to the king, who in the Old Testament would have to be anointed. For instance, Saul, the first king, was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel. So, this anointing of “oil of joy” was not figurative but literal. In the Old Testament, the Priests, i.e., Aaron and his sons, had to go through a process of consecration which included washing of the body, changing into priestly garments and being anointed by scented oil, to install them into the office of Priest. This particular anointing oil was holy and was used to anoint not only the priests but also the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, the other furniture and utensils used in the worship before the LORD. It was made with olive oil mixed with myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus and cassia. The LORD’s instruction was that this holy anointing oil could not be poured on human flesh, except on the priests. (Exodus 30:22-33) So, when God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as king (and subsequently David, too), he must have used the same sacred anointing oil, although it was only previously intended for priests, for that was how they officially installed people into service in those days. Hence, being anointed priest or king was a sacred ceremony and it carried authority and legitimacy.

1 Samuel 16:13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power....

Psalm 89:20 I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

The other verse in the Old Testament that has “oil of joy” is in Isaiah 61, a Messianic chapter.

Psalm 61

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness (“sason”)  instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

The above passage refers to Jesus, the Messiah. In fact, it is the passage he read publicly in the synagogue and He proclaimed that it was being fulfilled by Him right there and then (Luke 4:18-21). The oil of joy” referred to here was the sacred anointing oil of the priests. Indeed, God had separated Israel (and all believers) for Himself, to be a kingdom of priests. (Exodus 19:6, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelations 5:10)

“Sason” is also the joy of God’s salvation that David implored the LORD to restore to him after he repented from his sin of adultery with Bathsheba:

Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy (“sason”) of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

“Sason” is also the joy that describes the word of God as the joy of a believer’s heart:

Psalm 119:111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy (“sason”) of my heart.

Jeremiah 15:16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy (“sason”) and my heart’s delight (“simchah”) , for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

“Masos” (Strong’s 4885) is another Hebrew noun equivalent to joy in our English Bibles and it means “exultation, rejoicing.” It also comes from the verb “sus or sis”  (Strong’s 7797) which means “to exult, rejoice.” “Masos” gets translated into English as, “delight, exceedingly, gaiety, gladness, joy, joyful, rejoice.” It occurs 17 times. Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “joy, mirth, rejoice.”

It is the word that describes Mount Zion as the joy of the whole earth:

Psalm 48:2 It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy  (“masos”) of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.

Lamentations 2:15 All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy (“masos”) of the whole earth?”

“Masos” is the word often used for gaiety or merriment in general::

Isaiah 24:8 The gaiety (“masos”) of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful (“masos”) harp is silent.

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Isaiah 62:5... as a bridegroom rejoices (“masos”) over his bride,...

Lamentations 5:15 Joy (“masos”) is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

Hosea 2:11 I will stop all her celebrations (“masos”) : her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days - all her appointed feasts.

These verses show that “masos” is indicative of very active and showy expressions of exultation and rejoicing which were often found in the Hebrew festivals and appointed feasts. It includes music, dancing, merrymaking, sharing of food, etc.

The Hebrew noun “chedvah” (Strong’s 2305) for “joy” is an Aramaic word and it occurs only once:

Ezra 6:16 Then the people of Israel - the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles - celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy (“chedvah”).

Apparently, there is another noun “chedvah” (Strong’s 2304), and it occurs twice. It also means “joy, gladness” and its root word is “chadah, Strong’s 2302” a verb which means “to rejoice - make glad, be joined, rejoice”:

Exodus 18:9 King James Version (KJV) And Jethro rejoiced (“chadah”) for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Job 3:6 King James Version (KJV) As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined (“chadah”) unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

Psalm 21:6 (KJV) For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (“chadah simchah”) with thy countenance.

 

The “countenance” here refers to the countenance of God - being in the presence of God. "Chedvah” is the kind of joy that is related to or comes from being “enjoined” with others or someone. It has the connotation of being “in fellowship” with the rest of the people of God and / or with God Himself.

1 Chronicles 16:27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy (“chedvah”, Strong’s 2304) in his dwelling place.

“Strength” here is the noun “oz” (Strong’s 5797) which comes from the word “azaz.” “Oz” means “strength, might.” It is used in other places in the Bible but translated as “stronghold, defense, safety, protection, rock, helmet, fortress.” The Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means “force, fortress, rock, strengthen, most strong hold.”

“Chedvah” is the kind of joy in the phrase we believers often mouth (and I suspect, without much understanding) - “the joy of the LORD is your strength” :

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. do not grieve, for the joy (“chedvah”, Strong’s 2304) of the LORD is your strength.”

“Strength” in this verse is “maoz” or “mauz” (Strong’s 4581) which means “a place or means of safety, protection.” Its short definition is “stronghold”,  and it’s used in other places in the Bible but translated as “stronghold, defense, safety, protection, rock, helmet, fortress;” its exhaustive definition is “force, fortress, rock, strengthen, most strong hold.”

Apparently, “chedvah, Strong’s 2304” is the kind of joy that you get when you are being joined with the LORD and it is also a place of safety and protection, a fortress. Hence, it is quite safe to say  from these last two verses above that, “the joy of being in the presence of the LORD” is our “stronghold, defense, protection.” So, let’s stay just right there!

Now let’s look at the verbs - “gil, gilah, sus or sis, alaz, alats,” and the adjective “alliz.”

“Gil” (Strong’s 1523) is a verb which means “to rejoice” and it occurs 45 times. “Gilah,” (Strong’s 1525) is its female version which has the same meaning and it occurs two times, both in the book of Isaiah. It gets translated in our English Bibles as “cry, exult, glad, rejoice.” It is a primitive root and it means, properly, “to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion) usually rejoicing or as cringing fear; it means “to be glad, joyful, rejoice, joy.” I do not think the English language can properly express this kind of rejoicing. I guess it will sound like, “rejoicing in frenzy.” You can just imagine how intense and violent that kind of rejoicing is - so much joy, intense happiness, rather, if expressed in our secular English language!

I come from an Asian country which has many languages because we are made up of many islands and various ethnic origins. According to Wikipedia, ”there are some 120 to 175 languages in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification. My language, Hiligaynon, has probably a close translation to “gil”. We say, “tirik” - to run around in a frenzy due to panic or sheer rejoicing. It’s the kind of rejoicing (or panic) that does not allow you to think, your body just reacts instantly to it. For other cultures, the North Americans probably have their "victory dance" and the New Zealanders have their "hakka" that would come close to this. When my children were small I used to decorate our house to celebrate their birthday parties. Usually, I would do it in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep, because that was the only time when I could do it. I did it every year and yet my children were still overjoyed whenever I put up those decorations. One time, I remember when my oldest child woke up early in the morning on his birthday, he saw the decorations and he didn’t say anything but he smiled and started running around all over the house! He kept running for a few minutes without saying anything or even laughing, but just having a big grin on his face. I could have asked him, “Why are you running around?” but I realized that would have spoiled the moment as that was the only way he could express his excitement and joy over the decorations, and probably, the prospect of what the day held for him when the party actually rolled in! (Just imagine the kind of satisfaction I had after having worked all night on those decorations.)

This will be the kind of  joy  the Hebrews will have when God restores Zion / Jerusalem:

Isaiah 35:1 The desert and the parched land will be glad (“sus” or “sis”); the wilderness will rejoice (“gil”) and blossom.

Isaiah 35:2 Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice (“gil”) greatly and shout for joy  (“gilah”). The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Psalm 14:7  and Psalm 53:6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice (“gil”) and Israel be glad (“samach”)!

It is only rightly so because God Himself is restoring Israel for He rejoices over them with singing:

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight  in you (literally, “he will rejoice over you with joy” - “sus” or “sis,” “simchah”), he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice (“gil”) over you with singing.”

These expressions of delight and rejoicing over each other, between God and His people, are so intense, showy and candid!

The kings of Israel were exhorted to serve the LORD in the dichotomy of fear (and trembling) and violent rejoicing! It sounds insane, but both attitudes of the heart were demanded of them in their worship to God. That also applies to all believers! We are to fear the LORD with reverent fear and yet, also rejoice “violently”  when we worship Him:

Psalm 2:10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth

11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice (“gil”)with trembling.

“Gil” should characterize our rejoicing when we appreciate His help and deliverance in our time of predicament and extreme need:

Psalm 31:7 I will be glad(“gil”)  and rejoice (“samach”) in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

Psalm 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice (“samach”) in the LORD and be glad (“gil”), you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 35:9 Then my soul will rejoice (“gil”)  in the LORD and delight (“sus” or “sis”) in his salvation.

10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

This is also the kind of rejoicing our Messiah, the Lord Jesus had, knowing that God would raise Him from the dead and He could rest secure, even though He had to go through physical death. This should be our joy, too, since we are looking forward to our resurrection from the dead, even though we die!

Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices (“gil”); my body also will rest secure,

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

“Gil” is also the kind of rejoicing of those who have learned to walk in the presence of the LORD:

Psalm 89:15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

16 They rejoice (“gil”) in your name all day long; they exult (literally, shall be exalted - “rum” Strong’s 7311) in your righteousness.

Psalm 89 is a “covenant chapter;” it describes the covenant relationship that God cut with David, promising him a throne that would endure forever and this is fulfilled in the “Son of David,” Jesus Christ. All believers too, are in a covenant relationship with God. Hence, this is also related to Psalm 16:9,10, because part of God’s covenant promises to all believers is the promise of resurrection and life eternal in His Kingdom.

“Gil” is also the rejoicing believers are supposed to have knowing that the LORd reigns even though we see injustice and unrighteousness seemingly reigning over us; the LORD will one day come to make things right. (See the context of the following verse in Psalm 96:10-13):

Psalm 96: 11 Let the heavens rejoice (“samach”), let the earth be glad (“gil”); let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

It is also the word for “rejoice” in these two famous passages:

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice (“gil”) and be glad (“samach”) in it.

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice (“alaz”) in the LORD, I will be joyful (“gil”) in God my Savior.

Whether it’s just another boring day or even a day of great poverty and need, we are supposed to “spin in rejoicing”!!!

The verb “sus or sis” (Strong’s 7797) means “to exult, rejoice.” It gets translated into English as “delight, exult, glad, rejoice.” Strong's exhaustive concordance says it means, “be glad, greatly, joy, make mirth, rejoice.” It is  a primitive root word which means “to be bright, cheerful.” It occurs 27 times.

The Lord’s delight over His people is expressed as “sus or sis” :

Deuteronomy 30:9 ...The LORD will again delight (“sus or sis”) in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted (“sus or sis”) in your fathers.

The King James and One New Man Bible versions are more accurate, as they use the word “rejoice” rather than “delight.”

God’s joy over Jerusalem when she is restored by Him:

Isaiah 62:5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will our sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices (“masos”) over his bride, so will your God rejoice (“sus or sis”) over you.

Isaiah 65:18 But be glad (“sus or sis”) and rejoice (“gil”) forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight (“gilah”) and its people a joy (“masos”).

Isaiah 65:19 I will rejoice (“gil”)over Jerusalem and take delight (“sus or sis”) in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

Isaiah 66:10 “Rejoice (“samach”) with Jerusalem and be glad  (“gil”) for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly (literally, “rejoice for  joy” - ”sus/sis,” “masos”) with her, all you who mourn over her.

The One New Man Bible says, “Rejoice Jerusalem! Rejoice excitedly with her, all you who love her! Display joy with her, all you who mourn for her!”

Isaiah 66:14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice (“sus” or “sis”) and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.

“Sus or sis” is also a verb used in expressing the believer’s “joy” in the salvation of the LORD:

Psalm 40:16 But may all who seek you rejoice (“sus or sis”) and be glad (“samach”) in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The LORD be exalted!”

Isaiah 61:10 I delight (“sus or sis”) greatly (“sus or sis”) in the LORD; my soul rejoices (“gil”) in my God For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,

The One New Man Bible says,” I shall greatly (“sus or sis”) rejoice  (“sus or sis”) in the LORD! My soul will be enthusiastically joyful (“gil”) in my God, for He has clothed me with garments of deliverance, He has covered me with the robe of acts of loving kindness, like a bridegroom covers himself with ornaments and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Literally, I say this can be translated as, ”I will exultantly rejoice in the LORD! My soul will spin around in joy in my God,...”

Whoa! These are incredibly intense emotions over salvation! Who among us truly rejoices in his/her salvation that way? Too often we wake up in the morning thinking, “My, I have a long day ahead. Lord, help me to survive another day.” Or, “I wonder what’s for breakfast. Hope it’s not oatmeal or fried eggs again....” Or, “Will something exciting happen to me today? Nothing wonderful ever happens to me...” Instead, we should be jumping out of bed, singing praises, doing jumping jacks and rejoicing, for our salvation “draweth nigh” (draws near) every time a new day dawns!!!

The verb “Alaz” (Strong’s 5937) means “to exult”; it occurs 16 times. It gets translated into English as, “become jubilant, jubilant, exult, rejoice.” Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it is a primary root word that means “to jump for joy,” i.e. “exult - be joyful, rejoice, triumph.”  “Alaz” is used in the following verses:

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy (“alaz”)  and I will give thanks to him in song.

Psalm 60:6 and Psalm 108:7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph (literally, “I will rejoice” - “alaz”) I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

(Psalm 60:5-12 is exactly repeated in Psalm 108:6-13.)

Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds -

his name is the LORD - and rejoice (“alaz”) before him.

Significantly, “alaz” is the word used in this universally favorite passage:

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice (“alaz”) in the LORD, I will be joyful (“gil”) in God my Savior.

Literally, verse 18 can be translated as, “yet I will jump for joy in the LORD, I will spin around for joy in God my Savior.” Despite the lack of provision and blessings, despite the barrenness and seeming absence of God, Habakkuk’s hope and faith in God as His Savior was so he great he could rejoice with such violence, knowing that God will still come and deliver them!

Related to “alaz” is  another verb, “alats” (Strong’s 5970), which means “to rejoice, exult” and it occurs 8 times.  It is a primitive root word which also means “to jump for joy,” i.e. exult - be joyful, rejoice, triumph. It gets translated into our English Bibles as “exult, rejoice, triumph.”

It is found in the following verses:

1 Samuel 2 :1 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices (“alats”) in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight (“samach”) in your deliverance.

1 Chronicles 16:32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant (“alats”) , and everything in them!

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad (“samach”); let them ever sing for joy (“ranan”). Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice (“alats”) in you.

Psalm 9:2 I will be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alats”) in you; I will sing praise (“zamar”)  to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 25:2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph (“alats”) over me.

Psalm 68:3 But may the righteous be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alats”) before God; may they be happy and joyful (literally, “exult with joy” - “sus” or “sis,“simchah”).

Proverbs 11:10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices (“alats”); when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy (“rinnah”).

Proverbs 28:12 When the righteous triumph (“alats”), there is great elation (“tiphara” (Strong’s 8597)); but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

“Alliz” (Strong’s 5947) is an adjective which means “exultant, jubilant.” It comes from the primary root verb, “alaz.” It gets translated into English as, “exultant, exulting ones, jubilant, revelers.” It occurs 7 times.

Example of usage:

Isaiah 24:8 The gaiety (“masos”)  of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers (“alliz”) has stopped, the joyful (“masos”) harp is silent.

So there, we have pretty much covered the most-used words for “joy,” “joyful,” and “rejoice” in the Bible. Then you wonder, what about those passages, especially in the Psalms and Prophets, that say, “shout for joy,” “sing for joy,” “shouts of joy,” “rejoice with singing,” etc.? I found the words  “rua, teruah, ranan, rinnah, renanah” for those phrases.

,

“Ranan” (Strong’s 7442) is a verb that means “to give a ringing cry.” It is a primitive root word which means “to creak,” i.e. to shout aloud for joy, cry out, be joyful, rejoice, sing, triumph. It occurs 54 times.

“Rua” (Strong’s 7321) is another verb that means “to raise a shout, give a blast.” It is a primitive root word which means “to mar” (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound), i.e. Shout (for alarm or joy) -- blow an alarm, cry, destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an alarm, triumph. It occurs 45 times.

“Teruah” (Strong’s 8643) is a noun  which means “a shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy.” It occurs 36 times. Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “alarm, blowing of, the trumpets, joy, jubilee, loud noise, rejoicing, shouting.”

“Rinnah” (Strong’s 7440) is a noun which means “a ringing cry.” Its root word is “ranan” (Strong’s 7442). Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “cry, gladness, joy, proclamation, rejoicing, shouting, singing, triumph.” It occurs 33 times.

“Renanah” (Strong’s 7445) is a noun which mean “a ringing cry.” It is also from the root word “ranan.” Its other meanings are,”joyful voice, singing, triumphing.” It occurs 4 times.

I’m sure there are other words that express joy and rejoicing in the Hebrew language but we have covered the most popular ones and we can see from this profusion of terms that the Hebrews were exuberant and lavish in their expressions for these emotions of elation. We know that in the Old Testament the Israelites did singing, dancing and played musical instruments in their festivals as they rejoiced before the Lord. In fact, as we have seen above, it was decreed by God that they were to hold His appointed festivals not in half-heartedness nor lack of enthusiasm, but in rejoicing. They were commanded to rejoice and the anointing of the priests and kings was an anointing called the “oil of joy”!

Psalm 149:2 Let Israel rejoice (“samach”) in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad (“gil”) in their King.

3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints rejoice (“alaz”) in this honor and sing for joy (“ranan”) on their beds.

Now let’s look at passages where these words are used in liberality. The following passages are passages of joy over the restoration of Israel and the joy of the redeemed:

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing (“ranan”), O Daughter of Zion; shout (“rua”) aloud, O Israel! Be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alaz”) with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

Isaiah 35:10 and Isaiah 51:11 and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing (“rinnah”); everlasting joy (“olam simchah”- where “olam” means “everlasting”) will crown their heads. Gladness (“sason”) and joy (“simchah”)will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Zechariah 8:19 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful (“sason”) and glad (“simchah”) occasions and happy (“towb”) festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”

Isaiah 65:18 But be glad (“sus” or “sis”) and rejoice (“gil”) forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

19 I will rejoice (“gilah”) over Jerusalem and take delight (“masos”) in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

Psalm 68:3 But may the righteous be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alats”)  before God; may they be happy (“sus” or “sis”) and joyful (“simchah”).

Just to give us an idea what the “rejoicing” is like in the presence of the LORD, watch this Bar Mitzvah at the Western Wall in Israel.  If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, just drag the toggle to 16:00 and you will see and hear singing of Scripture, dancing, clapping, noisy merry-making, while the ceremony is going on. When it slows down a bit pull it again to 21:00 and you will see more of the “joyful” part. There is so much praying and reading of scripture but the atmosphere is so joyful and fun, so different from many “solemn” Christian rituals / ceremonies we know. The song at the end is beautiful, too!

So, where did the idea of joy as “having an inner peace that comes from doing the will of God” come from? Beats me! However,  you must have noticed I said in paragraph 5 of this blog that “first” I went into the Hebrew words for “joy.” Your high school composition teacher must have told you that if you mention “first” in a piece of writing, there has to be a “second” (and third or more), or your writing would be deemed “epic fail.” Well, are you ready for “second” now? Huh, neither am I; this blog turned out to be so long, now I’m having a headache checking for typos. Thank you for reading this far and do watch out for the “second” installment. We just did kosher, we’ll do souvlaki next. Cheerio!!

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For those not familiar with the Strong’s Concordance Numbering System, here’s a brief explanation: For the concordance, Strong numbered every Hebrew or Greek root word which was found, for ease of reference. This numbering system (8674 Hebrew roots and 5523 Greek roots) is now widely used in the English speaking world and also widely available on the web, where it can be used with many translations, often in conjunction with other hermeneutic tools. Quoted verbatim from: Wikipedia. (2015, May 05). James Strong (Theologian) [Article]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Strong_(theologian)

The online Interlinear English-Hebrew Bible I used is at biblehub.com.

All Scripture quoted are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified. Emphases in bold letters are mine.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2015, Oct. 15). Hardcore Joy [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2015/10/hardcore-joy/ ‎

(This is a re-blog. The original blog is found in the above site.)

Joy

Whoa! I really took my time to think through and reflect before I wrote this one. I am just overwhelmed by "joy"! What does the Bible say about “joy”? Actually, the Bible says so much about it, I don't know where to start. Even so, I am not sure whether I am really getting it yet.

Arguably, the most prominent “joy” verse in the Bible would be:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace....” Galatians 5:22

There are nine of those fruits of the Spirit but let’s just focus on these first three - love, joy, peace. Now let’s look at the scope of these three:

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:19

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Although I can’t find a similar passage explicitly stating that joy in the Bible - just like peace and love - is beyond our understanding, it does make sense to say that being a “trio,” these three will synonymously have very similar characteristics, at least that of being beyond our comprehension and wildest imaginations. Come Christmas time, we’ll be wishing one another, “love, joy, peace,” again. These triplets always come together!

Furthermore, if one keeps studying the Bible, one would come to the conclusion that the believer’s joy in God stems very much from God’s peace and love. My gut feel is that these three are really closely intertwined. So, let’s look further and examine these “joy” passages:

James 1:2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

2 Corinthians 8:2

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

1 Peter 1

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Habakkuk 3

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

I think this "joy" thing is not quite logical. How can someone be joyful or have glorious joy under such dire circumstances? If we cannot quite imagine what this “joy” being talked about above, it could be that it is also beyond our comprehension, just like “love” and “peace” in the Bible. But don’t despair, when the Bible says something is quite beyond our knowledge and understanding, it is actually an invitation for us to draw “nearer” or “higher” so we can increase in our knowing. For example, if we look at the context of the “love” verse above, we will find that the Apostle Paul prayed for the believers of his time to start comprehending the greatness of God’s love towards us. In the same way, we must desire and pray for that understanding, too!

Here’s what Paul wrote:

Ephesians 3

17”... And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

In the same way, we must pray for that supernatural revelation of God’s peace and joy, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God! If we have revelations and manifestations of God’s love, peace and joy, beyond measure, just think how much better persons we would become (oozing with love, joy and peace!) and how much more blessings we would become to the people around us! God blessed us so that we would bless others.

Now here’s another clue as to what “joy” is in the Bible.

In 1 John 4:16 it says, “...God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

So there, God is love. Love is the innate character of God. It doesn’t say “God is loving.” it says, “God is love.” It’s just like saying, “God is holiness.” Or, “God is goodness.” If we do not have a concept of “holiness,” we should get to know God and we would know what “holiness” is. If we have a warped understanding of what “good” and “goodness” are, we need to get close to God to know “goodness.” Hence, if we are not sure what “love” is, as there are now so many definitions and concepts of “love” proliferating, we need to get to know the God who is love!

Now here’s more. Ephesians 2:14 says,

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,...”

“He himself” in this passage refers to Jesus Christ.

A most recent translation,” The One New Man Bible,” a translation by William J. Morford that reveals the Jewish roots and power of the Bible, states it this way:

Ephesians 2

14 For He is our peace, the One Who has made both things one and Who has loosed the dividing wall of the fence, cause of the enmity to His flesh, 15 by His nullifying the tradition of the commandments by decrees, so that He could create the two, Jewish and non-Jewish, into One New Man establishing peace 16 so He could reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, as God killed their enmity by means of Him, Y’shua.

(“Y’shua” is the original Jewish name that got translated into the English “Jesus.” This translation uses the original Jewish “Y’shua” for the name of Jesus.)

This is an interesting point here, for we know that the peace in the whole wide world, like it or not, depends on the peace or un-peace in Jerusalem. If the Jewish and non-Jewish people in the Middle East could be reconciled and co-exist in peace, the rest of the world will have peace, too. This passage shows that the solution to the Middle East crisis is for the Jewish and non-Jewish to be reconciled through Christ - the sons of Isaac and the sons of Ishmael reconciling in peace - for truly they come from one father - Abraham. Now I know I just made a controversial statement but I am just saying what the passage above is saying, highlighting a point that matters to us most at this time in history. I myself am non-Jewish, I do not live in Israel or Palestine, or the Middle East, but I know that if we can settle this enmity between the Jewish and non-Jewish in the Middle East, we all would be better off. The solution offered by the Bible is staring us in the face - it is through Christ. Picture a Jewish and non-Jewish worshiping Jesus Christ together. Is there enmity there? That’s exactly the point! In fact, in Christ, so many things in life become non-issue. It’s very much like all our questions won’t matter anymore when we get to see God in Heaven, face-to-face. That is just what it is.

Now we know other passages in the Bible talk about Jesus being “the Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6) and that His priesthood is the priesthood of Melchizedek, King of Salem (“King of Peace”) (Hebrew 7:1,2) and that Jesus’ message of salvation to us is known as the “Gospel of Peace” (Ephesians 6:15), and that God reconciled the believers to Himself through Jesus Christ and has committed to them the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18,19); which means we are reconciled with God through Jesus and are able to reconcile with one another, wherever there is enmity, through Jesus Christ. Jesus is our peace! God is our peace! God is peace to the believer!

So, if for the believer, “God is love,” and “God is peace,” will the statement “God is joy,” also be true? Unfortunately, again, the Bible does not directly say so. However, there are indications that it is safe to say so.

Psalm 43:4 says,

“Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.”

We know from our former definition (in my blog "Joy and Gladness") that “joy” can be a person or thing which is a source of great happiness to another person. So, yes, the Bible does say God is the joy and delight of the believer! In fact, if this is not true for any believer, he or she is exhorted to make God his/her joy, in this following verse:

Psalm 37:4

...make Yahweh your only joy and he will give you what your heart desires. (The Jerusalem Bible; this translation uses “Yahweh” instead of “Lord” in reference to God.)

Also,

1 Chronicles 16:27 

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.

Psalm 16:11

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (King James Version)

The believer is exhorted to have God as his joy. Fullness of joy is found whenever God is around! So yes, it’s safe to say, “God is love,” “God is peace,” “God is joy,” at least for the believer! I say, God is love, joy and peace, and more! But as we say that, we have to remember that the love, joy and peace that is God is the God-kind of love, joy and peace. “Love” in God’s definition is “agape” - unconditional love, something we talk a lot about but hardly ever practice or experience, right? And the “peace” that is God’s kind of peace is “shalom” and “ere’ne’,” a kind of peace we can’t quite fathom. Well, that’s why the Apostle Paul said, “the peace that passes understanding.” And “joy”? I did a word study on joy and I will write what I have to say on that in other blogs. You see, when you came through the gate of “Pure Joy Land” you probably weren’t sure what to expect. Well, neither was I. Now I am getting a bit overwhelmed. Are you intrigued with God, yet? If He is the God who could possibly be my “joy and delight,” I want to know that God!

Ok, so did that get us to a better understanding of “joy,” yet? Hmmm, now it seems we’re just wading deeper into something that is really beyond our comprehension - the Person of God Himself. It looks like if we can only understand some of the God-kind “joy,” then we also get to understand some of the God-kind peace, God-kind love and God Himself. Are you still with me in this? Are we going to go swim deeper to find out? Or better still, find HIM!

Just to whet our appetite to keep pressing in, I would like to mention just a few more things. Jesus asked His disciples to purposely ask for something in His name so that His Father in Heaven would answer their prayer and it would result to them having complete joy!

John 16:24

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Lately, I watched a video teaching by Bill Johnson and he mentioned that getting answers to prayer is designed by God to be our ongoing source of joy. He also said that “joy” in Heaven is such a priceless commodity that God the Father reserved that as the reward for Jesus in enduring the cross.

Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Joy was the reward of His suffering. It was what God the Father gave Him to honor Him for His obedience - joy is that valuable. You can watch Bill Johnson’s teaching through this link. Don’t be afraid to click on it. The vid is an hour long but he mentioned this within the very first 5 minutes of his teaching. So, don’t hesitate to click on it and take time to listen.

Now here’s a quick jab on “pure joy.” I recently just watched this vid on youtube. I have read books and seen videos of testimonies of people going to Heaven but this guy has such a complete and detailed description of what it’s like in Heaven that I just got so blessed watching it. At the 1:14:00 onwards (just pull the arrow if you don’t want to wait one hour to get there) he mentioned seeing some members of his family who had gone to be with the Lord earlier and he met them there and he said his family only had “pure joy” in Heaven! Well, this is Heaven itself, guys. Of course, it would be “pure joy!” I’m sure everything in Heaven is going well, and there is wonder and awesomeness everywhere there! I think “pure joy” is when we have “pure happiness” plus “joy”. “Pure happiness” is the absence of pain (every form of it - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) plus, everything going well for you and having a sense of excitement or wonder. Whereas, “joy” is “having that inner peace knowing that you are in the will of God because you are living in obedience to Him.” Of course, in Heaven there is no pain, everything is going well, awesome even, and there is no disobedience of God’s instructions. Thus, "pure joy" is the joy found in Heaven!

So you ask me, how about us here on earth, can we ever have “pure joy”? Do we have to wait till we get to Heaven to have it? Good question. Well, as we saw earlier, joy is found in the presence of God. So where on earth can we find the presence of God? Some Bible teachers / evangelists  talk about “portals” where believers can more easily go through to get to the presence of God in Heaven. For example, in his book, "Aligning with Heaven," David Herzog wrote about Jerusalem and Bethel in Israel being “portals.” I am not going to dwell too much on that as this blog has gone too lengthy now, but the Bible also says the dwelling place of God is in man. We know every believer is the dwelling place of God, the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

The fellowship of believers also brings in the special presence of God.

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

I believe we do experience this Heavenly joy on earth once in a while, but it may not be truly pure “joy” because of the presence of our “flesh”, the sinful nature. Also, when His special Presence falls on us in our congregational fellowship, Heavenly joy does fall on us but we do not know how to remain in His Presence when the meeting is over and hence, we are not able to keep that Heavenly joy. Sometimes we do get the Heavenly joy during private worship at home, when we are in deep fellowship with God, but we have problems keeping in His Presence when we go off to do our daily earthly duties. Most often though, the joy is missing and we may not even be aware that it is missing, because we hardly know what it is. We have a lot to learn about joy, having it, and keeping or abiding in God’s Presence and joy in our daily life. But there is hope, so, let us not give up!

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified. Emphases in bold letters are mine. 

Note: I have started blogging in another website and the above blog is a re-blog of " 'Joy' in the Bible" from my new website. If you liked my blogs so far please feel free to visit my new site. Thank you for dropping by and a blessed day to you! :-)

Peace

Dated Dec 21, 2014 317am Eastern Time

God is love and His covenant with His people He calls His Covenant of Peace.

When we see a rainbow across the horizon it reminds us of Noah and his ark.

“To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:9,10

In fact, it reminds us of the very presence of God because there is a rainbow in His throne in Heaven. (Revelation 4:3)

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is “shalom” but it doesn’t only mean peace as we understand it from the English language. According to Strong’s concordance 7965 it means “completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.” It also comes from the root verb “shalom” meaning “to be complete, perfect and full.” In the New Testament, the Greek word for “peace” is “erenaeus” which means “harmony, tranquility, safety, welfare, health.”

In the New Testament, God extends His Covenant of Peace to us through His Gospel of Peace, literally, His “good news of Peace” in Jesus Christ.

When Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden because of sin, they were driven out from the presence of God, out from fellowship and relationship with Him. They were estranged from God. They lost that “shalom” which is found only in God. And so they and their descendants became wanderers and vagabonds in the earth, searching for that “shalom” - that peace, completeness, fullness, perfectness, health, safety, tranquility, welfare and harmony which they could never find in the world but only in God. We all are just like Adam and Eve. We are ever seeking and yet not finding, until we come to know the “good news of Peace” in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our Peace, our “shalom”, our “erenaeus”.

Hundreds of years before His birth, the prophet Isaiah called Him The Prince of Peace:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

The priest Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, described the way of Jesus as the path of peace. He prophesied that his son John would be the prophet that would prepare the way for Jesus, who would guide us into the path of peace. (Luke 1:79)

At Jesus’ birth the angels announced tidings of great joy, announcing peace to men on earth:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14

Teaching his disciples, Jesus Himself said He gives them peace that the world cannot give and it’s the peace that will enable them to face troubles here on earth:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Right after His resurrection, Jesus’ greeting to His disciples was peace:

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. Luke 24:36,37

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the door locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19,20

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” John 20:26

Jesus also told His disciples to teach this good news of peace to other people:

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21

One of the titles of God our Father is “God of peace,” ( Romans 15:33, 16:20, Hebrews 13:20) and also “God of love and peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11).

Indeed, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1

We are not only reconciled with God when Jesus put away the enmity between God and men through the atoning sacrifice of His own precious blood, but He also reconciled both Jew and Gentile into one body:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. Ephesians 2:13,14

Yes, the answer even to racism and discrimination, is Christ - our peace!

Also, when God sent His Son that we may have His peace, not as the world gives, but the peace of God - “shalom” - we must remember it means “completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.”

That is why Jesus is also called “Wonderful,” because His peace includes everything we can ever long for!

Two thousand years ago, in the city of David, a savior was born to us - God’s gift - a baby who grew up and preached the good news of peace and fulfilled it, that we may have peace. Indeed, good tidings of great joy to all people! Jew, Gentile, Greek, black, brown, yellow, red or white, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Scientologist, agnostic, atheist, Satanist, gay, straight, pro-life, pro-choice, etc. - that Savior was born unto all men and women! A gift is a gift, whether we take and appreciate it or not, it remains a gift. Such is God, the God who is love!

Most Shared Bible Verses

Dated July 12, 2013



The "YouVersion" Bible App just reached 100 Million downloads and they said that the three most-shared verses on Twitter, Facebook, email and text are:

Isaiah 53:5, Hebrews 4:15 and Matthew 7:7. (from Breaking Christian News)

Interestingly these verses talk about the source of our healing, the personality of that source and the way to access that source.

Isaiah 53:5 (The Source of our healing who is Jesus.)

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

This verse is from one of the prophetic passages in the Old Testament talking about Jesus, hundreds of years before He came.

Hebrews 4:15 (The Personality of that Source, who is Jesus.)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.


Matthew 7:7 (The way to access God for all our needs and blessing, including healing, the most-sought-after blessing mentioned in the most popular verse above.)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.


These are very good verses that say God is near and accessible, and that "God is love." But that's only one facet of His personality. The other facet, "God is holy," seems to be totally missing. Maybe because we are so overwhelmed by our troubles here on earth that most of the time we focus only on God's love and mercy because those are what we need in urgency? However, if we only care about the fact that God is holy and if we live according to His guidelines for justice and holiness, we wouldn't be in the hot soup (of a wounded / sick / needy state) we are in, would we?

Maybe we need to quote more on that facet of God's character, too - like those found in Proverbs 3, for instance:

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

(That's the secret of long life.)

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

(Guideline for good health and well-being.)


9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.

(Guideline for prosperity.)


These are only a few, there are many more in the Bible. Ultimately, the whole Bible gives us understanding of the situation we are in. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) That means we shouldn't be wondering why being in this world is so troublesome. And Jesus, having overcome the world, has gone to another world where there's no trouble. He is our example so we can follow Him there, and if we let Him, He also gives us the power to overcome this world. He encourages us to persevere - take heart - until we get there.


Maybe God uses our troubles to draw us to Himself and His decrees, so we would learn His ways and understand our situation - that our little troubles here on earth are only harbingers of the bigger trouble coming our way, if we do not take heed?


Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.


We need to learn the decrees of God if we are to follow Jesus to the world where He is now, a world without trouble or tears.


2 Timothy 3:14, 15

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.


Could it be that this world of troubles and tears, this place where we learn to call on God to answer our earthly needs, is actually a pre-departure area for eternity?  An eternity of a better world called Heaven, or eternity of a worse world called Hell? If we were in our mother's womb for 9 months in preparation for an earthly life of 90 years, what could the 90 years (or so) of our earthly life be preparing us for? Could it be eternity?

The above verse says the Holy Scriptures is able to make us wise for salvation - meaning, it teaches us salvation. It also says our salvation from this troublesome world and our worse trouble ahead is through faith in Christ Jesus. While we are still in this pre-departure area, wouldn't it be wise for us to know who is this Jesus Christ and what is His way of salvation, so we would indeed be delivered from the bigger trouble coming our way - Hell itself??

An Alarming Discovery

Dated July 31, 2013


I was going to quote a verse from the Bible and usually I would just cut and paste it from the online Bible site Biblegateway.com. However, I noticed that since a few months ago, Biblegateway.com had phased out my favorite translation: NIV 1984. Last time they had both "NIV 1984" and "NIV", the latter presumably being the NIV 2011. Now they have only NIV 2011 available and they label it only as "NIV" (no year), which means that for people who are not aware that they have made a new 2011 translation, they will presume this is one and the same NIV of 1984 (and they hope to pass it off as such for all time?).

What's alarming about this is that the verse I was looking up was Malachi 4:6

"He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (NIV 1984)

Biblegateway NIV has this:

6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (NIV 2011)

Now I know this verse by heart, so, I know this is an inaccurate and misleading translation of that verse because the intent of Malachi is really for the fathers, as mothers' hearts are always devoted to their children.

So, I looked up other online Bibles that offer various translations, hoping I can still find the NIV 1984 online. I couldn't find any!? Is it just my search engine? It seems we now have only Biblegateway.com and they have monopolized the online Bible??? I seem to have found one or two more but they seem to be related to Biblegateway.com as well and they don't have the NIV 1984 either.

When I searched further, I found this:

http://zusings.com/2013/01/22/the-death-of-the-niv-1984-bible-1984-2012/


Main point of above article:


"The King James Version’s OT (Old Testament) was written with certain available Masorectic Texts. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found they became factors in subsequent translations such as the Revised Standard Version and New Living Translations. In short I understand why we can justify new translations when new manuscripts are found and the English language changes. But we haven’t experienced a significant linguistic shift since 1984 and I haven’t heard any news about concrete critical archaeological manuscript findings. And I’d like Bible scholars out there to comment on revelatory and meaningful recent discoveries in hermeneutics and exegetical approaches that merited application to the NIV1984...


The resulting NIV 2011, among other things, has obvious questionable gender pronoun changes. The Unlocking Femininity Blog eloquently addresses this in the old but rich post from 2011: Words Matter: Why We Can’t Recommend the NIV 2011."

I also found this: https://getsatisfaction.com/memverse/topics/niv_1984_missing_from_bible_gateway
posted March 4, 2013

And this: http://bltnotjustasandwich.com/2013/04/05/biblica-kills-online-tniv-and-niv-1984/
posted April 5, 2013

There is no doubt that the King James Version will remain our only reliable version because some Bible scholars had a lower opinion of the NIV 1973, 1978, 1984 anyway, but we all know that the KJV is more difficult to relate with, not to mention understand, especially for new believers or people who are just starting to read the Bible.


Meanwhile, I think we should avail of the NIV1984 Close Out Sale here:http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=2676035&sp=114187

They are phasing it out!!!

With Obama pushing the gay agenda and this underhanded and seemingly un-publicized move by Zondervan, the once-thought-of-reliable Bible publisher, I believe something big is going on behind our backs.

This note is mainly for Christians.

God bless to all.