The JOY of the LORD is OUR STRENGTH!
May 19
Bible Reading: Nehemiah Chapters 7-9
The JOY of the LORD is OUR STRENGTH!
And
Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who
taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord
your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard
the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat,
drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for
this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah
8:9-10)
The
remarkable thing about the spiritual renewal in Nehemiah’s day was that it was
initiated by the people themselves and not by the governor, priest, or some
other leader. They gathered in the plaza near the Water Gate “as one man” and asked Ezra to read to
them “the book of the law of Moses”
(8:1) that would be the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 31:24–26). The occasion was
New Year’s Day (now called Rosh Hashanah),
the perfect time for beginning again (8:2).
Standing
high on a wooden platform, Ezra read God’s Word to the people the whole morning
time (8:3). With him stood a number of assistants who clarified the reading and
meaning of the text for these Aramaic-speaking Jews (8:4–8). Their deep
reverence for the Scriptures is reflected in their standing to their feet as
Ezra started the reading (8:5). He would read a verse or two and then the
interpreters rendered a translation with appropriate comments designed to
provide a running commentary (8:7–8).
The reaction
of Ezra’s audience to his reading of God’s Word should be noted here. God
Himself was speaking through His word, and the people were listening to God’s
voice. God’s word brought deep conviction as well as nostalgic memories, and
the people began to weep. The people’s tears showed that the message was taken
seriously (v. 9). Ezra and Nehemiah told them to stop, however, for it was a
day of joy and not sorrow. They were right in taking the Word of God seriously,
but they did not need to be overwhelmed by grief. The feast was not for weeping but for rejoicing!
When we closely
examine the feasts that were celebrated by the children of Israel, only one
occasion for mourning and fasting was found among all these feasts and that was
the Day of Atonement. The rest of the feasts were to be kept with joy and
celebration. The fruit of the Spirit was to be visible: love, in sharing with the less fortunate; joy, in eating and drinking before the Lord; peace, in calming their fears and putting their hearts at rest.
Their sadness was turned to joy, and the
joy of the Lord was their strength (v. 12).
The joy of the Lord is the joy that springs
up in our hearts because of our relationship to the Lord. It is a God-given
gladness found when we are in communion with God. When our goal is to know more
about the Lord, the byproduct is His joy. Strength here means “place of safety,” a “refuge,” or “protection.” The people’s refuge was God. They had built a wall
and they carried spears and swords, but He was their protection. The joy of God was to be their fortress!
We need to cultivate and promote the joy of the Lord in our lives as a powerful source of spiritual strength. When we rejoice, Satan cannot intimidate or discourage us with negative thoughts or unbelief. We have every reason to celebrate life, as James hints at when he urges believers to sing songs of praise when they are happy. Today, let the joy of the Lord be ‘our’ strength! "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4)
