This month we have been talking about strength. One of the first scriptures or phrases that Christians think of when talking about strength is Nehemiah 8:10-"The joy of the Lord is your strength." We often misread this as joy in the Lord which is rejoicing; to feel or show great joy or delight. Or we take it as meaning the fruit of the spirit. That joy is a supernatural byproduct of a close intimate relationship with God. While joy in the Lord has many benefits, it is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength.
Let's look at what was happening when Nehemiah said this. The Israelite's had been in captivity for 70 years. 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 tells the story.
19 they burned the house of God and tore down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire, and destroyed all its valuable articles. 20 He deported to Babylon those who had escaped from the sword; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the kingdom of Persia was established there, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had restored its Sabbaths; for as long as the land lay desolate it kept Sabbath until seventy years were complete. From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+36&version=AMP>
Our story begins after the 70 years were up. Babylon had been overthrown by Persia with Cyrus as the King. He instructed the Israelite's to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it. By the time we get to Nehemiah 8, the city and its walls had been rebuilt. The entire city gathered at the square in front of the Water Gate. (The Water Gate symbolizes the cleansing work of the Word of God. This gate was also the place where justice was administered and oaths were taken.) Ezra, the priest, stood on a platform reading and explaining the first five books of the bible. He read and taught from daybreak until midday! As he taught, the conviction of their sin fell upon all the people. They were so shattered by what they heard, they were mourning and weeping. But that was not what God wanted.
This was to be a celebration, His people were home again. It was a holy day, the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a feast set aside by God to remember His provision in the wilderness and look forward to His promises. So Nehemiah and the Levites went through the crowd saying, "Be still, for the day is holy, do not be worried." "This day is holy to the Lord your God, do not mourn or weep." Then Ezra announced “Go, eat the rich festival food, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
So what is the joy of the Lord, you ask. We find out in Hebrews 12:2. It says for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. His joy was YOU being restored into a right relationship with His Father. His joy is that YOU are now part of his family, a child of God. And as His children, He has the joy of caring for YOU. He has the joy of giving YOU access to all that He made available through His death and resurrection. YOU are His joy!
Your strength comes from knowing that while you were still a sinner and separated from God, He planned a way for you to be with Him. Your strength comes from knowing that nothing can separate you from His love. He takes great care and delight in you. The same God that planned and created the universe and everything in it, planned and created you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead has been made available to you. That is your strength.
So when the Israelite's were devastated over their sin, God said take strength in my forgiveness. You've repented so now let go of your past and the sorrow that remembering your sin brings. We are back together now so let's party!
Jesus shared his joy it in the parable of the lost son.
To receive this strength, you follow this same pattern. Stand in front of the Water Gate, hear the Word of the Lord and let it bring repentance. Then don't worry over it any more. Draw strength from the fact that you have been freely forgiven. His compassion toward you never fails and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). The joy of the Lord is truly your strength!
The joy of the Lord is your strength was proclaimed at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles. As a Christian, I don't celebrate these feast like in a traditional Jewish way. But I do recognize that these were the Lord's feast. I set aside extra time to be still and listen to what God is saying.
Fall Feasts dates for 2019
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Sep 30-Oct 1 M‑Tu |
The Jewish New Year |
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Oct 9 W |
Day of Atonement |
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Oct 14-15 M‑Tu Oct 16-20 W‑Su |
Feast of Tabernacles |
I will be doing some studying on these fall feasts and how they apply to Christian today. I'll share what I find out in my October blog. Be sure you are signed up for my e-mail list so you don't miss them.
Until then,
