Joy and Strength

I’ve been reading through the Bible for many years now, usually cover-to-cover. It never ceases to amaze me how there is always something new to discover, and how often I find precious truths I have forgotten about.

The other day, I ran across Nehemiah 8:10. The famous bit of this verse says,

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

It’s such an encouraging thought, but the funny thing is, we usually take that one bit of encouragement and run off without considering the real depth of that truth, which is found in the context, not just of the rest of the verse, but of the whole narrative in which it is found.

If you’ve never read Nehemiah, you should! It tells about one of the three groups that were allowed to return to Jerusalem after the 70-year captivity in Babylon. The book is named for Nehemiah, the group’s leader, who wrote the book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

When he arrived at Jerusalem, he went out secretly at night to survey the city wall, which was crucial for the city’s security. It was broken down and crumbled, and needed to be rebuilt. But it was a huge task, and the people of the city probably felt overwhelmed by it. Nehemiah organized the rebuilding of the wall, and the people got to work.

The project took a long time, though, and their enemies tried everything from physical threats to psychological intimidation to several attempts at convincing the emperor of Babylon the Israelites were building the wall as an act of rebellion.

Throughout all this opposition, however, Nehemiah kept his eyes on God and pointed the people to God as well, and eventually the wall was completed. In Nehemiah 8, the people have gathered to celebrate the completion of the wall and to dedicate the fruits of their labor to the Lord who had fulfilled His promise to restore them to the land.

During the celebration, Ezra the scribe (for whom the book of Ezra is named) read God’s Word to the people, and then a team of Levites helped the people understand what was being read. (v.1-8) At the end of their teaching, notice what the people are told:

“Then Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.”

This was a day for thanksgiving and rejoicing, but when the people heard the words of the Law, they wept. I don’t know if they were weeping over their own sin, or the sin of their people that had led to the exile, but they were genuinely moved as they heard and began to understand God’s Word.

But instead of letting the celebration turn into a time of mourning, Nehemiah tells them not to weep, because the day was holy, or set apart, for the Lord. This is where verse 10 appears:

“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

You see, the truth that the joy of the Lord is our strength isn’t just for days when we feel joyful. It’s for days when we are mourning sin and its consequences. It’s for days when we look around and see brokenness and devastation. It’s for days when joy is the furthest thing from our hearts and minds. The seasons of sorrow are exactly the seasons in which God offers us the gift of His joy.

This specific word for “joy” does appear one other time in the Old Testament, though. It is also in the context of a celebration, but this time there was no weeping. In 1 Chronicles 16, during the time of King David, the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem.

This was a significant occasion, because the ark was God’s physical symbol of His presence with His people. The ark had been captured by the Philistines in the era of Samuel, and although God made sure the Philistines returned the ark after a very short time, it had never been restored to its rightful place in the tabernacle. David, however, brought the ark to Jerusalem, where his son Solomon would soon build the temple in which it was to reside.

The return of the ark was cause for great rejoicing, because it was a symbol of God’s presence with and blessing on His people, and David as His anointed king. Then David gave Asaph and his fellow musicians a brand new song to sing for the occasion. In this psalm of praise we find another mention of joy and strength:

“Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation.

 Declare His glory among the heathen; His marvelous works among all nations.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.” (v.24-27)

That word “gladness” at the end of the passage is the same Hebrew word translated “joy” in Nehemiah 8:10. Notice that here it is also connected with strength. Strength and joy are in God’s “place,” or presence. (The Hebrew literally has the idea of the spot where someone stands)

Whenever you feel weak and joyless, remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength, and that the only place to find that joy is in the presence of God.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16