joy

God’s discipline

God sending the Israelites into captivity was an act of discipline that was intended to correct their problem of idolatry. The prophet Zechariah said, “’And on the day,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, ‘I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten’” (Zechariah 13:2). The prophet Jeremiah recorded the details of the fall of Jerusalem, indicating that the city was completely destroyed (Jeremiah 39:8) and “Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city” (Jeremiah 39:9).

Hebrews 12:6 tells us that God “disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives. The writer went on to say, “It is for discipline that you have to endure” (Hebrews 12:7) and then, explained that God uses discipline to bring his children into submission so that he can bless them (Hebrews 12:9-10). Hebrews 12:11 states, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

God’s discipline is about learning to do things his way, understanding the difference between what we want and what God wants to accomplish in our lives. God’s ultimate objective for mankind is holiness, which is a byproduct of having a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Greek word that is translated holiness in Hebrews 12:10, hagiotes (hag-ee-otˊ-ace) means “sanctity” and is used in Hebrews 12:10 to refer to “sanctity of living” (G41). Hagiotes is derived from the word hagios (hagˊ-ee-os) which is “spoken of those who are purified and sanctified by the influences of the Spirit, a saint” (G40).

Hagios is used throughout the New Testament of the Bible to refer to Christians (Acts 9:13, 14, 32, 41; 26:10; Romans 1:7; 8:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:13) and is “spoken of those who are to be in any way included in the Christian community (1 Corinthians 7:14)” (G40). The way that Christians become holy is through a process called sanctification. The term sanctification means “to make holy” (G38) and is first used in the Bible in the book of Exodus, where God told Moses to “sanctify to me all the firstborn…both of man and of beast, it is mine” (Exodus 13:2), so we see that something that is sanctified belongs to God. With regard to Christians, this is true, because they have been redeemed or purchased for God by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7). The Greek word that is translated redeemed, exagorazo (ex-ag-or-adˊ-zo) means “to purchase out, to buy up from the possession or power of someone. In the New Testament, to redeem, to set free from service or bondage (Galatians 3:13; 4:5)” (G1805).

It says in Hebrews 12:8 that all have participated in God’s discipline, otherwise “you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Both Christians and the Israelites are considered to be God’s children (Romans 8:14, 19; 9:26; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 3:26: 4:6, 7; Hebrews 12:6; Revelation 21:7). The common bond between these two groups is having faith or believing in God. It says of the Old Testament saints in Hebrews 11:39-40, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Sanctification results in believers being made perfect in the sense that they have completed the process (G5048). The last step in the process of sanctification is glorification, which happens when we receive our resurrection body (1 Corinthains 15:50-57).

God’s discipline produces submission in us in that it causes us to trust in and rely on him more and more as we mature in our faith. The Greek word hupotasso (hoop-ot-asˊ-so) in the passive voice means “to be brought under the control of someone” and can also refer to “voluntary submission…we are encouraged in Hebrews 12:9 to submit ourselves to God’s control” (G5293). In this sense, yielding ourselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit is a form of voluntary submission. It says in Romans 6:12-14 that believers are not to let sin reign in their bodies, but to present themselves “to God as instruments for righteousness.”

God’s discipline can be painful because it sometimes involves physical suffering. Jesus endured a tortuous death and was abandoned by those whom he had trusted the most. It says because of Jesus’ suffering, in Hebrews 12:3-4, that we should, “consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Resisting sin is a struggle for humans because our sin nature causes us to naturally rebel against God (Isaiah 53:6). It says in Romans 5:1-5, when we are justified by faith, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Jesus’ example of enduring the suffering of the cross should encourage believers because of the result that it produced. There is always a purpose behind God’s discipline. It is meant to train us, not to cause us to give up (Hebrews 12:11-17). It says in Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus endured the cross because he knew there was something afterward that would bring him great joy. He explained to his disciples shortly before his death that the reward for their obedience would be abundant joy. Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:9-11).

Celebrate God’s Victory

Luke’s gospel concludes with the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. Luke states, “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. When he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:50-53). The Apostle Paul discussed the resurrection of the dead in the context of a mystery and the believer’s victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). Paul said that we must all be changed and that our mortal body must put on immortality, and then, Paul concluded, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Although Jesus gave us the victory over sin and death through his resurrection and ascension into heaven, sin and death still exist in the world today, and we have not yet experienced the full manifestation of God’s kingdom on earth. Psalm 98 is a celebration of the righteous reign of the Lord, a future event when the psalmist says, “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3).

Psalm 98 begins with a call to celebrate God’s victory. The psalmist instructs us, “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory” (Psalm 98:1, KJV). The English Standard Version of the Bible translates the last part of Psalm 98:1 as “His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” associating God’s victory with Jesus’ work of salvation on the cross. The psalmist went on to say:

The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98:2-3)

The Hebrew word that is translated seen in Psalm 98:3, raʾah (raw-awˊ) denotes a type of seeing something with the eyes that requires “the individual to see physically outside of himself or herself: to see so that one can learn to know, whether it be another person (Deuteronomy 33:9) or God (Deuteronomy 1:31; 11:2); to experience (Jeremiah 5:12; 14:13; 20:18; 42:14)” (H7200). This type of seeing requires the person that is seeing to be physically present with the person or object that is seen. During Jesus’ ministry on the earth 2000 years ago, his travels were limited to the geographical region known as the Promised Land, the territory that God promised to give Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 15:7). Psalm 98:2 refers to a time when God’s salvation will be revealed in the sight of all the nations.

Isaiah’s prophecy in 52:1-12 is about the LORD’s coming salvation and he uses the term good news to refer to Jesus’ gospel message. It says specifically in Isaiah 52:6-7 about the righteous reign of the Lord:

“Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
    who publishes salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

The “servant song” that followed Isaiah 52:1-12 “is one of the most explicit prophecies of Christ’s atoning work on Calvary. It caused great controversy within Judaism because it clearly connected the Messiah with suffering and death. As a result, some Jewish scholars even suggested two messiahs: one who would suffer and another who would reign. In anticipating the Messiah, they could not comprehend how he could fulfill both sets of prophecies. Jesus applied this prophecy to himself (Luke 22:37), as did his disciples (Matthew 8:17; John 12:38; Hebrews 9:28)” (note on Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

The good news of the gospel is what prompts God’s chosen people to sing to the LORD a new song in Psalm 98:1, and we see that when Jesus is revealed in the sight of the nations and “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3), that there is a call to all the earth to join in the celebration. The psalmist invites us to:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! (Psalm 98:4-6)

The great joy that Jesus’ disciples felt as they made their way back to Jerusalem after he had ascended into heaven (Luke 24:52) was likely very small in comparison to the joyful noise that all the earth will make when it sees the salvation of our God. Even the seas, rivers, and hills will join in the celebration of God’s victory (Psalm 98:7-8).

The psalmist closes his call to celebrate with a reminder of the Lord’s mission when he returns to earth. The psalmist says, “For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9). The Hebrew word that is translated judge, shaphat (shaw-fatˊ) means “pronounce sentence (for or against)…This word, though often translated as judge, is much more inclusive than the modern concept of judging and encompasses all the facets and functions of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Consequently, this term can be understood in any one of the following ways. It could designate, in its broadest sense, to function as ruler or governor…In a judicial sense, the word could also indicate, because of the exalted status of the ruler, the arbitration of civil, domestic, and religious disputes (Deuteronomy 25:1)…In the executive sense, it could denote to execute judgment, to bring about what had been decided. This could be in the form of vindication (Psalm 10:18; Isaiah 1:17, 23); or a condemnation and punishment (Ezekiel 7:3, 8; 23:45)” (H8199). The psalmist tells us that Jesus will judge the world with righteousness (Psalm 98:9). The Hebrew word tsedeq (tsehˊ-dek), which is translated righteousness, is “a masculine noun meaning a right relation to an ethical or legal standard…The word is frequently connected with the term justice (Psalm 119:106; Isaiah 58:2)” (H6664). In addition to bringing justice to the world, the psalmist tells us that Jesus will judge the people with equity or straightness (H4339). The New Testament concept of straightness has to do with having a straight path or perhaps, a direct route to an immediate outcome (G2117). This suggests that when Jesus returns, there will be an immediate change in people’s circumstances that will be reflective of his moral and legal standard for them. In other words, Jesus intends to straighten people’s lives out when he comes back to judge the world, and will instantaneously get everyone aligned with God’s word, the Bible.

Jesus told his disciples shortly before his death that their sorrow would turn into joy and that in a little while they would see him again (John 16:16-17). Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what he meant by a little while, but were afraid to ask him (John 16:18). John tells us:

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:19-24)

Jesus compared the joy that his disciples would experience when he returned to that of a woman who had just given birth to a child. Jesus said, “She no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21). Anyone who has experienced the birth of a child can appreciate how seeing your baby for the first time makes you want to celebrate and might put a song in your heart that wasn’t there before. We see in Psalm 98 a spontaneous reaction to all the ends of the earth having seen the salvation of our God (Psalm 98:1-3). The book of Revelation tells us that this reaction is preceded by Christ’s defeat of Antichrist and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:1-10). Then, the curtain to heaven is opened and we see Jesus ride into the scene. John tells us:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:11-16)

It’s easy to see why Jewish scholars didn’t connect Jesus, the suffering servant, with the Messiah that was going to deliver Israel from the political oppression of Antichrist. There is a stark difference between this triumphal entry and the one we see in the gospel of Luke where Jesus road into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey (Luke 19:35-40). Regardless of their differences, each of these events should cause us to make a joyful noise to the LORD and break forth into a joyous song to celebrate God’s victory.

Patience

James letter “to the twelve tribes which were scattered abroad” (James 1:1) was meant to be a lesson on the topic of patience (James 1:2-4). Apparently, Jesus’ promise to return to Earth was being questioned and the delay of this event was causing believers to be filled with doubt. James encouraged Christians to wait patiently in his statement, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:7-8). The phrase “stablish your hearts” has to do with the way we think about our lives. It is likely James was referring to the commitment believers make when they give their lives to Christ. James was pointing out that even though the primary function of salvation was to secure God’s forgiveness and eternal life, Christians should expect to go through a difficult and sometimes long process of transformation before they go to heaven.

The return of Christ was misunderstood to be an event that would happen in the near future, perhaps before the first generation of Christians died. The reason it was so important to believers was likely because the persecution that was taking place was very difficult to handle. The return of Christ may have been used as a coping mechanism to get through the horrible circumstances Christians had to deal with. The problem with that approach was that it didn’t leave room for the possibility that suffering was to be expected and embraced rather than avoided in the Christian life. James wanted believers to understand that spiritual development was counter intuitive and shouldn’t be thought of as a quick and easy process that anyone can get through. His analogy of the precious fruit of the earth (James 5:7) being like the faith that Christians are developing throughout their lives suggests that the cultivation of spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, etc.) is the outcome that we need to focus on in order to survive the trials and temptations that we all have to go through.

I think patience is often misunderstood because we associate it with things that are unpleasant. I believe James’ opening statement, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2) was meant to teach us that joy and patience actually do go together. The key to understanding this strange concept may be James use of the Greek word hegeomai (hayg-eh’-om-ahee) which is translated “count it” in James 1:2. Hegeomai means “to lead, i.e. command (with official authority)” (G2233). Hegeomai is also translated as “have rule over.” You could say that exercising patience means that you take control of a situation, you don’t let your circumstances determine how you are going to behave. Another way of describing patience is long-spirited. From this perspective, you could say that patience is letting yourself be stretched spiritually. In other words, your spirit is dominating your flesh or human nature. One way of doing this is through prayer. James encouraged believers to pray about their difficult circumstances (James 5:13) and stated, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

Rejoicing

After the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem was completed, there was a celebration in which the wall was dedicated. Nehemiah’s description of what took place showed that it was a very joyous occasion. He said, “And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgiving, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps” (Nehemiah 12:27). Nehemiah choreographed a sequence of steps and movements that involved dividing the Levites into two great companies. According to Nehemiah’s plan, “One went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate…with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them…And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and half of the people upon the wall” (Nehemiah 12:31,36,38).

Nehemiah went on to say, “Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off” (Nehemiah 12:43). One of the songs that was likely sung at the dedication of the wall was Psalm 126. This short psalm is part of a collection of psalms known as the songs of degrees which were sung by Jews that traveled to Jerusalem for festivals. Psalm 126 focuses on the fulfillment of God’s promise that his chosen people would return to the Promised Land after their captivity was completed. It says:

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126)

A key statement in this psalm is actually a promise that reveals God’s intent in sending his people into captivity. Psalm 126:5 states, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. God dispenses his blessings based on a system of sowing and reaping. Jesus eluded to this in one of his teachings known as the beatitudes which means supreme blessedness (Matthew 5:3-11). Before they went into captivity, God’s people lacked faith and were unresponsive to his warnings about the dangers that lay ahead of them. After they returned to the Promised Land, the Jews were thankful and felt extreme joy even though they were dealing with great affliction and reproach from the nations around them (Nehemiah 1:3).