My brethren, the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ now that he knows his beloved are securely his, and no longer the slaves of sin and heirs of wrath, is too great to be measured. He has redeemed unto himself a people in whom his soul delights. For them the price is fully paid, for them the penalty has been completely endured, for them all chains are broken, and for them the prison house is razed to its foundation: for them hath he bruised the serpent's head, for them hath he by death destroyed death, and led captive him that had the power of death, even the devil.
"All his work and warfare done,
He into his heaven is gone,
And before his Father's throne
Now is pleading for his own."
He now continues to receive into his joy the multitudes whom the Spirit brings to him, for whom of old he shed his precious blood. You cannot conceive the gladness of Christ. If you have ever brought one soul to Christ you have had a drop of it, but his gladness lies not only in receiving them, but in actually being the author of salvation to every one of them. The Savior looks upon the redeemed with an unspeakable delight, thinks of what they used to be, thinks of what they would have been but for his interposition, thinks of what they now are, think of what he means to make them in that great day when they shall rise from the dead; and as his heart is full of love to them he joys in their joy, and exults in their exultation. Their heavens swell their Mediator's heaven, and their myriad embodiments of bliss, each one reflects his own felicity, and so (speaking after the manner of men) increases it, for he lives ten thousand lives by living in them, and joys unnumbered joys in their joys. I speak with humblest fear lest in any word I should speak amiss, for he is God as well as man, but this is certain, that there is a joy of our Lord into which he will give his faithful ones to enter, a joy which he has won by passing through the shame and grief by which he has redeemed mankind. The oil of gladness is abundantly poured on that head which once was crowned with thorns.
Now, brethren, you, also, can be partakers in this joy. When he makes you in your little measure to be instrumentally saviours of others, then you also partake of his gladness, but as I have said before, you cannot know its fullness, for he is in this respect anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me." Returning from the battle and the spoil he has a joy with which none can intermeddle, for his own right hand and his holy arm hath gotten unto him the victory.
Again, our Lord Jesus has the oil of gladness poured upon him in another sense, namely, because his person and his work are the cause of ineffable gladness in others. Oh, I wish I had a week in which to talk upon this point-a week-one could scarcely enter upon the theme in that time! We sang just now-
"Jesus, the very thought of thee
With sweetness fills my breast."
The oil of gladness upon him is so sweet that we have only to think upon it and it fills us with delight. There is gladness in his very name.
"Exult all hearts with gladness
At sound of Jesu's name;
What other hath such sweetness,
Or such delight can claim?"
What gladness he created when here below. His birth set the skies ringing with heavenly music, and made the hearts of expectant saints to leap for joy. In after days a touch of the hem of his garment made a woman's heart glad when she felt the issue of her blood staunched, and a word from his lips made the tongue of the dumb to sing. For him to lay his hand upon the sick was to raise them from their beds of sickness, and deliver them from pain and disease. His touch was gladness then, and a spiritual touch is the same now. To-day to preach of him is gladness, to sing of him is gladness, to trust him is gladness, to work for him is gladness, to have communion with him is gladness. To come to his table, and there to feast with him, is gladness; to see his image in the eyes of his saints is gladness; to see that image only as yet begun to form in the heart of a young convert is gladness. Everything about him is gladness. All his garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia. Nothing comes within a mile of him but what it makes you glad to think that he has been so near it. The very print of his foot has comfort in it, and the wounds in his hands are windows of hope. I have known some who have had to carry a cross for his dear sake, and they have kissed and hugged that cross, and gloried in their tribulations because they were borne for him. Fellowship with him has turned the bitterest potion into generous wine. Beloved, if these distant glimpses are so precious, what must it be to see him face to face? I have tried to conceive it, and I protest that even in attempting the conception my spirit seems to swoon at the prospect of such supreme delight. Only to hear the music of his footfall on the other side the partition wall raises longings in my heart too strong, too eager to be long endured. What, death, art thou all that divides me from seeing my Lord? I would gladly die a million deaths to see him as he is and to be like him. What, a slumber in the grave for this poor body! Is that all I have to dread? Then let it slumber, and let the worms consume it, for "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Oh, what will it be to see him? To see HIM that loved us so, to mark the wounds with which he purchased our redemption, to behold his glory, to listen to that deal voice of his, and to hear him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." To lie in his bosom for ever, truly neither eye hath not seen, nor ear heard the like of this bliss. More than the bride longs for the marriage day do we expect the bridal feast of heaven, but of all the dainties on that royal table there will not be one that will be equal to himself, for to see him will be all the heaven we desire. He is better than heaven's harp or angels, and the cause of greater gladness than streets of gold or walls of jasper.
Brethren, can we share this power to distribute joy? Assuredly we can. If the Lord Jesus be with us we can give joy to others. I know some whose very presence comforts their fellows; their words are so full of consolation, and their hearts so overflowing with sympathy that they make gladness wherever they go. Ay, but the best of you, ye sons of consolation, are not anointed with the oil of gladness to the same extent as he was. Above his fellows, even above Barnabas the son of consolation; above the best and the tenderest sympathizers is he thus anointed, and from him there pours forth a continual stream of effectual consolation which becomes the oil of joy to those who wear the garments of heaviness. Thus much upon the first point, the Savior's anointing of gladness.
II. Let us now consider THE REASON FOR THE BESTOWAL OF THIS ANOINTING UPON HIM? It is given in the text. He is anointed alcove his fellows, because it is said of him, "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness." The perfect righteousness of Christ has brought to him this gladness, because perfect holiness there must be before there can be perfect happiness. Sin is the enemy of joy. Let the sinner say what he likes, sin can no more dwell with real joy than the lion will lie down with the lamb. To be perfectly glad you must be perfectly cleansed from sin, for until you are so cleansed you cannot possess the oil of gladness to the measure that Christ possessed it. As the believer is delivered from the power of sin he is brought into a condition in which the joy of the Lord can more and more abide in him. Now, every way Jesus loved righteousness intensely and hated wickedness intensely. He died that he might establish righteousness and that he might destroy wickedness from off the face of the earth; therefore it is that he has greater gladness, because he had greater holiness. Moreover, you know that in any holy enterprise if the business succeeds the joy of the worker is proportionate to the trial it has cost him. In the great battle of righteousness our Lord has led the van, in the great fight against wickedness our Savior has borne the brunt of the battle, therefore, because he to the death loved righteousness and to the agony and bloody sweat strove against sin, the accomplished conquest brings him the greatest joy. He has done the most for the good cause, and therefore he is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.
Now, note there is another reason why he is anointed, and there is another view of the anointing. He is anointed above his fellows, which shows that those who are in fellowship with him are anointed too. You observed in our reading that the high priest had the oil poured on his head, but the sons of Aaron who were minor priests were sprinkled with this same oil mixed with the blood of the sacrifice. On Christ this anointing is poured above his fellows, and then upon his fellows in communion with himself there comes the sprinkling of the oil. We have our measure; he has it without measure. Now, beloved, Christ is anointed above his fellows that his fellows may be anointed with him. Even as he ascended above all things that he might fill all things, so is he anointed above his fellows that he may anoint his fellows; and through the power of the anointing we are told that his people come into the same condition of righteousness as himself. Turn to Isaiah 61., which passage we have already had before us, and you find as follows-"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that"-mark this!-"that they might be called trees of righteousness".Now, observe, that we first read, "Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness, therefore God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness," and then we meet with the parallel with reference to ourselves, "The oil of joy for mourning, that they may be called trees of righteousness." He is anointed because he is righteous; we are anointed that we may be righteous, and thus in Christ we come into the condition in which it is safe for us to be glad, and possible for joy to dwell in us. To the unrighteous the oil of gladness cannot come, but to the righteous there ariseth light even in darkness. "There is no peace saith my God, unto the wicked." The holy oil was forbidden to be placed upon a stranger to God's holy house; and upon man's flesh it could not be poured, because man's flesh is a corrupt, polluted thing. This oil of gladness comes only on those who are born into God's Israel by regeneration, and are delivered from walking after the flesh; these the Lord makes to be as "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified." See then the two reasons why Christ has received the anointing, first because he is righteous himself; and secondly, that he may make others righteous. Therefore is the Spirit of the Lord God upon him that he may give the oil of joy to his own chosen, and make them righteous, even as he is righteous, glad as he is glad.
III. We will now meditate upon THE MANNER OF THE OPERATION OF THIS OIL OF GLADNESS UPON US. Jesus is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Now, we have to show that his fellows are anointed with the oil of gladness too. Did not David say, "Thou anointest mine head with oil; my cup runneth over"? so that we can say of ourselves what we say of our Lord, we are anointed, for he was anointed. Now, in what respects does the anointing of the Holy Spirit give us gladness? I shall notice eight things, and touch but very briefly on each.
First, we too, through Jesus Christ, are anointed to an office, "for he hath made us"-whisper it to one another in the joy of delight-"He hath made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever." When the oil went on Aaron's head, you know how it ran down his beard, even Aaron's beard, unto the skirts of his garments, and now this day this anointing oil, which made the king and the priest, has fallen upon us too. Blessed be his name, shall we not be glad? It is very inconsistent with our position if we are not. Are you a king and do you not rejoice?
"Why should the children of our King
Go mourning all their days?
Sweet Comforter, descend and bring
Some unction of thy grace."
May the gladness now come to you. You are priests to God. Shall the anointed priests serve their Lord with gloomy countenances? No: rejoice in the Lord always, all ye priests of his that are anointed to this blessed work. "Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron."
We, too, are consecrated to the Lord,for the oil poured upon the priest was the oil of consecration. From that time forward he was a dedicated man; he could not serve anyone but God; he, above all the rest of the congregation, was the man of God for ever as long as ever he lived. So beloved, we have been consecrated: the Spirit of God has sanctified us and set us apart unto the Lord, as it is written, "Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price." Our Lord said in his matchless prayer, "they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." "Sanctify them," said he, "by thy truth, thy word is truth." Yes, blessed be God, we are consecrated men and women: we belong to the Lord, and are vessels for the Master's use, hallowed from all other uses to be the Lord's. "For I will be to them a God, they shall be to me a people." Does not this make you glad? Are you really set apart to be the Lord's own sons and daughters, and hallowed to be used by him in his service both here and hereafter, and do you not rejoice? O my soul, dost thou not feel the trickling of the consecrating oil adown thy brow even now, and does it not make thy face to shine and make thy heart happy, because thou art now the Lord's?
Thirdly, by this oil we are also qualified for our office. You see the Spirit descended upon Christ that he might have the spirit of wisdom, and power, and so be strengthened and qualified to discharge his sacred work. Now, the Spirit of God is upon every believer in this sense. Remember how in his First Epistle, second chapter, and twentieth verse, John says, "Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things," or "ye are able to discern all things." And further on, in that same chapter, he says, "This anointing teacheth you all things." Well, if we are to serve the Lord a main gift is knowledge, for how can we instruct the ignorant, or guide the perplexed, except we know ourselves? And it is this anointing which teaches us, and makes us fit for the service to which the Master has called us. Oh, does the Holy Spirit then lead us into all truth, and give us knowledge, and shall we not rejoice? Ignorance means sorrow, but the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ means joy. O brethren, will ye not bless God to-day for what the Spirit of God has taught you? If you do not, what must you be made of? for he has taught you such wonderful lessons so full of joy. Even if he has never taught you more than this, that whereas you were once blind now you see, he has taught you enough to make your heart rejoice as long as you live. Is he not the oil of gladness?
Fourthly, the Spirit of God heals us of our diseases. The Eastern mode of medicine was generally the application of oil, and I should not wonder if in the course of years it should be discovered that the modern pharmacy, with all its drugs, is not worth so much as the old-fashioned method. Certainly, when the Holy Spirit spake concerning sick men, and advised that medicines should be used, and prayer for their restoration, he prescribed anointing with oil. I suppose that anointing with oil was mentioned because it was the current medicine of the times, but it could not have been injurious or altogether absurd, or the Holy Spirit would not in any measure have sanctioned it. I will not raise the question, however. But a frequent medicine of the olden time was, undoubtedly, anointing with oil, and it is well known that olive oil does possess very remarkable healing qualities. I have read in books of one or two instances of the bites of serpents having the venom effectually removed by the use of olive oil. It is more commonly used in countries where it grows than here, and it is in many ways a very useful medicine. Certainly the Holy Spirit is that to us. What wounds and bruises have been healed with this oil. Before the Spirit came they were putrefying, they had not been bound up nor mollified with ointment, but now this ointment, mixed after the art of the apothecary, with the costliest spices, has effectually healed us, and what remains of the old sores and wounds it continues still to heal; and so wonderful is its power it will ultimately take out every scar, and we shall be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing through its healing power. Shall we not, therefore, be glad and rejoice in the Lord, for if restoration to health makes us happy surely the renewal of our spiritual youth should make our hearts bound for joy?
Thus also we are suppled and softened.Oil applied to the body supples and softens, and, believe me, brethren, nothing is more akin to joy than softness and tenderness of heart. If ever you meet with a hard-hearted proud man, he is not a happy man and if he should seem to be happy in his pride it is a dangerous and deadly happiness, and the sooner it is taken away the better. Where God dwells is heaven, and where does he dwell? With the humble and the contrite heart. That is a beautiful expression of David's, I have drank joy out of it, "Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice." Oh, there is never a bone in manhood's system that knows how to rejoice till God has broken it, and when it is broken then comes the mighty Physician and applies the oil and restores the bone to infinitely more than its former strength, and then the bones which had been broken become each one so many new arguments for gratitude, and all our healed wounds become mouths of praise unto the Most High. We are thus softened and gladdened.
By the oil of the Holy Spirit we are also strengthened. Oil well rubbed into the system was anciently assumed to be a great strengthener, and I suppose it was. Certainly the Holy Spirit is the strength of Christians, and where he is the strength there is sure to be joy. "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
Oil, too, is a beautifier. The Easterns did not think themselves fit for their banquets till they had washed their face and anointed themselves with perfumed oil. They were very fond of locks dripping with oil and faces bright therewith. Certainly there is a beauty which the Spirit gives to men, which they can never obtain in any other way. Oh, the excellence of the character that is formed by the hand of the Spirit of God! It is a beautiful thing which even God himself delights to look upon; it is a thing of beauty, and in the most emphatic sense a joy for ever. He that is made comely with the comeliness which the Holy Spirit gives must be a happy man. Other beauty may bring sorrow, but the beauty of holiness makes us akin to angels.
Once more, it becomes a perfume.When oil was poured on a man his presence scented the air around him, and when the Spirit of God is given to us it is perceived by other spiritual minds. Cannot you detect in a brother's prayer that he has been with Jesus? Do you not know by the lives of some of Christ's dear saints that he is very familiar with them? Do you not perceive that they have had a special anointing? The ungodly world cannot tell it, but saints discern it. The nostril of the wicked is only pleased by the leeks, and the garlic, and the onions of Egypt, but the believing nostril has been sanctified, and it perceives the delicate myrrh and cinnamon, and sweet calamus and cassia, which make up the anointing oil. The rare combination of sacred qualities which make up a holy character will be seen in the believer in whom the Holy Spirit displays his power, and as a consequence he will be glad at heart.
Furthermore, I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now, for the time is spent. Therefore I will only say, I pray, brethren, that the anointing may be ours in all the various senses I have mentioned. I should like all of you to go away happy. You children of God, be as glad as ever you can be. I would to God that a sacred gladness rang through this house like a marriage peal: yet for all that, do not forget that Jesus has joy above you all. You may be very glad, but he is gladder still. You may sing his praises, but he leads the sacred orchestra of heaven. "In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee," saith he. Rejoice in his joy. I have often thought it did not matter any more what became of me so long as he is victorious. A soldier in battle, sorely wounded, lies bleeding in a ditch, but he hears the sound of the trumpets, and they tell him the commander is coming along, the King for whom his loyal heart is willing to bleed, and he enquires, "Have they won the day?" "Oh, yes," they say "he has won the day, and the enemy are flying before him." The soldier exclaims, "Thank God, I can die." It is the soldier's joy to die with victory ringing in his ears. Our Lord is glad, and therefore we are glad.
"Let him be crowned with majesty
Who bowed his head to death,
And be his honor sounded high
By all things that have breath."
If it be so we will be content to say, like David, "The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended." We have no more to pray for: we have done with the world, done with wishing, done with everything, if Christ reigns, and all things are under his foot. May this joy be yours. Amen.
PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON-Exodus 30:22-33; 29:5-7, 21; Psalm 45:1-8; Isaiah 61:1-3.
The reader is earnestly requested to read these passages.
HYMNS FROM "OUR OWN HYMN BOOK"-Psalm 45 (Vers. I.), 438, 786.
A Sermon
(No. 1274)
Delivered by
C. H. SPURGEON,
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
"Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: that which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more."-Job. 34:31, 32.
EVEN WHEN ADDRESSING our fellow-men there should be a fitness about our speech; therefore Solomon represents the preacher as seeking out acceptable words, or words meet for the occasion. When we approach those who are high in authority this necessity becomes conspicuous, and therefore men who are petitioners in the courts of princes are very careful to order their language aright. Much more, then, when we speak before the Lord ought we to consider, as the text does, the meetness of our words. Some language must never be uttered in the divine presence, and even that which is allowed must be well weighed, and set forth with solemn humbleness. Hence Elihu does well to suggest in the text language that is "meet to be said unto God." May our lips ever be kept as by a watchful sentinel, lest they suffer anything to pass through them dishonorable to the Most High. In the divine presence-and we are always there-it is incumbent upon us to set a double watch over every word that comes from our mouth.
Remember that thought is speech before God. Thought is not speech to man, for men cannot read one another's thoughts until they are set forth by words or other outward signs, but God who reads the heart regards that as being speech which was never spoken, and he hears us say in our souls many things which were never uttered by our tongues. Beloved, there are thoughts which are not meet to be thought before the Lord; and it is well for us, especially those of us who are afflicted, to be very watchful over those thoughts, lest the Lord hear us say in our hearts things which will grieve his Spirit, and provoke him to jealousy. O saints of God, since you never think except in the immediate presence of your heavenly Father, make a conscience of your every thought, lest you sin in the secret chambers of your being, and charge God foolishly. Elihu tells us what it would be proper for us to think and say, "It is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend more: that which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more."
We will use the text mainly at this time in reference to those who are being chastened; and afterwards we shall see if there is not teaching in it, even to those who, at present, are not smarting under the rod. Thirdly, we shall find a word in our text to those who are not the children of God, and, therefore, know nothing of the smarting rod of fatherly correction. Perhaps to them, also, God may speak through this text. O that his Holy Spirit may deign to do so.
I. But first, dear friends, let us commune together upon the text in its more natural application as addressed TO THE AFFLICTED. The instruction of the wise man is for them especially, and there are three duties here prescribed for them, or rather three privileges suggested, which they should pray the Holy Spirit to enable them to enjoy.
The first lesson is, it is meet for them to accept the affliction which the Lord sends, and to say unto God, "I have borne chastisement." We notice that the word "chastisement" is not actually in the Hebrew, though the Hebrew could not be well interpreted without supplying the word. It might exactly and literally be translated "I bear," or "I have borne." It is the softened heart saying to God, "I bear whatever thou wilt put upon me; I have borne it, I still bear it, and I will bear it, whatever thou mayest ordain it to be. I submit myself entirely to thee, and accept the load with which thou art pleased to weight me." Now, we ought to do this, dear friends, and we shall do it if we are right at heart. We should cheerfully submit, because no affliction from which we suffer has come to us by chance. We are not left to the misery of believing that things happen of themselves, and are independent of a divinely controlling power. We know that not a drop of bitter ever falls into our cup unless the wisdom of our heavenly Father has placed it there. We are not even left in a world governed by angels, or ruled by cherubim; we dwell where everything is ordered by God himself. Shall we rebel against the Most High? Shall we not let him do as seemeth good in his sight? Shall we not cover our lip in silence when we know that the evil is of the Lord? Shame upon us, if we be his children, if this be not the prevalent spirit of our mind-"It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." Moreover, we should not only bear all things because the Lord ordains them, but because he orders all things for a wise, kind, beneficent purpose. He doth not afflict willingly. He takes no delight in the sufferings of his children. Whenever adversity must come it is always with a purpose; and, if a purpose of God is to be subserved by my suffering, would I wish to escape from it? If his glory will come of it, shall I not even crave the honor of being the agent of his glory, even though it be by lying passive and enduring in anguish. Yes, beloved, since we know that God can only grieve his regenerated creatures for some purpose of love, we should willingly accept whatever sorrow he pleases to put upon us. And we have his assurance, besides, that all things work together for our good. Our trials are not merely sent with a good object, but with an object good towards ourselves, a design which is being answered by every twig of our heavenly father's rod. "The cup which our Father hath given us, shall we not drink it?" It is healing medicine and not deadly poison, therefore let us put it to our lips without a murmur, ay, quaff it to its very dregs, and say, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt."
A constant submission to the divine will should be the very atmosphere in which a Christian lives. He should put an earnest negative upon his self-will by crying, "Not my will," and then he should with holy warmth beseech the Lord to execute his purpose, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." He should throw the whole vigor of his soul into the Lord's will, and exhibit more than submission, namely, a devout acquiescence in whatever the Lord appoints.
Beloved friends, we must not be content with bearing what the Lord sends, with the coolness which says, "It must be, and, therefore, I must put up with it." Such forced submission is far below a Christian grace, for many a heathen has attained it. The stolid stoic accepted what predestination handed out to him, and the Mahometan still does the same. We must go beyond unfeeling submission. We must not so harden our hearts against affliction as not to be affected by it. That chastisement which does not make us smart has failed of its end. It is by the blueness of the wound, says Solomon, that the heart is made better; and if there is no real blueness-if it be merely a surface bruise-little good will come of it. "For a season we are in heaviness," says the apostle, "through manifold trials," and not only the trial, but the heaviness which comes of it, is needful to us. God would not have his children become like the ox or the ass, which present hard skins to hard blows, but he would have us tender and sensitive. There is such a thing as despising the chastening of the Lord, by a defiant attitude which seems to challenge the Lord to draw a tear or fetch a sigh from us. Against this let us be on our guard.
Neither, on the other hand, are we to receive affliction with a rebellious spirit. It is hard for us to kick against the pricks, like the ox which, when goaded, is irritated, and strikes out and drives the iron into itself deeper than it went before. We can easily do this by complaining that God is too severe with us. In this spirit we may "take arms against a sea of troubles;" but by opposing we shall not end them, but increase their raging. By a proud murmuring spirit we only bring upon ourselves trial upon trial; "the Lord resisteth the proud," and a high spirit challenges his opposition.
Neither, dear friends, as believers in God, are we to despair under trouble, for that is not bearing the cross, but lying down under it. We are to take up our appointed burden, and carry it, and not sit down in wicked sullenness, and murmur that we can do no more. Some are in a very naughty frame of mind, their moody spirits mutter that if God will be so severe with them they must yield to it, but they have lost all heart, and all faith, and all they ask for is leave to die. A child of God must not repine. He has not yet "resisted unto blood, striving against sin"; and, if he had, still he should say, "Though he slay me yet will I trust in him." Since Jesus, the man of sorrows, never murmured, it ill becomes any of his followers to do so. We must in patience possess our souls. Perhaps you think it easier for me to say this than it would be to practice it; and yet, by Almighty grace, a saint can bear to the utmost of bearing, to the utmost of suffering he can suffer, to the utmost of loss he can lose, and even to the uttermost of death itself he can die daily, and yet triumph through the divine life, for God, that worketh in us to will and to do, is almighty, and makes our weakness strong.
The Christian, then, is not to treat the cross which God puts upon him in any such way as I have described, but he is to accept it humbly, looking up to God, and saying, "Much worse than this I might reckon to receive even as thy child; for the discipline of thine house requireth the rod, and well might I expect to be chastened every morning." The child of God should feel that it is in very faithfulness that the Lord afflicts him, and that every stroke has love in it. Anything over and above the lowest abyss of hell is a great mercy to us. If we had to lie ill for fifty years and scarcely have a minute free from pain, yet since the Lord has pardoned our sins, and accepted us in Christ Jesus, and made us his children, we should be grateful for every pang, and still continue to bless the Lord upon our beds, and sing his high praises in the midst of the fires. Humbly, therefore, as sinners deserving divine wrath, we are bound to accept the chastenings of the Lord.
We should receive chastisement with meek submission, presenting ourselves to God that he may do with us still as he has dealt with us-not wishing to start aside to the right hand or to the left: asking him, if it may be his will to remove the load, to heal the pain, to deliver us from the bereavement, and the like, but still always leaving ample margin for full resignation of spirit. The gold is not to rebel against the goldsmith, but should at once yield to be placed in the crucible and thrust into the fire. The wheat as it lies upon the threshing-floor is not to have a will of its own, but to be willing to endure the strokes of the flail that the chaff may be separated from the precious corn. We are not far off being purged from dross and cleansed from chaff when we are perfectly willing to undergo any process which the divine wisdom may appoint us. Self and sin are married, and will never be divorced, and till our self-hood is crushed the seed of sin will still have abundant vitality in it; but when it is "not I" but "Christ that liveth in me," then have we come near to that mark to which God has called us, and to which, by his Spirit, he is leading us.
But we ought to go farther than this. We should accept chastisement cheerfully. It is a hard lesson, but a lesson which the Comforter is able to teach us-to be glad that God should have his way. Do you know what it is sometimes to be very pleased to do what you do not like to do? I mean you would not have liked to do it, but you find that it pleases some one you love, and straightway the irksome task becomes a pleasure. Have you not felt, sometimes, when one whom you very much esteem is sick and ill, that you would be glad enough to bear the pain, at least for a day or two, that you might give the suffering one a little rest? Would you not find a pleasure in being an invalid for a while to let your beloved one enjoy a season of health? Let the same motive, in a higher degree, sway your spirit! Try to feel, "If it pleases God it pleases me. If, Lord, it is thy will, it shall be my will. Let the lashes of the scourge be multiplied, if so thou shalt be the more honored, and I shall be permitted to bring thee some degree of glory." The cross becomes sweet when our health is so sweetened by the Spirit that our will runs parallel with the will of God. We should learn to say, in the language of Elihu "I have borne, I do bear, I accept it all." To be as plastic clay on the potter's wheel, or as wax in the modeller's hand, should be our great desire. That is the first business of the sufferer.
The next duty is to forsake the sin which may have occasioned the chastisement. "It is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore." There is a connection between sin and suffering in every case. It would be very wrong for us to suppose that every man who suffers is therefore more guilty than others: that was the mistake of Job's friends-a mistake too commonly made every day: but it is right for the sufferer himself to judge his own case, by a standard which we may not use toward him. He should say, "Is there not some connection between this chastisement and sin that dwelleth in me?" And here he must not judge himself unrighteously, even for God, lest he plunge himself into unnecessary sorrow. There are afflictions which come from God, not on account of past sin, but to prevent sin in the future. There are also sharp prunings which are intended to make us bring forth more fruit: they are not sent because we have brought forth no fruit, but because we are fruitful boughs, and are worth pruning. "Every branch in me that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." There are also afflictions which are sent by way of test, and trial, and proof, both for God's glory and for the manifestation of his power; as also for the comforting of others, that trembling saints may see how weak and feeble men can carry the heaviest cross for Christ's sake, and can triumph under it. We are not to be sure that every sorrow comes to us because of any sin actually committed; yet it will be best for us to be more severe with ourselves than we should think of being with others, and always to ask, "Is there not some cause for this chastisement? May there not be something of which God would rid me, or something which has grieved himwhich has caused him to grieve me?"Brothers and sisters, I charge you never be lenient with yourselves. The best of us are men at the best, and at our best we have much to mourn over in the presence of the Most High. It is good to be always dissatisfied with ourselves, and pressing forward to a something yet beyond; always praying that in us Christ's likeness may be completely formed. Thorns are often put in the nest that we may search for hidden evils. "Are the consolations of God small with thee? Is there any secret thing with thee?" Has there been a defeat at Ai? May there not be an Achan in the camp? Has not a traitor concealed in some secret place a goodly Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold? Does not trial give a hint that there may be something amiss? Beloved, I ask myself and I ask you to look now, not only to your outward character, but to your more private life and to your walk before God, and see if there be not some flaw. Is there trouble in the family? Have you always acted towards the children and the servants as you should have done as a master and a father? Question yourself. The child is grieving you. Have you, good mother, always been as prayerful about that child as you should have been? May not your child's conduct to you be a fair reflection of your own conduct towards your heavenly Father? I do not mention any of these things to increase your grief, but in order that you may put your finger on the evil which provokes the Lord God, and may put it away. Have there been losses in business? Are you sure, brother, that when you were making money you always used it for God as you should? Were you a good steward? Did you give the Lord his full portion-the sacred tithe of all that you had? Or may you not have been too selfish-and may not that be the cause why you must now be reduced from wealth to comparative poverty? Is that so? Does the affliction scourge your body? Then has there been anything wrong with your habits? Has the flesh predominated over the spirit? Has there been a failure of the entire consecration of the vessel unto the Lord? Does the trial occur in the person of some dear one? You may not be conscious of any wrong there, but still look, dear friends! Search the whole of your conduct as the spies searched Canaan of old. If your sin be glaring, there is little need of a chastisement to point it out to you, for you ought to see it without that: but there may be a secret sin between you and your Lord for which he has sent you chastisement, and after this you must raise a hue and cry. You know I do not mean that the Lord is punishing you for sin as a judge punishes a criminal, for he will not do that; since he has laid the punishment of sin upon Christ, and Christ has borne it as a matter of punitive justice. He, as a father, chasteneth his child, but never without a cause. I am urging you to see whether there may not be some cause for the present painful discipline. Never fall into the mistake of some who suppose that sin in God's children is a trifle. Why, if there is any place where sin is horrible it is in a child of God. Hence the text puts it, "I will not offend any more." Sin is an offensive thing to God, he cannot bear it. I should dislike a plague spot on anybody's face, but I should tremble to see it most of all upon my own child's face. Sin is more visible in a good man than in any other. I may drop a spot of ink upon a black handkerchief and never see it, but on a white one you will perceive it directly, and see it the more because of the whiteness of the linen which it defiles. You, child of God, know that just in proportion as you are sanctified-in proportion as you live near to God-sin will be grievous to the Most High. It is gloriously terrible to live near to God. I wonder if you understand me, all of you. To walk as a favored courtier with a monarch is a very delicate matter. Favourites have to pick their steps; for though they stand near a king, they well know how soon they may fall from their high position. We serve a jealous God. That is a wonderful question, "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" God is that consuming fire. God is the everlasting burnings. Who among us shall dwell with him? The answer is, "He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, he shall dwell on high. His place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks": but it is only the man who is very jealous of himself who will be able to bear that fierce light which beats around the throne of God-that devouring flame which God himself is, as saith the apostle-"Even our God is a consuming fire." Caesar's wife must not only be without fault, but she must be above suspicion, and such must be the character of the child of God who, like Moses, lives in the inner circle-who stands on the mountain top-who knows what the peaks of Sinai mean, and what it is to be forty days in fellowship with the Most High.
Beloved friends, I urge upon you a very close search into what the transgression may be which has brought correction upon you, for it may be in you an offense which would scarcely be sin in anybody else. Another person might fall into your fault as a sin of ignorance but since you know better the sin is all the blacker in you. The Lord will be sanctified in them that draw near unto him, and woe to them if they defile themselves.
The third lesson in the text to the afflicted clearly teaches them that it is their duty and privilege to ask for more light. The text says, "That which I see not teach thou me. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more." Do you see the drift of this? It is the child of God awakened to look after the sin which the chastisement indicates, and since he cannot see all the evil that may be in himself, he turns to his God with this prayer, "What I see not teach thou me."
Beloved friends, it may be that, in looking over your past life and searching through your heart, you do not see your sin, for perhaps it is where you do not suspect. You have been looking in another quarter. Your own opinion is that you are weak in one point, but possibly you are far weaker in the opposite direction. In nothing do men make more mistakes than concerning their own characters. I have known a brother confess that he was deficient in firmness, when, in my opinion, he was about as obstinate as any man I knew. Another man has said that be was always wanting in coolness, and yet I thought that if I needed to fill an ice-well, I had only to put him into it. Persons misjudge themselves. Unfeeling people say they are too sensitive, and selfish persons imagine themselves to be victims to the good of others. So, it may be, you have been looking in one quarter for the sin, while your fault lies in the opposite point of the compass. Pray, then, "Lord, search me and try me, and that which I see not teach thou me." Remember, brethren, that our worst sins may lurk under our holiest things. Oh, how these evils will hide away-not under the docks and nettles of the dungheap-not they, but under the lilies and the roses of the garden. In the cups of the flowers they lurk. They do not flit through our souls like devils with dragons' wings; they fly as angels of light, with wings tinted as the rainbow. They come as sheep, and a very fat sort they seem to be, but they are wolves in sheep's clothing. Watch, therefore, very carefully against the sins of your holy things. In our holy things we are nearer to God than at any other time, and hence such defilement soonest brings upon us the stroke of our heavenly Father's rod. Perhaps your sin is hidden away under something very dear to you. Jacob made a great search for the images-the teraphs which Laban worshipped. He could not find them. No; he did not like to disturb Rachel, and Laban did not like to disturb her either-a favourite wife and daughter must not be inconvenienced. She may sit still on the camel's furniture, but she hides the images there. Even thus you do not like to search in a certain quarter of your nature; it is a very tender subject-something you feel very grieved about when anybody even hints at it: it is just there that the sin is harboured. My brethren and sisters, let us be honest with the Lord. Let us really wish to know where we are wrong, and heartily long to be set right. Do you think we all honestly want to know our errors? Are there not chapters of the Bible which we do not like to read? If there are-if any text has a quarrel with you, quarrel with yourself; but yield wholly to the word of God. Is there any doctrine which you almost think is a truth, but your friends do not believe it, and they might, perhaps, think you heretical if you were to accept it, and therefore you dare not investigate any further? Oh, dear friends, let us be rid of all such dishonesty. So much of it has got into the church that many will not see things that are plain as a pikestaff. They will not see, for truth might cost them too dear. They cover up and hide away some parts of Scripture which it might be awkward for them to understand, because of their connection with a church, or their standing in a certain circle. This is hateful, and we need not wonder if God smites the man who allows himself in it. Be true, brother! You cannot deceive God. Do not try it. Ask him to search you through and through. Let your desire be, "Refining fire go through my heart with a mighty flame that shall devour everything like a lie, everything that is unholy, selfish, earthly, that I may be fully consecrated unto the Lord my God." This is the right way in which to treat our chastisements. "If I have done iniquity, I will do no more. That which I see not, teach thou me."
When the Oil of Gladness is poured out over a person, it comes with certain benefits,
- It Anoints Them to An Office:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
— 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
When the Oil of Gladness is upon a person, they assume a royal office, they become ordained to proclaim God’s praises as kings, queens, princes and princesses in God’s kingdom.
2. They are Consecrated to the Lord:
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
—1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV)
When the Oil of Gladness is poured out, it sanctifies a person and cleanses them, setting them apart for the Lord to serve Him and only Him.
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:21 (NKJV)
3. They are Qualified For Office:
We’ve all heard the saying, God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called and indeed it is true. When the Oil is poured out, it qualifies a person for the office they have been anointed to. Just like Aaron, the oil was poured over him and he became anointed into the office of a priest and the anointing qualified him for that office as well.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
—1 John 2:20,27 (NKJV)
4. They are Strengthened:
The Holy Spirit the strength of every Christian. Receiving in the form of the Oil of Gladness brings strength because the Joy of the Lord is our strength. When oil is rubbed into the body and given a good massage, strength is often restored to weak limbs. So, also the when the Oil of Gladness is poured out, it restores strength and quickens the mortal body.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
— Romans 8:11 (KJV)
5. They are Beautified & Perfumed:
Oil beautifies and perfumes, when oil is applied on skin, it makes it smooth, soft and shiny and this is why oil is often applied on the skin of a babies, to keep it beautified and healthy. When the Oil of Gladness is poured out on a person, the person becomes radiant, both physically and spiritually because the glory of the Lord is upon that person. Even as Moses shone with God’s glory, so also a person who has the Oil of Gladness will be radiant in the eyes of all. So also, oil is a perfume, when it is applied on a person, the scent is difficult to miss, when the Oil of Gladness is on a person, other spiritual minds will be able to perceive and discern it. The ungodly world cannot tell it, but the noses of sanctified saints will be able to perceive the perfume of the Oil of Gladness.
6. They are Healed of Their Diseases:
The power of the Oil of Gladness will ultimately remove every wrinkle, spot or scar in the person who carries this anointing. Oil is known for its medicinal and healing qualities, so also when the Oil of Gladness is poured out, every disease that previously brought sorrow will have to give way and let Joy come in.
7. Their Hearts are Softened:
The Oil of Gladness works to soften and supple hearts. It helps men to humble themselves and be broken before the Lord.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
— Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV)
However, the Oil of Gladness is not for everyone; from our #meditationmonday verse, you can see that there is a condition that must be fulfilled before it can be poured out. There must be perfect holiness before there can be perfect happiness. For the Oil of Gladness to be poured out, a person must love righteousness and hate sin.
Sin is the enemy of joy. When a believer is delivered from sin, he is brought into a state where he can have more room for the joy of the Lord to abide within him.
Notice that the verse says that the oil of gladness is poured out on him above his companions, which means that his companions are anointed too, but because of the passion which with he loves righteousness and hates sin, God will pour out a special Oil of Gladness (which is another name or symbol for the Holy Spirit,) on him above his companions.
Brethren, let us desire to chase after righteousness so passionately that there will be no room to consider sin in our hearts, and as we love and desire righteousness, may we will not go un-noticed before the Lord and may He will see our hearts and reward us with the Oil of Gladness above our companions.
Prayer: Lord, I come to you today to thank you for revealing your Oil of Gladness to me. I pray that I may passionately desire righteousness and hate all forms of lawlessness that you may anoint me with the Oil of Gladness above my companions and I may reap its benefits in my life. In Jesus name I pray, (Amen).
The anointing received by our Lord was the resting upon Him of the Spirit of God without measure (Isaiah 61.). Therefore by the "oil of gladness" is meant the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of joy. The whole Trinity is engaged in our salvation. The Father sends the Son, the Son comes, the Holy Spirit anoints Him.
I. THE SAVIOUR'S ANOINTING WITH GLADNESS. We think more often of our Saviour as the "Man of Sorrows" rather than in connection with gladness. To those who only saw Him outwardly He was the Man of Sorrows, but those who knew His heart knew well that a deep joy abode there. Is there not seen to be happiness in the heart when the noblest motives are paramount and the sweetest graces bear sway?
1. Our Lord's gladness which He had in His work, Psalm 40. tells of Him as saying, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God." At the well of Samaria His joy in the conversion of the woman He met there made Him quite forget all about His need of food. "I have meat to eat that ye know not of" — so He tells His disciples. Once, indeed, His joy flowed over, so that others could see it, when He said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because," etc. And it is added, "At that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit." And so, in their measure, is it with those who are His followers. They also are in like manner anointed with the oil of gladness. "With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought;" they work for the King with a willing heart.
2. Note, further, that our Lord had this oil of gladness from His work. He did reap in joy as well as sow in tears. The good shepherd rejoiced when he had found his sheep that was lost. The Saviour looks upon the redeemed with an unspeakable delight. And we may be partakers in this joy of being instrumentally the saviour of others; then you, also, partake of His gladness.
3. And our Lord has this gladness in this sense too — that His person and His work are the cause of ineffable gladness in others. It fills us with delight only to think of Him. "The very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my heart." What gladness He created when He was here below. And if the Lord Jesus be with us, we can give joy to others. There are some whose very presence comforts others, their words are so full of consolation and help.
II. THE REASON FOR THE BESTOWAL OF THIS ANOINTING UPON HIM. "Thou lovest righteousness and... therefore God," etc. There must be perfect holiness before there can be perfect happiness. Sin is the enemy of joy. Let the sinner say what he likes, sin can no more dwell with real joy than the lion will lie down with the lamb. Now, every way Jesus loved righteousness intensely. He died that He might establish it. And those who are in fellowship with Him are anointed also. The holy oil was forbidden to be placed upon a stranger to God's holy house; and upon man's flesh it could not be poured, because man's flesh is a corrupt and polluted thing. So, then, because He is righteous Himself, and because He makes others righteous, Christ has received this anointing.
III. THE MANNER OF THE OPERATION OF THIS, THIS OIL OF GLADNESS UPON US. Now, does the Holy Spirit give us gladness?
1. Because we are anointed "kings and priests with God, and we shall reign for ever."
2. We are consecrated to the Lord. We are not our own, we are bought with a price.
3. By this oil we are qualified for our office (1 John 2:20).
4. The Spirit of God heals our diseases. The Eastern mode of medicine was generally the application of oil, and certainly the Holy Spirit is a healer to us. What wounds and bruises have been healed with this oil.
5. Thus, also, we are supplied and softened. So was it with the body when oil was applied to it, and softness and tenderness of heart are the work of the Holy Spirit.
6. By the oil of the Holy Spirit we are strengthened.
7. Beautified.
8. Perfumed.
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].” (Psalm 45:7)
Moreover, the Messiah who is Yeshua (Jesus), longs for us to share in His joy, and He even tells us how to do it!
Before we find out how to get it, we need to understand what this oil of joy is.
Jar of olive oil
What Is the Oil of Joy?
Oil in Scripture is used to anoint people whom God sets apart for His service, such as kings, priests, prophets, and craftsmen.
But the psalmist above metaphorically writes that one person would be anointed with a kind of joy that even kings and priests do not possess. This oil of joy is only mentioned one other time in the Tanakh, by the prophet Isaiah.
There are many words in Hebrew to express joy, probably because being joyful is a mitzvah (command), such as, “You shall rejoice (samach) before your God for seven days” (Leviticus 23:40) and “… call the Sabbath a delight (oneg)” (Isaiah 58:13).
In the term “oil of joy,” the Hebrew word for joy is sason (שָׂשׂוֹן).
Sason is often translated in Scripture as joyfulness or gladness.
Merriam Webster himself described joy as an “exhilaration of spirits” and “pleasurable feelings” that comes from achievement, good fortune, or expecting to have something that we love or desire.
Sason can also be exultation — a triumphant elation.
The Victory of Mordecai (1755), by Jean II Restout
In the Book of Esther, for example, after the plot to kill the Jews is exposed and overturned, Mordecai comes out of the king’s palace “wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen,” the Jewish People celebrate with“gladness and joy [sason] and honor.” (Esther 8:15–16)
We see a similar kind of triumphant joy when the High Priest anoints Solomon as king, though different Hebrew words for joy are used:
“They blew the trumpet, and all the people proclaimed, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing [sameach] with such a great joy [simchah] that the ground shook with the sound.” (1 Kings 1:39–40)
That’s an incredible kind of joy.
Now, imagine how much joy the earth and all its people will cry out when our Messiah Yeshua takes His throne in the world to come as our King above all kings!
For the Joy Set Before Him
If we could really get a handle on Messiah’s joy, it would radically change our perspective of everyday life.
Consider for a moment how Yeshua could willingly enter into the physical brutality of His execution and the spiritual depravity of taking the sin of the whole world upon Himself.
Scripture tells us how and why:
“For because of the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
Part of Messiah’s joy is in the promise that He would become our Righteous King. Living under the rule of true righteousness instead of the evils of this world is something to truly look forward to and rejoice about. But there’s much more to Messiah’s joy than being our King.
Yeshua Visits Mary, Martha and Lazarus, by William Hole
We find a down-to-earth metaphor of the joy set before Messiah Yeshua in Psalm 126, which speaks of a farmer who has poured himself out while scattering much seed:
“He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:6)
The Hebrew word for joy in this psalm is rinah (רִנָּ֑ה), meaning a ringing cry of exclamation or praise.
One day, our sacrificial One, Yeshua, will return like the sower did and reap the reward for His labor—He will gather us to Himself, much like a bridegroom comes to take his bride, which is another metaphor used in Scripture to describe the covenantal relationship and love between Messiah and those who place their trust in Him.
What a joyful wedding that will be!
Orthodox Jewish men often dance together at weddings, holidays, and even on Shabbat.
Since the time of the first Jewish disciples and apostles in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament), the Gospel of Yeshua and the One True God has been spread around the globe, reaching nearly all people groups.
As that fulfillment of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24) is coming to a close, God has also been fulfilling His prophecies to the Jewish People.
After 2,000 years of desolation and exile, the Jewish People are being restored to their Jewish homeland
One of the astounding prophecies about this restoration is that “yet again there will be heard in this place … the voice of joy [sason] and the voice of gladness [simchah]” (Jeremiah 33:10–11).
The Jewish people who have come to believe in Messiah Yeshua will be rejoicing and praising in the joy of their salvation, which in Hebrew is Yeshua.
2,500 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah says that One would be anointed to “proclaim Good News to the poor” and bestow on people “the oil of joy [sason] instead of mourning” (Isaiah 61:1–3).
Messiah’s Joy Is Rooted in His Saving Grace
In God’s kingdom, Messiah’s joy is not connected to the flavorful food we eat, the wealth we obtain, nor the spiritual power we demonstrate. Though we can find a measure of joy in all of that, God wants our joy to be rooted in the saving grace, favor, and kindness that God extends toward us.
We see this when the 70 disciples return after sharing the kingdom of God throughout Jerusalem. They are full of joy, saying to Yeshua that “even the demons submit to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17).
While being filled with the Holy Spirit and casting out demons can certainly give anyone a shot of supernatural adrenalin, Yeshua is very clear that He wants us to root our joy in His saving grace—the kindness that He has extended to us as our final sacrifice, paying the wages of our sins.
He told the 70 disciples:
“Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19–20)
Yeshua Commissions the Seventy Disciples, by James Tissot (Mark 6:7–13)
Even the Lord Rejoices
This is why Yeshua came, after all: to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).
The Lord Himself is the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to search for the one who has strayed, rejoicing when He finds it (Luke 15:4–6).
The Father gets so excited when a wayward son or daughter comes back to Him (Luke 15:20).
God’s love for us is like the father who welcomes his prodigal son home and then throws a banquet for him. (Illustration: The Return of the Prodigal Son (1773), by Pompeo Batoni)
The Prophet Zephaniah tells us that in the last days, when God removes His judgments against the faithful remnant of the Jewish people, He will be in their midst and exult (become elated) over them (Zephaniah 3:13–17).
Being in the midst of His People, extending His grace to them, is the heart of God.
We see this in the Greek language of the Brit Chadashah (New Testament), where joy (chara) and grace (charis)are closely related words.
When a Jewish Believer named Barnabas, “witnessed the grace [charis] of God” on so many Greeks coming to faith, “he rejoiced [chara] and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord” (Acts 11:22–23).
Yeshua’s Joy Is in the Father’s Approval
God wants our joy to be attached to His grace for us and not affected by the words or actions of other people.
We have Yeshua as our model for this truth, for He surely did not win everyone’s approval. The crowds adored Yeshua, but the religious Jewish leaders, for the most part, rejected Him.
Although this brought Him great sadness (Luke 19:41), His motivation and His joy were not based on the opinions of mere human beings. All the time, He was in communion with His Father, who in turn was pouring out His love on His precious Son, saying:
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
As we spend time with God, obeying Him, and rejoicing in Him always, He is also thinking, “This is My child, with whom I am well pleased.”
Following the example of Yeshua, “the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:50–52).
May your life also be filled with the Oil of His Joy.
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