Is Joy Happiness?

Is Joy the same as what we call Happiness?

This is a timely word as we are quickly coming to the autumn/fall Appointed Times of the Lord which include the pouring with joy at the sukkot; and then the time of the season of rejoicing in the Torah which follows sukkot although not a Biblical feast.

Sim•cha- JOY is connected to the name of an important Holiday – Sim•chat To•rah the Rejoicing of the Torah. This holiday is celebrated on She•mi•ni A•tze•ret, which is the first day following the seventh day of Sukkot /Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles. Even though She•mi•ni A•tze•ret is celebrated a day after Su•kkot, it is a separate Biblical holiday.

 “Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord; on the eighth day shall be a holy gathering to you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord; it is a solemn assembly; and you shall do no labor in it”

Leviticus 23:36

Sim•chat To•rah is celebrated on the same day, and the custom was started by the sages during the exile in Babylonia. The holiday commemorates the completion of reading 52 portions of the Torah; each portion is read each week of the year all over the world and because it was first introduced by Ezra the Scribe this custom is considered biblical.

Another holiday related to

Joy/sim•cha is

Sim•chat Beit Ha•sho•e•va.

It is an ancient Jewish custom related to the commandment of Pouring (casting) Water

that was established at the Temple on

Sukkot (Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles)

after bringing the water of the Gihon Spring

to the Temple.

The first time in 100 references to joy  in the New Testament is coupled with the birth of Jesus/Yeshua:

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy”

Matthew 2:10

Joy is often associated with the list in Galatians of the fruit of our Heavenly Fathers indwelling Spirit of Holiness but is it the same thing as we call happiness? Modern meanings have changed over time and we need to take another look at this one in the list as we often skim over the word thinking we know what it means and where it comes from.

שמחה

GLADNESS – SIMCHAH שמחה 

Sine/shin Mem Cheth Hei

Strong’s Hebrew: 8057. שִׂמְחָה (simchah) 

joy, gladness, mirth, exceedingly, gladness, joyfulness, mirth, pleasure, rejoicing.

From sameach; blithesomeness or glee, religious or festival.

ימטשאַה. Simcha

is a Hebrew word with several meanings.

Literally, the word simcha means:

gladness, or joy.

It comes from the root word sameyach,

which means glad or happy.

More Hebrew words for joy 

noun שִׂמְחָה happiness, gladness, gaiety, felicity, exhilaration

noun חֶדוָה delight, gladness, exultation

noun שָׂשׂוֹן delight, rejoicing, merriment, mirth

chedvah: joy.

Original Word: חֶדְוָה.

Transliteration: chedvah.

Phonetic Spelling: khed-vaw’

In Hebrew there are several words for joy, each with different shades of meaning. 

Simcha’ (ch is a soft gutteral, between h and the ch of ‘Bach’) means happiness in the most full sense.

עֲלָזָה

joy

בְּדִיחוּת

joy, facetiousness, fun

צָהֳלָה

rejoicing, hilarity, exultation, merriment, joy, roar

גִיל

age, clapper, delight, joy, exultation, gladness

עוֹנֶג

pleasure, delight, joy, enjoyment

שִׂמְחָה

joy, happiness, gaiety, mirth, glee, gladness

דִיצָה

joy, amusement

חֶדוָה

delight, exultation, joy, gladness

גִילָה

exultation, delight, joy, gladness

מָשׂוֹשׂ

joy, gladness

רִנָה

exultation, joy, song, singing

שָׂשׂוֹן

mirth, delight, rejoicing, merriment, joy

עִנוּג

delight, joy, pleasure, enjoyment

עֲלִיזוּת

gaiety, cheerfulness, playfulness, mirth, fun, joy

Most of the words for joy mentioned below are in one of the seven blessings recited at a traditional Hebrew wedding. The guests join in singing it, so those words are familiar to many, especially in Israel. Here is the portion sung, with the words for joy in red:

אשר ברא ששון ושמחה, חתן וכלה, גילהרינהדיצה וחדוָה, אהבה ואחוָה ושלום ורעות”.

Below are those words in transliteration:

Sason, Simcha, Geela, Reena, Deetza, Hhedva

Below are some extended meanings of the Hebrew words:
hana-ah: enjoyment, deriving benefit from something specific.
Simcha: full-blown happiness; it’s also a common Hebrew first name.
Gila/Geela: a wave of happiness that comes and moves through you during a period of time; it’s also a common Hebrew first name. Gila is a stronger sensation of joy but more transient and worldly and is related to gal meaning wave.

Deetza/ditza: is joy related to dancing; Joy in the way of, I was so happy I jumped up & down
Rina/Reena: is a joy related to singing, boisterously joyful, shouting it out, as in, woo-hooo! & Hallelu-yah, it’s also a common name.
Ched-vah/Hhedva: Joy of a strength and radiant quality divine; also a Hebrew name.

Simchah pictures the person surrounded by The Name.

Chedvah is translated delight and pictures the fence around a door or protection for the house.

Sason is symbolic of partaking of life and as there are two s letters, it is double feasting on life.

Ratson is the image of being hooked on the person of life. That person is Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah.

Hebrew has 22 modern letters in the green chart below:

and below in the paleo hebrew alefbet, each one is a picture. 

for more links click below:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/alef-bet-alphabet/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/ancient-pictographic-hebrew-language/

These are all first names for girls that could be translated as Joy:

Rina/Rinna/רינה,

Chedva חדווה/Khedva/Hedva,

Gila/גילה

Aliza/עליזה

 Ditza דיצה

Tagel, Oshra, Oshrit,

Ztahala צהלה Tzahala/ Tsahala.

For boys

Gil גיל,

Sasson ששון Sason

Osher, Yagel. 

 Osher אושר, which means happiness and

Simkha/Simcha שמחה is for both male and female.

Joy or Happiness is a every important commandment to the Hebrew way of thinking, much has been written about why and how to practice Joy; and it’s said that no one can worship the Father when they are unhappy. The reasoning behind this is that a person who is sad is most likely because at that moment they are seeing themselves as the center of their world, and are wanting everything to go their own way. They also believe that a sad person is seen to be complaining against the Father for not agreeing with and answering their wishes.

Happy which is an adjective/a descriptive word, can be translated in the following ways, the first being the most common:

שַׂמֵחַ – sameach means: happy, glad, joyous, joyful, pleased, cheerful

מְאוּשָׁר – me’ushar means: deeply happy, content. it also means certified, endorsed, confirmed, or approved.

נֶעֱלָס – ne’elas = jolly, cheerful, merry

עַלִיז – aliz means: cheerful, merry, jolly, joyful, playful

מָלֵא שִׂמחָה – maleh simcha means: filled with happiness

מַרנִין – marnin means: joyful, gladdening

צוֹהֵל – tsohel means: joyful, exuberant, jubilant, exultant, gleeful

http://biblehub.com/hebrew/1523.htm

http://biblehub.com/hebrew/8057.htm

Gladness– One English dictionary defines joy as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. This definition follows the Greek meaning of chará and hēdonḗ = rejoicing and pleasure.  This is where we get the term Hedonism and is typical of western thinking which follows that of Plato and Aristotle; this is not so typical in Hebrew thought.

The two Greek words used: chairein and chaironton; are both forms of the same Greek word: chairo. It means ‘to rejoice, be glad, full of joy.‘  This word is related to charis which means grace and in its broader meaning, it’s a form of greeting, such as: be well or thrive.

http://biblehub.com/greek/5479.htm

http://biblehub.com/greek/5463.htm

What is the fullness of joy

In Hebrew its soba semachot.

The word semachot comes from the root word semchah which means: joy and serenity. This word is written as a feminine plural, how can you have joy in a plural form? 

in Hebrew the plural form could indicate one of two things or maybe even both of them. In English plural means more than one.  We can have more than one kind of joy in our Heavenly Fathers’ presence.

For example we can experience

the joy of serenity, 

the joy of peace

the joy of our salvation

and the joy of sabbath rest. 

The word soba comes from the same root as Shabbat

which means rest and ceasing from labor/work

and it also has the idea of abundance and fullness.  

In exploring our initial question a little deeper, the Hebrew text of the well known verse in

Nehemiah 8:10

the joy of the Lord is your strength.

may give us further insight into whether Joy is the same as our concept of happiness.

The word joy that is used in Nehemiah is the word 

chadoth which is really the word for pleasure.

The pleasure of God is our strength!?

In this often quoted verse, there is a different Hebrew word, chedvah, also translated as the English joy.

Cheth daleth vav taw  yod hei vav hei

Chadoth YHWH

This is a rare word and it’s only used two times in scripture to denote a direct connection to YHVH  – here in Nehemiah and in 1Chronicles 16:27 

“strength and joy – gladness – are in His Place”.

While simchah is linked with human emotions and actions, chedvah seems to be ONLY in connection with the Father/YHVH Himself.

This makes chedvah even more important because,

if chedvah YHVH is our strength,

then we need to have some understanding of what that really means.

As we are examining if joy is the same as our concept of happiness what exactly is the joy of YHVH?

This leads to other questions … Is this suggesting that the Father Himself experiences joy – and furthermore, that this is the basis of our strength?  When reading this well known scripture we readily assume that our strength comes from the joy our Heavenly Father gives to us;

but, have we ever considered where that joy comes from?

We noted earlier that the word for joy in Nehemiah is chadoth which is really the word for pleasure and that it could read:

The pleasure of God is our strength.

We know that we are all created for a specific purpose in this life and as we walk, we are tested by experiencing and enduring various trials. These provide training that will help to prepare us for the role our Father has chosen for us and enable us to fulfill our calling.

Our faithfulness to the call on our lives

is what brings Joy to our Heavenly Father.

...Read that last sentence one more time!

 

As we are purged of all our impurities, selfish and self centered motives, we become more aware of His approval of and pleasure in us as Messiah/Christ is continually being formed in us. Everything we do, should be as the pattern Yeshua/Jesus showed us by His life. He did everything as unto His Father and in everything gave thanks to Him, both hearing His voice and obeying it and obeying His Fathers will gave both Jesus/Yeshua and His Father pleasure/joy.

This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Matthew 17:5-8

Have pleasure in – joy

The point is to make the distinction between joy and happiness in that it’s not the joy we feel as a fleeting emotion but rather the joy our Heavenly Father takes IN us …. that is our strength, that is the joy of the Lord, the pleasure He felt in Yeshua/Jesus and also does in us; this is our strength! We are to realize that our Father has joy in our faithfulness and that gives us strength to endure. With each and every trial that we go through, if we have the name of our Father and His Son coming from our lips, then His heart will be filled with joy over us and our faithfulness and when we experience that joy that is where we find our strength. This kind of joy is a spiritual force and is not an emotion that quickly fades.

Another interesting use of the Hebrew word in the plural form is that it does not necessarily have to indicate more than one; it could be used to point out the ultimate, the greatest.  We could read this as:
In the presence of God is the fullness and the ultimate or greatest joy. 

Hebrews 12:2 for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

That My Joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full

What is the joy we hear about often in scriptures such as Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

This Joy should not be confused with happiness and what we understand by the modern words when we speak of it in connection with Messiah. As our carnal thinking leans towards feelings, we look at the list in Galatians and often try to emulate this list with our own strength, but what if these are not carnal or fleshly based at all? They are fruit of the spirit not the flesh!

They are really an outward evidence of His Spirit of Holiness within the believer and are in fact not sourced from us at all but come from within us where the indwelling of His spirit resides. Furthermore, as spirit, are they not by their very nature spiritual forces and comprise the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal but mighty to the pulling down of strongholds? 2 Cor.

This joy Messiah had was the knowing that He was about to endure the price of sin and die physically that we may live and be forgiven.

His joy was of absolute self surrender and self sacrifice to His Father and His Fathers will, plan and purpose. The joy of doing that which His Father sent Him to do…

Who For the joy that was set before Him…endured the cross. Hebrews 12:2;

Ps 40:8…I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

Ps. 45:7,8 oil of joy above fellows.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

Also see post 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/what-filled-messiah-with-simchah-chedvah-joy/

Messiah prayed that our joy might continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His. When we read it this way, the words continue fulfilling itself, indicate that the joy doesn’t have its origin in us and confirms it’s more of a spiritual force, a force of His Spirit of Holiness/Ruach HaKodesh.

This by its nature of being a weapon against our adversary, because the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal but mighty to the pulling down of strongholds?

Have we allowed Him to impart HIS joy to us yet?

Listed in Galatians is the outward fruit that grows out of the inward obedient walk, together with His Spirit/Ruach so that the attributes of Messiah are evident to others; it seems that it is not the same joy that the Father imparts to us which is the source of our spiritual strength.

We should try to remember that living a full prosperous/abundant life here, is not centered in being completely healthy or that our circumstances are always perfect and how we would like them to be; nor is it in seeing success in the work God has given us to do.  It is in us understanding the Father through relationship and growing in maturity towards oneness with Him in the same manner that Yeshua/Jesus had and experienced and prayed that He wanted that for us also. John 17:22

The first things that will hinder this joy are the subtle issues and irritations caused by focusing too much on the circumstances and events of our lives.

Mark 4:19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Mark records them as the cares of this world because they choke the life of the word sown in us and it becomes unfruitful and before we realize what has happened we are caught up in all the cares. Many don’t realize that in all He has done for us its only the beginning of our walk and He wants for us to come to the place where we joyfully proclaim who Jesus/Yeshua is and become witnesses unto Him.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

By forming and developing a right relationship with our Heavenly Father is where we will find our joy then out of us will flow His living waters.

We are to be the vessel, the fountain, through which He can pour His living water.

The scripture in John 7:37–38,

On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

On the last day.

This was the last day of the seven-day long

Sukkot

Feast of Tabernacles

celebration known as “the Last Great Day”

in Heb. Hoshana Rabbah. 

The Last Great Day immediately follows the Festival of Tabernacles. It can also be seen as the 8th Day of the Feast. It pictures Paradise, New Heavens & New Earth, the conclusion of all things.

John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

We are often so self centered, with our conversations being many times focused on ‘me, I, myself’; and how everything affects us, our needs wants, desires and choices. Then we become complainers, those who murmur, aware of only ourselves and what concerns us; and it can lead us to become prideful and hypocritical; when the scripture tells us our lives are to be hidden with Christ in God.

Col. 3:3. For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. Amplified.

Those whose lives that have a right relationship with the Father, live a life as natural as breathing wherever they go. More often than not the lives that have been the greatest blessing to us are those people who were totally unaware of having been a blessing.

Joy is not frivolity, nor is it a passing high moment of fun, a good time, entertainment etc. It’s not the outward emotion stirred by events or success …so what is it?

Joy is a deep seated settled knowing in the depth of our soul and spirit from where it originates; it’s not a reaction to an outward event or an emotion from a physical situation. His Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness is the source and it is combined with the other attributes He imparts which we are to exhibit as His child, His friend, His disciple and His bond servant. We are to minister as He did and here, recall the scripture that states what gave Him joy.. it was to do His Fathers will.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/what-filled-messiah-with-simchah-chedvah-joy/

Can we say the same?

Have we ever truly experienced this kind of Joy?…

or any of the fruit of His Spirit in a deep spiritual way?

Love for example, and not the emotion? Enduring peace – the true shalom, not just in a quiet moment, but in the midst of chaos and traumatic events?

All of these may have been experienced in moments and yet not in the enduring qualities that we are called to not only exhibit, but walk and live in day by day.

It was that force of spiritual joy not a fleeting emotion spoken of in Hebrews 12:2 for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This is what enabled Him to endure and because it was before Him by HIs Father, He willingly went toward it. It was not a giddy, ecstatic burst of emotional feelings. His face was set like flint Luke 9:51 says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face like flint to go to Jerusalem.”

He was determined and undeterred He looked beyond the natural to the victory beyond. To do that we must also see with the eyes of faith beyond our present circumstances and ignore feelings that constantly change and our unsteady emotions which will present a false picture..

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1

We are to walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. We must ignore the carnal mans demands… THEN all things will work together for good…we must remember to read the whole context of the verse because there are always conditions that accompany each promise.

Restore to us the joy of our salvation Ps.51:12

Joy is a gift given to us and

2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hand

This is reminding us to stir up the gifts within us..

HOW?

we can do that by thinking on these things..

Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

whatsoever is of good report… JOY is connected to the gospel message of forgiveness and salvation.

Another thing we are to remember is the attitude of being like a little child… not childish, but childlike, and this really is a necessity because simplicity is the secret if we are to see things clearly.

As believers, we often do not think clearly in the middle of a situation, then after time has passed and we reflect on what happened and what we could have – would have – should have said or done… Really if we are honest with ourselves, we ought to see clearly without any difficulty.

We cannot think our way through spiritual confusion to make things clear, we must simply obey His Word and ways. If it is just a matter of an intellectual decision then we can think things out logically; but in matters of the spirit, we will only further our confusion by our own thoughts and ‘what ifs’ ..and wander around in circles. Obedience to the Father is the answer and when He is putting His pressure on a matter we must bring all our questions and discussion  to this place by… casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

2 Cor. 10:5.

Then all will become clear for that situation and our reasonings will follow afterwards because reasoning is not how we see spiritually. We are to see like children see, because when we try to be wise we see nothing!

Matt. 11:25 At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Is it not true that even the tiny things we allow to sneak past the filter of His Spirit of Holiness is uncontrolled by His influence and then we act from our carnal fleshly thinking and then comes the spiritual confusion, obedience is the only solution to confusion. As soon as we are obedient the peace/shalom of the Father fills our heart and mind and that place of peace is the umpire, the agent of our Godly decisions and choices.

Colossians 3:15 in the Amplified says, “And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state]

As soon as we choose to obey, we have discernment and it can be somewhat embarrassing because we know that the reason for our confusion lies in our mind set and thought patterns. However, when we yield our natural mind to His Spirit and are devoted to Him and His Ways, our submission to His will becomes the very power that enables us to perceive the way forward. Then our whole life remains unconfused and simple…as a childs’ life is. They rely on the loving parent to take care of the problems faced in life and we are to simply apply His joy to all that we do. We are encouraged to remember as we run our race, we too, have joy set before us;

Christ in us the hope of glory. Col. 1:27

and if we have been good and faithful children/servants we will one day enter in to the joy of our Lord.

Matt 25:21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

We often don’t consider joy as a weapon but it really is because it dispels the darkness that tries to creep up over us..

Based on Psalm 16:11 the Rabbis believe that Joy is a true sign of the presence of God, “…in Your presence is fullness of joy…”

Ps 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

 The word fullness is soba 

which is a word used to describe:

a feast where you eat so much that you cannot eat another bit! 

That is the fullness of joy that David receives from the presence of the Father. 

 joy is simchah which is:

a joy and love that we feel when we hug those we dearly love….  

in that hug, in that moment, the world fades away as we experience that knowing that we too are loved and it is a moment when we want that joy to last forever. That is exactly what our Heavenly Father promises when He holds us close at the same time saying:

at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

The right hand has always been: the symbol of strength and power and for most people is their dominant hand, so when our Father takes us in His right hand He is saying:

He will never let go and as He holds us we will have

pleasures/ na’iym forever.

The word pleasures

translated from na’iym has a meaning of:

singing and sweet sounding music.

When our Heavenly Father takes us in His arms and lovingly embraces us and we return that love, He intends for the pleasure, singing and music of that moment to go on forever.

Another reference to Joy is in

Psalm 43 :4  God My Exceeding Joy. 

El Simchah Giyl.

The two Hebrew words 

simchah and giyl 

can both be translated as joy…

this name of God is almost like saying 

God my joyful joy.

we could say a double portion of joy! 

There are many Hebrew words and phrases that express joy because their language is rooted in a culture rich in joy filled festivals and celebrations of life/chaim.

The most common Hebrew word for happiness is simcha.  According to Ecc. 2:26, it’s considered a gift to mankind

and Torah states,

vehayita ach sameach,

you should have nothing but joy.

Deut. 16:15.

In the Bible the noun simcha is mentioned 94x and is derived from verb samach, which is in the text 154x. It is rooted in the Akkadian word shamahu meaning: sprout or flourish.

A dictionary definition states:Happiness is that feeling that comes over you when you know life is good and you can’t help but smile. It’s the opposite of sadness. When people are successful; or safe; or lucky, they feel happiness. The ‘pursuit of happiness’ is something this country (USA) is based on, and different people feel happiness for different reasons.”

It’s clear according to this definition that happiness depends on life’s circumstances and on what happens. If things are good, people are happy but with no success, it can result in sadness.

On the other hand,

Joy,

in the sense of true biblical understanding, does NOT depend on outside circumstances; it depends only on our Heavenly Father because He is the source of joy.

While happiness is more an outward show,

joy is more internal.

Happiness is usually temporary or fleeting;

Joy is a permanent state of being.

The source of one is the flesh.

The other is the spirit.

According to Isaiah 12:3 Joy is associated with a deeper well. 

Following are some references where some of the many Hebrew words for Joy are noted:

After returning from captivity in Babylon, the children of Israel kept the Passover with joy:

And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful…Ezra 6:22.

With joy  in Hebrew in verse 22 is:

b’simcha   בשמחה   b’sim-KHA. 

Simcha שמחה sim-KHA

as already noted is the most common word for

joy in the Tanakh.

This joy is always connected with the God of Israel

and is known as 

simcha b’shamayim

שמחה בשמים

sim-KHA b’sha-MYEEM,

or joy of heaven.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;

and shout for joy, rinna רנה, ree-NAH,

all you upright in heart

Ps. 32:11.

Jeremiah 15:16, Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me

the joy,  l’sasson  לששון, l’sah-SOHN 

and rejoicing,  l’simchat  לשמחת, l’sim-KHAT, 

of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

May the Word of God become an ever-increasing joy of our heart as we prepare for the return of the Living Word, Jesus/Yeshua.

 

The Brit Hadashah/re-New-ed Covenant, emphasizes that believers in Messiah Jesus/Yeshua are in a race.

Paul spoke a lot about his life in Messiah being a race and his goal was to finish it with joy.

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy… Acts 20:24.

In Heb. 12:1-2. Recalling that WE were the joy set before Jesus/Yeshua….. may HE be the joy set before us.

In Psalm 30:5: the word is mourning, not morning!

weeping may endure for a night,

but joy, rinnah, comes in the mourning.

The joy that our Heavenly Father gives us is supernatural and not dependent on any situations in our lives. It’s the joy/strength to endure and overcome.

As prophesied in Isaiah 61:1-3

Yeshua/Jesus’ mission included, …to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… 

What is this oil of joy?

Oil, in the Holy Scriptures, is symbolic of the Ruach HaKodesh, His Spirit of Holiness and His Joy flows from His Spirit.

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:52.

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom. 14:17

 Paul commended the believers for their good example to other followers of the Way, Joy, in the midst of affliction.

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Spirit. I Thess. 1:6.

Habakkuk points out the choice that we must make: Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy, gil, GEEL, in the God of my salvation. Hab. 3:17-18.

When Jesus/Yeshua was about to leave this earth He reassured them:

Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

John. 16:22.

As previously noted in Galatians 5:22-23, the second fruit of the Spirit is joy, ‘sim•cha.’ Together with its synonym, sa•son, it is used in scripture over 400 times. (The English word ‘sassy’ comes from sa•son.)

Together simcha and sason form an expression quoted during most every Israeli wedding it comes from Jeremiah 33:11 who repeats it three more times in: 7:34, 16:9 and 25:10.

It is a beautiful imagery also for believers, of the coming wedding at the marriage supper of the Lamb. As of now, we are His betrothed, promised to Him as in an extended engagement; and married in all but consummation until He returns, to take His Bride/the body of believers in Jesus/Yeshua as Messiah to the prepared place in His Fathers House! 

Surely this expression will be heard…

‘kol sa•son ve•kol sim•cha, kol cha•tan ve•kol ka•la’.

The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

We may conclude that Joy is not a fleeting emotion of happiness. It is an unshakeable spiritual force of His JOY. The pleasure of God is our strength when our Heavenly Father has joy in our faithfulness and that gives us strength to endure each and every trial that we go through as we look to Him the author and finisher of our faith.

Shalom shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

What Filled Messiah With Simchah-Chedvah-JOY?

One word for Joy in Hebrew is

simchah – שִׂמְחָה –

joy, happiness, gladness, mirth.

Another word for JOY is

chedvah: חֶדְוָה –

 joy.

Strong’s Concordance #2304.

Original Word: חֶדְוָה.

Part of Speech: Noun Feminine.

Transliteration: chedvah.

Phonetic Spelling: khed-vaw’.

Strong’s Hebrew: 8057.

שִׂמְחָה (simchah) — joy, gladness, mirth

Original Word: שִׂמְחָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: simchah
Phonetic Spelling: (sim-khaw‘)

exceedingly, gladness, joyfulness, mirth, pleasure, rejoicing.

From sameach; blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival)  exceeding (-ly), gladness, joy (-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice delight (1), exceeding joy (1), extremely* (1), festival (1), gladness (34), happiness (1), joy (38), mirth (1), pleasure (6), rejoice (1), rejoiced (1), rejoicing (6).

At that moment …

He was filled with JOY – שִׂמְחָה

שִׂמְתָה שָׂשׂן

Transliteration: sim•cha, sa•son

Simcha, Joy, is one of the most used words in the Scriptures; it appears over 400 times, together with its synonym, sa•son. Interestingly, the English word ‘sassy’ came from sa•son.

Both words together form a beautiful expression that is said in every Jewish wedding, as weddings themselves and other events such as a child birth are called by the general name ‘sim•cha’.(The word is spelled both with and without an h at the end.)

This expression, used by the prophet, Jeremiah, says:

‘kol sa•son ve•kol sim•cha, kol cha•tan ve•kol ka•la’.

“The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride” Jeremiah 33:11

We can also see this as prophetic concerning Messiah returning for His Bride/Challah/.

From the references to joy, the first time it is mentioned in the Brit Chadashah/New Testament it is noted with the birth of Jesus, Yeshua:

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy”

Matthew 2:10

We may be most familiar with joy being listed among the fruit of the spirit which are qualities noted in Galatians 5:22-23. 

The second fruit of the Spirit is joy, ‘sim•cha.

Sim•cha is connected to the name of an important Jewish Holiday – Sim•chat To•rah – the Rejoicing of the Torah.

This holiday is celebrated on She•mi•ni A•tze•ret, which is the first day following the seventh day of Sukkot also called

Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles. 

The holiday commemorates the completion of reading portions of the Torah during the year; there are 52; each portion is read each week of the year all over the world.

This custom is biblical because it was first done by Ezra the Scribe.

Luke 10:21-25

when we hold someone dear and love them in truth we want to know what makes them happy ….happiness is an emotion of the soul and often does not outlast the occasion or reason for its declared feeling.   We are in a flesh body but we are spirit first and foremost; and we must learn to NOT be led by our feelings but by His Spirit of Holiness within us, guiding and leading our spirit not our flesh. 

The scripture does not say Yeshua/Jesus was happy,

it says

He was filled with joy. Luke 10:21

The scripture says in

Nehemiah 8:10 This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the lord is our strength.

Nehemiah 8:10, Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!

We may assume that our strength comes from the joy our Heavenly Father gives to us. 

Have we ever thought to ask, where does that joy really come from? 

 The word joy that is used in Nehemiah is the word chadoth which is really the word for pleasure

The pleasure of God is our strength.

But what does that mean?

Psalms 105 may give us an answer.

He called down famine on the land,
broke off all their food supply,
17 but sent a man ahead of them —
Yosef, who was sold as a slave.
18 They shackled his feet with chains,
and they bound him in irons;
19 until the time when his word proved true,
God’s utterance kept testing him.
20 The king sent and had him released,
the ruler of peoples set him free;
21 he made him lord of his household,
in charge of all he owned,
22 correcting his officers as he saw fit
and teaching his counselors wisdom.

This Psalm vs. 16-22 holds a very interesting reference to Joseph.  Most scholars agree that this reference means; that until the time came for Joseph to fulfill his purpose or mission in life, which was to become a prime minister of Egypt and thus bring his family into safety from a famine; he first had to go through various trials to be tested by Adonai. This testing/trial proves faithfulness and obedience, vs.19.

Joseph learned to be joyful in every situation because

the joy of the Lord was his strength.

His pleasure is our strength …a verse in Philippians also helps us understand:

For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. Phil. 2:13. Amp. and again in Rev. 4:11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Here is confirmation of two things that believers in Messiah understand to be true; and that is,

we are all created for a specific purpose in life

and

that our Heavenly Father puts us through times of trial/testing or as it’s often referred to as spiritual boot camp.

This is for the purpose of developing our

obedience and faithfulness

and to bring us to the place where we fulfill the mission /calling He has placed on our lives.

These verses are important for us.

Why?

Because it gives us a scriptural basis, revealing that we are not put on this earth haphazardly, or by chance or mistake; rather that our Heavenly Father has placed us here at this specific time to fulfill a specific role. 

It also gives us an understanding of the reason why we all go through trials in life; that it is to provide a training ground which helps prepare us to fulfill the role chosen for us in His plan.

Concerning

the joy of the Lord is your strength;

it’s not the joy you feel,

but the joy our Heavenly Father has in us

and reveals it to you through devar.

The Hebrew word

devar:

Strong’s Hebrew: 1697.

דָּבָר  dabar/devar –  speech, word.

Davar or dabar means word and it also means thing.

This fact reflects a deep facet of a Jewish world view.

Words are the creative energy of the world. God spoke, and through words brought the universe into being.

It directly correlates to Yeshua for it is the Hebrew equivalent to “Logos” found in John chapter 1.

In Hebrew John 1: 1 reads, 

“Bereishit hayah hadavar. V’davar haya et haElohim, vElohim hayah hadavar.” 

In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Yeshua is Hadavar Elohim, “The Word of God.”

The Fifth book of the Bible, Deuteronomy is called “Davarim” (Words) in Hebrew. It was written at the end of 40 years of the Children of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. 

There is something interesting to be seen here.

The Hebrew word for “wilderness” is Midvar. Davar is the root word for Midvar. Notice that the last three consonants of Midvar are the same as the three consonants of Davar. 

Davar is spoken by Moses (a type of Yeshua) at the end of the 40 years of testing in the wilderness. After Moses’ death, Yehoshua (Joshua, another type of Yeshua) leads the children of Israel to the Promised Land (yet another picture of Yeshua).

Yeshua at the end of the 40 days of testing in the Midvar (wilderness) is confronted by Satan. Three times Satan tries to tempt Yeshua. Yeshua responds only one way. He uses Hadavar Elohim (the Word of God).

Which book does Yeshua quote from all three times?

Davarim. 

Interesting Note:

Davar HaChaim (The Living Word)

is in the Midvar using the Hadavar Elohim,

specifically the book of Davarim to defeat the adversary!!

We all know that as God, Jesus/Yeshua could have just simply performed a miracle and thrown Satan out of the desert, but He didn’t. So why did He

The Living Word

Davar HaChaim

use the Word of God to defeat the adversary?

because He is our example.

Jesus/Yeshua,

the Living Word/Davar HaChaim

had to show that Satan/adversary can be defeated by the

Hadavar Elohim/the Word of God

and in the power of His Spirit of Holiness/Ruach HaKodesh. Had Messiah done something to the adversary/devil that only God can do, He would not have been much of an example for us, as that option would not have be available to us.

The word/devar that is 

spoken from the heart of God. 

Devar represents a

word of power

and could also be

a word of prophecy or inspiration. 

Devar – DBR – is spelled with a

Daleth

which is a doorway

to the

Beth (b and/or v)

or the heart

of the Resh or Spirit of God.  

So Devar is:

a doorway to the heart of God.  

It’s the heart of God that gives us strength!

When we enter His heart, we find it is

filled with JOY over us and our faithfulness

and when we see the JOY of the Lord…

that becomes our strength to overcome!

So Yeshua/Jesus was filled with strength also ..

this joy is a spiritual force that helps us in our halak/walk;

this too is to be our joy – our strength!

For Yeshua/Jesus too, the joy that filled Him, came by way of His Fathers’ Spirit of Holiness/Ruach HaKodesh; as He saw what JOY was in His Fathers’ Heart as His will and plan was being fulfilled.

21 At that moment he was filled with joy by the Ruach HaKodesh and said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I thank you because you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated, yet revealed them to ordinary people. Yes, Father, I thank you that it pleased you to do this.

22 “My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

He continued to speak

23 Then, turning to the talmidim, he said, privately, “How blessed are the eyes that see what you are seeing! 24 Indeed, I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you are seeing but did not see them, and to hear the things you are hearing but did not hear them.”

Just before that moment He had told His talmidim/disciples in

verse 20, don’t be glad that the spirits submit to you be glad that your names have been recorded in heaven.

His Joy/Simchah/chedvah, was at the declaration of His Fathers will being literally fulfilled!

He and His disciples and anyone at that time who saw what was happening were seeing what the prophets had desired to see!

 “Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matthew 13:16-17).

In other words, to experience something that marvelous, was that which many wise and holy people had longed to experience but couldn’t …this should make us aware that we are truly blessed, and should cause us to be very thankful.

In 1 Peter 1:10-12. he is encouraging us to express a more grateful attitude and respect for our salvation because the old testament prophets and the angels of heaven longed to see what we have now experienced through the gospel of Messiah.

This salvation referred to in vers. 5 & 9, reveals that 10 The prophets, who prophesied about this gift of deliverance that was meant for you, pondered and inquired diligently about it. 11 They were trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of the Messiah in them was referring in predicting the Messiah’s sufferings and the glorious things to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that their service when they spoke about these things was not for their own benefit, but for yours. And these same things have now been proclaimed to you by those who communicated the Good News to you through the Ruach HaKodesh sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things!

 

If this is true then the days we are living in should also fill us with that same JOY!!?…

again this JOY is not an emotion or a feeling from our soul based on a carnal based reaction to our physical body’s 5 senses. It is rather a definitive condition of our spirit based on truth and rooted in His devar/Word; both the written and Word made flesh in Messiah.

It was the fulfilling of His Fathers will that filled Yeshua/Jesus with Joy/simcha/chedvah.

As we see prophecy being fulfilled at an almost alarming pace, we too should be filled with His joy/simcha/chedvah;

as His and our Heavenly Fathers will is being literally fulfilled today!

The hour is at hand!

Matt 26:45 behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners

He also said in Luke 22:53

When the authorities come to take Jesus/Yeshua away, He tells them in verse 53

this is your hour — when darkness reigns.

It could be translated as

this the hour of the authority of darkness.

The physical darkness is a representation of something deeper that happens.

Then Jesus/Yeshua said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against an outlaw? 53

Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on Me. But this hour belongs to you andto the power of darkness.” 

Messiah was facing a time of crisis.

An hour of darkness.

And we all face those because, there is a power in darkness. It’s the power of uncertainty, and anxiety and fear. However He tells us to fear not

WHY?

Because…

He has overcome the world and all things are in the Fathers hand. He is in control whatever our 5 physical senses try to tell us…

Knowing what His Word says regarding these things we experience in our flesh, will dispel ALL fears; and when we resist them in the name of Jesus/Yeshua; and keep ourselves under His protective, redeeming  blood, by being obedient to what He has told us to do and be… then…. no weapon formed against us can prosper.

Yeshua/Jesus called the adversary, the prince of this world, who indeed did offer Him all the kingdoms of the world. Messiah did not choose the easy way but chose instead to complete His Fathers’ plan for His life

because this is why He came.

Likewise we must fulfill that for which we are here.

There are times that the darkness seems to be winning but it’s only for a designated hour!

The hour is at hand for us …as the end of the age presses in and

all things must be fulfilled Luke 24:44

That day and that hour Luke 21 36

We are called to set a watch in the night time.

This is both physical night and times/days of spiritual darkness. When Yeshua/Jesus said,

the hour has come…

darkness had its designated but short reign.

This manifested presence, although dark, was still the will of His Father however, it was restricted within the boundaries and restraints of our Fathers’ perfect plan of the ages.

Even the wicked in Prov. 16:4

Adonai made everything for its purpose,
    even the wicked for the day of disaster.

and

Isaiah 45:7 I form light, I create darkness;
I make well-being, I create woe;
I, Adonai, do all these things.

Are we distracted by lifes’ events?

Are we pressured by conforming to the ever increasing dates for activities and celebrations on mens’ calendars?

Should we not be more concerned with our Heavenly Fathers’ timeline and calendar?

What is the word watch for?

It is to rise and pray..

WHY?

So that the hour does not come on us unaware

and

that we do not fall into temptation.

The time is short – 

Final salvation, days of His glory, are nearer to us now, than when we first believed – It is continually advancing, flying forward upon the swiftest wings of time.

“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” Romans 13:11.

 Even so, the events that Yeshua/Jesus mentions in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 lead to the end of this worlds age; and because of this, we know that

the hour is at hand

and our final salvation is indeed

nearer to us than when we first believed.

Yeshua/Jesus went on to say,

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. Mark 13:32-33.

The storm is gathering fast and He calls us to discern the events that are currently forming in the affairs of men. We are to be observant of their warning, that disaster and and holocaust are in the making and shaping up to be released.

Doom and gloom you say??

NO!

Rather it is prophetic declaration of the Words of our Lord and Savior; and it let’s us know He is soon returning!

It’s a season for every believer to rejoice and be joy filled

and for those looking for Him who are the redeemed bride,

they will say what

Is. 25:9 says…

this is the Lord for whom we have waited.

On that day they will say,
“See! This is our God!
We waited for him to save us.
This is Adonai ; we put our hope in him.
We are full of JOY so glad he saved us!”

We are a chosen generation…

chosen to see the culmination of the ages

Yeshua/Jesus said in Matthew 24:21

21 For there will be trouble then worse than there has ever been from the beginning of the world until now, and there will be nothing like it again![b] 22 Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.

this will be a time like no other and never will be again…

James 5:7 So, brothers, be patient until the Lord returns. See how the farmer waits for the precious “fruit of the earth” — he is patient over it until it receives the fall and spring rains.[a]

He waits only for the precious fruit of the earth, until the times of the gentiles (the last 2000+years) be fulfilled Luke 21:24.

He waits for our Heavenly Fathers’ timing…

Matthew 24:36 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

We must be ready, we must be in the company of the wise virgins. The call has already gone forth, so we must be listening more and more to Him than to what the world around us is saying.

Keep our focus on Him and things above.

We must learn to

be still before Him,

as chaotic disturbances scream for our attention.

Be obedient when He speaks and raise the standard of our personal discipline and dedication to a higher level….NOW…

He has called us to come up higher… Did we move yet?

Or are these just words that we give mental assent to, agreeing and acknowledging, but with no action or response!

Once His face was set like flint towards Yerushalayim/Jerusalem for the hour had come…

It’s time to set our faces towards His will for us!

Setting our face to go to Jerusalem means letting go of home, a sense of security, and a place in society. If we set our face to go to Jerusalem, then we have put ourselves on a path of change and transformation according to His Will plan and purpose for us.

Darkness and all its works have an allocated time for all prophecy to be fulfilled. Again remember…

The LORD has made everything for His purpose–even the wicked for the day of disaster. Proverbs 16:4

If there was no bad, we would not comprehend what good is. Our Heavenly Father has created a perfectly balanced universe, beyond our finite minds can understand. He is infinite.

The day of reckoning and judgment is in His hand. These things Yeshua/Jesus said must take place. Read Matt. 24:34 & Luke 1:20.

He will lift up His voice as the sound of a trumpet.

Isaiah 58:1 and Heb. 12:9 Rev. 3:20.

Those with ears to hear will recognize the clear tone of His call.

As we prepare ourselves, being more with Him, allowing His Ruach/Spirit to fill us to a greater capacity; this will keep us from the influences and deceiving elements of the prince of this world, and all his wiles. We must become like our Lord and when the devil comes be able to say…

he finds nothing in me!

for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in me.

John 14:30

Hold fast to the profession of your faith. Hebrews 10:23

to that which is good

But examine all things; hold fast to what is good. 1 Thess.5:21

and godly

Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Rev.3:11.

and

occupy till He comes. Luke 19:13.

1 Tim. 5:21; 2 Tim. 1:13. Titus 1:9; Heb 4:14, 10:31; Rev. 2:13; Ps. 11:6; Is. 62:1; Jer. 6:11;  Acts 3:11; Rom. 14:4; 1Cor. 14:30.

Hold Fast in Hebrew is:

tamak:

to grasp, support, attain

Original Word: תָּמַךְ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tamak
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-mak’)
Definition: to grasp, support, attain

Found in

Proverbs 4:4 
HEB: וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־ דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ


NAS: to me, Let your heart hold fast my words/dabar;

 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for

He who promised is faithful….Hebrews 10:23

For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does, Psalm 33:4.

So that we may stand and be found worthy to escape all these things coming upon the earth and to stand before the son of man Luke 21:36, having finished our race. 2Tim. 4:7.

Watch for the signals, the signs of His coming. We will see the sky change and things appear in unfamiliar ways. The veil is torn and dimensions are merging. Read Matt 24:32 , Mark 13:28 and Luke 21:30 and Revelation among other prophets it will give clear details of the events unfolding before our eyes.

The time has come

the hour is upon us

summer is nigh..

lets not cry with those in Jeremiah 8:20

“The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.”

Not only are we to prepare ourselves, we are to warn others, help and encourage them.

Jude 1:23 says save others snatching them out of the fire.

Ephesians 5:14 So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

The alarm has sounded in the spirit – no time for apathy or pressing the snooze button... There has never been a time in all His Story that is more crucial than now ..

Stay alert and be ready –

the hour has come and soon and very soon

we are going to see the King –

the one who we have waited for.   

Hold fast to that which you have.. Hold and do not let go… whatever we see ….whatever we are told.. do not waver in your faith and trust in Him leaning not to our own understanding. Do not be swayed by science, proof or so called facts and evidence presented by anyone or anything other than the Word of our Heavenly Father and His Messiah. His spirit/ruach leads us to all truth and our very salvation depends on our faith in Him and His promise; which are always yes and amen. He is the author and finisher of the faith within us, (Heb. 12:2); and He will bring all things to completion, Phil 1:6. Stand and having done all stand, Eph.6:13. He is right there with us….always.

What filled Yeshua/Jesus with JOY?

At that moment …

His joy was at the declaration of His Fathers’ will being literally fulfilled…

let’s be a moment of joy to both our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach..

Look up with that same joy family, our redemption draws ever closer.

Shalom shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts. If they have been a blessing and if you haven’t already, please sign up for free email notification, like, share and subscribe, it all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with His Truths.

Meanwhile let’s continue to stay alert and ready, be in prayer and in His Word for in an hour we think not He is coming… and…

it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Is There Joy in Despair?

Is there Joy in Despair?

Is there

Simchah/ sim-khaw’

שִׂמְחָה

in

yaash/ yaw-ash’ יָאַשׁ ?

ייאוש

Strong’s Hebrew: 2976. יָאַשׁ (yaash) — to despair

yaash: to despair

Original Word: יָאַשׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: yaash
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-ash’)
Definitionto despair

despair (2), despaired (1), hopeless (3).

More words for despair: 

noun יֵאוּשׁ desperation, despondency, dejection

verb לְהִתְיָאֵשׁ give up hope, lose heart, give up

noun מַפַּח נֶפֶשׁ disappointment, disillusionment

verb לֶאֱבוֹד תִקוָה lose hope

verb לִיפּוֹל בְּרוּחוֹ become depressed

Despair in Hebrew English-Hebrew dictionary:

despair verb/noun (transitive, obsolete)

To give up as,

beyond hope or expectation;

to despair of.

While we are noting the days,

(counting from the Omer),

between Pesach/Passover and Shavuot/ Pentecost,

we are in a season of personal preparation

for the continuing outpouring of His Spirit of Holiness,

(remembered along with giving of Torah/covenant at Shavuot/Pentecost).

This spiritual self examination often leads us to recognize the need for us to…

break up the fallow ground in our lives.

Hosea 10:12

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy;

break up your fallow ground:

for it is time to

SEEK the LORD,

till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”

The ground of our hearts is that which may have become hardened by the challenging events and circumstances in which we find ourselves along the WAY.

Last post we looked at the word

SEEK

and what it means to a talmidim/disciple.

We are to yield ourselves to the softening of the ground of our hearts, so that the seeds of His righteousness and mercy have a properly prepared place

in which to grow and mature.

In both the old testament and the new there are those whose lives are an example for us…

For Ezra had

set his heart

to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Ezra &:10 & 2 Timothy 2:21 –

Therefore, if anyone purges himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

We too must decide, to

set our hearts

to study the Word Of God,

to humble ourselves

and to become

His properly prepared vessels.

Mark 4 gives the details of the different conditions of the ground into which seeds fall and the results from those with the unfavorable and unprepared conditions.

Only the good prepared ground bore fruit unto harvest.

There were those who also experienced

despair and hopelessness –

yaash/ yaw-ash’ יָאַשׁ

in their callings….

Jeremiah 18:12
HEB: וְאָמְר֖וּ נוֹאָ֑שׁ כִּֽי־ אַחֲרֵ֤י
NAS: But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going
KJV: And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk
INT: will say hopeless for after

Ecclesiastes 2:20

HEB: וְסַבּ֥וֹתִֽי אֲנִ֖י לְיַאֵ֣שׁ אֶת־ לִבִּ֑י
NAS: Therefore I completely despaired of all
KJV: my heart to despair of all the labour
INT: about I despaired my heart of

Isaiah 57:10
HEB: לֹ֥א אָמַ֖רְתְּ נוֹאָ֑שׁ חַיַּ֤ת יָדֵךְ֙
NAS: [Yet] you did not say, It is hopeless.’ You found
KJV: [yet] saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found
INT: did not say hope renewed strength

More Hebrew words for

Simchah/JOY are:

noun שִׂמְחָה happiness, gladness, gaiety, felicity, exhilaration

noun חֶדוָה delight, gladness, exultation noun שָׂשׂוֹן delight, rejoicing, merriment, mirth

noun גִיל age, gladness, delight, glee, exultation

noun גִילָה gladness, exultation, delight

noun דִיצָה amusement

noun רִנָה singing, song, exultation

 Joy – שִׂמְתָה, שָׂשׂן

Strong’s Hebrew: 8057. שִׂמְחָה (simchah) — joy, gladness, mirth

Definition: joy, gladness, mirth 

Word Origin from samach

Translation: delight (1), exceeding joy (1), extremely* (1), festival (1), gladness (34), happiness (1), joy (38), mirth (1), pleasure (6), rejoice (1), rejoiced (1), rejoicing (6).

        also

Strong’s Hebrew: 2304. חֶדְוָה (chedvah) — joy

INT: are before Strength and joy his place.

Nehemiah 8:10 HEB: תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ כִּֽי־ חֶדְוַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה הִ֥יא

NAS: Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD

KJV: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD

INT: be grieved for the joy of the LORD he.

Gladness One English dictionary defines joy as: 

a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

This definition follows the Greek

chará and hēdonḗ (rejoicing and pleasure);

which is typical of the Western mindset which follows that of Plato and Aristotle. However, it is not so typical in the Hebrew.

The passage from Isaiah uses the Hebrew term

śimḥâ

(in the NASB it is translated “gladness”). 

The same root is also translated

rejoice

in this passage.

We find that the Hebrew term involves

the whole person,

not simply cognitive or emotional elements. 

One scholar comments:

“The root ś-m-ḥ denotes

being glad or joyful with the whole disposition

as indicated by its association with the heart…

 Ex. 4:14; Ps 19:8 [H 9]; 104:15; 105:3,

the soul…. Ps. 86:4;

and with the lighting up of the eyes. Prov. 15:30.”

Since its context is located in everyday life, śimḥâ (joy) can be experienced with a cheerful word, with wine, with a wise son, in feasts, at weddings, in prosperity, in the company of friends, and in God’s Torah.

But the Lord and His salvation are cited most frequently as:

the reason for joy.

2 Chr 20:27; Ps 5:11 [H 12]; 9:2 [H 3]; 16:9; 32:11; 40:16 [H 17]; 63:11 [H 12]; 64:10 [H 11]; 86:4; 90:15; 92:4 [H 5]).

Indeed the

joy/

ḥedwâ,

of the Lord is a man’s strength

Neh. 8:10.

Hebrew often depicts inanimate objects with human emotion, e.g., the heavens rejoice, the hills shall sing and the trees of the field hills shall clap their hands. Is.55:12

These are also expressions of joy.

In Hebrew thought, joy is

the manifestation of divine purpose fulfilled,

and since everything in creation has purpose, whenever any part of the creation acts according to its design, that part expresses and experiences śimḥâ/joy. 

This has an important meaning and also consequences for us.  There are times when our emotions seem far from joyful, because the earth is filled with sorrow, struggles and guilt.  At times it seems that evil, that which is out of harmony with the Father, is increasing and overwhelming that which is good.  Without making this seem a less serious situation, śimḥâ/joy reminds us that, any part of creation which is fulfilling its’ designed purpose, is an expression of joy/śimḥâ. 

When our lives feel as if they are disconnected from His divine order of things, the simple things evident all around us in our Fathers’ creation, should remind us that

joy/śimḥâ

is built into it. This is evident by the many and varied blossoms of the flowers and trees and the singing of the birds, who do not worry about how to provide for themselves!

Joy is not only a connective force, as Nehemiah states that His joy is our strength but it is also creative and has intentional consequences to life itself; and most of all, it has a divine origin and purpose.

8057 simchah 

simchah: joy, gladness, mirth

Original Word: שִׂמְחָה
Transliteration: simchah
Phonetic Spelling: (sim-khaw’)
in

Deuteronomy 28:47
HEB: יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב
NAS: your God with joy and a glad
KJV: thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness
INT: the LORD your God joy glad heart

2304 chedvah in

Nehemiah 8:10
HEB: תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ כִּֽי־ חֶדְוַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה הִ֥יא
NAS: Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD
KJV: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD
INT: do not be grieved for the joy of the LORD he

1 Chronicles 16:27
HEB: לְפָנָ֔יו עֹ֥ז וְחֶדְוָ֖ה בִּמְקֹמֽוֹ׃
NAS: Him, Strength and joy are in His place.
KJV: strength and gladness [are] in his place.
INT: are before Strength and joy his place

Rev. 1:17. John fell at His feet as dead.

Even though John knew His Messiah intimately, and this is the same John who spoke of himself as the disciple Yeshua/Jesus loved…

John 13:23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to. 

…and one of the 3 closest to Him. Yet when He appeared to him in an unfamiliar way, the only thing he could do was to fall prostrate at His feet like a dead man.

Rev. 22:8-9 1:17-18 .I fell at his feet as though dead.

John recognizes the Lordship of Messiah/Christ as he falls prostrate before His feet. 

John knew Him, yet was overwhelmed at the majesty manifested before him; the revealed glory produced the reverential fear and respect of the almightiness of the presence of the King of the universe. This will indeed cause both despair and delight in that before Him we are hopeless – nothing, compared to His Being and yet the joy of realizing that if we are ever to be raised up, it can and must only be, by the power of His Almighty hand.

John says He laid His hand upon me and lifted me up…

the touch of God restores us and redeems us.

This touch of His right hand of righteousness

is the Messiah Himself.

This touch is not in chastisement, correction, or withholding but as the touch of the right hand of the Father,

Jesus/Yeshua Himself.

His touch brings true shalom/peace and all its fullness.

Beyond our natural understanding and

Deuteronomy 33:27 reminds us that

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ”Destroy them!’

The knowledge that underneath us are

the everlasting arms of

strength and comfort, protection and provision.

He says, fear not! and in all His ascended Glory, the tenderness of a father to His child is revealed to one who truly knows Him.

We should also remember Romans 7:18 (KJV 1900) 

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 

Nothing good dwells in our flesh.

And we feel despair as Paul did and said,

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Rom 7:24,25.

Then joy comes as we delight ourselves in the Lord and fall prostrate before Him. When He reveals Himself to us and the knowledge that to be raised up in His resurrection life it is by His hand alone, and not of ourselves. Understanding that our part is total submission to His will, plan and purpose for us, yielding our hearts in joyful surrender to our Savior, Lord and King.

He is not able to do anything for us until we recognize the limits of our humanity and allow Him to do the impossible.

 

Psalm 118:5. In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free. When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. 

In our despair and distress like the psalmist we cry to the Lord and sometimes the heavens are as brass…

Deut. 28:23.

and it seems our prayers never rise above the ceiling. It can appear that we are encompassed about and that the enemy is everywhere, that we have no place to turn and don’t know where to go. When we are presented with difficult times we often feel trapped and emotionally and spiritually compromised as if we are suffocating, almost claustrophobic.

In this position is easy to lose sight of the goal waiting for us at the end of the race set before us because we become overwhelmed and focused on the struggle we are in; and the battle is all we see. The continual loop of confusion is the strategy of the enemy which lies to us; telling us we cant move forward that we are stuck and we stumble around and accomplish little to nothing.

This however is NOT the TRUTH and the WAY out of our trouble is always to keep our eyes on Jesus/Yeshua; the author and finisher of our faith. The WAY to overcome the enemies tactics is to focus on Him Who is the answer, not on the problem. If we feel we are losing sight of Him, we must regain it immediately and train ourselves to keep our spiritual wits about us; which will help us keep our bearing/direction sure and securely fixed on Him. In our distress we call on our Father by faith, not by g.p.s., or any other direction finder or means of guidance…

We must call out by faith not by sight and, not knowing how He will respond or appear, we must wait and be ready to listen and move when He answers. Not only will He always answer, but He brings relief and

despair turns to delight/ joy

and He sets us in an expansive place!

Ps. 118 :5 …

All the pressure of the walls that were keeping us in that prison of hopelessness are moved back and the confusion fades away and He gives us room to breathe.

He will NEVER leave us to struggle alone. He wants to show us the WAY out and when we feel there is no way… He makes one … However in these times of darkness and great distress we

MUST call on His Name

call on the name of the Lord…

and He will shine the light of His Glory into our situation.

Ps. 119:105. 

the psalmist declares to the Lord,

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.

The Word made flesh Messiah Jesus/Yeshua…

The victory and the rest /peace/shalom, comes as He miraculously expands the place before us, and we can know His hand touches us and raises us up to live in the power and strength of His resurrection..

and for what reason?

that we may know Him and walk in His Ways.

Phil 3:10

So it would seem the answer is yes…

there is joy in despair!

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim/friends and mishpachah/family!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,

you are greatly loved and prayed for daily.

REMEMBER..

Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer,

Savior, Lord, and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.