Hello again! Its been a while but for good reason. After taking some time to think this out a bit more I have decided that, since I have the original greek and hebrew at my disposal at theblueletterbible.org, I would prefer to go about this project looking at those words, versus the way we might interpret a word now. perhaps then nothing is lost in translation....i dunno i guess its really not all about the numbers (sorry to burst your bubble) in the end, its about an aspect of God's character, as I have discussed before. i'll still do spreadsheets so i don't get repetitive and all that, but really, i just want to know what is said. And try to understand what it means even.
There isn't much to be joyful over in these days of overwhelming hype, sensationalism, offense and negativity. Maybe that's why I'm curious. What could God possibly offer as a reason to combat all of this? What comfort is there? How can He expect that of us? Do we have it in us to be joyful despite the external factors?
And thats what brings me to the first verse. OH MY GOSH BIG MOMENT! haha! yes, yes it is. So here we go:
We are starting with the Strong's H1523- giyl. According to the lexicon, there are 44 occurrences of this form of the word, which translates into rejoice, glad, joyful, joy, and delight throughout the KJV. The original hebrew meaning is 1) To rejoice, exult, be glad 2) to tremble from fear. The first verse we find it in is: 1 Chronicles 16:31.
"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let (men) say among the nations, The Lord reigneth."
Context: This verse is part of King David's exultation when the Ark of the Covenant is placed in the Tabernacle. Almost the entire chapter is one of thanksgiving to God for this.
Modern Application/Main Take-away: the external circumstances are not one we are going to get on a day to day basis, but that's not the reason David gives us. Instead, he is saying that we should be thankful and rejoice because "The Lord Reigns." Thats something that doesn't change daily, and, when remembered, that can be a very encouraging reality to recall. We might feel it more when things are good, like David, but we need it more when things are bleak and out of control. Knowing He reigns, really knowing it, helps us keep faith because it's a consistent stability in the chaos. Despite how things seem now, the Lord reigns, and if that is constant then that means He is never defeated and if he is never defeated then ultimately He conquers these circumstances that seem to overtake us. That is why Paul can later proclaim that we are "more than conquerers" in Christ.
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