Are you part of the joy of the Creator?

[Leonardo Von]

Are you part of the joy of the Creator?

•    Zep 3:14-18 -> “Exult, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; rejoice and be glad with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem: Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy; the King of Israel, Jehovah, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not; Zion, let not thy hands be slack. Jehovah thy God is in thy midst, a mighty one that will save: he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will exult over thee with singing. I will gather them that sorrow for the solemn assemblies, who were of thee: the reproach of it was a burden unto them.”

The Creator promised that would delight over Jerusalem and would exult over them with singing. Nonetheless, considering that the Creator said “fear not, Zion, let not thy hands be slack”, therefore it there was people who wasn’t exulting and rejoicing with the presence of the Creator inside them.

We can figure out this reading about similar situation in Nehemiah:

•    Neh 8:9,10 -> “And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 

Note that, instead of praising the Creator for the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem, they were weeping in virtue of the delight that they had in the sins condemned by the law which was being read.

Alike, the Creator promised that they wouldn’t see evil any more. He would be as a mighty one who saves. However, many of them delighted in the suffering and disgrace of populace (and even get wealth through them):

•    Amo 8:4-6 -> “Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?””
•    Amo 3:10 -> ““They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.””.
•    Mic 2:2 -> “They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.”.
•    Hos 4:8 -> “They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity.”.

For this people, the presence of Jesus was a reason for stumble and scandal (see Mat 11:6; 1Pe 2:5-8). It was in virtue of this that the Pharisees and Sadducees killed Jesus: He was a hamper to their dominium over the Israelites. 

May us be part of those who sorrow for not seeing the true believers in Christ in perfect communion, who feel a burden seeing people denigrate Jesus’ name and His true Church (let’s take the yoke of Jesus – Mat 11:29).

Have a joyful day experiencing this gift  in your life:

•    Pro 16:15 -> “In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.”.