In Neh 8:10, we read, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Joy or happiness is essential for our human existence. When we feel joyful, we are more resilient, healthier, and more able to withstand stress. Joy has to come from somewhere and have a source in our life; we find joy because our parents, friends, or spouse support us and love us. Because we have them in our life, we have a source of support, love, and wisdom we can turn to when faced with difficult circumstances. Some find joy in wealth and material possessions, assuring them they can buy their way out of difficult circumstances. Therefore, joy is not limited to Christians; everyone can have joy regardless of their faith or lack of it.
As we mentioned, joy has to have a source in our life, but if that source is taken away from us or unable to meet our needs, we will lose our sense of joy. If your parents are no longer there to support you and give your wisdom, or your wealth and material possessions are taken away from you, you no longer have a source of joy in your life. If you have no source of joy in your life, you have no hope; you have no way of facing the challenges life might throw at you. This is when we fall into hopelessness and sometimes even deeper into depression.
Joy gives us hope, and hope makes it possible for us to meet every challenge life might throw at us.
In Nehemiah 8:10, we read, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
If you are a Christian, chances are you have heard it said this verse refers to Jesus and what He did for us at the cross. The only problem with this interpretation is that Ezra wrote Nehemiah 8 centuries before Jesus was born and crucified for our sins. It is nothing wrong with rejoicing over the cross, but if the cross is not what Nehemiah was referring to, it will not give us the joy of the Lord, which is our strength.
In Nehemiah 8, the Israelites have just rediscovered the law of Moses. When the people hear the law being read, they suddenly understand why they have been in exile for so long because they disobeyed the law. This is why they are grieving in verse 10, but in response to this, Nehemiah says, “do not grieve for the joy of Yehovah is your strength.” Why are they not to grieve? In verse 12, it says they are not to grieve because now they understand the law of Moses and what Yehovah expects of them. Now they know how to live righteous lives as sons and daughters of Yehovah, knowing for sure He is their God who blesses, protects, and cares for them.
So what is the “joy of the Lord”? It is the joy of having the law of Moses and knowing what it says. If you know what the law requires of you, you know for sure Yehovah will help you and meet all your needs in life. (Deut 28:1-14, Matt 6:25-34)
The law of Moses is your continued guarantee for Yehovah’s help. As long as you obey, you know for sure He will be your God and meet all your needs. This is why it is the one source of joy that never changes as long as you stay obedient. And this is why Christians have an advantage over non-Christians; we have access to a source of joy that never runs out and is never taken away from us.
No matter what comes at you in life, no matter what curveballs life throws at you, if you are a law-abiding Christian, you know for sure Yehovah will deliver you and save you from the situation you are in. This gives us a deep sense of joy and fulfillment, knowing nothing too big or too complicated for our God Yehovah. The only requirement is for us to remain obedient to His law.
What we just learned is in sharp contrast to what is being preached in most churches today. Among evangelical Christians, we are taught to focus on Jesus and the cross, not on the law of Moses. In the Bible, we are told by Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles to focus on the law of Moses because the law is the key to our relationship with Yehovah.
Does this mean the law of Moses is in opposition to the cross? No, not at all; consider why Jesus had to die in the first place. The Bible says, in Isaiah 53, Jesus died to atone for our sins. What is a sin? Sin is breaking the law of Moses (1.John 3:4). So if Jesus died for your sins, then it would be wrong of you to continue in sin. This is why Paul says, in Romans 6, all those who accept the cross have to repent. Repent means you do the opposite of what you use to do. If you used to live a life of sin, and sin is breaking the law, repentance requires you to begin obeying the law. This is why you can not separate the law from the cross or the cross from the law because if you do, you are making a mockery of what Jesus did for us.
Joy or happiness is essential for our human existence. When we feel joyful, we are more resilient, healthier, and more able to withstand stress. Joy has to come from somewhere and have a source in our life; we find joy because our parents, friends, or spouse support us and love us. Because we have them in our life, we have a source of support, love, and wisdom we can turn to when faced with difficult circumstances. Some find joy in wealth and material possessions, assuring them they can buy their way out of difficult circumstances. Therefore, joy is not limited to Christians; everyone can have joy regardless of their faith or lack of it, but only Christians can have a constant source of joy no matter what happens to us.
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