One of the main purposes of biblical instruction is to introduce us to joy. The only way that can happen is for us to be introduced to the author of joy. And so YHVH in His wisdom has sent us His Son to be our intercessor.
But Yahshua is a man of sorrows. How can he introduce us to joy?
Actually joy is the product of a holy grief. I don’t know anyone who has had joy unspeakable until they have shed tears uncountable. Yahshua said our sorrow would be turned to joy. Sorrow is the raw material necessary for the production of joy.
This is not a new concept.
Isaiah 61:1-11
The Spirit of YHVH Elohim is upon me; because YHVH hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of YHVH, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim; to comfort all that mourn;
3 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 they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of YHVH, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of YHVH: men shall call you the Ministers of our Elohim: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I YHVH love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which YHVH hath blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in YHVH, my soul shall be joyful in my Elohim; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so YHVH Elohim will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
We are actually commanded to be joyful. It’s a law and if it’s violated there will be great consequences. Not condemning you just reminding you.
Deuteronomy 28:45-47
45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of YHVH thy Elohim, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
47 Because thou servedst not YHVH thy Elohim with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
But you ask, how can I have joy when I am going through life threatening illness or divorce or the loss of a loved one?
Some of you have even suffered the loss of a small child. How can we have joy? Are we supposed to have joy in the bad times?
Family problems, etc. financial problems, loneliness, rejection, failure in just the basic functions of life. Happiness and sorrow aren’t mutually exclusive.
Can we be happy and sad at the same time? Actually sorrow and joy often go together. Most weddings are both sad and joyful at the same time. It’s a time of leaving and cleaving. Sad because there is a leaving going on, but joyful for the cleaving that is taking place.
An electric motor runs by using precisely timed opposing magnetic fields. Sorrow and joy are like opposing magnetic fields. Both are necessary to make your spiritual motor run.
Joy comes from confidence. Confidence that you have done the right thing. If you have planted seeds of righteousness you can relax and be joyful in knowing that the master of the harvest will make sure you get to reap what you have sown.
Many of you here are not satisfied with the status quo. That’s a good place to start on you quest for joy. Because if you are satisfied with the way things are in this fallen world then you may have about all the joy you will ever have.
When I first really became aware of how lost and undone I was and how lost and undone the whole world was, I was overwhelmed with despair. It was that despair that brought me to a point where YHVH could turn my sorrow into joy. Brought me to repentance.
Yahshua said blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted. You will find comfort to the extent that you mourn. Blessed are those who mourn. Jeremiah was a weeping prophet but his prophecies still stand as a witness for YHVH’s faithfulness today. (Jeremiah 16)
We can rest in YHVH’s faithfulness to his children. Confidence yields joy. (Jeremiah 30)
Yahshua was a man of sorrows, yet he had great joy.
John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 15:9-12
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joy is contagious.
But you don’t know my circumstances!!!
How can I have joy when I have all these problems? Every time I try to do what is right, people attack me. This is an excellent opportunity for you to have joy.
Matthew 5:10-13
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
1 Peter 4:12-14
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Messiah's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Messiah, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of Elohim resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.
I can envision down through the centuries faithful servants of Yahshua excitedly gathering in small groups even though their lives were being threatened.
Apostle Paul was a weeping prophet. He had great calamities. Shipwrecked, snake-bit, false brethren, beaten with rods, perils of water, perils of robbers, perils in the wilderness, painfulness, hunger thirst, cold and nakedness.
1 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
Can we be like that? Why not?
Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in YHVH, I will joy in the Elohim of my salvation.
19 YHVH Elohim is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.