Exuberant Worship: The Echoes of Jerusalem's Joy
Nehemiah 12:43
Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
“...the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.” Is there true JOY in your camp? If not, WHY not? For Jerusalem, this was a time of celebration, as the walls of the city were rebuilt! And why wouldn’t they rejoice? That which was previously destroyed, which both defined and defended Jerusalem’s boundaries and culture, was finally restored. Sacrifices were once again being reinstated, and worship was once again set in order.
It was indeed a time of celebration. And would you look with me at how GOD made them to rejoice with GREAT joy? Dear reader, when the people of God live in obedience to God’s Word, there is victory in the camp, and with that victory comes rejoicing and gladness like none other!
It would go then without saying that a people who have no joy and gladness are a people who have no victory because they are not living in true obedience to God’s Word. Could it be that the reason many (if not most) churches today do not have God-inspired joy resulting in loud rejoicing and gladness is because we’ve lost the victory due to unconfessed and unrepented sin in the camp?
Oh, I know that some will dare say that worship should be somber and quiet, but that’s not the kind of worship we see in our text; and again I remind you that this worship was inspired by God Himself! No, God’s people should not resort to quiet worship when He has made such an open fuss about us! Did not Christ openly shed His blood for thee? As such, did He not openly let the whole world see His love for you as He hung there on Calvary’s cross?
Would it be too much for Him to ask us to also openly confess Him before men? Would it be too much for Him to expect us to express outwardly and openly what we have devoted to Him personally and inwardly? Indeed, this is but a REASONABLE service! The Bible even says to let the redeemed of The Lord SAY SO! I believe this; when we worship Him in spirit AND in truth, that worship will be so public and outward and unashamed that it will be heard afar off…MAYBE even OUTSIDE the church house…ya think? PRAISE God with me today!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
“...the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.” Is there true JOY in your camp? If not, WHY not? For Jerusalem, this was a time of celebration, as the walls of the city were rebuilt! And why wouldn’t they rejoice? That which was previously destroyed, which both defined and defended Jerusalem’s boundaries and culture, was finally restored. Sacrifices were once again being reinstated, and worship was once again set in order.
It was indeed a time of celebration. And would you look with me at how GOD made them to rejoice with GREAT joy? Dear reader, when the people of God live in obedience to God’s Word, there is victory in the camp, and with that victory comes rejoicing and gladness like none other!
It would go then without saying that a people who have no joy and gladness are a people who have no victory because they are not living in true obedience to God’s Word. Could it be that the reason many (if not most) churches today do not have God-inspired joy resulting in loud rejoicing and gladness is because we’ve lost the victory due to unconfessed and unrepented sin in the camp?
Oh, I know that some will dare say that worship should be somber and quiet, but that’s not the kind of worship we see in our text; and again I remind you that this worship was inspired by God Himself! No, God’s people should not resort to quiet worship when He has made such an open fuss about us! Did not Christ openly shed His blood for thee? As such, did He not openly let the whole world see His love for you as He hung there on Calvary’s cross?
Would it be too much for Him to ask us to also openly confess Him before men? Would it be too much for Him to expect us to express outwardly and openly what we have devoted to Him personally and inwardly? Indeed, this is but a REASONABLE service! The Bible even says to let the redeemed of The Lord SAY SO! I believe this; when we worship Him in spirit AND in truth, that worship will be so public and outward and unashamed that it will be heard afar off…MAYBE even OUTSIDE the church house…ya think? PRAISE God with me today!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill