Joy Unspeakable

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalms 37:4)

David wrote this psalm as a type of poem in the Hebrew style which was put to music. It’s believed to have been written by David in his later years. In this psalm he writes to be patient because soon, the wicked will suffer the consequences of their wickedness. In the meantime, he suggests that the righteous trust God and delight in Him because they will inherit the land, be saved and have peace. Certainly, David had lived long in various situations and trials to know that not worrying about how the wicked are faring, the righteous in the end are blessed and the wicked are punished.

In our Scripture of study David writes to delight in the Lord. The Good News Bible has translated it to “Seek your happiness in the LORD.” The New American Bible has translated it to “Find your delight in the Lord.” One other translation has translated the word delight to hope. The Polish-Warsaw Prague Bible has translated it “look for happiness only in the Lord” which is closer in translation to the Good News Bible.

The Hebrew word that David used means to delight thyself or to have delight. Its definition is to have great pleasure, happiness and joy. It’s not possible to have great pleasure, happiness and joy in the Lord without the Holy Spirit.  Few knew or could know this delight in the Lord in the Old Testament.  David was one of them.  There were those on whom the Holy Spirit came upon. At which time that this would happen, they would experience great pleasure and joy in obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Mary the mother of Jesus experienced this joy when she accepted God’s will for her life and sang a song of praise. “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:46-47)

Every time the word joy appears in the Old Testament, the word joy is not the kind given by the Holy Spirit. There is the Hebrew word “rinnâh” meaning a shriek of joy because of gladness used in Psalm 30:5. There is the Hebrew word “śimchâh” which means gladness, glee or mirth. The Hebrew word “chedvâh” which means gladness was translated joy in Nehemiah 8:10. Jeremiah used the Hebrew word “ ́âśôn” which was translated joy. The Hebrew word “ gı̂yl” was used in Psalms 43:4 meaning exceeding gladness and joy.

There is a difference between joy and happiness. Joy comes from a fact that is unchangeable and subsists in spite of circumstances. Happiness depends on the circumstance. It’s temporal and changes because of circumstances. For instance, when the Jews were released from their Babylonian captivity, the psalmist writes, “A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” (Psalms 126:1-3) They were “glad” which means joyful, but it doesn’t mean they had the joy that doesn’t change with the circumstances. That kind of joy is eternal and only comes from the Holy Spirit. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

When Jesus was born, and the angel appeared to the shepherds. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10) Paul used the same Greek word the angel used for joy.  This joy is different because it’s the joy that is divine and eternal.  It’s a joy that cannot, no matter the circumstances be removed or changed. It’s a calm delight that comes from knowing you are kept in God’s best even in the midst of suffering. It’s the calm delight knowing that all will be good. Peter described it as joy unspeakable and full of glory. (1Peter 1:8) Unspeakable means it cannot be uttered nor described. The joy the Holy Spirit brings no man can take it away. Jesus said, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” (John 16:22) It’s a joy “full of glory,” meaning it’s glorious, extraordinary.

When we came to Jesus, we experienced this joy.  Do you remember? And in the midst of all the old troubles and things we were being separated from, there was this inexplicable joy. Amid the things we were facing, no one and nothing could take this joy. And through trials and tribulations as a child of God, this joy is still present. It’s the joy of being with the Lord during our times of sorrow, need, trouble or trial. It’s the eternal kind of joy because it comes from God.