Have you ever been so happy that you just started jumping up and down, dancing with friends, shouting all the while? Well you’re in good company with the Hebrew people who found great joy in the power and presence of God.
As so often happens, the meaning of a word in the original languages of the Bible gives us a boost by the power in the word itself. This is the case for the word “joy” in Hebrew–rinnah. It means that the shouting is so strong that it sends people into a whirling dance.
Place the grief over the loss of the Temple in the Book of Lamentations that we read yesterday , against this song attributed to David at the dedication of the Temple. Sadness and joy are set against each other in this psalm, with its message of ultimate joy for those who trust in the Lord. Surely, this prayer comes from David’s recollection of the triumph over Goliath, and the sadness of Saul’s destructive jealousy. Whatever emotions you are experiencing as you come to this psalm, they are all present as a collage of verses. Link the feelings you have as you begin to read, allowing the Spirit to shake your feelings until there is rinnah in God’s presence.
Check out Study Tools in BibleGateway.
I especially recommend the free resource
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
We read the Psalms in numerical order on Wednesdays.
These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook. You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or table! Check the menu options at the site for more information.
The Bible Through the Seasons 