Our Great Big God

“which He will display at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1Tim 6:15).

Ever been in an intimidating situation? You know, the kind that makes your knees knock, palms sweat, and bladder nervous. It just seems too big, too nasty, too hard to pull off. Folks try to help you with little gimmicks. If it’s public speaking before a large group or an intimidating boss, imagine them in their underwear. But then do you have to choose between boxers or briefs? These are kind of things I worry about.

Let’s take a page our Timothy’s playbook. The young pastor is up to eyeballs with trouble at a church in Ephesus. He’s putting out a blazing dumpster fire ignited by a destructive team of false teachers. They’ve totally distracted the followers of Jesus with a crazy combo of urban legends, boundless bloodlines, the old bait-and-switch, and downright demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:4; 4:1-2). This was going to be tough enough when the legendary Apostle Paul was in charge, but he’s off to his next divine assignment up the road in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3). 

But in a little letter we’ve come to call 1st Timothy, the mentor encourages his protege that the King of the Universe has his back. He reminds Tim that our Heavenly Dad is in complete control of the Son of God’s guaranteed return, “which He will display at the proper time—He who is blessed and only Sovereign, the Kings of kings and Lord of lords” (v15). Yeah, you might have 99 problems but Almighty God ain’t one. Anything compared to our Great Big God gets really, really small.

First of all, I need to always remember who’s in charge of the calendar. As the Creator of time, God is in total control of it. That includes the timing of Jesus’ spectacular encore,“which He will display at the proper time” (v15). Only God the Father knows exactly when that’s going to go down (Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7). In case you forgot, Christ arrived precisely at the right moment the first time (Gal 4:4-5). Our Savior also was on schedule at Calvary when He “gave Himself as a ransom for all which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1Tim 2:6). You see, when you’re in complete control, you’re always right on time. Whether it’s false teachers in Ephesus or an 800-pound gorilla in my own life, our Great Big God’s great big hands have a firm grip on the clock.

Next we see that immense Maker is immensely happy. Paul uses the Greek word makarios, which the folks at the ESV translate as “blessed” (v15). It literally describes someone who is transcendently happy and full of joy. It’s the very same term Jesus uses in His most famous sermon during what has become known as the Beatitudes. You might remember that from Sunday School. The radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee tells the big crowd about nine kinds of people who are “blessed (Gr. makarios)” (Mt 5:3-11). God will bless everyone from those who realize they’re spiritually bankrupt to those on the receiving end of persecution for doing the right thing. He’ll make sure they have a supernatural joy no one can ever take from them.

Do you think of God as transcendently happy? Or do you picture a grumpy God standing on the edge of heaven locked and loaded with lightning bolts ready to zap you when you get out of line? Now we can’t be sure that our Heavenly Father has Pharrell’s “Happy” on endless repeat on the cosmic iPod. But Paul wants us to know we worship a joyful God. This is exactly what Nehemiah wanted God’s people to know when they got down in the dumps over their own sin. “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh 8:10). He’s certainly not angry at those who place their trust in His son. As a matter of fact, our Great Big God has a great big smile on His face when He thinks about His kids.

The Almighty isn’t just transcendently happy, He’s the “only Sovereign” (v15). The original language here (Gr. dunastes) literally means the one with the most power or the powerful one. It’s from same Greek word that we get words like dynamo and dynamite. Listen, when you can create absolutely everything from less than nothing with just the sound of your voice, you’ve got serious power. There may be no way I can do something on my own, but having God and His limitless power on my side is total game changer. Or as Jesus told His crew, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26). What appear to be enormous problems become microscopic when I compare them to our Great Big God and His great big power.

Paul tells Timothy that God the Father is “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (v15). Now that sounds VERY familiar, doesn’t it? The Apostle John uses those very same words to describe the resurrected Jesus (Rev 17:14). As a matter of fact, that’s Christ has on the back of His jersey and tattooed on His thigh when He roars back to earth at His Second Coming (Rev 19:16). But the man from Tarsus is clearly talking about the First Person of the Trinity here. He wants us to be sure that every Person of the Godhead sits at the top of org chart. Father. Son. Spirit. Every single person on the planet answers to Him. Kings. Lords. Presidents. Prime ministers. Regional managers. Dog catchers. You. Me. Our Great Big God is the king-sized “King of kings and Lord of lords” (v15)!

We’re all going to face some incredibly tough situations in life. We’ll be intimidated. We’ll be tempted to turn and run. But remember the One who didn’t back down when He stared down death itself and punched it in the throat. Remember you worship the One who is in total control of the calendar. One who is transcendently happy. One who possesses limitless power. One who sits at the top of the universe’s org chart. I might have 99 problems but Almighty God ain’t one. Anything compared to our Great Big God gets really, really small.

Rejoice. Repeat.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

Let’s face facts. Life can blindside you. It can kick the stuffing out of you when you least expect. Knock the wind out of you. 

But according to Paul, there’s one thing life can’t take away. Our joy in Jesus. 

I want to make it clear this isn’t going to be one of those turn-that-frown-upside-down and pretend nothing’s wrong pep talks. 

An unexpected sucker punch hurts. No question about it. But God gives us something no one can steal. His joy. 

So no matter the situation, the instructions are clear. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (v4). 

Rejoice. Repeat.

The apostle doesn’t just suggest joy. This isn’t a recommendation. He’s not making a proposal. Nope, it’s a command. 

A closer look at the grammar of the original text is in what scholars call the imperative. Paul doesn’t simply hint that joy might be a good idea. He orders it. 

Who in the world does this dude think he is to order me to rejoice?

I saw you roll your eyes. That’s okay. I would too. But let’s dive a little deeper at the context of this seemingly crazy command. 

First of all, the one doing the writing is Paul. You may have heard of him. 

Wrote most of the New Testament. Traveled the Mediterranean Rim telling everyone who would listen about Jesus. 

His passion for the Gospel ticked off enough people that he ended up in prison. And that’s where he is as he writes this little letter. 

The apostle isn’t sitting seaside sipping on a drink with an umbrella in it. He’s doing hard time in Caesar’s supermax in Rome. Somehow, someway, he has the joy of Jesus in the joint.

You may think he’s encouraging his readers to get over their first world problems. Well, his friends back in Philippi aren’t exactly living the life of leisure either. 

Dr. Luke tells us how the Gospel of Jesus turned the city upside down to the point of rioting and mob violence (Acts 16:12-40). Think Ferguson and Baltimore. 

A quick check of the map in the back of your Bible tells us Philippi is in Macedonia, just down the road from other churches in Thessalonica and Berea. 

In one of his letters to the Corinthians, Paul lets us know what the Lord was up to in the region despite a massive economic downturn. 

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (2Cor 8:1-2). 

Did you catch that? “A severe test of affliction…their extreme poverty.” Despite all of that, they had “abundance of joy!”

An epistle from Paul in prison. Written to a people in poverty. Still think this joy of Jesus is some sort of joke? No, I didn’t think so either.

The pages of this letter drip with joy. The apostle mentions it one way or another 14 times. 

So for those of us who’ve been reading along, this idea of doesn’t come out of left field. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (v4). 

As a matter of fact, it’s a variation on what he said to kick things off at the beginning of chapter three. “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord” (Phil 3:1). 

Just in case you weren’t paying attention the first time, Paul hammers that nail two more times here in chapter four. 

Rejoice. Repeat. 

“Rejoice” is the Greek word χαιρω/chairo. It means to be exceedingly glad, delight, be happy, or fully enjoy a state of blessing. 

The verb isn’t just a command. It’s also in the present tense. Paul’s order isn’t just a one-and-done gladness. 

It’s not something we do once, check off the list and never have to worry about again. The heart of this command is  to be exceedingly glad in God…and stay that way!

As you might imagine, joy in Jesus is one of Paul’s favorite topics. The apostle tells the Thessalonian church just down the road from Philippi, “Rejoice always” (1Th 5:16). 

He writes to his buddies in Rome to “rejoice in hope” (Rom 12:12). In other words, there’s no reason to let your circumstances get you down for long. Jesus is coming back. And He’s coming back for you!  

But as followers of Christ, we shouldn’t force feed our euphoria down everyone’s throats. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). 

The joy of the Lord is one of the major themes throughout the entire Bible. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the OT is nothing but wrath and judgment of an angry God. 

Joy is on page after page from Genesis to Malachi (Lev 23:40; Dt 12:12; 1Sam 2:1; 1Chr 16:31; Ez 6:22). 

Yahweh tells His chosen people to party down as a way of remembering His goodness toward them. “You shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you” (Dt 12:7). 

The Psalms is a discography of God’s greatest hits. It’s no surprise that it’s full of songs of joy. Pharrell’s “Happy” may be a nice little tune. But compared to the Psalms, “Party Rock Anthem” pales in comparison. 

King David drops one of my favorite lyrics in the Psalm 37. “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps 37:4). 

In other words, when we find our joy in God Himself, He’ll make sure to give you more of Him! Dive into the deep end of your relationship with the Lord! There’s no better place to be! 

As a matter of fact, Paul just told us how he’s put everything else on the back burner of his life in order to get more of Jesus (Phil 3:7-11). 

The apostle doesn’t want anyone to miss the joy so he says it one more time. “Again I will say, rejoice” (v4). The command so nice he says it twice. 

Robertson believes he  repeats the order of joy for emphasis in spite of discouragements. In other words, it’s never a bad idea to keep reminding each other of the joy we have in Jesus when the getting blindsided by a broken world. 

It’s one of the big reasons we need each other as we follow Christ. I’m desperate to have others getting my eyes off my problems and onto my Savior. Maybe you don’t. I know I do. 

But how in the world does Paul have the gall to COMMAND me to rejoice? How is that possible? 

Did you realize that God’s Spirit is actually producing joy in you right here, right now? You see, joy ranks number two in the fruit of the Spirit just behind love (Gal 5:22-23)! 

So we don’t have to stir up phony happiness. There’s no chance of longterm joy without Him. God grows His joy in you and me. And He keeps growing it. That gives us the ability to rejoice and repeat. 

This isn’t just a phony the-glass-is-always-half-full-and-somebody-is-going-top-it-off attitude. Paul calls us to a joy “in the Lord” (v4). 

A moment ago, Paul told Euodia and Synthyche to stop their Philippian Family Feud and “to agree in the Lord” (Phil 4:2). 

When we agree in who Jesus is and what He has done for us, it won’t be long before the fighting stops and the party begins. When our joy is connected to our Savior and not our circumstances, it never stops. 

Just in case you’re keeping score, here’s a list of places NOT to find your joy. Not in marriage. Not in sex. Not in kids. Not in career. Not in vacations. Not TV (especially NOT in reality TV!). Not in movies. Not in drugs. Not in alcohol. 

God designed us to find our longterm joy in one place. In one Person. In. The. Lord.

Once again, our friends over in The Message have a fabulous fresh take on this verse. “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean revel in Him!” (v4 The Message). 

Celebrate God. All the time. Really party in your heart because of who He is and all He’s done. And when you get done, do it all over again. 

Rejoice. Repeat.

©2015
Jay Jennings

Ain't No Party

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you” (Philippians 3:1).

Coolio was the first rapper to let us know about who throws the longest shindigs. “Ain’t no party like a West Coast party, ‘cause a West Coast party don’t stop.” Kid Rock came along and did his best to claim the Detroit as the home of the drawn-out get-down. The Democrat and Republican parties certainly don’t ever seem to stop but who really wants to spend their Saturday nights there? And I’m pretty sure the Donner Party stopped…cold (sorry, too soon?). Here in his letter to his friends back in Philippi, our man Paul gives important instructions about the party Jesus followers should be throwing down. “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you” (v1). Rejoice in Jesus and keep on rejoicin’. Celebrate in our Savior and keep on celebratin’. Sorry, Coolio. I’ve got bad news for Kid Rock. According to the apostle, there ain’t no party like a Jesus Christ party, ‘cause a Jesus Christ party don’t stop. 

You might think it’s easy for Paul to party. It’s easy to celebrate when your life is filled with nothing but rainbows and unicorns. Well, I guess it would be even though I’ve never really seen a unicorn. The apostle has not exactly been living the glamorous life of luxury since Jesus jumped him just outside of Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). Since Christ saved him, the man from Tarsus has had the ride of his life. He’s done everything possible to take the Good News of Jesus all around the Mediterranean rim. Along the way, he’s been beaten, shipwrecked, beaten again, left for dead, run out of town, snake bit, whipped, had numerous hits put out on him, and thrown in behind bars on more than one occasion. And it’s from a cell in Rome he writes to the church in Philippi. But Paul refuses to let four-plus years in the joint steal his joy in Jesus. 

We pick up the apostle’s letter at the beginning of chapter three. First of all, Paul didn’t add the chapter and verse numbers. Translators added those a few hundred years later to make it easier to find stuff in the Bible. Think of them as addresses. The author begins this new section with “finally” (v1). While that’s not a bad translation of the original language, it doesn’t really do us any favors. You might think Paul is landing the plane of this epistle. Not so much. It reminds me of an old joke. What does it mean when a preacher says, “In conclusion…”? Absolutely nothing. The apostle is making a transition, not a conclusion. Think of it as focusing a light. He’s going from a floodlight to a spotlight to a laser beam. 

From the cellblock in Caesar’s supermax, he gives us a command. “Rejoice in the Lord” (v1). Yup, that’s right. A command. An order. Not a suggestion. Not a good piece of advice. A command. But wait just a cotton pickin’ minute. Paul doesn’t know what’s going on in your life. He doesn’t know you just got laid off at work. He doesn’t realize what the prognosis your doctor just gave you. He’s not aware your husband just left you and the kids. Nobody has told him you’ve just filed bankruptcy. Remember, the apostle is in prison. Yet he still has joy. That’s because we consistently confuse joy with happiness. Hey, happiness isn’t a bad thing. But it’s based on our circumstances. We get happiness from our happenings (see what I did there?). And who doesn’t love singing along with Pharrell about the room without a roof?

Paul actually commands the followers of Jesus to “rejoice in the Lord” (v1). This is the very first time he directly connects our joy with Jesus. It’s his mega-theme of this little letter. The verb here is chairo, which means to be glad, take delight, and enjoy a state of happiness and well-being. The joy of the Lord is completely unrelated and unconnected to the circumstances of life. It’s totally attached to our unchanging relationship with Jesus. We rejoice when we get our eyes off our current situation and on Christ. Rejoice in the truth He lived the perfect life we failed to live. Rejoice in the truth He died the death for our sin we should have died. Rejoice in truth He rose to new life we certainly don’t deserve. Rejoice in the truth no one can take any of that away! Rejoice in the truth He will finish what He starts (Phil 1:6). Not only is a command, it’s also in the present tense. That means we can easily read this as “rejoice and keep on rejoicing!” This isn’t some sort of one-and-done joy. Or as the translators of the Amplified Bible like to say, “Delight yourselves in the Lord and continue to rejoice that you are in Him” (v1 AMP). You see, there ain’t no party like a Jesus Christ party, ‘cause a Jesus Christ party don’t stop!

As the followers of Jesus, we should be the happiest people on the planet! We should stand out from the rest of the society in so many ways. Our lives should look different. We should do marriage differently. We should approach our work differently. We should do forgiveness differently. One of the things that should make us stand out from the rest of society is our joy. I’m talking unbridled, over-the-top joy! Yeah, I realize there are a lot of folks who aren’t exactly wired with a default smile on their face. Years ago, I used to see myself as a victim. I honestly felt like the universe had a personal vendetta against yours truly. Folks around me got sick and tired of hearing me moan, “Why does everything always happen to me?!?” That’s when Jesus opened my eyes to all that He’s done for me, all He’s doing for me, and all He’s promised to do! He opened my heart to His joy. While I’m incredibly blessed, life is still very hard at times. But nothing, I mean NOTHING can steal the joy which Jesus has given me. I finally understand what Paul is trying to get across. It’s the same idea Nehemiah wrote about in the OT. “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh 8:10). His joy gets me through anything life throws at me. 

Paul can’t write about joy enough. We can’t read about joy enough. “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you” (v1). The pages of this letter are just dripping with joy. Just in case we missed the big idea, he wants to drive it home. Or as The Message paraphrases this verse, “I hope you don’t mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry—so here goes” (v1 The Message). Let’s face it, most of us don’t really need to learn anything new. We simply need to be reminded. Over and over and over. That certainly goes for joy. Rejoice in Jesus. We can’t say it enough. We can’t hear it enough. It’s no skin off Paul’s back to keep talking about it. And it’s good for us to keep hearing about it. 

The apostle tells the Philippians that all this talk of joy is “safe for you” (v1). You see, there’s a nasty doctrinal disease spreading like wildfire across the region. It’s already infected the Colossian church. Paul just wrote a letter trying to put out the dumpster fire a group of false teachers ignited. He followed that up with another note to the church in Ephesus as a safeguard against it. The joy of Jesus is an inoculation given to prevent infection. Spiritual snake oil salesmen attempt to steal your joy and tempt you with the idea they have something better. As a follower of Jesus, you already have everything you need. God doesn’t just bless us, He IS the Blessing! Don’t fall for substitutes from con artists.

You see, there ain’t no party like a Jesus Christ party ‘cause…well, you get the idea.

Making Jesus Famous

“Yes, and I rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as alway Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life for by death” (Philippians 1:18b-20).

Jesus is a game changer. He brings hope where there should gloom. He brings joy where there should be tears. There’s no greater example than the life of Paul, especially during his four years behind bars for telling everyone who would listen about Jesus. I mean there must have been some absolutely crazy stuff going on in the Roman prison where the apostle was in custody. Jesus used Paul to transform this place of pain and suffering into a joyful joint. You see, the man from Tarsus knew that no matter what happened to him during his time in the pen, Christ would use it to make Himself more and more famous. 

Let’s be honest. This little letter to a tiny group of believers in Philippi just doesn’t make sense. Jesus’ top spokesperson is locked up. The church he planted in the Macedonian seaport sent their current pastor to help but he nearly died making the trip to Rome. Yet this note absolutely drips with joy. Yeah, you read that right. Joy. If Paul had a boom box, he may have had Pharrell’s “Happy” cranked to 11. Here in the darkest dungeon of the empire, the apostle feels like a room without a roof. He knows that Jesus has given him something so incredibly awesome that Caesar’s supermax can’t take away. That’s the reason for his joy. As a result, God uses the apostle to turn the slammer into a greenhouse for Good News. Paul is telling everybody who will listen about the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilee.

We pick things with Paul’s joy on repeat. “Yes, and I will rejoice” (v18). He’s just said that he’s absolutely stoked to know that no matter what the motives are of the various messengers, they’re spreading the message of Jesus. Because “Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” (v18). His joy keeps jumping he knows one way or the other Jesus will spring him from prison. While the apostle’s praying for his friends back in Philippi (Phil 1:3-11), they’ve been praying for him too. God is up to something “through your prayers” (v19). Their concern for their founder isn’t just lip service. Their prayers have clearly resulted in action. They’ve sent very practical help in the form of their pastor Epaphroditus (Phil 4:18). The Big E nearly died on his mission to aid Paul (Phil 2:30).

Do you pray for your friends and family? Do you know of fellow believers who are, in the words of Ulysses Everett McGill in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, are in a tight spot? Do you ask the One who’s in charge of the universe to help them out? That’s a huge part of God’s gift of prayer. It’s not an intercom so God can be some sort of supernatural butler to freshen your drink. John Piper sees prayer like a walkie talkie on the battlefield. We use it to call in the ultimate air support. We call on God when we’re in real trouble. We call on God when we know the ones we love are in real trouble. Who needs your prayers right now? Call HQ and get Jesus involved. That’s what the Philippians have done for Paul. 

The prayers of the Philippian followers of Jesus sound the alarm for “the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (v19). No, they’re not baking a cake with a file in it. There’s no plan to bust Paul out of the joint through an elaborate jail break. Paul knows that there’s something, or should I say Someone much greater at work. The Holy Spirit has something up His sleeve. The Third Person of the Trinity provides “help” (v19). Paul uses the Greek word epichoregia here. This describes a large supply, a rich provision, and overwhelming assistance. God’s Spirit just won’t give what Paul needs to squeak by on the cellblock. He’s giving him more than he could ever dream of wanting or needing (Eph 3:20). Later, the man from Tarsus proudly writes, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). In this particular instance, he knows that the combo of their prayers and God’s Spirit “will turn out for my deliverance” (v19). One way or the other, prisoner Paul will be a free man soon.

You would think it to be bad press when God’s top missionary is locked up in prison. Wrong. It’s not that any publicity is good publicity. It’s because Paul knows that he “will not be at all ashamed” (v20). He knows that as long as he is obedient to God’s call on his life and in willing submission to the Lord’s leadership, Jesus’ glory will continue to roll around the world. In the big house in Rome, I wonder if Paul remembers his words to the Roman church that he sent them a few years back. “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). He’s not ashamed to broadcast the Good News of Christ because it’s more than powerful enough to change the lives of everyone who hears it. “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us” (Rom 5:5). Something tells me that Paul not only remembers these words, but is giving them very practical application in this Roman prison.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road for the apostle. He’s completely confident “with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body whether by life of or death” (20). Check out the word he drops that the folks at the ESV translate “honored.” Megaluno. It means to magnify with great intensity, enlarge greatly, make incredibly conspicuous, or even to make famous. Check out a few other times writers of the NT use this term. Mary sang about how her very soul was a magnifying glass of God’s glory (Lk 1:46). When God’s Spirit bum rushes Gentile believers right before Peter’s eyes, they couldn’t stop enlarging Jesus’ rep to everyone who would listen (Acts 10:46). God used Paul’s preaching about Jesus to turn Ephesus upside down to the point that Christ’s name became known all throughout the city (Acts 19:17). It’s a stone cold, lead pipe lock that God will use whatever happens to Paul in order to make Jesus famous.

So from the comfort of my suburban life in America, do I have the same confidence as Paul does in prison? Am I honoring Jesus with my life? Am I making Him famous? Am I using my soul as a magnifying glass of God’s glory? Am I doing everything I can to tell the world about the One who has come to my rescue? I need to remember the incredible cost Jesus paid to make me His and what I should do about it. “For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1Cor 6:20). There’s also a mammoth point here that God calls us to worship with so much more than our minds. We’re to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:2). I’m not saying that I need to do P90X for Jesus (then again, this particular “temple” could certainly use a little renovation). But there is certainly a physical component to following Christ. 

When it’s all said and done, Paul knows that no matter what happens to him the Lord will use it as part of the worldwide campaign to spread the Gospel. And that includes whether the apostle walks out through the front door of the prison or whether he dies behind bars. Jesus will be honored “whether by life or by death” (v20). That’s not something most American believers are facing these days. But there are those around the world that bring glory to our Savior as they face death at the hands of terrorists like ISIS and Boko Haram. Paul doesn’t let the possibility of dying in jail steal his joy. He knows more than most that Jesus is a game changer. God will use whatever happens to make sure Christ is the lead story in every newscast. 

Party People

Because I’m happy! Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.

Because I’m happy! Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.

Because I’m happy! Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.

Because I’m happy! Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.

“Happy” by Pharrell 

Not exactly the first thing pops into your head when somebody mentions the Old Testament. Usually it’s the wrath and judgment of an angry God. Strange wars between the Israelites and people with weird names like the Moabites, Ammonites, and Mosquito Bites. How ‘bout long lists of crazy laws and rules? But when you actually open up the OT and read it for yourself, you’ll see plenty of parties and parades. God’s people are a party people. And that’s because the LORD gives us plenty to party about. I think Pharrell is onto something. God and His blessings sometimes make you feel like you’re living in a room without a roof. Sometimes it means a party ON the roof!

That’s the scene here in Nehemiah 12:1-43. After 70-plus years of Babylonian exile, God’s chosen people are back in the Promised Land. It’s taken a while but they’ve rebuilt the temple (Ez 6:14-15), refurbished the walls (Neh 6:15), repented of their sin (Neh 10:28-39), and repopulated the city (Neh 11:1-36). Now it’s time to rejoice! If ever there was a time for the Jewish people to whoop it up and throw it down, it’s now. They’re not celebrating what they’ve accomplished but what God is doing through them and for them. And we’re going to see that He even is the One behind this big bash. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Nehemiah spends the first 26 verses of the chapter going over the roster of all of dudes who served as chief priests, priests, Levites, and gatekeepers since the Hebrews began their series of returns from exile. We start by blowing the dust off the page with a list that goes back to the “priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel” (v1). That’s 538 BC, some 93 years ago before Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel led the expedition while Jeshua was the high priest. The roster goes on to break down those folks serving at the temple under the next two high priests, Joiakim (v12-21) and Eliashib (v22-26). 

So just who are these fellas? Well, they serve at the temple. So does that mean they’re stodgy party poppers who serve as the local fun police? I mean, aren’t people who work at the church supposed to make sure nobody gets anywhere close to having a good time? It’s sure how I remember things back where I grew up. But there’s just one little problem. That couldn’t be anymore wrong. These priests, Levites, and gatekeepers do everything they can to pull back the curtain on the joy we can only find in the LORD. They’re not party poopers but party starters!

The people of Judah were ready to get this party started a couple of thousand years before Pink. The Levites are just the folks they seek out when it comes to celebrating the completion of the rebuilt city walls. “And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres” (v27). In other words, every great party needs a great band. Bust out the sound system, boys. Crank that bad boy up to 11. This is gonna get loud! Every member of the worship team hightails into town for this spectacular hootenanny (v28). 

The governor decides to crank up this party with not one but two parades. “Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks” (v31). Remember, Nehemiah’s mission all started when God broke his heart with breaking news about the broken walls of Jerusalem (Neh 1:2-11). Less than one year later, the walls up so it’s time to party down and thank the LORD for all He’s done to make this a reality. Curiously, the original language here doesn’t say anything about a choir. Nehemiah uses the Hebrew word towdah. It literally means thanksgiving or praise. These aren’t two big choirs of singers wearing robes and carrying hymnals. We’re talking about two huge teams of thankers and praisers. Are folks singing? You betcha. But don’t forget the musicians who’ve joined them (v27). This is less like a church service and more like Mardi Gras (minus the beads and debauchery!).

This shindig actually starts ON the walls! Talk about a room without a roof! Ezra leads parade number one which “went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate” (v31). Nehemiah follows parade number two which “went to the north” (v38). These two rolling celebrations head in opposite directions with the plan to meet at the temple and whoop it up together (v40). Once at the house of God, lead singer Jezrahiah and the rest of the vocalists really cut loose (v42). This bash just keeps getting louder and louder and louder. 

Just in case you’re not buying the idea of this massive shindig the people are throwing in thanks to God, Nehemiah invites you in for a closer look. “And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away” (v43). Did you catch all that rejoicing? Happen to notice all that joy? The people rejoice. God made them rejoice. They have great joy. Women and kids rejoice. And their joy is LOUD! The governor drops two closely related Hebrew terms here. One is a noun, simchah, which means joy, gladness, pleasure, happiness, and jubilation. The other is a verb, samach, and it means to rejoice, be glad, celebrate, take pleasure, and revel. This isn’t some boring and stuffy reception in the church basement. Nehemiah gives us a glimpse of unbridled joy and jubilation in Jerusalem!

This is one of those shindigs where one of the neighbors calls the cops because of the volume. “And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away” (v43). Imagine what’s going through the minds of Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the other thugs when they hear the cheers from Jerusalem ringing in their ears. They’ve done everything they could to frighten and confuse the Jews and shut down the wall project (Neh 2:10, 19; 4:1-3, 7-8; 6:1-19). The noise level from the city reminds everyone of One behind their success. 

Because God is epic, this party is epic. This party has the heavenly stamp of approval. We see that “God had made them rejoice” (v43). All along, Nehemiah tells everybody who would listen that God has a firm grip on the process (Neh 2:8, 17; 4:20; 6:16). When the truth of God’s Word reveals their sin and rebellion, the people cry their eyes out. That’s when the governor lets them know that this is no time for tears. “For the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh 8:10). This a HUGE reminder that God is more committed to your joy than you are. So instead of thinking of He’s a cosmic killjoy, we should realize God wants His best for us. He wants His joy for us. Hard as it is for most of us to believe, that happens when we embrace a willing obedience to His commands. He didn’t give them to us to keep us from having fun, but to protect us from ourselves. Our obedience brings Him glory. Our obedience unlocks our joy. Pretty cool how that works out, huh?

Don’t get me wrong. Life is not one big bash with a hot cover band. Not even close. That’s because we’ve jacked up God’s perfect creation through our own sin and rebellion. As a result, we’ve opened the door to death, disease, and decay into the world. But God sent His Son to our rescue to save us from all that we’ve done. And in the end, He’s inviting us to greatest party the universe will ever see called the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9). If you think things got loud in Jerusalem that day, the wedding reception for Jesus and His church is going to blow the doors off the place. The crowd is so loud, it will be “like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder” (Rev 19:6). That’s because they’ve cranked the music all the way up. I’m not sure Pharrell is going to be on the playlist, but the music will be blasting. As Tony Campolo likes to say, “The kingdom of God is a party.” God’s people should be party people. Because God is epic, His party is epic.