This Month's Subject: The Joy of God's People in the O.T.

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The causes and occasions of joy among God's people given in the Old Testament.
DIVISION 1.
Everything that is stated to be a cause or a subject of joy to God's people.
Section I.-PRESENT JOY.
Lev. 23:40. The keeping of the feast of tabernacles, Deut. 16:14.
Deut. 12:7. " Ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand to," v. 12. " Ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God," 14:26; 27:7.
Deut. 16:11. The feast of weeks.
Deut. 26:11. The offering of the firstfruits, "thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given thee."
Deut. 28:47. "Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things."
Josh. 1:15. The gift of the land.
Psa. 4:7. "Thou hast put gladness in my heart."
Psa. 5:11. " But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee."
Psa. 9:2. "I will be glad and rejoice in thee." 32:11; 33:21; 104:34.
Psa. 9:14. " I will rejoice in thy salvation." 13:5; 20:5; 21:1; 35:9.
Psa. 16:11. " In thy presence is fullness of joy."
Psa. 19:8. " The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart."
Psa. 21:6. " Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance."
Psa. 28:7. "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth."
Psa. 31:7. " I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy." 90:14.
Psa. 40:16. " Let all those that seek thee be glad and rejoice in thee." 70:4; 105:3.
Psa. 63:7. " Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice."
Psa. 71:23. " My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee."
Psa. 119:14. " I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches, ver. 111, 162.
Psa. 122:1. " I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord."
Psa. 126:6. " He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
Prov. 10:1. "A wise son maketh a glad father." 15:20; 23:15, 16, 24, 25; 27:11; 29:3, 57.
Prov. 12:20. " To the counselors of peace is joy."
Prov. 21:15. It is joy to the just to do judgment."
Prov. 27:9. " Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."
Eccl. 2:26. " For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight.. joy."
Eccl. 3:13. "That every man should.... enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God." 5:18-20; 9:7.
Eccl. 7:14. " In the day of prosperity be joyful."
Jer. 15:16. "Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart."
Section II.-FUTURE JOY.
Psa. 14:7. " When the Lord bringeth hack the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." 53:6.
Psa. 48:11. " Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments."
Psa. 67:4. "O let the nations be glad and sing for joy."
Isa. 12:2; 3. "Behold God is my salvation.... therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."
Isa. 25:9. " This is the Lord, we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
Isa. 29:59- " The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."
Isa. 51:11. "Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion: and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy."
Isa. 56:6, 17. "Also the sons of the stranger.... will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer."
Isa. 61:10. " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God."
Isa. 65:18. " Behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy."
Isa. 66:10. "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem" &c.
Jer. 31:13. " I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow."
Jer. 33:11. " The voice of joy and the voice of gladness."
Joel 2:21. " Be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things."
Joel. 2:23. " Be glad then ye children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God."
Hab. 3:17, 18 "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines..... yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
Zeph. 3:14, 15 " Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout O Israel, be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord bath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy, the king of Israel, even the Lord is in the midst of thee, thou shalt not see evil any more."
Zech. 2:10. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord."
Zech. 9:9. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem; behold thy king cometh unto thee: he is just and having salvation."
Zech. 10:7. And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord."
DIVISION 2.
Every distinct occasion when a child of God rejoiced.
Gen. 21:6-8. Abraham and Sarah at the birth of Isaac.
Ex. 15:1-19. The children of Israel at their deliverance from Egypt, Psa. 66:6; 105:43.
Ex. 18:9. Jethro on account of all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel.
Lev. 9:24. The children of Israel when God accepted the burnt offering.
1 Sam. 2:1. Hannah at the birth of Samuel. " My heart rejoiceth in the Lord," " I rejoice in thy salvation."
1 Sam. 6:13. The men of Bethshemesh when they saw the ark.
1 Sam. 11:15. Saul and the men of Israel at Saul's coronation.
1 Sam. 18:6. The women of Israel at the death of Goliath.
2 Sam. 6:12 David when he brought the ark to Zion, 1 Chron. 15:27.
2 Sam. 22. David for deliverance from his enemies and from Saul.
1 Kings 1:40. The people when Solomon was anointed king. 1 Chron. 29:22.
1 Kings 5:7. Hiram when he heard of the wisdom of Solomon.
1 Kings 8:66. The people at the dedication of the temple. 2 Chron. 5:13; 6:41; 7:3.
2 Kings 11:14, 20. The people when Jehoash was made king. 2 Chron. 23:18-21.
1 Chron. 12:40. The men of Israel when they accepted David as king.
1 Chron. 29:9. The people when they gave for the building of the temple.
2 Chron. 15:12-15. The men of Judah and Benjamin and certain of Israel when they made a covenant to seek the Lord God.
2 Chron. 20:26. Jehoshaphat and his people when they returned from the destruction of Ammon and Moab.
2 Chron. 24:10 The princes and all the people when a collection was made to repair the temple.
2 Chron. 29:36. Hezekiah and all the people when the temple was sanctified and the offerings once more offered.
2 Chron. 30:25. " And all the congregation of Judah, with the priest's and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there was not the like in Jerusalem."
Ezra 3:11. The people when the foundations of the temple were laid.
Ezra 6:16. The people when the temple was dedicated, and v. 22 when they kept the feast of unleavened bread.
Neh. 8:17... The people when they kept the feast of tabernacles.
Neh. 12:27-43. When the wall of Jerusalem was dedicated.
Esther 8:15-17 The Jews when the edict for their destruction was recalled by Ahasuerus, and 9:17-19 when they had destroyed their enemies, Jonah 4:6. Jonah, when the Lord caused a gourd to spring up and shelter him from the sun.
"I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." Prov. 8:30,35.