I've Got the Joy . . .

Do you remember the song, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart?" The last line says, "Down in my heart to stay!" Considering we really didn't grasp the concept as we sang it back then, it's no wonder joy can seem so elusively defined now. As children, we could be singing about joy one minute and fighting with siblings the next. And now that we're all grown up, our dysfunction continues into the family of faith.

Here is a foregone conclusion regarding joy. Everything and everyone, not of Elohim, will invite you to give up your joy. Some will even take it, if you allow it, but your joy cannot be stolen, only given up. I've watched this for nearly 20 years now. You cannot protect joy in containment and you cannot fight for peace, which we'll cover next week. Joy is something that is a product of expressing love for our Creator, in service, and allowing Him to love others through us. Joy is one of the "side effects" of a relationship of love with our Creator!

I'm going to take just a moment to speak of the opposite of joy, because I think it may help some to refuse the distraction before it becomes the focus. As we learned last week, Scripture does not say hate is not the opposite of love, fear is. War is not the opposite of peace, war is the opposite of joy, or I should say "warfare" is the foundation for losing one's joy. No one should take joy in the prospect of war, and warfaring often becomes a quagmire. Warfare doesn't have a conclusion or victory, it is ongoing. The word: fare is defined as proceeding . . . and to be proceeding, or a process, is not an event, but a lifestyle. Warfare therefore can easily become a lifestyle, an agenda, an attitude, and all of those processes will rob us of strength. The joy of YHWH is our strength. Scripture never says our strength is found in the battle with the enemy or the battle over Scripture. Scripture does say many times over, however; that the battle is now ours.

Every single time, without fail, when the focus turns to warfare, the division begins and the next thing you know, the joy, joy, joy, joy down in our heart becomes contention with a sibling. Paul wrote about the spiritual armor to the church in Ephesus, then John recorded in the Revelation, the first warning to that same church. It had lost it's first love. Division and derision are not joyful and if a particular individual finds joy in those, that person truly needs to seek YHWH. We are taught to be followers of Y'hshuwah. The word "warrior" only appears in Scripture three times, twice in reference to the two houses of Israel fighting, and in the verse before the prophecy of Messiah in Isaiah 9:5,6. Clearly it's much easier to see why there are so many references to spiritual warriors, these days. The body is divided and we are in the last days before Moshiach returns. Is it possible to proclaim the Good News through warfare?

YHWH will place a hedge of protection around His own and we have instructions for spiritual armour, but the only piece of armor that is not defensive is the sword, which is identified as the Word of YHWH. As I read this week's Torah portion in the description of the articles of clothing for the High Priests, I saw a real similarity to some of the pieces of armour. Then again, there is a reference in the book of Isaiah.

So, if we put on each piece joyfully, we shall maintain our joy? In theory that is correct, but . . . we must move the focus of the spiritual armour from warfare to loving service unto YHWH and remember, the battle is not ours. We are not fighting other people in opinions or interpretation. When something is clear to us and we share in love, we may just find the unity we say we are praying for, and in that we will share joy!

There are three things I absolutely will not back away from, but three Scriptures are my limit in the discussion, then I walk away, or as I learned a few months, get formally booted or abandoned, a.k.a. in the case of Facebook, "unfriended." I believe the Name revealed to Moses must be proclaimed, and I don't argue Titles as long as the Name is known. Confession without repentance, a.k.a. the "sinner's prayer" is not in Scripture. To follow Messiah is to be Torah observant. Now, in a friendly discussion, we may cover other issues, but that is usually among "like minded" seekers. I made the mistake of jumping to a couple of discussion invitations about Jeremiah 10:3,4 in the weeks preceding December 25. Suffice it to say, the conversations were not joy-filled.

When we realize the armour mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 6, correlates with the attire of the High Priest, we get a much clearer picture of just what we are dealing with and what is expected of us. The High Priests put those clothes on in serving YHWH, to make the sacrifices. They didn't don those "uniforms" to go start arguing or even declaring war. That descriptive attire was for Temple service! Although it's not mentioned in Leviticus 7, I'm guessing there was a very sharp knife or sword if you will to kill the sacrifice. Well, our Sword [the Word, Y'hshuwuah] was our sacrifice, He said it's finished, and we are called to be a living sacrifice.

Joy is not a costume, as some appear to have made the apparel of the High Priests. Joy is certainly not clanging around in religious chain-mail and metal. Joy is the realization that the battle is not ours, and victory has already been secured by the One who is both the Lamb and the Shepherd. The armour of Elohim, as Paul called it, is not for warfare toward each other or even the enemy, but the proper attire for service unto YHWH, which is worn in joy.