Suprising Ideas: Rejoice!

Here is a fun word to start this Monday:  “Rejoice!”

Admittedly, it is a bit of an old-fashioned word.  Online word usage data indicates that its frequency of use in published literature has steadily declined since the mid 1800s.  We may be inclined to use “rejoicing” if we are in the super-eloquent speech mode.  I would hazard a guess, though, that we can probably make it through the day without using either form.

It is a familiar word in the pages of the Bible.  The first idea that pops into my mind is how so many Biblical authors connect “rejoice” with suffering.  If that is our only frame of reference, we will be tempted to assume that the Bible teaches that “rejoicing” means we nurture positivity when things are not going well.

There is truth in that, but it isn’t the whole truth.  Let’s take a step back and consider the meaning of the word “rejoice” and how it is used in the larger context of the Bible.

Is it not curious that the word begins with a common prefix, “re-?”  Does that mean that “rejoice” is doing “joice” again and again?  If so, what is “joice?”

I don’t think “joice” is an English word.  However, as the word “rejoice” was absorbed into the English language, it does have a heritage based on repeating something.  Our English word is sourced in Latin and Old French.  In those languages, the “re-” prefix indicates intensification.  It isn’t just “joy” that is experienced, but “joy after joy after joy,” rinse, repeat.  This doesn’t mean we do something over and over again, but that there is intensity to the experience.  The original root comes from “gaudere” in Latin and “joir” in Old French.  Both words speak of happiness, enjoyment, and celebration.

Because of the nature of our future hope and because of the insistence of New Testament writers that we can “rejoice” in all circumstances, including (especially?) in suffering, we’ve reduced the meaning of the word to “positive outlook, hopefulness.”  

Would you be surprised to learn the term also has a broader, surprising meaning, especially in the Old Testament?  I’d encourage you to check out this text:  Deuteronomy 14:22-26.  There are a couple of surprises there.

First surprise:  the Israelites were to tithe what their crops and animals produced (that isn’t the surprise) FOR THEIR OWN CONSUMPTION. This tithe (there were a total of three tithes in the Law) directly benefited the worshippers of God.  Enjoying the bounty - think Thanksgiving dinner - was a tactile way the ancient peoples were reminded that it is God who supplies their needs.

Second surprise:  the tithe was to be consumed in Jerusalem.  If they lived too far away for it to be practicable to get their stuff there, they could sell it, take the money in hand, and use it to buy whatever they wanted in.  “Throw a party” is essentially what God says.

Third surprise:  the party is an expression of worship, aka, rejoicing.  Enjoying the blessings of God as a family (remember, it would be the extended family and not just the nuclear family) was a means by which they collectively expressed gratitude to God.  It is how they “rejoiced.”  (You really do need to read the text from Deuteronomy because included in the list of things to buys are “wine, strong drink, and whatever your heart desires” - subject to the dietary restrictions listed earlier in the chapter).

Can we rejoice in suffering?  Obviously, yes.  We should also be eager to celebrate the provision of God by sharing that abundance with others.  Rejoicing is not just positive thinking in times of crisis.  It is also inviting others to enjoy the goodness of God with us.

It is important to remember the larger context:  the Old Testament was written to a people of God whose faith was deeply rooted to their ethnic identity and national status.  All that changed with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.  The Old has been displaced by the New.  Nonetheless, the practice of sharing our joy, of thanksgiving, of enjoying God’s blessings is as valid now as it ever has been.  Celebration of the goodness of God serves to regularly remind us of His faithfulness.  It also prepares us for those times when “rejoice” is intertwined with discomfort and loss.

It is Monday, and we are still in winter (not a reason to rejoice for everyone).  Whatever our life circumstances today, this week, let’s not settle for just a positive attitude in the midst of whatever stress and angst we may face.  Let’s be intentional to find a way to enjoy the blessings God has given us, recognizing that whatever “it” may be, God is the source of all good things, and they can be used to worship Him.

Rejoice!