The Handmaiden - JOY! - Part 2 Study of The Word

El Simchah Giyl "God my Exceeding Joy"

Before we begin our study of JOY! in the Word, I want to share a discovery I made. Many of us are aware of the most common names of God in the Hebrew Scriptures like Yahoveh-Jireh, Yahoveh-Shalom, Yahoveh-Nissi, etc.. But, in my study for the word, JOY! in the Bible, I found a little known one: El Simchah Giyl (pronounced "L Sim-khaw Gheel"). Translated it means "God My Exceeding Joy" and is based on two words in Hebrew which BOTH mean JOY! Amazing... like a double-dose of it. The verse where it appears is Psalm 43:4

Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.

I pray that as you dive deeper into understanding the word, JOY!, that your journey to the altar will be rich and rewarding and that as you draw closer and closer to the Mercy Seat, you will find your El Simchah Giyl, your God who is your exceeding joy.

Old Testament Word Study

Law of First Mention
Gen 31:27 "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre; [Laban to Jacob after his departure]

God is JOY!
1 Chr 16:27 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place.

Ps 16:11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fulness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.

Neh 8:10 Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." [God's joy is my joy and strength.]

Jer 33:9 'And it shall be to Me a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear of all the good that I do for them, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.'

Zep 3:17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

JOY! is Expressed in Our Spirit, Soul, and Body
Ps 71:23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee; And my soul, which Thou hast redeemed.

Ps 84:2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Ps 87:7 Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, "All my springs of joy are in you."

Obedience & Service to God
Deu 28:47 "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things;

Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary?

Ps 126:5,6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing his sheathes with him.

JOY! is Creation and is Expressed by Creation
1 Chr 16:33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord; For He is coming to judge the earth
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy
Ps 65:8 And they who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Thy signs; Thou dost make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. [...a new view of sunrise and sunset]
Ps 65:13 The meadows are clothed with flocks, And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing.
Ps 89:12 The north and the south, Thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon [mountains] shout for joy at Thy name.
Ps 92:4 For Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands.
Ps 96:12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.
Ps 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the mountains sing together for joy.
Isa 14:7 "The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy.
Isa 44:23 Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory.
Isa 49:13 Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have compassion on His afflicted.
Isa 55:12 "For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Jer 51:48 "Then heaven and earth and all that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, For the destroyers will come to her from the north," Declares the Lord.

People of JOY!
Prv 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.
Prv 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy. [JOY! is meant to be shared -- especially the joy of our salvation.]
Ecc 2:26 For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.
Isa 54:1 "Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman," says the Lord. [a promise for intercessors]
Isa 60:15 "Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, A joy from generation to generation. [Interesting "A" joy]

Our JOY! is God's Glory
Isa 66:5 Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word: "Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name's sake, Have said, 'Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But they will be put to shame.

Great Ceremonies Celebrated With JOY!
1K 1:40 And all the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise. [Solomon's coronation]
1 Chr 29:17 "Since I know, O my God, that Thou triest the heart and delightest in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Thy people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to Thee.
Ezr 6:16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

JOY! in Victory
1Sam 18:6 And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments.
2 Chr 20:27 And every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
2 Chr 29:30 Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped
Es 8:16,17 For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor. And in each and every province, and in each and every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.
Ps 20:5 We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

JOY! in Worship
1 Chr 15:16 Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.
1 Chr 15:25 So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with joy. [Return of the Ark to Jerusalem]

JOY! in Feasts of Celebration
2 Chr 30:21 And the sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day after day with loud instruments to the Lord.
2 Chr 30:23 Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy. [JOY! begets JOY!]
Ezr 6:22 And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. [Interesting, the Lord "caused them to rejoice". He stirs us to deep emotion.]
Zec 8:19 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.'

JOY! Has A Voice
Ps 47:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.
Jer 7:34 "Then I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land will become a ruin.
Jer 25:10 'Moreover, I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
Jer 33:11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, "Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting"; and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,' says the Lord.

Shouts of JOY!
Ezr 3:12,13 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy; [JOY! always seems to depend on your perspective] so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.
Ps 27:6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Ps 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Ps 32:11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones, And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Ps 35:27 Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, "The Lord be magnified, Who delights [joys] in the prosperity of His servant."
Ps 98:4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises
Zep 3:14 Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

JOY! is LOUD!
Neh 12:43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

Sing for JOY! [This is awesome -- to me these scriptures mean that if I sing (ask) for joy, I will receive it!]
Ps 5:11 But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest Thou shelter them, That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee, [Our refuge in the Lord brings comfort and protection and leads us to gladness and joy.]
Ps 20:5 We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
Ps 33:1 Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.
Ps 33:3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. [involve it all -- sing, play and shout! all from your own spirit reaching up to His.]
Ps 63:7 For Thou hast been my help, And in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.
Ps 132:9 Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness; And let Thy godly ones sing for joy.

The Oil of JOY!
Ps 45:7 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy fellows.

JOY! is a Place ~ Mount Zion is The City of JOY! & New Jerusalem it's Promise
Ps 48:2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King.
Ps 137:7 May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.
Isa 12:6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 35:1-10 [One or two verses won't fully express the JOY! that will one day be ours in that day.]

The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, The majesty of our God. Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you."

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. And the scorched land will become a pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. And a highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord will return, And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isa 51:3 Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.
Isa 51:11 So the ransomed of the Lord will return, And come with joyful shouting to Zion; And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Jer 31:12,13 "And they shall come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they shall be radiant over the bounty of the Lord-- Over the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life shall be like a watered garden, And they shall never languish again. "Then the virgin shall rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy, And will comfort them, and give them joy for their sorrow. [JOY! is a gift from God.]
Jer 49:25 "How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy!

JOY! in Resurrection
Isa 26:19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

The Nations Express & Experience JOY!
Ps 67:4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For Thou wilt judge the peoples with uprightness, And guide the nations on the earth. Selah.
Isa 42:11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains.

The JOY! of Salvation
Ps 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Ps 95:1 O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Ps 105:43 And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
Ps 132:16 "Her priests also I will clothe with salvation; And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
Zec 2:10 "Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the Lord.

The JOY! of Justice
Prv 21:15 The execution of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity.

The JOY! of Protection
Ps 63:7 For Thou hast been my help, And in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.

JOY! is Our Desire
Ps 90:14 O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

JOY! in His Word and in His Promises
Ps 119:111 I have inherited Thy testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart.
Prv 15:23 A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!
Isa 61:7 Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs.
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found and I ate them, And Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts.

JOY! is Spreading the Word
Ps 126:6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Removal of Joy is Judgment
Isa 16:10 And gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field; In the vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting, No treader treads out wine in the presses, For I have made the shouting to cease.
Isa 24:11 There is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine; All joy turns to gloom. The gaiety of the earth is banished.
Jer 48:33 "So gladness and joy are taken away From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy.
Lam 2:15 All who pass along the way Clap their hands in derision at you; They hiss and shake their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem, "Is this the city of which they said, 'The perfection of beauty, A joy to all the earth'?"
Lam 5:15 The joy of our hearts has ceased; Our dancing has been turned into mourning.
Eze 24:25 'As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their pride, the desire of their eyes, and their heart's delight, their sons and their daughters,
Joel 1:16 Has not food been cut off before our eyes, Gladness and joy from the house of our God?

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