Hebrew Word Study – Rejoice – Simchah    Sine Cheth Hei 

Deuteronomy 28:47-48: “Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; (49) Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.”

This verse really makes little sense. My first response to this verse is “just wait one dog gone minute here.” This verse is not saying that all these curses will fall upon God’s people if they do not serve Him but that they did not serve him with joyfulness and gladness of heart.  Does that sound fair to you?

I recall my very first job, I hated it. I found no joy in it and my heart was not gladdened by it. However, I needed the money, I was thankful for the job as there were not that many jobs for a young high school boy and I did my work faithfully and to the best of my ability, but I did not enjoy it. Actually, if an employee does not enjoy his job it falls on his employer to find ways to make the job joyful if it is possible. After all, the more you enjoy your labor the better will be your performance.  The employer cannot just stand over his employee and say: “Look, you had better find joyfulness and gladness of heart in this work. If you don’t then just find another job. 

You can’t force someone to enjoy something, yet that is apparently what God is doing with His people. It is not enough that they serve Him, but now they must do it with all joy and gladness of heart. That sounds a bit unfair and I searched through commentaries and they were no help as to this unfair situation. They either totally ignore my question or they come up with an explanation that the people of Israel did not serve God which is the reason for the curses upon them. Clearly, this verse is not saying that all these bad things will fall upon His people for not serving Him but for not serving Him with joyfulness and gladness of heart. 

The word in Hebrew for joyfulness is basimchah from the root word simchah which is a joy that is expressing satisfaction and fulfillment. It is the joy you get when you listen to your favorite song, read your favorite book or eat your favorite meal. The word gladness is the word tov which means to be in harmony.  The word heart is lavav, which has two Beths.  Many Jewish scholars teach that the double Beth indicates a sharing of hearts.  Gladness of heart has the idea of having your heart and God’s heart in harmony with each other. 

Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the first day of Lent which is six weeks before Easter. It is traditionally observed with fasting and abstinence from meat. Many Christians mark a Lenten calendar, praying a daily Lenten devotional and making a Lenten sacrifice.  I hear many of my Catholic friends ask each other what they are giving up for Lent.  One man, I know, said this morning he was going to give up all meat for Lent. Which meant that for the next six weeks, he would eat no meat until the arrival of Easter. The devotee will attend an Ash Wednesday church service where they will receive ashes from the burning of the palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. These ashes will be placed on the forehead by a priest in the sign of a cross with the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” and the dictum to remember that we are all dust of the earth and to dust we will return. 

That is not a bad practice, almost like the week of Yom Kippur. Too bad we Protestants don’t have a similar practice. But we don’t and the reason I am usually given is that it is just a ritual to many people. 

But I often wonder, what if there are many to whom it is not just a ritual but a time of joy and gladness, rejoicing in a Savior who died for them to cleanse their sin? I know many Catholics who love the Lord and they are not ashamed to bear the ash cross on their forehead and declare to the world that they are just sinners who need to repent and are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. They walk the walk and talk the talk and this is not just a ritual but has deep meaning for them. Such individuals find joy and gladness of heart in performing this ritual. Would God not delight in this?  Then, of course, you have those who find no real joy in sacrificing meat or some other luxury.  They find no gladness of heart in attending a service and receiving the ashes on their foreheads. They do it just because they have to do it. If they want to go to heaven, they have to make some sacrifices to bribe God in to letting them into heaven.  “See there God, I did all them things you wanted now open that Pearly Gate, I worked for it, I sacrificed for it and I deserve it.”  But God will say: “No you did not either, My Son Jesus worked for it, sacrificed for it, and only because of Him do you deserve it.” 

Let’s assume a man came home to his wife. He gives her flowers, takes her to dinner, and then when it is all over he says; “Ok, you got your flowers, you got your dinner, I even lit a couple of candles at the dinner table, now you have to let me go fishing with my buddies this weekend.”  You can guess where that wife will plant those flowers.

But let’s say the husband comes home with flowers and says; “Honey, I thought about you all day. I wanted to do something to show you how much I love you and I bought these flowers and I made reservations at our favorite restaurant.”  Now, if she responds, “Ok, I know you want to go fishing with your friends this weekend, just go, don’t try to manipulate me, just go if you want to go.”  Then, if the husband says: “No I will not go. I want to be with you.  It is with you I find my joy and gladness of heart and these flowers and dinner are only my way of showing you how important you are to me.”  Those flowers will be placed in a vase and that old boy will get a hug.

Today many people will get ashes on their foreheads and for some, ashes will be all they will get.  To others who rejoice and find gladness of heart receiving the ashes, joy in the sacrifices they will make during Lent they will receive something even better than heaven, they will receive a hug from God.

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