Joyful Sounds

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." (Psalm 89: 15, 16 KJV)

Thank God for "joyful sounds"! Thank God for happy music! Thank God for news that is both good and "sounds good"! How delightful is joyful noise! Praise God for happy sounds that thrill the soul!

To some extent, the joy that comes from a sound is "in the ear of the hearer" in much the same way that beauty is "in the eye of the beholder."

A hungry man is delighted to hear the dinner bell. Parents are delighted to hear the first sound of their newborn. Soldiers are delighted to hear the news - "we have won, and the war is over." Laid off mill workers are delighted to hear the "sound of the millstone" once again.

In ancient Israel, on the great "Day of Atonement," it was a great delight to hear the "sound of the bells," that were attached to the hem of the garment of Aaron the high priest, when he came forth from the "holy of holies" that was in the Tabernacle (& Temple), after he had offered, and Lord God had accepted, his "sin offering" on behalf of himself and the people, to receive pardon for their sins.

"Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die." (Exodus 28: 31-35 NIV)

If Lord God did not accept the sin offering of the people, the high priest would be struck dead while in the holy of holies. This is why the people tied a rope to the high priest, so that if he died, they could pull him out.

While the priest was in the holiest place, sprinkling the blood of the sacrificial lamb, the people were assembled without the building, awaiting the re-appearance of the high priest. His reappearing would be proof that Lord God had accepted the sin offering and that he had forgiven the sins of his people.

The sounding of the bells on the garment of the high priest would be sounded and heard, however, before his actual visible re-appearance. How delightful and thrilling for the people to have heard the joyful sound of those bells! The sounding of those bells was evidence of the pardon of sins and future blessings from the Lord!

Jesus Christ acted as both high priest and sacrificial victim when he died upon the cross for the sins of his people. When he died upon the cross, immediately the "veil" in the Temple, that divided the holy place from the most holy place, was "rent in twain," and that "from top to bottom." (See Matthew 27: 51 KJV) Invisibly, Jesus Christ went through that veil, yea, into heaven itself, and there offered himself and his own sacrificial blood to his Father for the sins of his people, for sinners. And now that Christ has gone through the veil, has sprinkled his blood upon the mercy seat, the "bells" of the gospel message are being rung by everyone who is telling the good news to others. And, what a joyful sound to those who are guilty and burdened down by sin!

"And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them." (I Kings 1: 39, 40 KJV)

This time of great rejoicing upon the coronation of Solomon to succeed his father David to the throne of Israel is but a picture of the rejoicing of believers at the coronation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the "greater than Solomon" (Matthew 12: 42 KJV), when he returns to "sit upon the throne of his glory." (Matthew 25: 31 KJV) Everywhere in scripture, that day is pictured as a very great day of rejoicing for redeemed of all the ages.

It was in a small measure acted out, on Palm Sunday, when Christ came riding into Jerusalem upon the "colt" and the "foal of an ass" (Matthew 21: 5 KJV), in fulfillment of the prophecy that said "your king comes unto you meek and lowly, riding upon..." (Zechariah 9: 9 KJV)

"And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19: 37-40 KJV)

The coming of Christ, the king, into Jerusalem, did indeed cause great joy from his people, and even from all nature itself. But, such is yet to occur again, in a greater way, when Christ comes the second time. Many scriptures speak of this time as a time when all creation will be joined in the great rejoicing of the saints on that day when Christ is inuagurated and installed upon the throne of the coming heavenly theocracy.

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity." (Psalm 98: 4-9 KJV)

"Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious." (Psalm 66: 1, 2 KJV)

"Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery." (Psalm 81: 1,2 KJV)

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods." (Psalm 95: 1-3 KJV)

These words encourage people to be joyful in their God, to express their gratitude in happy songs of praise, in shouts of joy, and in dancing about with glee, and clapping their hands from excitement, and in all kinds of praise music.

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100: 1-3 KJV)

There is reason to rejoice. God is God, that is, he is the one and only one, who is sovereign and of power to save. He is our Creator and Caretaker. Are these not good reasons to greatly rejoice?

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." (Psalm 68: 3 NIV)

It is so sad that many professing Christians do not know happiness and joy. It really betrays their profession. Does it not at least manifest a lack of faith in the good news? Oh that Christians would learn to rejoice and be happy in Jesus each day!

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise." (James 5: 13 NIV)

What a simple and easy prescription for what ails us as Christians! If one is in deep suffering and agony of soul, he does not want to sing songs, unless they be the "blues," for his mood is anything but happy. Most songs are intended to be expressions of joy, not of sadness. If a soul is disturbed, let him pray, not sing. But, if the soul is happy, that soul is ready to sing!

"I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate." (Jeremiah 7: 34; 16: 9 KJV)

"I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp." (Jeremiah 25: 10 KJV)

"This is what the LORD says: "'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing." (Jeremiah 30: 18, 19 NIV)

"Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD." (Jeremiah 33: 10, 11 NIV)

What would life be without the above good sounds? No more sounds of rejoicing from the wedding chapels! No more cheerful shouts from those who have "fortunes restored"! No more joyful sounds and happy noises of any kind!

"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound." Friend, have you heard the most joyous sound of all? To hear and know it is to be truly "blessed."