Rejoice

Deuteronomy 26:11-15 – Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Deuteronomy 12:12 – And there rejoice before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

Psalm 119:176 – I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Exodus 39:43 – Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

Application:

• ·         Joy, based on the Lord’s blessings, was to be a major feature of Hebrew life and worship in the promised land.
• ·         “I have strayed” was the clearest expression of the Psalmist’s acknowledgment that, for all his devotion to God’s law, he has again and again wandered into other ways and, like a lost sheep, must be brought back by his heavenly Shepherd.
• ·         Moses blessed the Israelites for the faithfulness with which they had donated their gifts, time and talents in building the tabernacle and all its furnishings—faithfulness in service brings divine benediction.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV