The Oil of Joy (Part 1)

I love learning new names of God! It shouts out His character and makes him more and more real. Have you ever heard this one? "El Simchah Giyl" Well, now we both learned something on the same day! You are going to love its meaning! "God, my exceeding joy."

It finds its root in Psalm 43:4: "Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight." Since the Hebrew meanings of the words "joy" and "delight" both mean joy, then God is our double portion of joy. Hmmm, double portion, now that reminds me of something Beth Moore taught...that a certain person's name literally meant "double portion."

Ah, yes, there he is! It is Ephraim. Joseph had two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. Israel (Jacob) is their grandfather and chooses to bless them as he does his own sons. (It is kind of tricky...he still only blesses 12 in total...the grandsons take the place of Joseph and Levi is left out because his family will be priests who don't need land...or something like that!)

Funny thing, though, Israel (Jacob) blesses the second born over the first. Yep, Ephraim lived up to his name and became greater than his brother Manasseh.

OK, you are going to love this and I am praying that I can covey it in a way that makes sense! Isaiah 61 is that famous passage that talks about the year of the Lord's favor and gives us examples of what Christ swaps out with us. For example, we give him our mourning and in return, we receive the oil of joy/gladness.

In 61:7, we are told that "Instead of their shame, my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs."

Oh, glory, Christ is swapping out our double dose of trouble for a double dose of joy!

Get this verse:
"And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD." Zechariah 10:7

The Message says, "The people of Ephraim will be famous, their lives brimming with joy."

Can you see the connection in the Word between "double portion" "Ephraim...which means double portion" and "joy/rejoice/glad"???

If you have the LORD as your portion, then you have a double portion of Him which means you have a double portion of JOY because He is Joy!

Now throw up your hands and praise the God who is your double portion of joy:

"El Simchah Giyl"

Say it something like this, so people will think you are really smart!

"L-Sim-khaw-Gheel"

We rejoice in the joy that Your presence provides!

Why are you joyful today?