BEYOND THE DALETH REJOICE עלז Habakkuk 3:17-18: Although the fig tree does not blossom neither shall fruit be on the vine, the labor of the olive shall fail and the field shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The only ones who did not suffer from the effects of the Great Depression were those who were poor before the Depression. John Kenneth Galbraith, American/Canadian Economist God knows my heart and He knows I deeply respect our brothers and sisters who live in nations where Christians are persecuted. Despite the threat of losing their jobs, homes, and even their lives they continue to be faithful to God. They do make me ashamed that I sit around and belly ache because I suffer some loss while these great warriors of God continue the fight. With that said, let me speak the unspeakable. In most cases, not all to be sure, those suffering in persecuted lands didn t have all that much to lose to begin with. Their whole lives
have been difficult and death was always a reality to them. Here in this country we have lived and grown up in relative security and prosperity. Such blessings can also be a curse when you seek to put the heart of God first. If you had nothing to begin with it is much easier to weather a recession or depression or even persecution than if you had couple new cars, house, with all the trimmings and to then suddenly lose it all. Job did not ;mourn on a pile of ashes because he had nothing, he mourned because he had much and then had nothing. Israel had entered a time of great prosperity just before their captivity. Suddenly all their wealth and prosperity would be torn away. Chapter 3 verse 17 Habakkuk declares they would suffer not only disaster at the hands of man but natural disasters as well, a double whammy. Ever get hit with a double whammy. You look up only hoping someone got the license number of that truck that just ran over you. The last thing you feel like doing is to rejoice. Yet the prophet says that when this happens he will rejoice in the Lord. He is not rejoicing over someone else s misfortune, he is right in the middle of this misfortune. His stocks and bonds will go down the tubes just like everyone else, yet he says he will rejoice. Not only that but the word for rejoice e elazah has a paragogic Hei which means he will dance with joy. Well, goody gum drops for Habakkuk, he may be able to dance for joy over losing everything, but I can t even fake joy after being run down by that truck. I know I should be joyful, I should be dancing with joy like the prophet, but that is not my story. Why do I bother even trying to What? Excuse me a moment it is alaz (rejoice) he just jumped out of my Hebrew Bible and is staring me down on my desk. You see the root word for e elazah dance for joy is alaz which is spelled Ayin, Lamed and Zayin and it is found.wait a minute, where did he go? He was here a moment ago and then he just Ah ha, I knew it, trying to sneak out to
go behind my Looking Glass. Alaz don t you go crawling away from me like that, you stop right there and come back here, I have few words to Alaz, Alaz, don t make me come after you. Blast it anyways, there he goes running through my Looking Glass. Sigh, I guess I will just have to go after him. I hate it when I have to go chasing after my joy. There is an old Chinese proverb, He who puts dish soap on top shelf jump for Joy. Oh my, I am really getting down in the dumps if that is best joke I can come up with, I really do need Alaz rejoice. Ok, back pack secure, I get a running start and I jump through my Looking Glass and find myself running right smack into a giant Gimmel, the letter G in Hebrew. He is followed by an equally large Yod and Lamed. Who are you I ask? I am Gil joy Alaz s rejoice big brother. I have Alaz (rejoice) right here, he is always running away. Yeah, like tell me about it. You should have heard that sick joke I just told behind my Looking Glass because SOMEBODY decided to run away. I see Alaz (rejoice) hesitantly peering at me from behind his big brother Gil joy. I ask Gi joy, Well how do you fit into this? Gil replies: Didn t you see that last part of the verse: I will joy in the God of my salvation? Well, I am that word joy. Huh, I huh, You are both joy? No, replied Gil patiently, I am rejoice, Alaz is joy. There is a difference. Come on, says Gil to his other letters Yod and Lamed and to Alaz (rejoice), We must hurry before Chaim tells another sick joke. Looking at me he commands, Now come on, join hands with me and Alaz. I am forced to take Gimmel s hand (the first letter to Gil) with my right hand and the first letter to Alaz Ayin s with my left and suddenly we are dancing around in a circle with Alaz singing Here Go Round The Now cut that out I shout, My fig tree is not blossoming and I don t feel like rejoicing. Suddenly Alaz starts to cry: He don t love me no more and runs away. Gimmel looks at me sternly, See what you done now. You wait here. No, I say, Let me go get him I was the one who hurt his feelings. No! shouts
Gimmel, That is my job With that Gimmel joy takes off after Alaz rejoice. I turn to Yod and Lamed who are left behind from the word Gil (joy) and I asked why he had to be the one to get Alaz (rejoice) back. Yod (which represents the beginning point) says that people are always offending Alaz (rejoicing) with their negative attitudes and Gimmel (lovingkindness) always has to bring Alaz back to me, Yod, the beginning point where Alaz rejoicing is reminded of the Lamed. Lamed? I ask Yes, you see Lamed standing there with his hand lifted to heaven receiving the joy of the Lord into His heart? He Alaz needs to be reminded that his joy is not dependent upon circumstances but upon what is given from God. Here, now they are returned, let s join hands in a circle.. Hold it right there. I demand What is this circle business? Gimmel now having joined us and his other two letters forming the word Gil joy answers by saying: Why that is what we Gil really means a circle. No I respond Gil means joy. Indeed replies Gil But don t you find joy and pleasure when you spin in a circle. You go to an amusement park where there are a variety of ways to spin you in a circle to feel pleasure. The circle is a symbol of God and that is why we are much bigger than Alaz rejoice. You see Alaz rejoicing is only the result of what we Gil joy brings. We bring the joy of the Lord and Alaz only expresses what we bring from God. Look at my belt buckle? Sure enough on Gil s belt buckle is a paragogic Hei creating even more strength to Gil s joy. I take Alaz s hand and together we cross back through my Looking Glass and this time I am rejoicing Alaz because Alaz only left to find his big brother Gil (the joy of the Lord) to get that joy to share with me. I return Alaz rejoice back to my Hebrew Bible. But before I do I mention to Alaz that I still do not feel like dancing with joy. Alaz said: When I ran away, it was Gimmel (lovingkindness) that brought me back, When I jump back into
Habakkuk turn to Romans 8:38-39. Saying good by to my friend Alaz rejoice, I then turn to Romans 8:38-39 and read the words of the Apostle Paul who once had wealth, power, comfort and lost it all when He found Jesus. Here he says that nothing will separate him from (not wealth, not health, not things) the love of God in Christ Jesus. I suddenly realize what Alaz rejoice was trying to tell me. Man or natural disasters can separate me from everything on this earth except one thing: The Gimmel, the love of God in Christ Jesus, His lovingkindness. As long as I have that I can join hands with Alaz (rejoice) and Gil joy circle and sing and dance and praise the Lord. I will always have the Gimmel s loving kindness to chase after Alaz rejoice when he runs away.