Thy Word Makes Me Rejoice

In the ancient times when war was the in-thing, when war determines and defines the society when it shows which country is the most powerful and should be paid tributes to. Town Ilemey wage war against town Sahnu. It was a terrible war according to the oral history heard but at the end of it all, town Ilemey won the war with several spoils of war available for the warriors to share among themselves according to the rules of the war.

One general led them to the war while assisting the general were two captains of the same rank. After the general has taken what he wants from the spoil of war he asks the captains to start choosing what they will take before it gets to the soldiers of the lower caliber one of them chose the idols of the town while the other chose the animals, for I will go and establish cattle ranch when we return home he says.

The person who chooses the idols of the town when asked why he chooses those idols he told the general that he has heard of how powerful those idols were, and they were those being used at other towns, I want to study those idols to know things about them in anticipation of other future wars.

Everyone returns to their town and were peacefully living for three years but at the end of three years another town rose against them again, and that town would have overtaken the entire town but for the sake of the captain who chooses the idols the other time that was how they were saved, because he had studied those idols and had known their weaknesses, what would grieve them, their taboos he had known and it was because of this knowledge that he saved Ilemey town.

After this war he was promoted to the rank of general while the general was retired because he was badly injured on the battle front and couldn’t lead the town again. The man who chooses animals now became his subject because of his choice.

To add credence to this story bible students shall recall that, when the Israelis went and fought with Ai which was said to be a smaller country, they couldn’t conquer the country because of the trespass of a man called Achan. Achan trespassed because he chose what he thinks would give him joy neglecting others, what his decision would have on them he ignored because of his taste and his choice. (Jos 7)

With these short ancient histories, we shall discover that what makes individuals happy differ in the world. I will want us to see from the scriptures what also makes a man happy, and he equates such happiness with spoils of war. This shall be seen in the book of Psalms 119:162.

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” (Psa. 119:162)

e-Sword in his commentary says, Psalms 119 is written around 444 BC and that it was probably composed by Ezra. It consists of twenty-two parts, answering to the number of the Hebrew letters; every part being divided into eight verses, and each verse beginning with that letter which forms the title of the part; that is, the first part of eight verses with א, the second with ב, etc. It is a well-designed, important, and useful arrangement; the chief subjects of which are the excellence of God's laws, and the happiness of those who observe them.

In the chapter and verse of the book under view in this article rejoice is written as “שׂישׂ שׂוּשׂ”, Romanized form is śûś śı̂yś (phonetic spelling is soos, sece) which means to be bright, cheerful, be glad joy make mirth.

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” (Psa. 119:162)

Shall we therefore see some salient things from this verse.

(For more on Rejoice definition you can click the link below)

We shall see that the author says what makes him make mirth here but not talking about some other people because he cannot talk for them for individuals have tastes, but he is saying what his taste is as a person.

What it is that makes him rejoice is stated, and it is logical to assume that it arises from his personal decision which may have stem out of age long studies and or interactions with people and yea the Lord himself.

Let us now see what it is that makes the man rejoice.

Thy is grammatically said to be synonymous with “your”. The author is talking about God here and saying that he rejoices at the word of God.

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” (Psa. 119:162)

Word here in Hebrew is “אמרה אמרה”, when Romanized it becomes 'imrâh 'emrâh (pronounced as im-raw', em-raw') which implies commandment, speech. “Thy word” here thence means the commandment of God or in other word the utterances that come out of the mouth of God.

He rejoices at the words that come out of the mouth of God but not at the bread neither wine that others may be rejoicing in nor earthly possessions.

“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deu 8:3)

This should be our desire too, to rejoice at the words proceeding out of the mouth of God and say “amen” to his utterances, because those words are yea and amen.

“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Co 1:20)

When he hears the commandments of God or reads them or sees them, he leaps up for joy, he makes mirth in his heart for such words.

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” (Psa. 119:162)

He does this because he knows that through his word his life would be patterned, through his word he would have life,

He knows that through the word as long as he is obedient to it he would be blessed as the writer says when we be obedient to the word we shall be blessed of the Lord.

“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

“And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” (Deu 28:1-2)

He rejoices at this word because he knows that the word is a light unto his path so that he wouldn’t sin against the highest God.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psa 119:105)

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psa 119:11)

It is terrible when one does not know where one is going, one would be cycling and cycling a point without any advancement. But when one knows where he or she is going there won’t be much difficulty. This man rejoices at the word of God because the word gives him direction, he knows where he is going through the word.

“Then Jesus said unto them, yet a little while is the light with you. walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” (Joh 12:35)

He rejoices because through the word he could show others the light. It is a wonderful thing being able to show others the way, show others the light in the Gospel. As he has received the light he was able to show others the light.

“That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.” (Act 26:23)

In no ambiguity he speaks of what the rejoicing is akin to and he says it is like someone who has found a great spoil.

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” (Psa. 119:162)

He rejoices when he hears the word because no one who having found great spoil would be sad again. It is like a person who after diligent work in a day would be glad to receive the wages of his labor. That is how it is. However, in this case even greater than the wages worked for would be received, because it is like a spoil of war, it is like reaping where he does not sow. He cannot but be happy because of this.

Would make us rejoice when we can apply them to our lives as it should be applied learning of him every day. Adam Clarke says a spoil is the end of uncertainty. No uncertainty again as per whether the word would be profitable or nay, but now that he has applied the word into his life, all the doubts are removed and could rejoice in the word. John Trapp in his commentary says, Cicero says, I would gladly leave all the wealth in the world to others so that I might without disturbance live and die in the study of learning. It is not a surprise here that David was subsumed with the heavenly learning. We shouldn’t be tired of the heavenly learning too.

When a light shine on someone’s path the person wouldn’t stumble, he would walk right and would get to his destination safely and at times quickly but a person whose ways are dark would stumble and may never arrive at his destination.