Words always have associative properties with other words; the word joy is no exception. When considering a definition of joy, many people would assume it is being happy or happiness in general. However, the Bible does not associate joy primarily with being happy. God provided another word to enable the Bible student to define the word joy. In each of the three verses in our passage, the scripture makes reference to joy, either indirectly: rejoiced (Esther 8:15) or directly (Esther 8:16, 17). A careful consideration will identify that joy is associated with the words glad (Esther 8:15) and gladness (Esther 8:16, 17). This connection is consistent throughout the Bible (Psalm 51:8; Psalm 105:43; Isaiah 16:10) and is specifically connected to gladness of heart (Deuteronomy 28:47; 1 Kings 8:66; Esther 5:9).
It seems that far too many men seek to be honoured by others whether deserved or completely unwarranted. However, few men understand the proper biblical path for being rightfully honoured. One would naturally think honour comes to those who are confident and proud, but the Bible reveals the opposite. Proverbs 15:33 and Proverbs 18:12 both declare that humility precedes honour. This means that a person desiring to receive honour must first possess the character trait of true humility. Conversely, the Bible points out that a haughty heart precedes the pathway to destruction (Proverbs 18:12). Moreover, the Bible couples humility with the fear of the Lord and shows that it yields riches, honour, and life (Proverbs 22:4). Desiring these good things is only reasonable, yet they are only derived through God’s prescribed means and not man’s self-styled means.
The Bible records the fact that Ananias lied to Peter! He told Peter that he and his wife had sold some property for a certain amount of money. Yet, God and His servant knew that he had sold it for more than that indicated to Peter. The Bible teaches that Ananias told these lies to a man but had in fact lied to the Lord (Acts 5:4). Man may not recognize the extent of a lie, but lies told to others are lies told to God. This brings a whole new perspective to the wickedness of lying. Men’s lies are not just before and against men, but they appear before and are in conflict with a holy God. No wonder the apostle Paul said, “Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not” (Galatians 1:20). He understood that lying to men would be lying before God, and he did not want to be guilty of that.
God knows everything about everything, yet Christians sometimes act as though He has some debilitating limitations. Once again, the Bible shines the light of truth upon the matter. It reveals that He is great, “and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). In fact, His eyes “are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). In other words, there is nothing that escapes the knowledge and attention of God. This includes the good and the bad! The Son of God proclaimed to the church at Thyatira that He knew their works, charity, service, faith, and patience. He too knows about the level of a man’s faith! He knows the content, strength, and reality of that faith. A man can and will fool others and frequently even deceives himself (Jeremiah 17:9), but he has no capacity to mislead God. The Lord knows those who believe and accept His word as the perfect word of God and He is not unrighteous to forget (Hebrews 6:10).
Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do and yields great benefits. For instance, consider what the Bible has to say about diligence. God’s word promises that diligence brings an increase of substance (Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 13:4; Proverbs 21:5) and promotion (Proverbs 12:24; Proverbs 22:29). In other words, as the saying goes, hard work pays off. It is not difficult to prove that these benefits manifest themselves in the lives of God’s people who are diligent. Joseph and Daniel are two great examples of those who were diligent and their diligence brought them obvious promotion. Abraham and Job are great examples of diligent men who experienced a great increase of substance. A word of caution might be appropriate here. Men are not to be diligent merely for the sake of reaping its inherent benefits, but should be diligent for the sake of the One who called them to be diligent.
Most people have heard the familiar cliché that "money can't buy you happiness." In fact, the greatest treasures of life cannot be purchased at all. Yet, accumulating treasures and eating the finest of foods are the prized possessions of life for far too many people. The Bible says that these things fade away in comparison to the spiritual blessings derived from a life devoted to the Lord. In fact, nothing in this world compares to a healthy, biblical fear of the Lord. The love and peace possessed by faithful Christians offers lasting fulfillment while the combined riches of the world simply flee away. When a man fears God, combined with the love of those around him, a dinner of herbs (unsatisfying to the discontented) satisfies his appetite while the blessings of God satisfy him wholly. The Bible repeatedly declares spiritual blessings far superior to any worldly possessions. Men would be wise to choose God's blessings over the world's accolades.
