Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long. (Psalm 89:15-16)
Every month at the new moon, these verses are recited as an acknowledgement that we are to sound the shofar. In fact, the joyful sound mentioned in the verse is translated from the word תרועה teruah, which is one of the sounds — a blast as it is often referred to — made with the shofar. This particular sound is most often associated with victory in battle. According to one Jewish writer, when the armies of God encountered the enemy, they would sound the shofar in broken, ominous tones; then they would sound the teruah as a shout of victory (for example, Gideon’s defeat of the Midianites).
This being understood, it is important to note that the psalmist didn’t say, “Blessed are the people who hear the teruah.” It says, “Blessed are the people who know the teruah!” The Hebrew word translated as know indicates more than a familiarity; it denotes intimacy. In fact, this is the same word used to tell us that “Adam knew his wife.” The point is that those who are intimately acquainted with the sound of victory — victory that comes by the Hand of the Lord — are a blessed people.
A victorious people are a blessed people; not only because they are empowered to triumph over their enemies but because their path in all matters is illuminated by the light of God’s countenance. That is to say, He makes His face to shine upon the faithful so that their journey through life is not in darkness. We are not destined to stumble and grope our way through life; in Him, we have light and we have the promise of overcoming this world. So may it be that today, we are granted triumph over our adversary and are blessed to hear the joyful sound of victory.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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