A Word Like No Other

“Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 12:6

Shout – You have to hear it to understand.  You have to feel it to know.  This word, ranan, is absolutely unique to Hebrew.  Its root is not found in any other ancient near eastern language.  Why?  Because it is the jubilation word for the God of the Chosen Ones.

It is so pitiful that we are stuck with the translation “shout”.  Of course, it does mean “shout”.  But it isn’t the exclamation of someone yelling from the other side of the street.  It is the cry of overwhelming emotions upon the discovery of holy joy in the God who saves.  That’s why it is so often linked with words like “joy” or “sing praises”.  It’s much more like the cry of awe and victory when the home team scores in the last second of the game.  It is the summary word of all the Old Testament religion.  That’s why we don’t find it in any other culture.  It belongs only to the people of the Lord of hosts.

Ranan, ranan!  Cry with joy.  Shout it out!  God cares!  God saves!  God loves us!  Let your emotions overflow.  You are no longer desperately lost.  You have hope.  His face has turned toward you.  Ranan!

If ranan is the summary word of the religion of Israel then we would expect that our faith should be even more jubilant.  After all, we know (eido not ginosko) the Messiah, the Deliverer, the King of kings.  “Rejoice”, says Jesus when he meets the women running from the empty tomb.  Ranan was close to his lips.  Shout for joy.  It is finished.  Is that the kind of relationship you have with the Creator of your soul?  Are you jubilant in the life He has given you today?  Do you find no other summary word for what He has done for you?

“Cry” is totally insufficient.  It’s correct but it’s sterile.  We need something much more dynamic.  We need explosive joy!  God is, and He is good.

(In case you forgot the difference between eido and ginosko, see Today’s Word for June 1)