A God Who Sings
The word ‘God’ has come to mean different things in different cultures. Even in cultures with a rich Christian heritage, people still view God as mythical and impersonal. It was A.W. Tozer who said, “No religion has ever been greater than its ideas of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts of God.” With all our focus on gospel-centredness (and rightfully so), we can sometimes overlook the benefits of a torn temple curtain (Matthew 27:51).
It was the prophet Zephaniah who wrote ‘the great day of the Lord’ was near (1:14), that it would be a time of wrath (1:15), come as judgment on sin (1:17), and result in God’s presence among His people (3:17). His primary target was the nation of Judah. They were to become a community of worshippers who call upon His name (3:8–10), a ‘humble and lowly’ remnant who ‘shall not be put to shame’ (3:11-12). As his prophetic utterances draw to a close, Zephaniah states “The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak” (3:15-16).
“No religion has ever been greater than its ideas of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts of God.”
From our privileged position we look beyond Judah to Jesus. At his resurrection, heaven trumpeted this news to sinners all over the world. Whoever takes refuge in Jesus Christ, the true King of Israel, is delivered from wrath and the recipient of mercy. But take a closer look and Zephaniah’s description makes some of us feel uncomfortable: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (3:17).
the Lord your God is in your midst
Time and again the tribe of Judah messed up. Time and again they needed reminding the Lord their God was in their midst.
At the beginning of creation God walked with Adam and Eve. After delivering the Israelites from slavery, God remained in their midst in the form of a pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. The same thing happened in the tabernacle and temple—God was in the midst of his people. In the New Testament, God puts on flesh and lives among us. Immanuel—God with us (Matthew 1:23). Finally, Jesus ascends to heaven and sits at the right side of his Father. But look at what he does next. He sends his Spirit to live and dwell inside us.
Eight years into a church plant and I burnt out. I googled ‘help for pastors’ and ended up at a retreat centre in Kansas City. Some days later, broken and in tears, the counsellor sat next to me and pulled me into her bosom. Instead of relaxing, my prudish British nature became tense and awkward. “Where’s God now?” she asked. Too uncomfortable to respond myself, the counsellor tightened her grip and declared “God is where he’s always been; right next to you on this sofa.”
a mighty one who will save
Zephaniah explains that the One who is with us is “a mighty one who will save” (3:17). We did nothing to receive victory against sin and death. It was Jesus alone who fought for us and won. The love of God for His people is not a soft, sentimental emotion that has no strength to act on behalf of the object of its affection. This ‘mighty one’ is the ‘God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe’ (Deuteronomy 10:17).
Throughout church history God has found, saved, and rejoiced over weak sons and daughters. Even whilst we were sinners, Christ died for us. Weak sons and daughters cast themselves on Jesus. Weak sons and daughters deliberately throw their burdens at his feet. Weak sons and daughters recognise they don’t have the stamina to keep on acting a part.
he will rejoice over you with gladness
It is significant that God should derive delight from us, His own creation. But it is incomprehensible and highly uncomfortable that He should experience ecstasy over us. Having pardoned their sins and counted them righteous, God’s joy in His people gives rise to loud singing (3:17). Not their singing or my singing, but His singing.
As a proud parent of three grown-up sons, I’ve watched them squirm the minute I rejoice over them with gladness. Like many parents, I remember a time my sons would exit the room the moment their father tried to hug them. They would probably put their earphones in if ever I exulted over them with loud singing. When it comes to my father-son relationship with God, I am not so different. I occasionally squirm and exit the room, but more often than not I busy myself with ministry. I quieten down my Father’s singing by being busy and being strong.
he will quiet you by his love
Without the quietening of God’s love I am prone to overthinking. I analyse everything I do, until in my head I feel acceptable. I do it to keep the peace in my chaotic mind. Without the quietening of God’s love I become hyper vigilant. I try to predict every possible outcome in order to create a sense of safety for myself.
The ironic thing is that ‘overthinking’ is a deeply unsafe thing to do. It sends a signal to my heart that I do not trust God is with me—I do not trust God can save me. Disconnected from my Father’s gladness, I inevitably feel I am not enough. Disconnected from my Father’s loud singing, I become the emotional eater struggling to lose weight.
May be you are the anxious people pleaser or the career chaser constantly trying to prove yourself? May be you are the confused child who has lost sight of what it means to be loved and to be good enough? May be you are busy trying to look and act the part? May be you no longer feel safe in His grace or able to admit failure?
If any of these descriptions resonate with you, then it’s time to reacquaint yourself with God’s voice. It is time to stand still long enough to hear Him sing and to acknowledge He is right where He has always been—in your midst.
“The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”