We are very familiar with God speaking, because scripture is full of this. God spoke and the world came into being (Genesis chapters 1 & 2). God speaks through His creation today - the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (Psalm 19:1). The entire Bible throbs will God's Word. God breathed his breath of life into the 40 writers who resonated with his Spirit and wrote the 66 books.
But does the Bible tell us that God sings? We find this hard to imagine because we are so used to thinking that only we his creation can sing! The psalmist calls his people to …make a joyful noise to the Lord; come into his presence with singing
(Psalm 100:1& 2)
To go to church and not sing is alien to Christians. Christians believe that the primary expression of worship to God is through singing! That is why during this lockdown -- where none of us could go into a physical building called church, we missed singing praises to God.
For most of us, church has been online but singing online has been challenging. We have tried to sing along, but because of the lag, we often just listen to the songs being played! 0 how we miss the corporate singing!
Over the many months of lockdown, musicians and IT experts from different parts of the world have produced virtual choirs This Covid -19 has led people to discover ingenious ways to express worship to God. A series of such choirs sang the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) in various languages with their distinctive cultures. They were spectacular, heartwarming and worshipful, and many a night, I went to bed with the Aaronic blessing ringing in my heart and mind!
But let's pause for a minute and listen to God singing:
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
(Zephaniah 3:17).
In the book of Zephaniah God pronounced judgement over Judah, Jerusalem, her enemies and the nations because of their rebelliousness against Yahweh the holy and just God. After the pronouncement of judgement, God declared he will restore the remnant, purify their tongues, remove their haughtiness, give them a posture of humility and dwell in their midst as their God and King. It is in this context that God sings his song of love and joy over his people!
God is likened to a mother who cradles a distraught child gently in his loving arms, thereby calming their spirits. Then like a father he sings with gusto as he hovers over his children with grace and mercy. It is a song of jubilation over a people who have been redeemed and restored.
During this unusual time, do not be in a hurry to want to return to church in order to sing and praise God corporately! That day will surely come as it has already in some countries! But in the interim, take time to hear God sing his songs of comfort, hope, peace, love and joy over you!
Spurgeon said:
God is so happy in the love which he bears to his people that he breaks the eternal silence, and sun and moon and stars with astonishment hear God chanting a hymn of joy.
So, sit and be still in his presence and listen to him sing both soft lullabies and loud songs of jubilation and deliverance that will nourish the core of your being.
Be still for the presence of the Lord, the holy One is here Come bow before Him now, with reverence and fear,
In Him no sin is found, we stand on holy ground,
Be still for the presence of the Lord, the holy One is here (Daniel Evans)
Violet James