Our Savior is a Singer. The One who created melodies and notes to play is a Master of Music Himself.
Logically, that makes sense. God created us in His image; therefore, the capabilities we possess, and the beauty that we shine, are reflections of Him.
The strong, buff army man is a picture of His strength.
The artist that paints masterpieces portrays the creativity of the One who paints every sunrise and sunset.
The musician, therefore, reminds us of the musical nature of God. Jesus is a greater musician than our minds can understand.
But what Scriptures do we have that show us Jesus, the Singer?
While there are bucketloads of Scripture verses encouraging and commanding us to sing (a cursory flip through the Psalms reveals that), there aren’t many verses about God singing.
I was able, however, to find a few references that show us the Lord who sings:
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples ... And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:26, 30, BSB, emphasis mine)
“After singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Mark 14:26, HCSB)
“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.’” (Hebrews 2:11-12, NIV, emphasis mine)
The most direct and clear Scripture of Jesus singing comes from an Old Testament prophet, Zephaniah.
“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT)
“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV)
The book of Zephaniah describes the longing of our Father: that lost children would come home and be fully his. This is why He rejoices over us in the verse above. Like the Father in the parable from Luke 15, our Daddy is practically giddy to have us back with Him.
To go a little further in this verse from Zephaniah, I composed a paraphrase based on the Hebrew words and their definitions:
“The Eternal God, your great and supreme God, is in your midst – He is as near as can be, and He is in the center of His people. The Powerful Warrior, the Valiant Champion, will open himself wide and be your safety. He is your savior and will have victory. He will be bright and cheerful over you with party-like glee and joyfulness. He will engrave you with His love and be still with you. He will spin you around in gladness, singing, shouting, proclaiming, and rejoicing over you in triumph.”
The picture given is of Jesus partying over your return.
He really will (and does) rejoice over you with singing.
What is it like when Jesus sings?
I used to imagine that His singing voice would be like choral voices in a cathedral, beautiful, pure, and holy. Hearing that is like watching the snowfall; you don’t want it to end, and even when it is over, you’re reluctant to disturb the awesome serenity and wholeness of it.
But as I have learned to let Jesus sing over me and have listened to His musical voice, it has sounded surprisingly normal. It isn’t a crystal that may break if I so much as breathe wrong. It’s not too holy for me to hear. It’s His love speaking, as He does when He talks to me, except deeper.
I tend to sing to my Father a lot, but I don’t often expect Him to sing back. Yet, as we can see from the verses we’ve explored, He longs to sing over us.
It’s delightful and thrilling, yet also challenging to allow your Savior to serenade you. If you'll surrender to Jesus’ songs of love, you will always feel valued, affirmed, and humbled by His tender affection for you.
Let Jesus sing His song over you. Listen. Receive.
When you sense Him tugging on your heart ... tune into His words and songs for you. Follow Him to that quiet place, the place where He pours out His love on your heart.
Perk up the ears of your heart today; listen for the One Who has been singing over you since before time began.
Comments