Jerusalem will be told: “Don’t be afraid. Dear Zion, Don’t despair. Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior to save you. Happy to have You back, He’ll calm You with His love, and delight you with his songs…” Zephaniah 3: 16, 17, MSG.
Dear LORD, we feel so safe with You! We are happy to know that as our heavenly Parent, You are happy when we come back home to You! Please forgive us when we go astray, and now, please speak to our hearts as we study Your Word. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
What it must be like to hear God sing! He is such a true parent. His love for us is so real! We are going to enjoy ourselves today, as we think about, what makes God sing! The first part of our verse begins as the prophet is telling God’s people, not to be afraid; not to despair. Now people can be afraid, without despairing. Despair, according to the dictionary, is “To lose or abandon hope. Utter hopelessness, and discouragement.” When we look at the context, from which our text is taken, surely, we can understand why Israel would despair. God’s people had become “haughty” (11, NRSV). Because of their constant rebelling, judgment was pronounced against them. When they heard what was determined against them, they became afraid, to the point of despair!
But the prophet has been sent by our heavenly Parent, with a message for His people. Hallelujah! I am so thrilled by the fact, that we are so special to God, that there has never been a time in the history of humankind, that God has left His children without a message! In the truest sense of a Parent, His messages are not always what we want to hear. Their content, are not always sugar-coated. But there is always one ingredient that is never absent from any of His messages, and that is love! Sometimes it may be hard to see it, and harder yet, to hear it; but if you keep your eyes on Him, you will see it! If you listen long enough, you will hear it!
When I read this text, especially using Eugene Peterson’s unique translation, The Message; I envisioned the heavenly Parent, singing a lullaby to the child who was taken captive, and has now been rescued, redeemed, by his or her mighty “Warrior” Parent. If there is one situation that will bring out “the warrior” in a parent, it is when his or her child is in danger! That parent loses sight of his or her own safety; and the only thing that matters, is to save that child! And when the child is safe at home, the parent sings to his or her child in soothing tones of love. And as the child is being sung to, the crying subsides, and soon the child is fast asleep! Safe in the arms of his or her Parent! This is one of the occasions that I envision God singing – when the lost child is found!
The other occasion that I envision God, the Parent, singing, is when the rebellious child returns home! Do you remember the story of the prodigal son? Remember when he “came to himself,” (Luke 15: 17) and returned to his father’s house? There was a grand party to celebrate his home-coming (23)! The Scriptures mentions the joy in the heavenly courts (7, 10) over the lost that is found; over the one who goes astray, and is found; and over the rebellious child, who “comes to himself, [or herself]” and returns home. I believe those are occasions when God sings!
Yes my friend, on these occasions I can just hear the Father saying, “Happy to have You back, [then] He’ll calm You with His love, and delight you with his songs…” If you have left the fold, for whatever reason; why not come back to Jesus today, and make God sing for joy!