Verse Text: Zephaniah 3
If we’re to learn how to sing the Lord’s song, we’ll need to acknowledge that His song can only be sung by those who have heard Him sing it to them first. His song is our model. There are several Scriptures that unveil the song He sings, supplying us with a pattern to follow. Jesus followed His Father’s example, and so must we – and to do this, we must further our relationship with Him. The seed of the song is planted through this relationship. This is not too great a price to pay. Let’s look at His song and find out what the patterns are.Zephaniah 3 illustrates the song of the Lord in the most thorough fashion. To understand it, we’ll need to examine several Hebrew words that, when translated into our language, actually lose the intensity of their expression. [Read Zephaniah 3:14-17] The Hebrew words used in this section of Scripture for ‘singing’ and ‘sing’ are rinnah and ranan. Ranan is the verbal root from which the noun rinnah comes. These words paint a dynamic picture of the first distinguishing characteristic of God’s song. They refer to a song that sounds like a loud, joyful cry of triumph. His song, which we are to imitate, even commanded to sing, is rarely quiet. Actually, it’s the exact opposite. This is the type of song which He sings over His beloved, delivered people. But there’s more! His song is filled with rejoicing. Three different Hebrew words are used to express this. Verse 17 says, ‘He will rejoice [yasis] over you with gladness [simchah]’. These two words both convey the sense of bright, cheerful joy and gladness. Don’t you wish that everyone in the body of Christ would imitate this quality in God’s song? The third word is found at the end of verse 17; in the phrase ‘rejoice over you with singing’, the verb used is gil, a word which describes one of the most radical expressions of joy in the Scriptures. Gil means ‘to turn and spin around in circles, as if under the influence of strong emotion’. This may surprise and even threaten the reserved individual. But consider this: God is extremely moved by the intense love He has stirring in His heart for His people. His triumphant song is accompanied by a joyful dance resembling a whirlwind. He is emotional. He expresses His feelings with tremendous freedom and power as He sings. Why does the believer today resist and even resent such expressions when the pattern comes from God Himself? Could there be two reasons? Are we wilfully disobedient to His Word, and do we lack the depth of relationship with Him that causes the song to be born? These are questions which we dare not ignore.
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A challenge is presented in verse 14 of this passage. The daughter of Zion is commanded to sing in the same manner: the command ‘Sing, O daughter of Zion!’ uses the verb ranan – the root of rinnah, the word which describes God’s singing in verse 17. This song of the Lord, with all of its radical expressions of joy and triumph, is meant to be a corporate song of the Lord. Although the individual believer should be encouraged to flow in this, the congregation is commanded to. We as Christians have ample reason to sing such a song. God has given deliverance to His people. Jesus has triumphed over the works of the enemy. Have we become so numb and ungrateful that we don’t even recognise it? Our frail human excuses must be laid aside and replaced by sincere obedience to His word, inspired by an ever-deepening relationship with Him.Almost all forms of praise mentioned in the Bible were demonstrated in an extreme and celebrative fashion. Praise can be defined as any form of singing, dancing, lifting of hands, shouting, clapping, leaping and rejoicing that expresses thankfulness for what God has done in the past and for what He will do as if it’s already done. Praise is essentially faith in action. Worship, however, is defined as any form of singing or physical demonstration exhibited with humility and love to honour God for who He is. Worship, in its truest form, was ministered as the worshipper lay prostrate before the Lord. It is essentially love in action. Worship, the quieter expression of the song of the Lord, is almost entirely reserved for the individual or small group. It demands an intimacy difficult to express in a large group setting. How can we hear His song and imitate it? When does His song come to us? What is the purpose of His song and what does it result in for the believer? In Zephaniah 3:15 and 17 a wonderful revelation unfolds: the Lord lives in the midst of us, and is mighty. You are God’s dwelling place, His temple, a residence for His presence. Until you treasure that relationship and deem His presence more valuable than any other thing, you’ll not experience the full freedom of His song. His song reminds us of His victory. It always lifts you up in encouragement, triumph and faith. He believes in His people far more than they may know or believe in the One who indwells them. Greater is He that is in us, than the enemy we face in the world. His song reminds us of this inheritance. We have great cause to sing! Taken from The Song of the Lord by Tamara Winslow (Kingsway Publications 1996)
Used by permission
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