Monite Tisema 25, 2023
When God Sings
Te ne Fiefia ‘iate koe ‘aki ‘a e Hiva
ZEPHANIAH 3:17
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
‘Oku lotolotoi ‘iate koe ‘a Sihova ko ho ‘Otua, Ko e Helo ia ‘oku fai fakamo‘ui; Te ne patapatakā ‘iate koe he‘ene fiefia, Kuo a‘u ‘ene ‘ofa ki he nonga; ‘Oku ne tome‘e ‘iate koe mo mavava.
‘Oku mafimafi ‘a Jihova ko ho ‘Otua i he lotolotoga oou; te ne fakamoui, te ne fiefia iate koe, aki ae fiefia: e mālōlō eia i he ene ofa, te ne fiefia iate koe aki ae hiva.(Paaki ‘a Uesi)
One of the most unforgettable scenes in C. S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew is when Aslan begins to sing Narnia into existence. This resonates so deeply because, at one time or another, we've all been touched by the creative power of music. Nothing seeps into our souls like song. It moves, inspires, uplifts, stirs something ancient within us. God may not have sung the words of Genesis 1, but he certainly fashioned within the heart of humanity deep recesses that can only be reached by music and singing. So when Zephaniah says that the Lord our God, our Savior, will exult over us with rinnah, with "loud singing," with "cries of jubilation," it is hard to imagine a clearer picture of his passionate and creative love. He has "taken away the judgments against" us (v. 15), rejoiced over us with gladness, quieted us by his love, and sung songs that re-create us anew.
Angels sing, "Glory to God in the highest" when the Christ Child is born. Behind that angelic choir, however, is another voice - that of the Father, singing over us and singing over his Son, by whom we are at peace with him.
Sing into our hearts, dear Father, the words of grace that alone can heal and give us peace.
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