Hearing God Sing

Decorative grasses rustle in the wind.

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 (ESV)

Have you ever wondered what God's voice sounds like? The verse above has been running through my head for several days now, and I started thinking about what scripture says about how God speaks...not so much what He says, but how He says it. We tend to think of God speaking mostly in a commanding tone, "Thou shalt not..." but scripture presents a different picture when we look a little closer.

There are certainly times when God speaks with power and authority. in Exodus 19:16 when God verbally presents His law and His covenant to the Israelites, He covers the mount with a thick cloud and there is thunder, lightning and the voice of an extremely loud trumpet. This is so terrifying to the people that they beg Moses to speak to God on their behalf. (Exodus 20:19)

However, much later in the Old Testament God's voice is completely different. God meets Elijah in a cave where he is hiding from Jezebel and holding a pity party. God sends a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but He didn't speak through any of these. When He speaks to Elijah, He uses a still small voice. He gives Elijah specific instructions, including appointing his successor, Elisha. This assures Elijah that he is not alone in following God, which was the main root of his self pity. (I Kings 19)

The seeds of a blood good Japanese maple

This verse in Zephaniah says that God rejoices, quiets, and exults over His people with singing. The word translated rejoice is the Hebrew word sus, which means to display joy, mirth; to be bright and cheerful. This isn't a stolid stern God. He is happy and demonstrating His joy. The word translated quiet is the Hebrew word haras, which is a primitive root meaning to scratch, but figuratively is associated with secrecy, being quiet, and holding one's tongue. Haras is paired with ahaba, God's love for His people. This is an image of a father cuddling his child with just a few affectionate quiet words of comfort. Exult is the Hebrew word gil, which means to spin around with emotion, to be glad and joyful. God is dancing and singing with shouts of joy!

I think as a parent I can related to all of these presentations of God's voice. Sometimes a tone of command is required - like when the child is about to step into a busy street. Sometimes a quieter correction or affirmation is needed. With teenagers this often occurs when we're in the car together. "I need to talk to you about something..." Sometimes your child succeeds at something they've been working toward for a long time and you rejoice over them with shouts of joy. Sometimes you snuggle up for a soft song as they drift off to sleep.

The last few bright blanketflowers (Gallardia aristata) reflect the autumn sun.

As a Christ follower, hearing God sometimes takes a little practice. Maybe, like me, you're used to hearing the instructions and the commands, but the idea of God singing seems foreign. After thinking about this verse the other day, I've been trying to listen for His singing. I've heard Him in the rustle of the grass as it blows in a passing breeze. I've heard His happiness in the bright colors of the remaining fall flowers. I've listened to His laugh as I finally noticed the pretty red maple seeds that look like butterflies on our tree. I've heard Him ask me to stop my busyness and rejoice in these simple songs of joy.

Perhaps you have heard God's voice in your own life in these various ways. Please reflect on them and share in the comments.

Will you listen with me for His singing?

Some music that came to mind as I was preparing this post:

"Calling Out Your Name" by Rich Mullins

"In the Garden" by C. Austin Miles