Welcome to Bible Insights with Wayne Conrad. The word of God says in Psalm 119, verse 130, the unfolding of your words gives light. It imparts understanding to the simple. Today's topic, our singing God. Yes, you heard that right. We have a God who sings. He sings over his people. Obviously, he may also sing over the works of his hands. We really don't know the voice of God. You can't actually hear him singing, at least not in our current state, but we know that he sings because the scripture indicates that he does so. He rejoices over the works of his hands. the creation and especially over the new creation. Although there is a future aspect of it has not yet come to pass in which there will be even greater rejoicing, there is a reality currently and our God sings over the works of his hands in the regeneration of his people and the constituting them the body of Christ. Let me back this all up with scripture. Zephaniah chapter three in verse 17. Now I want to read the verse, but now the verse does have a context and I'll touch on the context. But Zephaniah 3.17 reminds us that the Lord Yahweh God rejoices over his people with gladness and with joy. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save. He rejoice over you with gladness. This is how God speak to his people. He says, I will rejoice over you with gladness. The Lexham English Bible gives this refreshing translation of the same verse. Yahweh your God is in your midst, a mighty warrior who saves. He shall rejoice over you with joy. He renews you in His love. He will exult over you with singing. Or the World English Bible. Yahweh your God is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in His love. He will rejoice over you with singing. It's such a personal touch of God. rejoicing over those whom he has redeemed by his almighty, powerful arm of salvation. We know who that arm is. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. So our God sings. Well, it was Ephesians 3, it's an interesting verse. You know, when you read the Old Testament prophets, and then you have to interpret them in light of the New Testament, well, you can get lost. You can decide, well, that's only to Israel. This doesn't have any application to us. But that would be incorrect. The reason I say this is incorrect is because the New Testament authors themselves quote these prophets in their writings as being fulfilled in large part in his work that he does, in the salvation of his people, who are both Jews and Gentiles, who are one body in Christ. Well, Zephaniah 3 opens with the fact that God's people, here talked about in the terms of Jerusalem, a city, are rebellious people. They don't pay attention to God's words. They don't pay attention to what he tells them to do. And so God, says, you know, there's a future coming when I'm going to deal with all of this. And one way I'm going to deal with it is I'm going to show my power among the nations. But he gives a sobering thing right in the middle of Zephaniah 3. Let me read it. Zephaniah 3a, therefore, wait for me, declares Yahweh, for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the nations and to pour out my wrath on them, all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. Then will I purify the lips of the peoples and all of them may call on the name of Yahweh and serve him shoulder to shoulder. From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, my scattered ones will bring me offerings. On that day, you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you've done to me because I have removed from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill, but I will leave within you the meek and humble who trust in the name of Yahweh. The remnant of Israel will do no more wrong. They will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid. And then comes this command, sing, O daughter of Zion, sing, shout aloud, O Israel, be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. So God's calling on his people to sing because of the great salvation he's done. He's delivered them from their wickedness. He's given them a new heart, a new mind to serve him. Verse 15, Yahweh has taken away your punishment. He's turned back your enemy, Yahweh, the King of Israel, is with you. Never again will you fear any harm. On that day, they will say to Jerusalem, do not fear, O Zion, do not let your hands hang limp. And that passage is quoted about hanging, your hands hanging limp in the New Testament. So we know this is application to the current reality of the church. In verse 17, the Lord your God, Yahweh 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. There's two parties singing here. God's people are exhorted to sing to God their Savior. But because of the great work of his hand in saving his people, God himself sings over his beloved people. There's only one somewhat kind of a description we might have of Yahweh's voice. It's Psalm 29, verse four. Yahweh's voice is powerful. Yahweh's voice is full of majesty. I've never heard God sing with my ears, but I do know this, whenever God speaks, it's with power and majesty and glory. Our God is a singing God, and we should be a singing people. But you know, our God is a singing God, not only in the revelation that has been given to us before Christ, but in the revelation that is in Jesus Christ. After all, who is Jesus? Well, Jesus is the incarnate God. Jesus is the word made flesh who's come among us, who lived with us, and guess what? Who sings, he sings with us. Now, here's the only record of Jesus actually singing. It's found in Matthew 26, verse 30, and Mark 14, verse 30. They both basically say the same thing. And having sung, or after they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. The hymn, well, what is that hymn? Well, we know what the hymn is because it's the Passover season. And at the Passover, they would sing Psalms 113 through Psalm 118. And in that last week before Christ is crucified, there's a lot of references to Psalm 118, which is the final praise hymn, the final Hallel hymn. There are three quotes given just in Matthew, 21, from Psalm 118, verse 22 through 26. Psalm, I mean, Psalm 21, verse nine. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. That's Matthew 21, 42. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord, that is Yahweh, has done this, and it's marvelous in our eyes. 23, 39, for I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. All those are quotations from Psalm 118. So the hymn that Jesus sang with his disciples at the close of the Passover meal would be from Psalm 118. Now that's quite an interesting psalm because it talks about the sacrifice being bound or tied to the altar, which was exactly what was going to be happening to Jesus in the next few hours. We have a singing God and who in the days of the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ incarnate sang with his disciples in the worship of God. But you know, our singing God in the Messiah, in his ascension glory, is the chief liturgist. He is the chief worshiper of the people of God. He is the one who presents our worship to the Father. Now, in reference to the fact that Zephaniah is not just talking about the future, but talking also about the present, Let's read Romans 15 verses 8 and 9. Now, the context of this, again, is that the church in Rome is compiled of both Jews, that is, those who come to believe in the Messiah, and the Gentiles. And at this point, the Gentiles way outnumber the Jews. But they together constitute one people. They constitute the body of the Christ, the body of the Messiah. These are the elect, regenerated people of God. And to them, Paul writes, except one another, then just as Christ is the Messiah, except the Jew, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that God has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy as it is written. Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles. I will sing hymns to your name. Well, who says singing? to God among the Gentiles. Who is this singing leading hymns? It's the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He does this in his ascension glory in heaven. He is the chief liturgist bringing the praises of God's people to almighty God the Father. Again, Romans 15, verse 11, and again, praise Yahweh, all you Gentiles. Sing praises to him, all you peoples. And again, from Isaiah, the root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations. The Gentiles will hope in him. You see, the promises made to Abraham are not just a promise to Abraham's physical seed. but they're primarily a promise to his spiritual seed, which embraces both the remnant of the physical seed and those who are being added to that olive tree by the almighty power of God. This constitutes the people of the Messiah. This is the new Israel. And these are the people who offer to God the praises that are due his name. but their praises are acceptable to God because they're offered by and through the Lord Jesus Christ himself. So embedded in Christ's incarnation, is the fact that he participates in the community life of the people of God as their chief worshiper. And his ascension, he leads us in praises of God to the Father. For we praise God, the Father, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and in him and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let me add to this. Hebrews chapter two, verses 10 through 15. The apostle writes, for it was fitting for him to whom all things, to whom are all things and through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings. It's speaking about Jesus, the Messiah. for both the one who sanctifies, that's Jesus, and the ones who are sanctified, that's all of his people, are all from one, for which reason he, that's Jesus, the Messiah, is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, I will proclaim your name to my brothers, and in the midst of the assembly, I will sing praises of you. Psalm 22, verse 22. And again, I will trust in him. And again, from Isaiah 8, 18, behold, I and the children God has given me. Therefore, since the children share in flood and flesh, he also in like manner share in these same things, in order that through death he would and could destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and could set free these who through fear of death were subject to slavery throughout all of their lives. So now we come back to Romans 15 verse nine. Jesus singing and playing an instrument, fulfilling the role as the church's chief worship leader. This worship leader will not be singing in spite of the Gentiles. He will not be singing in front of the Gentiles. He will be singing among the Gentiles who have been saved and are brought in to the remnant of Israel. Psalm 100, Psalm 18, verse 49. Therefore, I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, and I will sing praises to your name. We have a singing God. We have a singing Messiah. They are the Savior. They are one and the same. They are the Savior, the Redeemer of His people. And God rejoices at the work of His hands. and then in response to God's great work, we join in the praises of heaven. Revelation chapter five, and they were singing a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slaughtered and bought people of God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation and you made them a kingdom and a priest to our God and they will reign on the earth. Psalm, Revelation 411. Before the throne, the praises of heaven. You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power because you created all things because of your will. They existed and were created. Yes, we're exhorted to sing to God. It's part of the worship that's due his name. And yet we're not singing along. Our God is singing with us in the Messiah, Jesus, in his ascension glory. And our God, Yahweh, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, singing over his people the works of his almighty sovereign saving hand. This has been Wayne Conrad with Bible Insights, wanting to go sing a hymn to almighty God.