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

The God who commands song is Himself an exultant Singer.

Zephaniah moves from the thunder of judgment to dialectic song, the bridal music of Zion and the triumphant song of Yahweh. The Holy One of Israel is not far off; He pitches His tent in the midst of His people and covers them in exultant praise.

In the New Covenant, the same Lord who thundered over the chaos is still singing, and now He sings through and in His Church.

The voice that once hovered over the waters and brought forth land, fruit-bearing trees, man and woman has not changed. Today He hovers over His baptized people, watered ground made solid and fruitful, forming us into a rooted, singing bride for Jesus, the true Adam.

We sing because He sings. We rejoice in Him because He rejoices over us. This is mutual delight, a duet of love. 

And more: when the congregation lifts her voice in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we hear nothing less than the Lord’s own voice resounding in the earth.

So why are we so anxious, tight-lipped, and self-obsessed? The Singer is in our midst.

Imagine if every city council and senate chamber were opened and closed by a psalm-cantor, the resounding voice of Yahweh rolling into every public hall. Imagine campus debates of truth containing call-and-response psalmody until the cedars snap. Remarks by the Secretary of War flanked by Psalms 2 and 46. This is not a fantasy; it is a foretaste of the nations discipled, public life caught up into the worship of King Jesus.