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We've seen that singing helps us remember and meditate on God's Word. We've also looked at singing as a means of responding fully to God. But singing is much more than a means to some other end, however worthy. When done as an act of worship, singing is an end in itself. Such singing does, of course, declare God's glory, but have you ever considered that it also reflects God's glory? I believe there are at least three ways in which this takes place.

First, singing reflects God's glory for He Himself sings.

Did you know that all three members of the Trinity create song? Zephaniah 3:17, speaking of the Father, reads: "He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Hebrews 2:12 quotes Psalm 22, where the Son of God sings the Father's praise in the midst of the congregation. In Ephesians 5:18-19 we are told that being filled with the Holy Spirit inspires songs in the heart of each believer. This is one reason why we often sense God's presence in a more pronounced way when we gather to sing His praises. The Holy Spirit is in our midst inspiring our songs!

Second, singing reflects God's glory as Author of all music.

As Creator, God is the ultimate author of all creativity. He created music -- melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and texture -- for His glory, and is the true source of every creative idea in music. No one has ever conceived a musical idea God did not originate. No one ever will.

So, no matter how sophisticated, cultured, current, or excellent our singing may be, we must never think that God is impressed or surprised. But at the same time, any sincere attempt to glorify Him through song brings Him pleasure -- because, however pale or distorted, it is a genuine reflection of His vast, immeasurable creativity. (If it seems at all odd to you that God would delight in a reflection of some aspect of Himself, let me encourage you to read John Piper's book, The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God.)

How God loves it when we are edified and stirred by the sounds He has given us. Just as the making of a chair or an airplane reflects God's wisdom as the master builder, so singing reflects His glory as the master musician.

Finally, singing reflects God's glory because it is a foretaste of the eternal glory yet to come.

Revelation gives us a breathtaking picture of the singing around the throne by the heavenly creatures, the 24 elders, countless angels, and the redeemed. When we read about the worship described in Revelation, our hearts cry out, "I want to do that!" What a joy to sing of God's ultimate triumph and outworking of His redemptive purposes in Christ, even before those events have been fully seen. We sing as though the last chapter has been written -- because it has been.

I'll save the last column in this series for a look at the kind of singing we might look forward to in heaven ... of which all our singing on earth is but a foretaste.

For His Glory,

Bob

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