God's Song

At a few key moments in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, we are introduced to the idea of a "funeral song." The Bible says plainly, "And they sang the following funeral song...." 

What follows does not look like a song to us. 

They say that if you understand the original Hebrew, you can see how poetic these passages truly are. You can glean the rhythms from them and understand how they were mournful, lyrical compositions. And as someone who has studied Hebrew, I have to tell you - I still don't always get it. Probably because it's still nowhere near a native tongue for me. 

But music doesn't have to be a native tongue; music is universal. If we could hear the instruments, the intonation in the voices, the spoken rhythms, I'm sure we would understand better what is meant by these "songs." 

Thankfully, what we do see in these songs is the stories, and stories are also universal. We understand what it means to tell the story of someone's life, and that's what these songs do best. They remember the good times, the hard times, the victories, the graces, the fullness of a person. 

And God has one of these songs for each of us. 

That's what Ezekiel says (32:2). God sings a funeral song for everyone. For all of His people. For every single in all of His creation. 

He knows your story. Individually. He knows your life. He remembers the good times, the hard times, the victories, the graces. He celebrates the fullness of who you are - who you've been, who you've become, who you're becoming. 

How deeply you are loved. 

That's what His song does. It celebrates our story. In His tongue. 

Now, I'll be honest and tell you that it doesn't always sound like a song to me. I don't always understand the rhythms. I don't understand the lyrical composition of it. I don't always hear the melody. 

Sometimes, I hear the harmony. Sometimes, I hear the dissonance. Sometimes, it throws me off. But what I do recognize is the story, and it puts my entire experience into perspective. 

God is singing my story over me. In His own voice. 

God is singing your story over you. 

Isn't that something beautiful?