Joy — with or without singing

The Christmas carols have words about angels singing, but there is only one place in the Bible that says angels actually sing. It is in Job 38, where God describes the world in pristine beauty springing from His hand and says that the “morning stars (angels) sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7), but this is the only place that says angels sing.

Some Bibles translate the noise of angels as singing, but properly translated, these creatures shout or speak. At the birth of Jesus, a multitude of the heavenly hosts praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the Highest,” but the Greek text does not say that they sang nor do any of the other verses about angels.

Perhaps their song was stilled when sin marred God’s beautiful creation? Or maybe the passages that say the angels praised God including singing, even though they do not use the word? One of those passages is this verse spoken by Jesus about angels…

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10)

The devotional writer asks why angels sing over repentant sinners, or perhaps better phrased, why do they feel joy when I repent? As I scan through the many references to angels, those that tell of their joy concern creation and other praises given to God for what He is doing.

Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts… Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. (Psalm 148:2, 5–6)

The redeemed will sing “a new song” often called the song of redemption and angels will praise the Lamb of God, though it does not say they will sing.

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:11–12)

Does it matter if the angels sang or merely shouted? Is this too much like the silly question of how many angels can fit on the head of a pin? Or is God trying to tell us something about the joy in heaven, giving me insight into what truly matters? Is this about the things that put joy into the heart of His angels, even into His own heart that should also give me joy?

Actually, creation gives me joy. The little bit of trivia in my life includes frequent changes in my computer wallpaper using landscapes and other pictures of beauty in God’s creation. When I wind down at night, I often go to an online jigsaw puzzle site and assemble all my favorites — pictures of God’s handiwork.

However, repentance also puts joy in my heart. When I confess and turn from sin, God is happy and I feel His joy. It is the same when others repent and tell me about it. As Jesus said, repentant sinners give “joy before the angels” yet also joy in the hearts of God’s people.

Some of us may sing with joy, for some have singing voices and singing hearts. We may shout, as that is another legitimate way to express joy. We may smile broadly, or do a de-da dance, or leap and click our heels, or clap our hands. Sometimes joy is only an elated emotion with an added spark in the eyes, but however it is expressed, it is a gift from the Lord of hosts to His angels and to His children.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him. (Psalm 28:7)

Joy in heaven

When people talk about their deceased relatives watching down on them, I’ve thought this is a mere fanciful, wishful notion. However, I need to rethink my understanding.

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10)

This does not say my mother and father know what is going on here, but Jesus affirms that there is joy before the presence of God’s angels when I turn away from sin. Does that mean my parents also rejoice concerning positive changes in my spiritual life? If angels do, maybe they do also.

Spurgeon writes the devotional for today and suggests this verse is the answer to those times I feel like God does not hear me, that He is far away and I am here alone. Heaven is so much beyond this place, like a great chasm over which my thoughts and prayers cannot leap.

Yet the angels know and are delighted if one person (even me) turns from sin. Spurgeon says that the same great heart that beats in heaven beats on earth and even though the celestial is one and the terrestrial is another, this is only in appearance. I am not a stranger in a strange land shut off from my heavenly Father for even the angels know what goes on in my heart.

The rational side of faith would never suggest that God doesn’t understand, but when I’m overcome with doubt or troubled by sorrows, trials and temptations, I might feel as if God is out of sight and not listening. Spurgeon uses this verse to remind me that God sees, hears, and knows all things. He is not asleep or uncaring. Faith and prayer can motivate Him to stay or move, to wait or act. My name is engraved on His hands and heart. He thought of me before He made the world and thinks of me still.

My brother is there too, the One who became flesh and blood for me. This is the Son of God who is eternal, equal with the Father and who was born, lived, died and rose again, and is now ascended to the right hand of the Father to rule and to intercede for me, an adopted child of His Father — our Father. He remembers me every hour. My sighs are His sighs, my groans are His groans, and my joy is His joy.

There is joy before the angels because they are in the presence of Jesus who is joyful when sinners, myself included, come to their senses and turn from sin to Him. Those angels see and feel and know His joy. They jump up and down in delight as Jesus is filled with delight at our repentance.

Repentance makes my heart full of the joy of Jesus too. This is the same joy that makes the angels laugh, so maybe, just maybe (and I’m not going to write a book about it), my mother and father are smiling when I recognize sin in my life and turn from it to love and serve Jesus Christ.

Love cares enough to correct

Everyone in high school envied Gail. She was beautiful, had all the boyfriends she wanted, and her parents did not restrict her freedom. She sat next to me in class and one day handed me a note. It read, “I am so envious of you and your sister. Your parents discipline you. Mine do not love me enough to correct me.”

I was puzzled and thought someone else had written that note, but she told me it was from her. This made a huge impression on my life. While I do chafe under correction, I’m far more upset if someone knows I am making a mistake and doesn’t say anything. Love cares enough to correct.

This is true of God. The Bible says His love includes correction. If it didn’t, how could I worship Him?

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:19)

Repentance is easier when I know God asks for a change that is good for me. Besides, He does it with such gentleness and discretion. God rarely hangs my follies out where everyone can see them. (I can do that all by myself.) Instead, He approaches me when I am alone and whispers rather than shouts. I have a sense that He even hugs me when I get that loving smack that says, “Stop that!”

Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. (Job 5:17)

“Blessed” can mean “well-spoken of” or “happy” so God uses reprove to improve my reputation and make me happy. No one likes sin and selfishness. Those whom God corrects are respected. He knows that removing my sin and changing my ways will also bring me joy and peace. As I grow in my faith, I know it too. He is not against me but for me. My enemy is sin and self-centeredness, never God. 

I don’t know what happened to Gail. From rumors, she looked for love in all the wrong places. I hope she found it, but I know that even the best human love is cannot fulfill our greatest needs. The love of God does, for it produces peace and changed lives. The affliction of being corrected is short; the blessings last forever.

Don’t worry, be sad

Sorrow is better than laughter? As a normal human being, I want to be happy, not sad. Why would the Bible say this?

The rest of the verse explains it a little, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better” (Ecclesiastes 7:3).

Because the Bible is about the sinful state of humanity and our need for repentance and salvation, obviously this relates to being sorry about sin. Without that, there is no hope for the heart to experience a joy that is beyond mere happiness, a joy that knows sin is forgiven and I am accepted by God.

Our pastor preached from Nehemiah 8 yesterday. Part of this chapter says that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Pastor pointed out that before that joy was theirs, the people listened to the Word of God and were weeping. He said that their sorrow was “the garden where joy grows.” In other words, without the soil of sorrow, repentance cannot spring up, and without repentance, no one can experience the fruit — which is the joy of the Lord.

I’m starting to think that God wants me to firmly understand this truth because today’s verse from my devotional reading says the same thing in another way. 

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

The world around me is involved in the pursuit of happiness. I used to be involved in the same pursuit, or at least in trying to reach that goal by their methods. These methods include having more of this, better that, impressing people, achieving, and so on. Not that there is anything particularly wrong with owning things or achievements, but there is another joy that lasts longer and far exceeds the happiness found in material possessions or worldly achievements. It is the joy of knowing that I am walking with God.

Jesus talked about the kingdom of heaven as having so much value that it was like a man who sought expensive pearls. When he found “one pearl of great price” he sold all that he had to buy it (Matthew 13:45). I can remember times when I knew that I had disobeyed God and needed to regain that precious fellowship. To me, being in right relationship with Him was worth more than anything that I might gain by sin. This is a pearl of great price.

Deep and settled joy from Jesus has great value, but a value unknown to those who have never experienced it. For many, the sorrow of guilt and the hurdle of confessing and repenting from their sin is a high and difficult barrier. It blocks any idea of joy to the point that it seems far easier to rationalize, make excuses, or just deny guilt, hoping it will go away and they can be happy again.

The medical profession says a large percentage of illness is rooted in denied guilt, yet the person in denial will not see or does not want to see the connection. For them, the notion of sorrow being better than laughter is nonsense and a topic to be avoided at all costs, even the cost of their physical health and eternal well-being.

The book of Hebrews says that Jesus endured the cross, bearing the shame of guilt for our sins. He did it “for the joy set before Him” because He knew that saying yes to that sorrow led to the eternal joy of accomplishing the will of God.

That same joy of the Lord is given to all who will allow themselves to be sad about their sin. When I take my shame to the One who forgives all sin, He grants me the righteousness of Jesus Christ — including with the ever-present joy that He gives.