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)

God with us

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13–14)

Angels were present on many important occasions, joining in a solemn chorus to praise their Almighty Creator. They were present at the creation: “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).

They had seen planets fashioned by God and hurled by His hands through of space. They sang songs over the creation and may have often declared, “Blessing and honor, and glory, and majesty, and power, and dominion, and might, be unto him that sits on the throne” (Revelation 5:13).

The angelic songs gathered force through the ages. When first created, their first breath was song, so when they saw God create new worlds, then their songs rose higher in adoration.

But when the time came, the angels saw God stoop from His throne and become a babe nursing at His mother’s breast and they lifted their notes higher still. As Spurgeon says, they reached the uttermost stretch of angelic music and gained the highest notes on the divine scale of praise.

They sang, “Glory to God in the highest” for higher in goodness they felt God could not go. Their highest praise was given to His most incredible action of our Creator God.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

I can’t sing with the stars, but I can shout with the angels

Last Sunday my class discussed the glory that Jesus left when He came to earth. We pondered what it may have been like in a realm with no sin and how different this world is from that one. Imagine pure air, clear water, no unpleasant odors and nothing disturbed or destroyed by the selfish thoughtlessness of man. We couldn’t imagine it.

This morning I read Job 38:4-7. God is speaking to Job about his shortcomings. His words are almost sarcastic as He says, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”

My imagination was captured by the last line. Stars singing? Angels shouting for joy? These words offer a small glimpse into the glory Jesus had with His Father as He experienced song and sounds I could never hear, yet I find myself longing to know more.

Then another passage of Scripture came to mind. It is from 1 Peter 1:10-12. Peter writes about the glories of redemption in which sinners are transformed by the Word of God, saved from sin and eternal damnation.

He says, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”

Again, my imagination is captured by the last line. Angels, who witnessed creation and singing stars by offering shouts of joy, are not able to grasp the Gospel. One commentary says, “Angels have only the contrast between good and evil, without the power of conversion from sin to righteousness: witnessing such conversion in the Church, they long to penetrate the knowledge of the means whereby it is brought about.”

Again I am elevated to rarified air. I am a mere blip in time and significance, yet Almighty God has given me grace to know what He has done through the life, death and resurrection of His Son. I understand the Gospel and this knowledge is a marvel of His grace to all sinners. Through Christ, anyone, rich or poor, intelligent or simple, handsome or plain, can know what angels do not know!

This sends over me a wave of unworthiness. At the same time, my heart responds with worship. This God whom I love continually astounds me through the wonderful revelations in His Book. He makes me glad again and again that Jesus has invaded my life and captured my heart for Himself. Even though I did not witness the creation along with the angels, I have witnessed a re-creation of my life, so along with the angels, I also shout for joy!