Love Song 欢唱情歌

[Dexu Xia]

He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17

It’s a quiet riverside park on a Saturday afternoon. Joggers pass by, fishing rods whirl, seagulls fight over fish and chip wrappers, and my wife and I sit watching the couple. They are maybe in their late forties and are speaking a language unknown to us. She sits gazing into his eyes while he, without a hint of self-consciousness, sings to her a love song in his own tongue, carried on the breeze for us all to hear.

This delightful act got me thinking about the book of Zephaniah. At first you might wonder why. In Zephaniah’s day, God’s people had become corrupt by bowing to false gods (1:4–5), and Israel’s prophets and priests were now arrogant and profane (3:4). For much of the book, Zephaniah declares God’s coming judgment on not just Israel but all the nations of the earth (v. 8).

Yet Zephaniah foresees something else. Out of that dark day will emerge a people who wholeheartedly love God (vv. 9–13). To these people God will be like a bridegroom who delights in His beloved: “In his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (v. 17).

Creator, Father, Warrior, Judge. Scripture uses many titles for God. But how many of us see God as a Singer with a love song for us on His lips?

How do you normally picture God—as Creator, Father, Warrior, or something else? How might your life change if you were to think of God as Lover, and yourself as His beloved?

Great Singer, I delight in Your singing over me.

 祂]必因你欢欣快乐，必默然爱你，而且必因你喜乐欢唱—西番雅书3章17节，新译本

周六午后，在静谧的河畔公园里，有人慢跑，有人垂钓，还有一群海鸥啾啾争食，而我和妻子则闲坐看着一对恋人。他们看上去将近五十岁，说着我们听不懂的语言。那位女士坐着深情凝视那位男士的眼眸，而男士则浑然忘我地用母语对她唱了一首情歌，歌声乘着微风，萦绕在我们耳边。

这位男士深情歌唱的举动让我想到西番雅书。一开始或许你会感到不解。在西番雅的时代，上帝的百姓因为崇拜偶像而败坏堕落（1章4-5节），以色列的众先知和祭司已变得自傲且亵渎上帝（3章4节）。在西番雅书大部分篇幅中，先知西番雅都宣告上帝即将施行审判，不仅针对以色列，还包括世上万邦（8节）。

然而，西番雅所预见的却不仅如此。虽然世道幽暗，全心爱上帝的子民却将兴起（9-13节），而上帝也必做他们的新郎，为祂所爱之人而欢悦：“必默然爱你，而且必因你喜乐欢唱。”（17节，新译本）

在圣经里，这位创造一切的上帝也被称为天父、战士、审判者，但有多少人会想到上帝竟是位歌唱者，会亲口对我们欢唱爱之歌呢？

除了创造主、天父和战士之外，
你还会用何种形象来描绘这位上帝？
若将上帝视为你的至爱，而你是祂心所爱的，
你的生活会有什么不同呢？

亲爱的上帝啊，祢为我歌唱使我满心雀跃。