“The Nightingale“—

This literary fairy tale was written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Set in imperial China, the story recounts the friendship between the emperor and a nightingale. In the gardens of the emperor lived a nightingale whose song was more beautiful than the palace itself and was storied all over the world. He commanded that the nightingale be brought before him to sing. With the help of a poor kitchen girl, the nightingale was found and brought to the emperor, where he sang so beautifully that the emperor was moved to tears. Soon after, the emperor received a new gift: a jeweled nightingale automaton that also sang. This nightingale’s song was pretty, but always the same. The real nightingale, no longer appreciated, flew out of the palace while no one was looking. The emperor placed the artificial nightingale at his bedside and banished the real nightingale for his desertion. The artificial bird sang the emperor to sleep each night until its cogs wore down. The bird was repaired, but it could be played only once a year.

Five years later the emperor fell ill, and one night Death sat on his chest showing him the deeds of his past. The emperor wished for the artificial nightingale to sing away the unpleasant memories, but it was silent. Then a song erupted through the window, where the real nightingale was perched. The song restored the emperor’s health and persuaded Death to leave him in peace. The nightingale declined to become a guest in the palace again, but offered to come when he would and sing about all that he had seen in the kingdom, if the emperor agreed to keep this a secret between them.

This story reminds me of a song. “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before”…

The Thorn Bird—

There is an old Celtic legend about a bird, which sings only once in its life. It sings that single song more sweetly than any other creature on the face of this earth. From the moment it leaves its nest, this bird searches for a thorn tree and does not rest until it has found one. Having found the thorn tree, the bird sings among the tree’s savage branches and impales itself on the longest, sharpest spine. Then, dying, it rises above its own agony to out-carol the lark and the nightingale. The whole world stills to listen and God in his heaven smiles. The best is accomplished at the cost of the greatest pain, so says the legend.

This story reminds me Jesus who willingly and obediently laid down while nails were driven through his hands and feet and then “sang a song” of forgiveness, “Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24, NKJV)

The Swan Song—

Leonardo da Vinci mentioned the legend of the swan in his notebooks: “The swan is white without spot, and it sings sweetly as it dies, that song ending its life.”

Jesus, who knew no sin, perfect in every way, became sin and sang a final song of the once and for all redemption for the sins of the world.  “It is finished.”

As in nature, there is a season to live and a season of passing from death here to life forever with God if we have been reborn and believe Jesus.  Moses’ death was near. He gave his last sermon in the form of a song. His passionate song reminded the people of their history and warned them not to repeat their mistakes but instead to trust the Lord. He prophesied their future disloyalty and punishment, as well as God’s forgiveness and mercy.  We have no excuse for abandoning God. Our Father protects, provides, and leads us like a Good Shepherd.  Listen to the Song of the Redeemer who loves and forgives. We must always put our faith and trust in Him.

Deuteronomy 32

The Song of Moses

And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:

Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
    hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
² Let my teaching fall like rain
    and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
    like abundant rain on tender plants.

³ I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
    Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
⁴ He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
    upright and just is he.

⁵ They are corrupt and not his children;
    to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.
⁶ Is this the way you repay the Lord,
    you foolish and unwise people?
Is he not your Father, your Creator,
    who made you and formed you?

⁷ Remember the days of old;
    consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
    your elders, and they will explain to you.
⁸ When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
    when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
    according to the number of the sons of Israel.
⁹ For the Lord’s portion is his people,
    Jacob his allotted inheritance.

¹⁰ In a desert land he found him,
    in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
    he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
¹¹ like an eagle that stirs up its nest
    and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
    and carries them aloft.
¹² The Lord alone led him;
    no foreign god was with him.

¹³ He made him ride on the heights of the land
    and fed him with the fruit of the fields.
He nourished him with honey from the rock,
    and with oil from the flinty crag,
¹⁴ with curds and milk from herd and flock
    and with fattened lambs and goats,
with choice rams of Bashan
    and the finest kernels of wheat.
You drank the foaming blood of the grape.

¹⁵ Jeshurun grew fat and kicked;
    filled with food, they became heavy and sleek.
They abandoned the God who made them
    and rejected the Rock their Savior.
¹⁶ They made him jealous with their foreign gods
    and angered him with their detestable idols.
¹⁷ They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God—
    gods they had not known,
    gods that recently appeared,
    gods your ancestors did not fear.
¹⁸ You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
    you forgot the God who gave you birth.

¹⁹ The Lord saw this and rejected them
    because he was angered by his sons and daughters.
²⁰ “I will hide my face from them,” he said,
    “and see what their end will be;
for they are a perverse generation,
    children who are unfaithful.
²¹ They made me jealous by what is no god
    and angered me with their worthless idols.
I will make them envious by those who are not a people;
    I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.
²² For a fire will be kindled by my wrath,
    one that burns down to the realm of the dead below.
It will devour the earth and its harvests
    and set afire the foundations of the mountains.

²³ “I will heap calamities on them
    and spend my arrows against them.
²⁴ I will send wasting famine against them,
    consuming pestilence and deadly plague;
I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,
    the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.
²⁵ In the street the sword will make them childless;
    in their homes terror will reign.
The young men and young women will perish,
    the infants and those with gray hair.
²⁶ I said I would scatter them
    and erase their name from human memory,
²⁷ but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
    lest the adversary misunderstand
and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed;
    the Lord has not done all this.’”

²⁸ They are a nation without sense,
    there is no discernment in them.
²⁹ If only they were wise and would understand this
    and discern what their end will be!
³⁰ How could one man chase a thousand,
    or two put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
    unless the Lord had given them up?
³¹ For their rock is not like our Rock,
    as even our enemies concede.
³² Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
    and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison,
    and their clusters with bitterness.
³³ Their wine is the venom of serpents,
    the deadly poison of cobras.

³⁴ “Have I not kept this in reserve
    and sealed it in my vaults?
³⁵ It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
    In due time their foot will slip;
their day of disaster is near
    and their doom rushes upon them.”

³⁶ The Lord will vindicate his people
    and relent concerning his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
    and no one is left, slave or free.
³⁷ He will say: “Now where are their gods,
    the rock they took refuge in,
³⁸ the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices
    and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up to help you!
    Let them give you shelter!

³⁹ “See now that I myself am he!
    There is no god besides me.
I put to death and I bring to life,
    I have wounded and I will heal,
    and no one can deliver out of my hand.
⁴⁰ I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear:
    As surely as I live forever,
⁴¹ when I sharpen my flashing sword
    and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries
    and repay those who hate me.
⁴² I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
    while my sword devours flesh:
the blood of the slain and the captives,
    the heads of the enemy leaders.”

⁴³ Rejoice, you nations, with his people,
    for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
he will take vengeance on his enemies
    and make atonement for his land and people.

⁴⁴ Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. ⁴⁵ When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, ⁴⁶ he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. ⁴⁷ They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Moses to Die on Mount Nebo

⁴⁸ On that same day the Lord told Moses, ⁴⁹ “Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. ⁵⁰ There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. ⁵¹ This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. ⁵² Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW WILL WE RESPOND?

What is our song?  Who is our Song? is a better question to ask ourselves.  What do we sing in the middle of the storm?  Who do we sing to when seeking calm when we are fearful, worried, and afraid? Paul’s answer to that question is profound and concise. “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).  Take note: this is not a peace from God. Our Father gives us the very peace of God. It is not given by humans; it is a gift from above. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27).

This peace of God calmed Jesus’ heart when he was falsely accused, steadied his voice when he spoke to Pilate, kept his thoughts clear and heart pure as he hung on the cross. This gift of the peace of God is given to all who believe in God’s Son as our Redeemer!

Sing the Songs of The Redeemer! Of which, there are many throughout the ages! 

Here is an excerpt—

The very same God
That spins things in orbit
Runs to the weary
The worn and the weak
And the same gentle hands
That hold me when I’m broken
They conquer death to bring me victory

Now I know my redeemer lives
I know my redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my redeemer

He lives to take away my shame
And he lives forever I’ll proclaim
That the payment for my sin
Was the precious life He gave
But now he’s alive and there’s an empty grave

And I know my redeemer, he lives
I know my redeemer lives…!

(Redeemer, written and sung by Nichole Mullins)

In Jesus Name, I pray and sing of His love, mercy, and grace, forever!