He Will Rejoice Over You – Zephaniah, Scott Wesley Brown and David Hampton

What’s it like to preach utter destruction to a wayward people, and then follow that up with a promise that divine redemption is also coming? This 7th Century B.C. prophet named Zephaniah warned those who would listen, including probably the highest authorities of his land, while also reassuring them that “He Will Rejoice Over You” – with singing. (See the 18th Century image of the prophet here [a Russian Orthodox icon, in the Kizhi Monastery in Karelia, Russia]). Could it be those last two words of the verse (Zephaniah 3:17) especially captured the attention of two songwriters – Scott Wesely Brown and David Hampton, two guys who obviously loved music themselves -- some 27 centuries later? Listen for God to sing, that’s quite a thing to say! Zephaniah must have felt this was a great way to conclude what he had to say, after beginning his message to his hearers with the opposite. Is the roller-coaster of human experience different today? We might surmise that Scott and David didn’t think so when they reprised in 1996 what Zephaniah said so long ago.

Zephaniah travelled in pretty elevated circles and had a pedigree that seemed to match his environment; so, did that give him some special license to deliver a message from God? Zephaniah was the great-great grandson of King Hezekiah (715-686 B.C), one of the very best kings of Judah following the split of the kingdom some two or three centuries earlier (around 930 B.C.), and this prophet does seem to hint at this by mentioning his bloodlines in the first few words of his message. It also had to be a source of encouragement to Zephaniah that another good king, Josiah (640-609 B.C.), had ascended to Judah’s throne, and at such a young age (eight years old, 2 Kings 22:1) seemed impressionable and eventually willing to redirect the kingdom toward the true God once again. Perhaps Josiah’s father and grandfather (Amon and Manasseh) had strayed too far even for a grandson to respect what evil they had done – worshipping idols of the surrounding nations, an utter abomination to the real God. Could one say that Josiah’s mother, Jedidah, might also have coaxed him in this direction? But, at first Zephaniah had to issue a severe forecast – that God’s judgement would crush not only Judah and Jerusalem, but the surrounding peoples in Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia, Assyria, and Nineveh. Repent. That was a directive that Josiah evidently heeded by 621 B.C., finding in his 18th year of rule the Book of the Law, and subsequently renewing the covenant and doing what he could to eliminate the influence of foreign gods in the land (2 Kings 22 and 23). Zephaniah’s words must have resounded in Josiah’s ears --- destruction if you don’t set things on a renewed trajectory toward God (the first 2.5 chapters of his three-chapter message), and God’s vision of a people who have sought Him once again and are being blessed (Zephaniah 3:9-20). Perhaps 3:17 is perhaps the most personal and tender of what God says to them through the prophet – all contained in the few words of ‘He Will Rejoice Over You’.   

Zephaniah, and Scott Brown and David Hampton must have all felt the same thing, even if they were more than two-dozen centuries apart. God wants to embrace his people, inside ‘His (great) love’ and because of His ‘great delight’ in us when we cling to Him only. If you can imagine feeling safe and calm, cared for, possessing an utter sense of protection and belonging, then you have experienced what Zephaniah could foresee. Then you might also hear the Great One singing, something that sounds like a lullaby and a celebration all at once – rejoicing at a Divine level. What’s ‘His voice’ sound like? Almost unimaginable, don’t you think? What if we could engage all of the senses He’s given us to discover Him today? Can you ponder for a moment touching, smelling, and tasting (Psalm 34:8) Him, in addition to hearing and seeing Him? Someday, you and I will get to use all of ourselves to experience Him.  

See NIV Study Bible introduction to the book of Zephaniah for background on the primary author-poet. Also see here for information on the prophet-poet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zephaniah

See here some information about one of the 20^th Century author-songwriters: Scott Wesley Brown - Wikipedia

See the official website of one of the 20^th Century songwriters here: Professional Addiction Recovery Coach | Brentwood |David Hampton (davidhamptoncprc.com)

Listen to a rendition of the song here:  Bing Videos

 

See here for information on the image of Zephaniah: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zephaniah.jpg This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. {{PD-US}} – US work that is in the public domain in the US for an unspecified reason, but presumably because it was published in the US before 1929.

Lord For Your Glory -- David B. Hampton, Matt Huesmann, Grant Cunningham

 

They were three friends who lived in the Nashville area, and each brought a passion for worship to inject into something they would write in 1998. “Lord for Your Glory” was how they felt and expressed themselves when they talked to God, though each was trying to use different gifts to relate to Him. There must have been particular circumstances that brought David Hampton, Matt Huesmann, and Grant Cunningham to that occasion, but one overriding motivation was perhaps the operative factor: they all loved God and the music medium He created to say what was inside of them, to offer Him the best they had to give. That part came through clearly in their poetry. (Update: On 1/31/2023, David Hampton gave this blogger some meaningful words that I share below, in italics. Thanks David Hampton!) 

 

Here's what David Hampton has to say, in his own words about the song: I was serving as Dir. of Worship Arts Ministries at Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN at the time. We were working on putting out another of our Re:Awakening CDs for Christ Community worship songs and my friends and producers of the project, Matt Huesmann and Grant Cunningham invited me to come in for a writing session with them one evening…. We got together at Matt’s studio in his home in Franklin and Grant shared with us an idea he had for a lyric… Eventually, we landed on the verse and eventually the chorus that Grant always said he wanted to “soar” melodically and musically….. The thing that makes this song so deeply special is that not long after this was written, and before our CD was completed and released we lost Grant in a soccer playing accident….. I began to think of all the ways Grant had encouraged me and impacted me and this song came to my mind.  I realized that the words were eerily the way Grant lived his life as I went over them in my mind. He truly believed that the work he did in the Christian Music industry was to see God glorified, made accessible, and made real to the listener. This song is Grant’s heart. I well up inside every time I hear it sung because I remember Grant and all he meant to so many of us. And I feel so privileged to have been able to have a peek into that place he went when he was creating.

 

Do you imagine that David and Matt, and those of us who appreciate music-writing and the power of the Spirit in those special musical creation moments, will ever think the same about ‘Lord for Your Glory’ now? Could any of these three friends have suspected what would transpire shortly after they finished crafting the song’s words? It is a little eerie, and frankly a little scary, isn’t it? All three of them brought lots to the table, and you can see some of these details in the links at the end of this blog entry. They’re all three pretty special guys; especially for Matt and David, they remember Grant fondly, and look forward to the heavenly reunion.

 

When they were in that creative moment, and perhaps not even fully appreciative that they were touching something of heaven in their music, David, Matt, and Grant did not need to embellish what they wanted to say in “Lord for Your Glory”; they just felt a need to act upon their feelings for God, apparently. Their expressions were in many verb-forms throughout the song’s lyrics -- ‘praise’, ‘honor’, ‘magnify’, ‘lift (hands)’, ‘give (hearts)’, ‘bring (blessing)’, ‘worship’, ‘offer’, ‘lay down’. Perhaps they just felt it was easier to say how they wanted to respond to God, versus trying to enumerate all the various ways He’d blessed each of them. Is it really much different for any of us? He certainly wants me to be aware of the blessings – a biblical concept, after all --  and to say ‘thanks’ (Ephesians 1:3). It’s just hard to pin down each one, and to find an end to such a list. They are worth appreciating anew each day (Lamentations 3:23), because as Grant could probably tell all of us today, you just never know how and when that transition to the eternal new day will begin. On that day, we’ll have so much more time to do all that Grant’s, David’s, and Matt’s words have us do here in this brief moment on earth.  

 

The words David B. Hampton shared with this blogger were via an email received on 1/31/2023. Thanks David!

 

See here for some brief information about one of the songwriters: https://www.24symbols.com/author/david-b-hampton?id=1062183#

 

See one songwriter’s official website here: https://www.davidhamptoncprc.com/

 

See here for songs by primary songwriter: https://songselect.ccli.com/Search/Results?List=contributor_P403662_David%20Hampton&PageSize=100&CurrentPage=1

 

See here for information on one of the co-authors: Matt Huesmann | Directory | Lipscomb University

 

See here for obituary of one of the co-authors: Grant Cunningham Obituary (2002) - Oklahoma City, OK - Oklahoman (legacy.com)