Hey, Church! 

When I study the occasions of musical praise in the Bible, I am struck by how narrow our own cultural vision of worship can be. Making music to the Lord is only common in Sunday morning services. I am unsure when and why that became our cultural norm. But it stands in sharp contrast to the pervasive use of music in the life of ancient Israel and the early church. 

The Bible names many musicians: Jubal is the first (Gen. 4:19-21); King David is the most famous; Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were three chief Levitical musicians appointed by David (1 Chron. 6:31-48) and responsible for training 288 others to the service, many of whom are named (1 Chron. 25); Chenaniah was in charge of music when the ark was brought to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:22, 27); the Sons of Korah were a guild of Levitical singers who wrote several of the Psalms (Ps. 42–49, 84–85, 87–88). We could go on and on; dozens of other musicians are mentioned by name in the Bible (e.g., 1 Chron. 15:16-24). 

In addition to musicians by appointment, there are many occasions when songs were performed by a servant of God. Moses and Miriam wrote songs of triumph (Ex. 15) and prophecy (Deut. 31:19-32:43); Elisha called on a musician to empower his speech (2 Kings 3); Saul’s tormenting spirit was cast out by the soothing sound of David’s harp (1 Sam. 16:14-23); Deborah and Barak composed a song of victory (Judg. 5); Solomon wrote 1,005 songs, including Psalm 72 (1 Kings 4:32; Ps. 72, 127); and the prison shook its doors open when Paul and Silas sang (Acts 16:25-34). 

Music accompanied many other significant events: Jericho’s walls fell at the blast of trumpets (Jos. 6); Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples after the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30); musicians were often placed on the frontlines of battle as a way of signifying that the fight would be won by the presence and power of the Lord, not by the size of their army (2 Chron. 20:20-22). They were likewise found at the front and rear of royal processions (Ps. 68:25; 1 Chron. 15; 2 Chron. 5). John’s Revelation testifies that all the living creatures around the heavenly throne of glory will never stop singing of the holiness of God (Rev. 4:8). 

All of these examples, and we have not yet even mentioned exhortations like those given in the Psalms (100:1-2, and many others), Ephesians (5:19), Colossians (3:16), and James (5:13), or talked about worship-music in the Tabernacle/Temple, or the fact that an entire 150-chapter book of the Bible is dedicated to chronicling the songs of Israel! How precious it is to our Lord when we sing and make music to Him! How the gates of hell must tremble when we unite our voices in praise!

We will gather again this Sunday, just as a thousand generations before us have done, and as we will do forever. Come ready to give Him your very best worship, and to experience the nearness and power of His presence! As always, the songs we will sing are linked below.