Music was an extremely important ingredient to worship in the Old Testament. Along with instructions concerning the building of the Temple came instructions for appointing gifted people to preach and praise God in music. It’s interesting how David’s actions combined the experience of preaching and the experience of music into one major act of worship. Our passage today says, “David and the commanders of the army chose some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to preach and play harps, lyres, and cymbals.”
A full worship experience must involve both the proclamation of God’s word along with the playing of music and singing of songs that exalt and praise God’s glory for who He is and for what he’s done. One without the other fails to capture the true essence of worship.
Martin Luther said, “The devil takes flight at the sound of music, just as he does at the words of theology, and for this reason the prophets always combined theology and music, the teaching of truth and the chanting of Psalms and hymns.? After theology, I give the highest place and greatest honor to music.?”
When the noted agnostic Robert Ingersoll died, the printed funeral notices said, “There will be no singing.” Look not for hymns, anthems, oratorios, carols, and spiritual songs among infidels, agnostics, or skeptics. Without God, without Christ, without redemption, without a divine revelation and without hope, what have they to sing about?
Chuck
“Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!” James 5:9